Albert Einstein and I are finally becoming friends. It has taken a long while. While I am a great lover of science and mathmatics, I must confess that when I hit Physics 101 I had a personal meltdown. There was something of the abstract in light, energy, and mass that I just couldn't get ahold of. My life was in enough of a mess at the time, that only the literal, the concrete and the visibly measurable would work for me. So I bailed out.
Over the years, I have tried to read Einstein, tried to have people explain it to me, only to get to that same point where my efforts to understand would collapse in futility. "I'm a Newtonian at heart," I would say, "and there's nothin' you can do about it." Finally, one of those cool past life regressionist types clued me in that Newton and I had this thing going in a past life. "You remember what Marty was to Doc Brown in 'Back to the Future?' " Joseph said to me. "That's you." OH! and NOW I get it. I'm not just fighting an idea, here, I'm giving up a lifetime of work. And my loyalty as his faithful assistant. I mean I didn't run around retrieving fallen apples for nothing. I believed in what Sir Isaac was doing. I defined my world by his discoveries. And I apparently dragged it all in with me this time in a manner of speaking.
Over the years, I have tried to read Einstein, tried to have people explain it to me, only to get to that same point where my efforts to understand would collapse in futility. "I'm a Newtonian at heart," I would say, "and there's nothin' you can do about it." Finally, one of those cool past life regressionist types clued me in that Newton and I had this thing going in a past life. "You remember what Marty was to Doc Brown in 'Back to the Future?' " Joseph said to me. "That's you." OH! and NOW I get it. I'm not just fighting an idea, here, I'm giving up a lifetime of work. And my loyalty as his faithful assistant. I mean I didn't run around retrieving fallen apples for nothing. I believed in what Sir Isaac was doing. I defined my world by his discoveries. And I apparently dragged it all in with me this time in a manner of speaking.
It came in handy some times. Like the time in 5th grade when we did that study on Light and Color. My teacher, Mr. Mills, taught the unit to the whole 5th and 6th grade that year. I took to the subject like a duck to water. I was a prism and spectrum wizard, and one of only 5 students to Ace the course.
To this day, I still use Newton's theory of color to picture what creation was and where we are headed. The white light passes through the prism, breaking it into the colors of the rainbow. That's creation. God as Light, breaking Itself into all of Its components in order to observe Itself in Its many forms and relationships. That's us, the colors. And now there's this re-gathering occurring, a reconnection of all of the many parts, coming back together through the second prism,... back into the white light. That's God re-collecting Itself to see what It is all about. We are merely Color, being Color, and reporting back to the White Light all that we ARE. Got it?
So where do ya put Einstein with all of that. I know...I'm so far behind the rest of the world. But I'm getting it finally, so don't worry too much...
My salute to NOVA on PBS for succeeding in spelling it out for me in a way that I can understand. "Einstein's Big Idea" aired yesterday, and if they're smart, they'll air it again. They broke the formula down into all it's parts including the 'squared' part, which to me, was most fascinating... that 'squared' actually MEANT something and had to be discovered like everything else. The whole formula makes sense, though I couldn't repeat it back to save my soul. But for me, if I can get the vibe of something new, sometimes that is enough. [In this case, it's a miracle!] If I know that it CAN be understood, that's all I need. But I don't grab onto it too much. 'Cause there's just too much of it. And as my whole Newtonian dilemma proves, if ya hang on too much, then the new won't be able to find it's way in. Stuff changes. Einstein is just a link in the line of what's to come. He's got his place and I salute him and wish him and his formula a Happy 100th Anniversary...and many more!
My salute to NOVA on PBS for succeeding in spelling it out for me in a way that I can understand. "Einstein's Big Idea" aired yesterday, and if they're smart, they'll air it again. They broke the formula down into all it's parts including the 'squared' part, which to me, was most fascinating... that 'squared' actually MEANT something and had to be discovered like everything else. The whole formula makes sense, though I couldn't repeat it back to save my soul. But for me, if I can get the vibe of something new, sometimes that is enough. [In this case, it's a miracle!] If I know that it CAN be understood, that's all I need. But I don't grab onto it too much. 'Cause there's just too much of it. And as my whole Newtonian dilemma proves, if ya hang on too much, then the new won't be able to find it's way in. Stuff changes. Einstein is just a link in the line of what's to come. He's got his place and I salute him and wish him and his formula a Happy 100th Anniversary...and many more!
Oh... and one more thing, Mr. Einsten... don't feel too bad when you get bumped down the ladder a bit. It happens to the best of 'em!;-)
Sincerely,
Vimala
PS I guess, according to Einstein himself, there is hope for those of us who catch on late... I just read this and now I dont' feel so bad...
The ordinary adult never gives a thought to space-time problems... I, on the contrary, developed so slowly that I did not begin to wonder about space and time til I was an adult. I then delved more deeply into the problem than any other adult or child would have."
--Albert Einstein
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