1984
When I first read George Orwell’s Animal Farm followed by 1984, I was still quite young. Most of those memories are now covered with a thick layer of dust. So thick most of the details I feel as if I am reading again for the first time now that I’ve decided to revisit this realm in its original form and language.
Somehow as time goes on, the relevance of 1984 seems to increase. Not to sound paranoid, but with our data exposed in so many ways, government surveillance, data collection and selling, security cameras everywhere, we can certainly assume that the Big Brother is watching us whoever it might be. I am even slightly suspicious of the free google home assistant I recently received. Listening to every sound I make if I dare to turn it on by my own choice. Yes, the free part raises my eyebrows.
What are the motives? There are no free lunches in this world. We are already aware of the customized add targeting and tailored search results. Data, data, data. More data. It is inevitable. Privacy is a hoax. We leave our digital footprints everywhere. Traces of breadcrumbs of our interests, needs, wants, likes, and dislikes.
Oh and the censorship… Well, eat it Ministry of Truth! Blockchain for the win! At the same time, all of us are bombarded with propaganda, fed information while we are unaware or we are reduced to the level of completely brainwashed drones with no original thought following the command. Sheep to the slaughter. All of that in the background, of course. Lines are blurred on purpose. Data, data, data is money and power. Dream a little dream of our data being owned solely by ourselves.
So gloom and doom, but sometimes a tiny dose of gloomy doom is healthy for the brain.
Besides the book reading again, I am trying to pick up the habit of daily sketching. The idea is to do a quick sketch (quick, no paper pokings longer than an hour), freehand, and let it be ugly if need be. I hope that it will help to loosen up my style a little or unlock something. The process is still very slow for me, with a lot of contemplation in between and of course constant fear of ruining it. That too will pass.
My flower crown from previous year’s summer solstice
It is almost a week since I am back home. Closer to nature, closer to the forest and lake. It feels as if some loose cable had been plugged back in and I suddenly can go full power. I haven’t been this motivated for half a year at least. Back on track! Back on running track! Back to meditating and practicing awareness. Back to my tiny garden and also the giant one as it turns out. I will begin the grand battle with the wild weeds next week. So excited about everything! Wish there were more hours in a day for all the things I would like to do.
Somehow as time goes on, the relevance of 1984 seems to increase. Not to sound paranoid, but with our data exposed in so many ways, government surveillance, data collection and selling, security cameras everywhere, we can certainly assume that the Big Brother is watching us whoever it might be. I am even slightly suspicious of the free google home assistant I recently received. Listening to every sound I make if I dare to turn it on by my own choice. Yes, the free part raises my eyebrows.
What are the motives? There are no free lunches in this world. We are already aware of the customized add targeting and tailored search results. Data, data, data. More data. It is inevitable. Privacy is a hoax. We leave our digital footprints everywhere. Traces of breadcrumbs of our interests, needs, wants, likes, and dislikes.
Oh and the censorship… Well, eat it Ministry of Truth! Blockchain for the win! At the same time, all of us are bombarded with propaganda, fed information while we are unaware or we are reduced to the level of completely brainwashed drones with no original thought following the command. Sheep to the slaughter. All of that in the background, of course. Lines are blurred on purpose. Data, data, data is money and power. Dream a little dream of our data being owned solely by ourselves.
So gloom and doom, but sometimes a tiny dose of gloomy doom is healthy for the brain.
Besides the book reading again, I am trying to pick up the habit of daily sketching. The idea is to do a quick sketch (quick, no paper pokings longer than an hour), freehand, and let it be ugly if need be. I hope that it will help to loosen up my style a little or unlock something. The process is still very slow for me, with a lot of contemplation in between and of course constant fear of ruining it. That too will pass.
It is almost a week since I am back home. Closer to nature, closer to the forest and lake. It feels as if some loose cable had been plugged back in and I suddenly can go full power. I haven’t been this motivated for half a year at least. Back on track! Back on running track! Back to meditating and practicing awareness. Back to my tiny garden and also the giant one as it turns out. I will begin the grand battle with the wild weeds next week. So excited about everything! Wish there were more hours in a day for all the things I would like to do.
Song of the day: Muse - Resistance
SNAP! I bought it last week...Haven't started it yet. I too was young when I read it for the first time and wanted to see what my 49 year old brain thought of it!
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Yea, I bought mine at the airport with thought for my library and to read again. I don't think I fully understood what was it about back then or perhaps, each time we read, we take something a little different from it.
Are you planning to share what your brain thought of it now? Would be interesting read I am sure :)
I might write about it, not sure. It depends how I feel about it, what thoughts I actually have. I'm sure I'll have different thoughts than I did all those years ago.
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I choose this post for @zephalexia's upgaged Thank you for being a good person. Posted using Partiko Android
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thanks for this recommendation @nasreena
Thank you @nasreena! That is very kind of you! :)
Interesting post.
Still keep my hard copy of 1984 on my bedroom shelf. It's too weird to see what's going on in the world today to let go of that book.
And cheers to the elephants.
Thank you @lionsuit and thank you for stopping by :)
The world is full of scary things and we humans can be one of those things. What is it with our need to control and be in power, greed, jealousy, and so on? Seems like we never learn from the past. We keep forgetting and start over down the same destructive paths. So strange.
Are you traveling to Thailand to SF too?
You said it. Perhaps a change is coming.
Perhaps soon. We hope.
No travels to Thailand any time soon.
Perhaps one day soon as well.
I am still needing to read this book. I have always meant to but have never got a round to it. Same with many other books I need to read :D
I like the elephant. :)
I know you hate challenges, but I challenge you to read it and write on it, because I am curious what parallels you will see or maybe even come up with something inspired by it, because yea, it's worth the time.
I like the elephant too ahaha.
I may just do it... Will I finish the challenge though? I haven't had good role models for challenge finishing ;*
Milorad Pavić in his book Landscape Painted with Tea suggests that we should read each book 3 times. One when we are younger than the main character, one when we have the same age and one more when we are older. As eccentric as it sounds it is actually a good advice. I have found very interesting the way my understanding of a book changes over the years and I tend to go back to the good books for a second or even a third reading.
Animal Farm and 1984 are excellent books although I think that the reality we are meant to live is more of a mixture of the 1984's big brother with the genetically modified citizens of the Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, another brilliant futuristic book that I love!
Welcome back to your homeland and to your gardens :)
Agreed. That advice makes perfect sense, because whoever said that people don't change was a liar. We are changelings our entire lives, we grow, experience ,and learn, we get impacted and shaped constantly. My younger self probably couldn't draw the same conclusions back then as I can today and I wonder how old granny M will look at this book too. Could be interesting if someone would document book reading this way, in three stages as a youngling, then same age as the main character and the last one when old and grey.
Oh my, I am hanging my head in shame. I actually haven't read the Brave New World. So many books I should probably try and read before kicking the bucket or something, hehe
Thank you @fotostef :) It is good to be home. I am just so, so happy and just want to do all I can at once, but at the same time I need to slow down and just enjoy. Summer this year seems perfect for it too.
I read 1984 a couple of years ago. Was absolutely gobsmacked to find that it is actually happening in some countries today, and those countries are so near to me. It was so eerie.
Yea, it is quite scary. It is part of my country's history as well and I hope that something like that never ever happens again. I think the first time around reading it I drew more parallels with Latvia's history, today I see more global things.
Nice photo of your cup of tea. Your flower crown is very magnificent. Your artworks are excellent! I especially like the elephant!
I read the "Animal Farm" when I was young, too. I enjoyed reading it very much.
It's unfortunate that I didn't have a chance to read it again, like you. In the meantime, when I grew up, I learned from some analysts that it's about the dictatorship.... And your analysis is very great and easy to understand. I absolutely agree with you, "the Big Brother is watching us whoever it might be".
Thanks so much for sharing. ;)
Hey @tangmo! Thank you! ^^
We have a tradition here in Latvia for the flower crowns we wear at the summer solstice. It needs to contain at least 9 different plants. I am not entirely sure, but this one might actually have more than nine. It is pretty fun to walk around in the meadows and find the wild flowers.
I am having so much fun with sketching, had forgotten I used to enjoy it a lot while listening to some tunes.
I probably should reread the Animal Farm too where all animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others. Orwell was simply brilliant mind.
You're welcome! ;)
It's really great tradition. I can imagine how fun it is to walk around in the meadows and to find the wild beautiful flowers.... I love this!
I also like to listen to some tunes while working, too.....
Well said! "All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others"! I totally agree, Orwell was simply brilliant mind indeed. ;))
am not really on books or book reading , maybe because i dont have one hahaha. 1984 , i wasn't born yet hehe. Love your photographs of your sketches. i might love to start drinking tea as well 😉
Your post has been recommended by @nasreena for my up-gage challenge
I wasn't either for a very long time. Actually, when I was young kid before going to school, I had issues with reading and I was constantly forced to read out loud and I was very scared to make mistakes. Then once I began school I was still very shy to read at the class and avoided reading books as much as I could. Later, I discovered books are actually interesting, if you are allowed to pick the ones you are actually interested in.
Ahaha! I wasn't born yet either, but classics seem to survive throughout the time :)
I had forgotten how much fun it actually is to sketch, put on some music and just let myself to do whatever on paper.
Thank you @zephalexia! It is a really cool initiative :) Keep up the good work of encouraging engagement and organic curation!
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Oh, you are very welcome but no need for thanks because I like the role very much and I enjoy the process 😊 I forgot to comment at your post. Great photos and deep thoughts. I red years 1984 I remember very clearly some parts and it makes me shivering to see that we are heading towards this age... There is documentary at Netflix titled Great Hack you should check it if you have time. It is an eye opener.
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Thank you again and also for the recommendation! :) I will check it out. I just saw the trailer and it caught my attention hehe
You are very welcome, I think you would like it
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