How to look at a tree frog

And other things.

What to do if you see a tree frog in your yard:

At first glance, you see a thing on a tree. So far, so good. Now, find the card in your brain’s file cabinet labeled “frog”. Notice that what you see on the tree is a thing matching the frog card in your head. Good job.

But you are not done yet, in fact you have only just begun. If you get closer to the amphibian in question, maybe sit and watch it for a little while, you will find more and more cards matching something you see. It is no longer simply a frog. You found matches for slimy, green, breathing, eyes, feet, tongue, aliens, hallucinations, suction cups, muppets etc.

Now that you have exhausted the word cards of the mind, notice the outline of its shape. It is a very complex shape. A decidedly froggish shape, but not a shape that you could describe with a mathematical equation, even if you could do math stuff. The cards that come up now are getting harder to label. These are cards that don’t have their own words, just sort of a feeling, or some abstraction of a combination of things. It is at this point in the journey that many will stop.

If you are brave and continue on the wild journey of looking at a frog, you will inevitably reach a crest where you will be overwhelmed with the sheer complexity and infinite associations and impressions to be gleaned from what was just one four letter word mere minutes ago. The frog, now The Frog, contains everything in the universe. To exclude anything in your conception of The Frog is to lie about The Frog. Everything is Frog, Frog is in all things.

At this point, it is best to stop looking at The Frog. Your neighbors may get too interested in your activities and inquire what you are doing. They will not understand. They will not allow you to enlighten them on the mysteries of The Frog.

Doing this when you see a tree frog will unavoidably make you more interested, curious and humble. About life, and the things you encounter in your life. If that doesn’t sound like your cup of tea, not to worry. There is another way to approach things.

What to do if you don’t want to see a tree frog in your yard:

First, start with a really complex problem or issue. There are lots of complex things to choose from. Human behavior and interactions between large populations. Interactions at the biological level between people and frog poison. Bitcoin. Speed bump placement. Pick one that suits you. Now, simplify the whole thing down to a short slogan. Ideally it will rhyme. Post the rhyme on the app of your choosing. Alternatively, you could write it on cardboard and walk around town holding it up, yelling the slogan.

The advantage of this, of course, is that a giant complex thing is now just a simple phrase, and it is not so intimidating. It is now easy to feel bigger, more sophisticated.

And that is how you look or don’t look at a frog.