Layers of Perceptual Reality

I was out for a walk with my kids. We were at a nearby state park ambly making our way around a small lake. Stooping to pick up various autumn leaves and anything else that seemed of interest. Enjoying the sunshine and the coolness the shadows provided on this October mid day. What I saw and heard next was surprising, out of the ordinary, and left me to ponder what reality really is.

From my periphery I sensed movement down the concrete walkway towards myself and kids. My back, or rather my sdie was faced towards the oncoming party. I then heard some low growling like that from an unsure dog. Not expecting nor desiring an experience where my daughter, in a zombie like trance, is immediately involutarily drawn to this dog, I wheeled around. I was surprised, not to see a dog, but a lady running down a slope of the trail making these sounds.

She was carrying a bag and in tattered clothes, presumably homeless. Running. Feet flopping. Head straight, Growling. Something was going on inside her head, I could but guess what it might be. Another younger girl walked behind her. And I thought maybe this was a mental patient out for a walk with her "gaurdian" or something. But the young girl paced up in front of the other and walked by without any type of aknowledgement. As if she wanted to get in front and be gone. I think the growling lady was by herself. And seeing something like that is ....

Hard to describe I guess. You feel bad for the lady and even sad for her. And as I'm enjoying the warmth of the periodic shafts of sunlight I am thrown into the uncomfortable position of pondering her reality. In each case, while our perception of her is becoming of sadness or helplessness, her perception is decidedly different. But probably no less important. As the subjectiveness of our own percieved realities are the only basis for the scaffolding of discovery and inquiry to our world, we must admit and realize that a part of this, perhaps a large part, is chemically induced. Hormones, drugs, and other environmental conditions can and do affect the reality of those surrounding. And reality is in the mind of the beholder.

And when we try to strip away the onion layers of perceptual reality we might find that no layer is unimportant. And if we strip away all the layers, is there an ultimate reality or is it contingent on an observer?? And as this post is a mess of fragmented thoughts from my perspective, I almost envy those with a more distinct vivid sense of what I determine to be lunacy. Life may be much simpler if you succumb easily to grand ideas, religions, philosophies, and ideologies. And life may be quite subjectively skewed with the presence of altering molecules. While the question of behavior and perception is usually a nature or nurture answer, the fact seems to be both of these play significant parts with neither one playing less of a role.

Yea, my most non-sensical post yet.