S p a c e

the perception of an empty space is as every bit as prominent as what it is between.

the wait,

a pause -

semiautomatic breath.

transitional, it punctuates, always stepping aside to elevate.

space is what happens when we aren't paying attention, which is how and why we pay attention to that which contrasts the perceived empty space as something that is indeed a thing and not space.

So a "creation" is accentuated by the space that gives it its relevance; whether that be sociocultural or geographic.

Sociocultural, ie: popular mexican cultural images such as the Virgen de Guadalupe emblazoned on American Apparel shirts worn by non-zero gen mexicans. Because most zero generation mexican immigrants in the US are considered of a low economic echelon, powerless, or fashionless they become the space contrasted by the venerated; hipsters, yuppies, etc. who appropriate these same cultural images and give them a different relevancy...one that is not ignored. These appropriated cultural images repurpose what was otherwise invisible in the sociocultural space of a city/neighborhood.


In the geographic landscape, empty spaces are old dirty neighborhoods devoid of people who matter and/or are without the economic infrastructure to generate the significant capital to matter. These neighborhoods with their low rents, dense and diverse population and higher rates of crime become gentrified. The usually lighter skinned, high income "risk" taking land owners capitalize on this space to create something that is often in direct contrast with the character of the neighborhood. Appropriating a space to make it their own while leaving the inferior demographic to fend for themselves. While one may argue that gentrifiers are simply playing by the rules, what is disturbing is their sheer ignorance how they replicate a local scale manifest destiny.


Individualistically, space is often conflated for a "waste" of time. Its what happens when you are waiting for that which is what is considered doing. Waiting for our ride, for the show to start, for your friend to arrive is an opportunity to acknowledge and become aware of that space where you are at in time. To ponder, stretch, create, be amused, be on. Don't turn off. Don't waste your time but also do not forget to be patient with space.

While space may be essential to creating the "thing", I say recognize it as such, but do not forget what how and why that is so.

This is a call to pay homage to space and see the invisible, life is too short.

Seeking Truth

Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness. An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.
-Martin Luther King Jr.

I don't know if truth exists. I mean, it seems like a moving target ephemerally defined by what it means at the moment it happens. I'm not talking about telling the truth, although I'll hold that thought as a manifestation of what I am about to iterate.

Seeking for the truth within oneself and in anything takes critical thinking which wiki defines below:

Critical thinking gives due consideration to the evidence, the context of judgment, the relevant criteria for making the judgment well, the applicable methods or techniques for forming the judgment, and the applicable theoretical constructs for understanding the problem and the question at hand. Critical thinking employs not only logic but broad intellectual criteria such as clarity, credibility, accuracy, precision, relevance, depth, breadth, significance and fairness.

Given this definition, in order to identify the truth within oneself in regards to sense of purpose, relationships, career choices and spiritual pathways one must always be critical. This requires us to always ascertain within ourselves, if what we manifest matches the truth that is critically defined in relation to our context. Hence the moving target.

For example, with the moving flow of time comes a moving flow of our own vicissitudes. We can choose to narrow truth and define it within the narrow context of what we feel at a given moment, in other words ephemerally defining it. But if we were critical we can identify it as hedonistic, selfish, egotistic, etc. We can even go insofar as acting on this redefined truth to align everything else (relationships, purpose, creativity) according to what we perceive as "True".

However, we know this truth is not true if it was not thought of in critical terms. So if we placed it within how we felt at that moment, when that context passes, we will need to redefine truth....because we never truly found it to begin with, only for the moment for which it satisfied. I argue that "true" truth is classic and doesn't necessarily change when imbued with our values, ie: killing, lying, cheating, stealing should never be justified in our interpersonal relationships or in society.

Being critical about who, what and where we are will imbue us with truth. The only way we can know if we found this truth, is in knowing that the truth we have defined for ourselves enables us to self actualize so that we may be truly at peace with our actions. This I think, will become self evident when we stop lying to ourselves and to others. When we know truth, we will know peace individualistically so that we can work for peace altruistically.