Freaks and Geeks and Tinfoil Hats

This coming Monday, a total eclipse of the Sun will traverse a good part of the USA, which — of course — sets up all manners of preparations, exploitations and a giant media circus.

One of the strangest things that permeates American (meaning "of the US") culture is a deep rooted mistrust of all things government. In many cases, it goes somewhat over the top into a world of absurdity and insanity I can't quite wrap my mind around.

Granted, I was born and raised in Denmark which typically ranks among the the top 10 nations in the world in terms of the populace trusting the government, and generally feeling the government corruption is low.

In contrast, the USA is one of the few places on the planet where a natural phenomenon that has been occurring for hundreds of millions of years can somehow be rescripted as "a government psyop, designed to enslave the population!"

I have reached a point far beyond slamming my head against the keyboard and now just watch from the sidelines with a sort of morbid fascination.

Mind you, I have always been somewhat of a weirdo, and I often relate better to the "Tinfoil Hat Brigade" than to those who walk the straight and narrow line of alleged "normalcy."

That said, the primary difference between "them" and me is that I entertain and explore the unknown and the possibilities, but I don't confuse them with actual tangible reality until I have some semblance of evidence in front of me... and not the kind of evidence offered by a survivalist with PTSD, living in a reinforced bunker, surrounded by guns, ammo and dynamite...

On any given day, I'd rather talk about the possibility of certain types of exoplanets giving rise to intelligent life than about what kind of material the couch cushions need to be made from.

Not that I don't appreciate Feng Shui and a nicely arranged home...

But getting back to freaks, geeks and tinfoil hats, in about a month I will be hauling my mandala painted stones some 120 miles (+/- 200km) to the annual UFO/Paranormal Summit in Ocean Shores to set up my vendor table for a couple of days.

Are here's the thing: In many ways, these are my people. I don't necessarily subscribe to many of the quackier theories that go around... but like all crowds of people, there are "subgroups," and the thing that makes it interesting is that most of these folks are extremely intelligent, well-read, well-traveled individuals with very open and curious minds that are ready and willing to seriously contemplate the possibilities of the Universe without judgment.

It doesn't hurt that they really like my artwork, either! Without fail, this tends to go far better — from a commercial angle — than any arts & crafts fair on the calendar. The difference? These people want to know about the work while arts & crafts people want to know whether I wash the stones before I paint them.

Painted stones for UFO aficionados

And that's the thing with life's intelligent "freaks and geeks:" They tend to very quickly cut through the superficial crap, preferably bypassing meaningless small talk altogether, and proceed directly to the conversations that give life deeper meaning.

And that, in a nutshell, is why I feel "at home" with them.

I have never really depended on logic to understand where I want to go, and where I "fit in." It's almost entirely a "vibe" thing... a sense of resonating with a person, a group of people, a place. I can't "can" it or bottle it, and I can't explain it to anyone.

In fact, I chose where I now live entirely by feel, having no previous connection to the place, knowing nobody here, having no job or work lined up... I just came here and stayed, because it felt right.

Some places actively repel me.

Same with some people... Other people are like magnets, even if they "shouldn't be."

Anyway, I guess it makes me one of the "freaks and geeks," as well. And I guess I'm OK with that... didn't used to be, but I think we worry more about fitting in, when we're younger. I'm a pretty good chameleon... when I have to be. I know how to mimic my environment...

But I prefer to hang with other members of "my tribe," to the extent I have one.

Thanks for stopping by, and have a great remainder of your weekend!

How about you? Do you have a strong sense of where you "belong?" Do you chose things by logic and common sense, or intuitively, by feel? Leave a comment if you feel so inclined — share your experiences — be part of the conversation!

(All text and images by the author, unless otherwise credited. This is ORIGINAL CONTENT, created expressly for this platform — Not posted elsewhere!)

Created at 2024.04.07 00:13 PDT
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