I saw a TikTok today from John Green, author of books such as The Fault in Our Stars, Turtles All the Way Down, and 2021’s The Anthropocene Reviewed*, and it made me think of this haiku I wrote one gloomy night in December 2020 while our family was staying at a beach house.
John and his brother Hank are incredibly creative people, and two of my favorite TikTok creators. Their primary audiences are young adults and people my children’s ages. But these two creative powerhouses are my age, and I relate to how they see the world and how they strive to communicate their understanding to the rest of us.
John’s TikTok was about wanting to take a break from his consciousness. It resonated with me.
I often think that one of the heavy burdens we carry is the burden of being perceived by other people. Even if we don’t care about the expectations or opinions of our fellow humans, other people’s perceptions of us still affect us.
And, let’s be honest with one another. We all care about someone’s opinions, expectations, and perceptions of us. It may be a parent, partner, child, friend, or sibling—but part of what it means to be human is to care about how we are perceived by at least our inner circle.
One reason I love the ocean is that it cannot perceive me. Its awesome size and power mean that none of my motions make any difference to its eternal mechanical mission.
Zoning out while staring at the ocean is how I take a vacation from my consciousness. It’s how I escape being perceived for at least a brief moment.
Here is the John Green TikTok that sparked all this rambling prose:
John Green needs a break from his consciousness
Be the weird you want to see in the world!
Cheers,
Jason
*I love reading personal essays. John Green’s book, The Anthropocene Reviewed is one of my favorite collections. It has great insights about writing with mental health challenges, trying to live a happy life where you do good, and keeping a sense of wonder even as you grow up.
the rhythm of the tides soothes