I just read a news story about a woman in Queenstown, Tasmania. She goes around and collects rocks from various places. Some of those rocks are just here. Or there. Others are in people’s landscaping and gardens.
Then, she takes them back to her studio, and paints “eyes” on them. Like, big human eyes. Like big, human, realistic, I am staring right at you, creepy eyes.
After the painting is complete, she returns to the rock to its original location. Back to the woods. Back to the Johnson’s front yard. Where ever she took it from in the first place. She seems — to me — somewhat obsessed with this endeavor.
A disclaimer. First of all. I am a woman of rocks. So maybe my opinion of this should be excluded, as I understand I am not your average rock observer. No. There have been occasions where I have been on quests to find the perfect rock. I have taught the grandchildren how to scour a creek for rocks. There are numerous occasions where I have found glorious rocks and have made a place for them in our home.
I’ve mellowed with age. But I still love rocks, in their wonderful, native beauty. I’ve always thought that painting them was a terrible waist of paint. It almost feels like someone carving words into a tree’s trunk. I simply don’t understand the need.
So of course, the woman with the creepy eye rocks caught my attention.
Here’s the other thing. If I have rocks in my landscaping, I don’t really want someone coming and painting disturbing and sinister eye balls on them. Please, see the photos below.
She offered no explanation for this. But she does mention that this has become a “community treasure hunt.”
I bet.
The “Hunt for the Big Disturbing Eye.”
I bet Visine would sponsor their events.
Or perhaps, another artist can come along and fashion big eyes glasses, or monocles for them. It could be a whole “thing.”
I joke about all of this. But the truth is, this woman has found something she is incredibly passionate about and she is living the dream. Albeit, an unusual one. And one that I consider to be defacing nature. But a dream.
There is a lot out there about fulfilling our dreams. Living our dreams. Finding our destinies.
The truth though, I think, is that many people never do. Many people wonder their whole lives about finding their passion, or fulfilling the most burning desire — if only there was one. A lot people stumble when they are searching for a passion-based life.
The professionals on this matter have advice. They tell us to be proactive. Try things that we suspect we might be passionate about. Don’t assume our passion should be our jobs. And on.
They also say that we should be passionate about everything we do. Bring it to everything we touch. No matter what the task is that we are doing. They say we should approach tasks with all the enthusiasm and energy that we possibly can. Our full attention. Our full presence.
To everyTHING. Whether we are trimming our nostril hairs, mowing the lawn or cleaning the Tootsie-Rolls out of the cat box. They say we should do those things with all the passion we can muster.
Painting terrifying eyeballs on rocks.
Whatever it is in us, today — right now — we should do it with all our might.
This may be an eye opening experience. Nonetheless. Here’s looking at you, kid. I’ve got my eye on you.
And remember, always.
You totally rock.
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“My fault, my failure, is not in the passions I have, but in my lack of control of them.”
― Jack Kerouac
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“Be the flame, not the moth.”
― Giacomo Casanova
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“I want to know what passion is. I want to feel something strongly.”
― Aldous Huxley, Brave New World
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