Name 3 things in nature you find most beautiful?
My first choice would be lightning. Lightning is a strong destructive power, a deadly blast of pure electrical power moving from the ground into the sky. It is the equalization of charges between the sky and the ground during a storm. Because it happens so quickly and its danger, getting a good look at lightning can be tough. I love seeing high-speed pictures of lightning, showing each unique twist and turn as the electricity finds its path. Of course, there are also the nature-made glass sculptures that occur when lightning hits the sand called Fulgurite.
I love the moon. It does not matter what phase the moon is in, I think it always looks beautiful and I will always be fascinated by it. The crescent moon is an iconic image but the full moon is always amazing. Whether it is Blood, Super, Harvest, Wolf, or Blue the moon is captivating. It is much better than the sun which is too bright and too hot while the moon glows a more subtle and gentle light. Obviously, pop culture is fascinated with the moon as well from the Dreamworks logo, Kubo and the Two Strings, and The Nightmare Before Christmas.
Finally, I would pick the ocean. There is nothing like sitting and watching the waves lapping at the beach. The sea is vast and beautiful and totally humbling. It is always a complete sensory overflow as I watch something so big that it drops below the horizon with the curvature of the Earth. I smell the overwhelming salt smell of the water. In different parts of the world, it can be a gentle blue-green and other parts it can be a crystal blue. On top of all that, it is yet another thing that could easily destroy me with sheer force.
If you were offered the position of mayor of your city, would you take it?
This is actually a difficult question as Baltimore has a recent history of really bad mayors. Three mayors ago we had a mayor who had to resign because she was caught stealing gift cards meant to go to charity. Her replacement was ineffective and ended up bungling Baltimore’s biggest set of riots in a long time. Under her watch, two buildings burned and she stayed largely silent during the crisis. There are even rumors that she fled the city. The mayor we have now is almost comically screwing things up, continuing a pathetic status quo. So, it is easy to have the impulse to claim that I could do a better job. Baltimore is a mess and every day there seems to be some new fiasco or scandal. I would not want the job. Charm City will always be in my heart and will be my home for the foreseeable future but I am not a politician. It takes a certain kind of insanity to want to be a leader like that and I do not want to tempt myself with the corruption others have fallen to so easily.
If you could be any animal, what would you be and why?
I feel a great kinship with wolves. Obviously, it is one of the reasons that I picked my moniker for this blog. Wolves are like dogs but better. They are wild and free but also banded together with others of their kind. Running through the fields and forests with a pack, feeling strong and fast. My senses would be alive in ways that they never could be as a human. I could smell for miles and hear the slightest sound. Of course, I might become color blind but I would have intense night vision which is a tradeoff I would definitely consider. I would be faster and more tireless than I am as a human and I would be more comfortable out in the elements.
After the obvious, I would probably pick a hawk or falcon. I would be a predator, high up in the food chain. My vision would be beyond what a human could even imagine. I would fly faster than any human has ever gone without the use of machines and I would not have to fear falling. Birds of prey are also more solitary birds as opposed to birds that flock together. I am definitely somebody who does not fear being alone. Having to depend on others can be tiring although not having that support can be dangerous. I think the exhilaration of flight would make up for it.
Finally, I might just want to be a raccoon. Now, stay with me here. I know that raccoons are often detested by people because of their meddling with trash but it would be so fun to be an urban animal. Raccoons are very smart, able to get into a lot of containers that people would think are secure. They also have incredibly dextrous and sensitive hands, able to do more complicated handwork than you would think. Frankly, raccoons just look really cool. The little mask, the ringed tail, the big bushy bodies that are surprisingly agile. I just always liked their aesthetic.
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