At the moment, I'm understanding yet again what the ancient Japanese philosophers and poets meant when they said Mono No Aware. Mono No Aware is a feeling of bittersweetness when looking at something beautiful. The sweet aspect is appreciation of its beauty, while the bitter aspect is sadness knowing that the beauty is fleeting and ephemeral. The picture which I posted of the Magnolia Tree that is just down the street from me is a good example - the flowers were, and still are, beautiful. However, seeing the petals falling to the ground shows just how temporary their beauty is. It can be seen as a metaphor for our lives. Futhermore, it's the perfect metaphore to describe my time here in Madison.
Today I had what could very well be my last college class ever as a student, which was an optional question/answer session with Burrito Lover RD Sack (and I ate a Sackian burrito right before class, just for good measure.) Had a beer on the terrace, and then ate pizza on the sidewalk at Tuttos with my friend and colleague, Matt Liesch. I really wish I would've brought my camera with me today - the dome of the Capitol was beautiful bathed in the golden, late evening sun. Plus there was a guy walking up and down state street with a massive Burmese Python draped about his neck. Always interesting people watching there, that's for sure...
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