Seeking levity...

So, "Levity Ahead." What is this about?
The idea for this blog came from the need to have a separate place to write about all other interests not related to photography. I started to do a bit of this on my Facebook page, but it became obvious that Facebook does not lend itself to long postings or anything that requires upping the Ritalin dose. It is more of a place to share things like "I just ate a bagel" or "It's raining."

Then, just like in any other writing endeavor, the question came: What is the title?
Well, lets see, I am going to write about observations, ideas, opinions...maybe as a conduit to sneak in my pent-up notions that society is going to hell. And maybe add some humor, so readers do not feel too insulted if they find themselves alluded to. You know like putting a smiley emoticon after posting "I think you are full of it :)"
With this in mind, I brewed the title: "Zero Social Gravity."
Tragical wit is a phase that I am trying to overcome.
Well, when the time came to register the URL, the name was already taken. Not sure what was more depressing, the fact that it was already taken, the fact that I my title was not original enough, or the fact that such an enticing title does not seem to be currently used to its full potential.

Back at the proverbial drawing board, I re-examined the leitmotiv of this new blog. Lets see, opinions, check, world going to hell, check. Lighten up, check...
This last part, lighten up, lately has been striking a deep chord. One of the first drafts that I have for this blog is sketchily titled "Ideological attachments, chicken soup for existential anxiety ," which is an attempt to create a convincing metaphor on how all attachments, ideological, emotional, political, and physical weight us down, keeps us from being nimble and adapting to an ever changing context.

So "lightness," where is that thesaurus?...flip, flip. Did you buy that? The "flipping" the pages of a thesaurus? How misleadingly romantic. It was more like "click, click" on my AED iPod dictionary (the very first thing that I bought when I came to live in the USA was a Webster Vest Pocket Dictionary...how the time passes by...)
So according to AED, lightness: Agility, legerity, nimbleness.
According to Webster (always cross reference this stuff): Slightness, weightlessness...
None of these sounded like a good title choice. AED even suggested: Giddiness and silliness. Although tempting, not quite right.

How is it that the our brains can connect and contextualize so much better than computers?
Like a background process, the answer came in the from of "Levity" - A manner of lacking seriousness. Etymology: Latin levitat-, levitas, from levis light in weight - lack of steadiness: changeableness. But also: Flippancy, jocoseness, jocosity. Opposites: Gravity, solemnity.
And it passed the URL/originality check. Purrrrrfect!

So there you have it, Levity Ahead...
Also, you may wonder, what's up with that map on the right. We have some upcoming travel plans, related to seeking levity, and for all non-photo related content, this will be the place where we will be sharing our experiences on the road. We will be mapping the places we visit on that map.