Sunday, March 06, 2005
Maps:
I have this fascination with maps. I like looking at them. We have this map of the Philippines taken from a 1986 issue of National Geographic. It's framed and hanging on a wall near the kitchen and dining room. Many times, I have found myself just staring at it for more than just a few seconds. One of the books I bought when I was in the Philippines last year was a mini street atlas of Manila. I didn't really get much practical use out of it since I only had about two days left in my stay. Still, I'd look at it from time to time and try to make sense of the places I'd visited.
I remember in the months leading up to my family's move to America, I would look at a map of Southern California. I knew we would be staying in Tustin at first. I imagined my friends and cousins living in cities like Hawthorne or Chula Vista. I'd imagine hanging out at each other's houses after school. I didn't really have an accurate perception of scale and distances back then. I thought those places were just down the street from each other.
It's not restricted to just places I've been to or even actual locations for that matter. One of my favorite parts in fantasy books like Lord of the Rings or Dragonlance are the maps they usually have in the back.
Anyway, I'm starting to realize that I enjoy looking at maps. I'm not quite sure why. Some people like to read dictionaries for fun. I'd say that an atlas would be my reference book of choice. One thing that's becoming more and more real to me is that for the most part, a map isn't just made up of blobs of color with dots and names of places. Those dots represent real locations where real people live. People who may not have heard of the Gospel and what Jesus has done for them.
I wonder if they'll have maps in Heaven. Hmm... Heaven's probably not even mappable nor would there even be a need for maps. Ahh... maybe I'll write about my fascination with planes or flying in general next.
I have this fascination with maps. I like looking at them. We have this map of the Philippines taken from a 1986 issue of National Geographic. It's framed and hanging on a wall near the kitchen and dining room. Many times, I have found myself just staring at it for more than just a few seconds. One of the books I bought when I was in the Philippines last year was a mini street atlas of Manila. I didn't really get much practical use out of it since I only had about two days left in my stay. Still, I'd look at it from time to time and try to make sense of the places I'd visited.
I remember in the months leading up to my family's move to America, I would look at a map of Southern California. I knew we would be staying in Tustin at first. I imagined my friends and cousins living in cities like Hawthorne or Chula Vista. I'd imagine hanging out at each other's houses after school. I didn't really have an accurate perception of scale and distances back then. I thought those places were just down the street from each other.
It's not restricted to just places I've been to or even actual locations for that matter. One of my favorite parts in fantasy books like Lord of the Rings or Dragonlance are the maps they usually have in the back.
Anyway, I'm starting to realize that I enjoy looking at maps. I'm not quite sure why. Some people like to read dictionaries for fun. I'd say that an atlas would be my reference book of choice. One thing that's becoming more and more real to me is that for the most part, a map isn't just made up of blobs of color with dots and names of places. Those dots represent real locations where real people live. People who may not have heard of the Gospel and what Jesus has done for them.
I wonder if they'll have maps in Heaven. Hmm... Heaven's probably not even mappable nor would there even be a need for maps. Ahh... maybe I'll write about my fascination with planes or flying in general next.
