Cinema Paradiso

If what we call beautiful is never perceived is it still beautiful? Or is beauty a quality of perception, an experience that may be attached to an object, or a sound, or an idea?

Listening to the Love Theme from Cinema Paradiso I become transfixed somewhere outside of time and space. A tear sits in my eye as my eyes close to block out the intrusion of the computer screen into this separate hallowed inner space. Something inside me shimmers, but it is not the music. It is not even a thought. The music enlightens something inside, something that is so often ignored or rejected as unimportant or unworthy.

Is the music beautiful? Or is it simply, eloquently, a call to awaken.

A Gathering With No Purpose

Thousands of small birds gathered in the field just beyond my office window, simple sparrows I think.  The sound was audible even though the windows were closed.  The reason for the gathering was never obvious and the behavior quite uncommon for these little birds, at least here in our fields.  For a several minutes new birds continued to come as I tried to find the tripod for my video camera.  The golden field that had been a harvest of wheat only  weeks ago was covered with a noisy blanket of dark feathers.  Then, as I  was setting up, the entire mass rose at once and flew a few feet overhead towards the west and there was silence.
 
Sometimes an unexpected event takes me beyond the clockworks of my mind and reconnects me with the world outside.  Lucky for me that it happened today.

Can Beauty Save the World

When architectural students arrived in San Diego from Mexico, Russia, the People's Republic of China, northern California, and New England many people questioned whether they could communicate well enough to design and build a park together. Others questioned whether they would even try. This was not the first project lead by James Hubbell. He knew what was possible. He repeatedly told everyone involved that "when chaos is everywhere only beauty and truth can communicate." In this case he was right.

Since that time in 1998 I have been curious to see whether other people could relate to this idea that became a mantra to the participants and supporters of the Pacific Rim Park. I have watched the news of our relationships with each other during contentious political debates and races. I have watched the news of our relationships with other countries and cultures. And I wonder about the truth of these words that James has clung to.

With that in mind I have decided to reach out to people; to talk to them about their perception and experience of beauty, to ask them to attempt to define beauty, to attempt to define truth, to ask them if they believe we can use beauty and truth to communicate effectively in our lives.

In these blog posts other people's stories, definitions, and beliefs will be the major thread. There will also be links to the thoughts of artists, scientist, writers, performers, maybe even a politician or two. The first link is to the story of the Jardin de Ninos La Esperanza, a school buit in Colonia Esperanze by volunteers who believed in the power of beauty to change the lives of children growing up in devastating poverty.

Please join in with your thoughts.