"Different strokes for different folks..."
"I like nonsense; it wakes up the brain cells." - Dr. Seuss
I have a friend with whom I've worked at different companies over many years. Although when I first knew him, he scared me a little, I have always admired Dan and respected his prowess as an engineer.
Different Ways of Thinking (source)
Dan and I think differently.
I arrive at this conclusion one day when I walk into his office to ask him a technical question.
Dan leans back in his chair, his eyes momentarily glaze over, and in a few seconds he has just the answer I need.
This sort of cool competence is characteristic of Dan. If I were to peer behind his eyes, I imagine I would see something like the following take place in his mind:
Incoming question... Classifying...
Topic recognized.
Dan gets up and opens the door to his perfectly structured mental library, filled with stack upon stack of highly organized knowledge.
Stack upon highly-organized stack... (source)
He proceeds directly to the appropriate stack, walks the aisle to the correct section, reaches up to the proper shelf, and removes the exact volume containing the answer I need.
My brain doesn't work that way.
Let's turn the tables, and have Dan walk into my office with a question.
Dan asks me his question. I also lean back and, momentarily, my eyes glaze over.
However, what takes place in my head is vastly different:
Incoming question... Classifying...
Topic recognized.
I open and walk through a door into a gymnasium-sized room. Like a psychedelic hailstorm, colored balls of all sizes chaotically bounce in every direction at wildly varying speeds.
Chaotic bouncing balls of all sizes... (source)
Taking down a butterfly net from a hook on the wall, I try to spot the right answer. SWOOSH! I snag one ball in my net, grasp it with the other hand, and inspect it.
Nope; that's not the right one. I toss it back into the melee.
SWOOSH! I snag another ball in my net and inspect it.
Hmmmm - not that one either. Then, after one or two more repetitions, Voila! This is it!
I hang the net back up on the wall, exit the room, leaving the chaos behind, and offer up my answer.
They say it takes all kinds. Dan, God bless him, is one kind. I'm another, utterly different kind. Yet we work well together, accomplishing much.
~FIN~
NOTE: Throughout my posts, you may notice hyperlinks like this one that lead to supplemental material. Most images are also hyperlinked. While not essential to the enjoyment of my writing, you may find the linked background information enlightening (or at least mildly interesting).
ALL IMAGES are either my own, derived from open source material, or used with permission.
This tab has been opened in my mobile for many days. Finally, I am here @creatr. and I am happy to be here.
The swashing ball description made me smile ear to ear.
I was thinking for a while where do I stand. !LOLZ and I realized I am neither of the two. I am something else. Another weired piece. It is like when I would open up the door of my brain, there would be butterflies and flowers. I will be lost in their beauty. I would be curious to know what new has bloom. Which colors have evolved. I might come up with an answer that would satisfy the other but I would lose my satisfaction. I would want to explore the new that has touched my senses. It wouldn’t be easy for me to come back from the door soon. I would stay there for quite a long time. I would try to organize things but it would be so much complicated that I would leave them as they are. I would want to catch the butterflies but the fear that their colours will be removed by my hand, I would leave them as they are. I would want to make a bouquet of flowers but with the fear that plucking them would rob their freshness, I would leave them as they are.
What name would you give to such a brain??
Returning back to the description of your and Dan's brain, I think both of them have their beauty. It is these differences that make this world an exciting and interesting place. Had everyone be alike we would have not much to appreciate
Hello, my friend!
What a lovely surprise to find you here this evening. Thank you for reading my story, and for your very lovely response.🙏😀❤️
I can imagine you very well inside that room. Many years ago, my wife and our grandson and I visited a very large, screen-covered aviary that was filled with flowers and butterflies. There were so many that some seemed to have no fear of landing on our hands. It was so beautiful, and I appreciate that you've reminded me of that time!😀
I would name your brain "Gentle Observer of Transcendent Beauty-Brain."
I do share at least a little of your way of thinking; as I look around and observe the world, I am constantly amazed at both the design genius and the artistic creativity of Jesus my God. I struggle to understand how anyone could possibly think that all of the beauty we see "just happened."😮
Amber, Thank you so much for favoring me with another visit from you.🙏
I wish you and your family great blessings.
😄😇😉
Good Day, sir.
It's my pleasure to be on this post.
Wowww! I had no idea that a metaphor could take you to a memory that you have visited in reality.
The world is very small. An imagination of one can be the reality of someone else
Quote a long and impressive name. !LOLZ. But I give my brain the name INDECISIVE BRAIN or perhaps confused.
This feeling of amazement helps us understand the existence of a supreme being, doesn’t it?
I loved visiting you.
God bless you and your family
Nothing like my brain, I walk into a room and forget what I'm there for
Me too!
Lmao!!! Same here
Seems were all a bit forgetful lol
LOL! I do that all the time, too! ;) :)
Think its something we all have to deal with at some points, getting old stinks lol
Upvoted and Followed!
You have really put a lot of work into your contents page and, well, your World! I love it - can't get enough. You have my vote - good job!
Thank you very much, @sponge-bob, for your kind words. I am delighted to welcome you as a reader. I really crave readers, and hope that you will find much of value and enjoyment in my blog. As you've already located my Table of Contents, I'll single out one article to recommend, just in case you haven't yet read it yet:
"Do You Have the Chops To Be A Relevant Part of My Steemit Audience?"
Can you imagine how boring life might be if we all thought alike? ;)
Thanks for visiting, @jyezie!
Interesting and very well put! It's funny but my brain was very disorganized until I discovered cannabis. I guess I would have been one of the ADHD kids if they had it back then. When I started smoking pot my brain slowed down and became organized, I would never have made it through college without it.
Hi, Rich!
Thanks for the compliment, and for weighing in on this.
The brain is one of the most magnificent, mysterious, fascinating, functional structures we know of. I read a somewhat controversial book by Ray Kurzweil not too long ago in which he describes research into the human brain and some efforts to analyze its structure and replicate its function:
"How to Create a Mind"
It's amazing how far we've come. I remember back in the early 70's when people laughed at robotics as science fiction. My friend Dave made robotic "guys" that had clear tubes with colored liquids that he brought to trade shows. That's how he paid the bills!
OMG! an instant flashback My friend was - brilliant too - you remind me of him so much
Thanks, John...