Part Two Lowered Gaze: I have got the BALLS to save the Universe!

Part Two: I have got the BALLS to save the Universe details how and why I began lowering my gaze. Wednesday, October 23, 2006, I photographed my first ball. This ball is a rubbery container encasing a split ocean's blue. The casted light immediately caught my attention. This picture to the right is that first photo. After taking this picture, I examined the mini orb finding it's pleasant blue waves held a shark. Yes, I said, "This beautiful image is of a blue ball that has a shark inside of it."

To me, it was metaphorically odd and funny. It was odd because the ball's photograph is such a delight. Yet, there is a shark (something to be feared) mysteriously disrupting the positivity. Immediately my mind wondered the meaning of this situation. A very novel sort and acme kind of idea making the situation funny, arose. It is funny because I was biking down San Pablo Avenue. The operative parts being funny are: biking and San Pablo Avenue in Oakland, California. Myself, I can say there are a few nuts that bicycle San Pablo Avenue, and I am one of them.

These words are solely from my own experiences: every bicycle rider who treads San Pablo is at risk. Nonetheless, I continue to ride a bike everyday because death is inevitable. Also, a year after my arrival in the Bay area which synchronistically is around the same time I took this picture. I had a sister (term for any random woman of color whom one wants to identify and communicate with)say to me, "I've seen you biking up and down San Pablo all the time for the last year. Sister, you are doing it for all of us." This was a major affirmation.

There are people biking in this area. Given the ratio of cars to people versus people biking. Not very many people of any color are biking daily. It is a battle and arduous journey that can be really a drag, especially when the trip is far. My personal key to eliminating turmoil is allowing ample time to balance the distance. My second ball was found while I was biking, again. 

Monday November 6, 2006 (fourteen days after the first ball) I photographed my second ball. The second ball was a tennis ball. This image is not included in this blog (given the time period between then and now I've seen a lot of abandoned tennis balls some are not very interesting (I do not photograph all the tennis balls that I see). 

The tennis ball photos I have included in Part Three were taken this week. I took one picture Sunday April 20, 2008 and the other I took yesterday Monday April 21, 2008. The truly fascinating thing about all of this is: I was wondering how this week I would explain all this. If one listens, one can hear the Universe's voice in many different tongues and languages speaking a sound that is transparent. 

Back to "talking" about these balls, the second ball has some major significance besides being numbered two. Tennis balls are the most consistent theme of balls that I see. However, I have seen too many balls to bother counting. The number of balls isn't my focus. Counting is pointless and trite. The fact that balls are aimlessly rolling around is a fresh and meaningful concern. In fact, the notion of being neglected and abandoned is the concern needing all our collective attentions. 

Since I started writing this blog, I have seen basically how it all happens. I am finding and photographing these balls because of accidents and laziness. Accidents: Balls bouncing or rolling away are initially how many balls are unintentionally lost. Two weekends ago, I was Lake Merritt near the children's playground in Oakland. As I sat near the lake, I watched, at a distance too far to run and take action, a father chasing after a ball and a two year old. 

He yelled to everyone (three people) who were oblivious to the rolling ball heading their direction. Timing is essence viewing syncronicity. By the time it registered to the three people that he was yelling in their direction, the ball had rolled into the Lake, which was a seven foot drop. It was a blue plastic ball that had a logo of Tigger from Winnie the Pooh. (See Part Three to view this ball's photo.)

Laziness: The other cause of misplaced balls I witnessed last night near the park by my house. It was and is a really bizarre sight(site and cite). This man was rolling a ball with his foot across from one side of the street to the other. So in your mind picture this, he was using his foot to roll and move this ball. He was not kicking it. He was sliding it. He slid the ball because it was busted. It appeared that he lived in a house on the street. However, the ball was a nuisance and he didn't want to touch it. After I photographed the ball (it is green like a tennis ball and can be see in Part Three), I placed it in the trash can that was less than ten steps away. I did not speak to him or acknowledge his blind stupor.

My third ball encounter was November 11, 2006 (five days after finding the second ball). This was nineteen days after my first encounter. Immediately, I noticed this third ball because it mirrored the sun like a glowing red circle of fire igniting the gutter. Examining this ball, it was a hollow pink plastic form. There was no bounce or excitement to the ball once I removed it from the water. The element of synchronicity surrounds the third ball because I had the first ball with me at the time that I had found the third ball.

The winter session of 2006-2007, I had a graduate class where I was asked to bring a unique personal object. In this class, I shared the first ball and the photograph in my cell phone. I had discussed that I found the ball and photographed it not knowing any meaning or having any context. Everyone thought the shark inside was interesting. I was surprised to find the third ball the same day (synchronistically just after) I shared the first ball with my class. There it lay reflecting light in an opposite matter compared to the first ball. The first blue ball had light shining through it. This third red ball had the light animating from inside its dull form.

In the last sixteen months, many things have happened. I did not immediately understand the connection linking these balls. However, paying close attention and listening to mute sounds I have discovered many things. The most important thing is the ability to scream, "I have got the BALLS to save the Universe!" The detailing of my circumstances is quite complicated so, I apologize to my readers because where and when I found I had the balls to the save the Universe is information that is coming up. Be sure to view Part Three to see the photographs that this blog details.