08 May 2011

Galileo wore a red dress


The red dress is a gift I gave to b, one that is quite inviting to the eye, some might call it exposing. Still she wears it with pride and a bright blush and in many ways, the same is true for our relationship and how it is displayed to our fellow human. Beautiful, but yet it may still shock people… some feel morally offended, some smile and enjoy what they see. When a girl holds hands with two boys, kissing both... she wears the bright red dress, draws eyes and thoughts, judgment and opinions.

B once asked me if I feel bad when we ... shock people, with wearing our red dress- mainly not hiding what makes us happy. We should not need to hide what brings us joy, as it is nothing bad, nothing shameful one should hide.

No, I don’t feel bad, I in fact think it is a kind of service to them and us, challenging the observers worldview to think about what he is seeing, to explain to himself how those people can smile so brightly, can be so filed with joy while doing something that they might consider bad... maybe, so I hope, it makes them think why they consider it bad or good.

Maybe, it makes the viewer think why he views things how they are, is it truly his own opinion, based on experiences or does he repeat what the media, parents and society at large imprinted in him? Following, repeating and copying is a basic and strong survival instinct, it is what we and many animals do from the moment we see the world of the light. But humanity has moved on beyond the basic needs of survival, not by endlessly repeating the actions, mindsets and thoughts of the time before us, but by innovation, by trying, by failing and keeping going.

Many innovators, many geniuses of our time have been mocked, haunted, laughed and hated by their society at the time. They also had the red dress, had to expose themselves and there ideas, face the judgment of the people: "The world is round? You are mad my man! You think man can fly, like birds? The gods themselves will smite you down for your stupidity!". I however do not desire to claim that all experiments are good, but one might argue that it was worth trying.

"How do you make good choices? Experience! How do you get experience? Bad choices."

Our lives where improved by these proud man and woman, putting on there red dress, showing themself, some passing without ever knowing that they changed the future and the lives of countless people. How would humanity have advanced if its mind was more open? What if the church had promoted a different view, what if instead of the Dark Age, the loss of knowledge, a lifestyle of openness and innovation would have ruled? If every man and woman would have been granted the chance to life out there inspirations?

I do not know, but I know there are always those who dare and those who don't. Both profit the benefits of the innovations, the same kind of people who would not believe in medical operations, because everyone knew that only god could heal you from your punishment, now enjoy a longer life to judge and critic others with, while not daring to do the same.

Do you dare to wear your red dress?