The Relativity of Distance

[brianlux]

Here's the scene:

You live in a house on Manning Hill.

Your mail box is on another hill exactly 100 yards from your house as the crow flies.

There is a gravel path that leads straight from your house to the mail box that undulates up and down over several small rolling ridges (much like a mini basin and range topography).

The crow flies from your house straight to the mail box and travels exactly 100 yards.

You walk straight from your house to the mail box but must traverse up and down the rolling ridges, thus your walk is more than 100 yards.

Your pet ant walks straight from your house to the mail box but not only must traverse over the undulations of the rolling ridges but also the undulations of the gravel in the path and thus must walk much farther than you do.

Your pet microorganism walks strait from your house to the mail box but must not only traverse the undulations of the rolling ridges and the undulations of the gravel but also the many tiny cracks and fissure on each piece of gravel and thus must travel a very, very great distance to get to the mail box.

Distance is relative.

This seems fractal like-- maybe even verging on chaos.

Or it may just mean that some will have to travel farther to get to the same place.

[Shorty]

I told my pet ant to stop reading my mail!

[RKCNDY]

I used my slingshot to take out the crow...I don't need some bird squaking at me to hurry up.

[JonnyPistachio]

interesting parable Brian.

[hedonist]

Most everything's relative, and not just in the physical sense.

Traversing from point A to B can't be the same journey for anyone or anything...part of what I love about this life.

(and thanks for the smile, Shorty!)

[pandora]

So it sounds the smaller the mind the farther it has to go ...
bing bing bing bing

[hedonist]

So it sounds the smaller the mind the farther it has to go ...
bing bing bing bing

I'm not sure what the mind (did you mean brain size?) has to do with it, when this is related more to size itself - obstacles. At least from here, this little perspective of mine.

I look at it this way. Two people, same sized brain - one in a wheelchair, the other not. The former will have a tougher time - a longer or more difficult path to make his way, while the latter won't.

Bing-o?

[pandora]

So it sounds the smaller the mind the farther it has to go ...
bing bing bing bing

I'm not sure what the mind (did you mean brain size?) has to do with it, when you're talking body size.

I look at it this way. Two people, same sized brain - one in a wheelchair, the other not. The former will have a tougher time - a longer or more difficult path to make his way, while the latter won't.

Bing-o?

Nope wasn't talking brain size ... mind size.
With that in mind... the person in the wheelchair may be miles ahead, those tougher times and all.

[hedonist]

So it sounds the smaller the mind the farther it has to go ...
bing bing bing bing

I'm not sure what the mind (did you mean brain size?) has to do with it, when you're talking body size.

I look at it this way. Two people, same sized brain - one in a wheelchair, the other not. The former will have a tougher time - a longer or more difficult path to make his way, while the latter won't.

Bing-o?

Nope wasn't talking brain size ... mind size.
With that in mind... the person in the wheelchair may be miles ahead, those tougher times and all.

I edited my post, as I don't think the OP was talking about the mind. Then again, I could be wrong.

We all walk the long road.

(plus, the ant may be facing tougher times too!)

[JonnyPistachio]

I'm pretty fucking big compared to that microorganism, but sometimes I swear I feel those minuscule undulations of the rolling ridges in each grain of sand..

[DS1119]

What happens if the crow eats the ant?

[brianlux]

What happens if the crow eats the ant?

Free ride!

[brianlux]

So it sounds the smaller the mind the farther it has to go ...
bing bing bing bing

I'm not sure what the mind (did you mean brain size?) has to do with it, when you're talking body size.

I look at it this way. Two people, same sized brain - one in a wheelchair, the other not. The former will have a tougher time - a longer or more difficult path to make his way, while the latter won't.

Bing-o?

Nope wasn't talking brain size ... mind size.
With that in mind... the person in the wheelchair may be miles ahead, those tougher times and all.

I edited my post, as I don't think the OP was talking about the mind. Then again, I could be wrong.

We all walk the long road.

(plus, the ant may be facing tougher times too!)

Right, Hedonist!

No, it's more big picture than that. It's more about things not being what they seem.

[kw18]

Sometimes that 100-yard walk can seem unfairly too long. On those days, I suggest email, texting and skype to get your communication. Suddenly, those 100 yards fade to nothing at all ...

Of course, othertimes you really want to have your phyiscal mail. During those times, if the walk is too tough and too long, simply move your mail box closer to home.

[RKCNDY]

if the walk is too tough and too long, simply move your mail box closer to home.

the postman might get a little upset, because then he has to make a longer trek.