82: bogus focus.

not too long ago,
i said to a fellow colleague
who had a degree in physics:

"i find it amazing
that we can send texts, e-mails, videos, bank payments, groceries, bouquets of flowers
without some form of land or physical connection --
all this data floating around in the air
being channelled along by waves
that we cannot see,
touch,
or hear...
but they're there,
and they reach where they need to reach, no matter the destination
and they do what they need to do, no matter the outcome.

it's like...

Magic."

and when i said the last word
i could've sworn
that she almost choked on her drink.

she then stifled out a laugh
and looked at me as if i just told her
that i wanted to fork out my eyes.
"that's not magic,
that's Physics!"

i couldn't help it.
i sighed,
"i know there are
scientific explanations and theories and concepts and whathaveyou
but it still doesn't change the fact that
it is amazing
how there's an infinity of invisible information
in insanely long strings of 0s and 1s
flowing above, around, under, through, between us
dutifully trying to achieve its mission
at the click of a button, at a tap of a screen, at a touch of key."

i couldn't help it.
i asked,
"does it not make you wonder,
how there are all these things we cannot see,
yet they do amazing things,
at lightning speed
and with wonderful results?
you need something,
whether it's a definition of a word, or a recipe for some dish you're craving for, or chatting to a long-distance friend, and voila --
you get it.
Magic.
at your fingertips."

she lifted an eyebrow.
"but that's not Magic,
that's Physics!"

and so i tried to 'compromise'
by saying that i meant it as more of a metaphor
(which she couldn't understand)
and then i said that i'll perhaps use the adjective 'magical'
(because that's what i had meant, anyway)
but she just became more confused...


and that's when i knew
it was not a battle worth fighting.


because it was then that i finally understood
that Magic
is not what you see (or don't see)
or what you hear (or don't hear)
or what you understand (or don't understand)

Magic is what's felt;
what we get
when we replace
adult-like rationality and knowledge to make us smart,
with child-like wonder and gratitude to make us happy.


---

not too long ago,
i told a fellow colleague
who had a degree in physics:

"i find it amazing
that we can send texts, e-mails, videos, bank payments, chocolates and bouquets of flowers
without wires 
sometimes by just using our
mobile devices;
all this data floating around in the air
being channelled by waves
that cannot be seen
touched
heard
felt
but they're there,
and it reaches where it needs to reach
and it does what it needs to do.
it's like...
magic."

she almost choked on her drink,
"that's not magic,
that's physics!"

i tried to explain to her
that i understand
about scientific explanations and theories and concepts and whathaveyou
but it still doesn't change the fact that
there is all these invisible information 
around you
in long strings of alternating and combinations of 0s and 1s
flowing along to dutifully achieve its mission
at the click of a button, at a tap of a screen, at a touch of key.

this infinite space of ours
full of all this
does it not make you become full of wonder?
does it not make you become full of awe?
of what humans are capable of dreaming of,
of what humans are capable to achieve?

but her response was simply,
"yes,
but that's not magic,
that's physics!"

and that's when i knew
it was not a battle worth fighting.

because it was then that i finally understood
that magic
is not what you see
or what you hear
or what you understand...

it's what is felt.