Dichotomy: A contrast or division between two things that are opposed to each other or are sharply different. A division of a class of something into subclasses that are mutually exclusive. i.e. they are separate.
I learned this word in graduate school, I think in my research class. Now that I’m journaling about this awesome moon picture, I actually think I learned this word during undergrad in my philosophy class. Either way, I didn’t understand how the professor used it in his lecture, so I went to google to get a better understanding. It was hard to pay attention to class after that. My mind went down the rabbit hole of thoughts about life, per usual. After I learned this word, I began saying to myself “life is a dichotomy”.
From my understanding, a dichotomy is this or that. Light or dark. Night or day. Good or bad. Right or wrong. When I read the Bible, the Apocrypha, and the Book of Enoch, I noticed the clear pattern of God’s people having difficulty choosing which side of the dichotomy they want to be on. Especially in the Apocrypha, remembering God’s laws and refraining from giving into evil influences are common lessons discussed in the chapters.
When this picture was taken, I saw the brightness behind the clouds and began daydreaming about what was going on in the alternate universe over there (hypothetically speaking, of course). I thought about how it was nighttime where I was, but it was daytime in the universe behind the clouds. I thought about how the Watchers were probably conducting a meeting about tomorrow’s itinerary. I thought about how I wouldn’t have noticed the universe behind the clouds if it wasn’t nighttime.
This led me to appreciating being aware of darkness. If I wasn’t aware of darkness, I wouldn’t look forward to the light. Just like if I wasn’t aware of having bad days, I wouldn’t look forward to having good days. This led to me remembering how I refer to life as a dichotomy. But, is life really a dichotomy? Is life really black or white? Is life really this or that? Is life really right or wrong? Is life really good or bad? Is the world really light or dark? In the mental health field, nothing is straight black and white, everything is a gray area. While I think life is a dichotomy, I also think life is one big gray area. Everything in life is connected. Everyone in this world is connected. Everything in this universe is connected.
So, when I saw this beautiful, bright, full moon shining behind the thick, dark, cloudy universe, I was reminded of how life is one big gray area, and how I have to have balance in my life to keep me leveled out. I’m not gonna always do good, just like I’m not gonna always do bad. I’m not gonna always make the right decisions, just like I’m not gonna always make the wrong decisions. All I can do is do the best I can while I’m here, and try to make wise decisions. Enjoy this video abut being wise.
Life Lesson:
· We have to have balance in our lives.
How I Apply it to My Life:
· I accept the good with the bad; I try to make wise decisions.
Song:
· Kendrick Lamar - ELEMENT.
· Kendrick Lamar - XXX. (Ft. U2.)
SLIDESHOW: Cloudy nights.