- won-der-ment (noun)
- 1: a cause of or occasion for wonder
- 2: astonishment, surprise
- 3: curiosity about something
“Bula, Bula!” as they say in Fiji, the exuberant hello or welcome of this nation, a refrain heard many times a day and this isn’t just a phony put-on for tourists. They really mean it. Translated literally as “life,” when Fijians use Bula as a greeting, they are wishing you good health.
This is a fitting way to start this post given Toby’s path to recovery after his infection, still a work in progress, as septic shock is no joke.
This is also fitting in setting up my thinking for this blog. The general approach is to filter and focus my posts around some “A,B,C, D, E” themes— a loose rubric, all variations of wonderment and my wondering thus far. Turns out, they are very Bula Bula too, including:
- A is for awesome. Not so much in the surfer dude sense, but more according its’ original meaning which is: Adjective “causing or inducing awe; inspiring an overwhelming feeling of reverence, admiration or fear: an awesome sight.”
- B is for beautiful things. Anything that tickles my aesthetic fancy—something in nature, a piece of art, architecture, or design. Beautiful humans and moments of humanity are especially important too.
- C is for crazy. Crazy as in “I can’t believe this!” The good, bad, silly, scary, inane or inexplicable. On the other hand, “this is really [cool] crazy” works too. All of Types of Fun (scroll down to first post) may apply as well, especially type III fun.
- D is for difference or deviation. Anything that strikes me as interestingly different and/or discordant from my perspective— from a cultural practice, trend, norm, quirky detail, economic to political reality. Odd, weird or novel things focus attention; if done thoughtfully, they provoke better questions and invite closer observation. Getting more technical, these can be anomalies. Anomalies in my field of future foresight can indicate a deeper pattern or driver of change. The metaphor we use in systems thinking, these can be the ‘tip of the iceberg’ of what lies below the surface of our awareness.
- E is for effort or excellence: We are like novice tight-rope wakers, traversing multiple learning curves at the same time— and learning can trigger moments of wonder as well. Some of this is fun and thrilling, like learning to e-foil and scuba dive. Others are more stressful and head-hurting, like troubleshooting bad weather or equipment failures with our crew. Equally important (though more mundane) is noticing critical practices of care and maintenance, sailing skills and mastery, not to mention respect for the very materials, structures and systems that keep us afloat.
Lastly, while it goes without saying, I reserve the right to change this approach at a whim 🙂
Photo: Jackie in the Gamboa Reserve, Panama playing with exquisite butterflies
Why do this?
Because I think wonderment is wonderful. As a state of being, though, it is sorely under-valued and under-experienced in the hurly burly of 21st century life. And I believe this loss has consequences—at the macro level (undercutting cultural , social and economic value) and the micro level (our lived experiences as individuals and groups). Hypotheses to explore over the course of this blog.
For now, ask yourself this: when was the last time you were in the throes of deep wonder? I bet it’s been a while. Especially if you lived like we did for several decades, in the throes of corporate deadlines and consequential project responsibilities; or conversely, for people in survival mode, overwhelmed by the stress and uncertainty of making ends meet. Add parenting and family care on top of all of that: with little time or energy or aptitude, our wonderment can easily go into deep hibernation.
Though akin to curiosity, wonderment isn’t quite a synonym either. It feels slower, more innocent, like the zen concept of a Beginner’s Mind. When in full wonderment, you are deeply present: time stands stiller, every color and contour sparkles a bit more, all parts of your brain sanguinely in sync, the boundaries of the self feeling more porous and interconnected to everything else. It can be a peak experience.
While curiosity is undoubtedly multidimensional, it can be used like a tool. Whereas wonderment feels less instrumental. If it had a shape, it would be spherical; dynamic and heavy to hold, demanding all of our attention. Like the magical orbs featured in so many legendary tales, from Tolkien and Harry Potter, we don’t always know where wonderment will take us—the past, present or future or to some other temporal plane in-between.
From whimsey to worm holes
On this adventure, wonderment is showing its’ many faces at every turn. It can be whimsical, light’n easy like a good Rom-Com or Disney product, requiring very little of my neocortex. Having our tween and other kids on board helps immensely, their facility for wonderment being so innate and easily primed at this age. And there is nothing better to witness, nothing more joyful and heart-opening, than seeing kids full of wonder.
Much of this blog, I hope, will have this baseline childlike wonder, unadulterated and unabashedly so, through our eyes and others. Modeling this would be an easy win for everyone, creating social ripple effects beyond the boundaries of our boat.
Photo: Jackie and SY Serafina girls marveling at the “dragons,” north Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos
More surprisingly, wonderment has sustained and nourished me when the going got tough. Like a topical salve, I have applied it when stuck or in a funk.
Two examples: A deeper look at our Trade Wind sails can be enough, wondering again how they work, how the wind creates the lift and energy to magically propel us forward. Or recalling that Fin Whale and her calf suddenly showing themselves earlier in the day, appearing just meters off our starboard quarter, all of us breathlessly alert and astounded by her size and speed. And as soon as they vanished (the calf thought she could be a dolphin and play in our bow wave, the mummy signaled to the contrary) we started marveling at their journey from the Antarctic, speculating where they might be heading next.
A common trick used in neuropsychology, this kind of thinking redirects my attention to observations outside of my self, making space for a more generative frame of mind to emerge. Indeed, after that “a-hah” or “wow” moment, negative thoughts quickly dissipate, a smile returns, and once again I’m reminded how lucky I am to be alive and present on this extraordinary trip.
Of course I have to admit this is not always successful. Irritations often persist like a bad fog (especially if that source of irritant is just meters below deck.) And the paradox of wonderment is that if taken too seriously or transactionally, it doesn’t work. It’s like sex or fun, as soon as you say, “feel sexy” or “go have fun”.. er… the opposite effect is what usually transpires.
Lastly, wonderment can inexorably suck you into an existential worm hole. It’s a forcing function into the bigger questions and mysteries of the universe. Ask any good scientist or artist, they will tell you, there is a positively subversive side to curiosity, which can make or break a career (or cause you to loose your proverbial head.) Manage your expectations here. No world-changing breakthroughs will transpire 🙂 Even so, I have noticed how even mediocre wonderment can deliver new insights and meaning—not to mention the odd transcendent slap in the back when I wasn’t looking.
Photo: Lotte viewing the March 4th eclipse through my father’s/grandfather Boyer’s sextant. About Day 14 or 15 of our Pacific Ocean crossing to the Marquesas.
Cultivation is key
Wonderment, I have discovered, improves with practice as well. It is a fecund, biochemical energy that grows the more you tend to it. More begets more. Which is what these A,B,C,D & E themes are designed to do. Not only will they give me a motivational kick to keep things moving, keep me observing with new eyes, but this half-baked framework will help me sort through the deluge of photos and stories thus far—the challenge is more curation than creation, more sense-making over sensory overload.
While I am not entirely sure if this format will work, I am hopeful because of what I know from the literature around creativity and specific experiences. In particular, I am reminded of the “52 photo challenge” which I participated in during the early Aughts, a group project organized by T’s cousin Gemma (a pro photographer now) where each one of us had to submit a photo once a week around a particular theme.
The upshot of it all, I was pleasantly surprised how this lightly held structure unleashed that sweet-spot between being more creative and disciplined in producing content. Moreover, I was struck by just how happy this seemingly-simple practice made me. And those photos? Well, some weren’t too bad either. They hang on my wall at home, often mistaken as designer art purchases, which makes me (and my ego) very happy indeed as well.
Enough contextualizing and philosophizing. Don’t worry, most of my posts will be more cursory. These initial posts are just setting the table—and practically speaking, it is just harder to punch out these thoughts when at sea, which is either too rolly or too hot.
My next post will kick it off at the top with some A’s.
Vinaka – N
Currently in: Vuda Marina, Viseisei, Viti Levu, Fiji.
7.6820° S, 177.3863° E