Brain

Upon moving to Los Angeles two years ago last month,I was surprised by how few drivers use turn signals.For a city literally built around the car,it continually amazed (and still amazes) me witnessing such poor driving habits.Besides the pervasive texting and driving,there are any number of activities I've observed,all of which point to one trend:a complete lack (or care) of others around you.More interesting than simple and flagrant disregard,the refual to tell someone else where you're heading points to a more complex problem.What a driver says when switching one,two,three lanes without signaling not only entails neglect.The basic sentiment is:you should know what I'm doing already.Built into this mindset is a sort of metaphysical solipsism.The driver's self is the only reality,and everything else is a representation of the reality they expereriance:You're merely a minor annoyance or distraction in my trying to get where I need to go.This notion that we should all be expert mind readers is in no way limited to driving.We make assumptions constantly.This is most acutely felt between partners who fail to communicate over the course of a relationship.When dealing with passerby you don't need to recognize as fellow human beings,the problem is compounded.Considering animal life and natural resource is even more challenging.Another everyday occurence that goes by without a thought:men who shave while letting the water run,sometimes walking away from the sink without bothering to turn it off.We assume that since the tap provides consistent water,it is an unlimited resource,not recognizing the social and political structures that make such convenience a reality,nor how much waste we produce when a solution as simple as paying attention to what you actually need to use exists.As this month I've been working with the idea of contemplation in my meditation practice,I began to think of what it is we're thinking about.To contemplate is to look at something thoughtfully for an extended period of time.What is contemplated can be an external object,thought often it is an idea or thought that is continually deconstructed and gazed upon from every angle.