In a previous post I talked about the interplay between the characters
in the stories that make up our lives. But there is much more that goes
into the crafting of our stories and the shaping of our quality of
life. There is the environment is which our narrative takes place. Like the other actors in our story the environment is also constantly changing, both in the physical sense as we move about the world and also in the perceptive sense. For example, the neighborhoods were we grew up most certainly appear changed when we return to them as adults. Neighbors pass on or move away. A neighborhood's fortunes may rise or fall depending on circumstance. Things are not how we remember them to be. There is a disconnect on how are memories tell us things should be and how they actually are in the present.
I differentiate between the environment and technology, which I will write about next, in this way: I see the environment as the space we occupy at a given point in time while technologies are the devices we use to manipulate and extend that space. These distinctions are not absolute. There are times where part of the environment can serve as a technology and vice-versa. I am referring to their dominant, or natural state, for the purpose of this discussion.
The environments where we reside serve as the stage for us to create our stories. Just as the other actors whose paths we cross are not neutral in shaping events, neither is our environment. While they change over time there are several environments that play a key role in our story.
An example from myself would be my childhood bedroom. For many of us this is the first experience of having a place that we consciously think of as our own. It serves as a haven; the stage where we are the primary owner and player. My bedroom was the attic of our house in Northeast Philadelphia. I don't know that I've ever felt more comfortable in any other space. I kept everything of meaning there. There I invented worlds of my own and explored the world outside through library books. My bedroom was where I first developed the character that I'd try out on the rest of the world, in the neighborhood and school yard. And it was there I'd regroup from the experience.
Our environment makes things possible by its limitations. The physical space sets the boundaries from which we play off. The shape and size of a room, where the windows are located, how the light enters throughout the day are just a few of hundreds of environmental factors that shape our perception, mood, and outlook. I knew the house I wanted to live in the moment I walked through the door because of how I instantly felt being in that space. I've spoken with many others who say the same thing.
We in turn alter and enhance our environment through props. Most commonly it how we decorate a given space. The things we choose from paint color, to curtains, rugs, art work, and furniture are all a play off of the environment in an attempt to enhance the feeling the space evokes in us. Sometimes we completely tear down a room, altering its physical structure, in order to make it something more in line with us. That's why aesthetics are so critical in the weaving of our narrative. Without saying a word, aesthetics create the mood, set the expectations and the possibilities by how they make us feel about ourselves and what they say about us to others when they enter our space.
I differentiate between the environment and technology, which I will write about next, in this way: I see the environment as the space we occupy at a given point in time while technologies are the devices we use to manipulate and extend that space. These distinctions are not absolute. There are times where part of the environment can serve as a technology and vice-versa. I am referring to their dominant, or natural state, for the purpose of this discussion.
The environments where we reside serve as the stage for us to create our stories. Just as the other actors whose paths we cross are not neutral in shaping events, neither is our environment. While they change over time there are several environments that play a key role in our story.
An example from myself would be my childhood bedroom. For many of us this is the first experience of having a place that we consciously think of as our own. It serves as a haven; the stage where we are the primary owner and player. My bedroom was the attic of our house in Northeast Philadelphia. I don't know that I've ever felt more comfortable in any other space. I kept everything of meaning there. There I invented worlds of my own and explored the world outside through library books. My bedroom was where I first developed the character that I'd try out on the rest of the world, in the neighborhood and school yard. And it was there I'd regroup from the experience.
Our environment makes things possible by its limitations. The physical space sets the boundaries from which we play off. The shape and size of a room, where the windows are located, how the light enters throughout the day are just a few of hundreds of environmental factors that shape our perception, mood, and outlook. I knew the house I wanted to live in the moment I walked through the door because of how I instantly felt being in that space. I've spoken with many others who say the same thing.
We in turn alter and enhance our environment through props. Most commonly it how we decorate a given space. The things we choose from paint color, to curtains, rugs, art work, and furniture are all a play off of the environment in an attempt to enhance the feeling the space evokes in us. Sometimes we completely tear down a room, altering its physical structure, in order to make it something more in line with us. That's why aesthetics are so critical in the weaving of our narrative. Without saying a word, aesthetics create the mood, set the expectations and the possibilities by how they make us feel about ourselves and what they say about us to others when they enter our space.
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