On the new They Might Be Giants album, The World Is to Dig, there is a song called Telescope, in which John Linnell sings:

Telescope shows different things than the things

that we believe to be true

What we know isn’t so when we spy into

the telescope’s lying view

Travel the land, cross the skies, cross your eyes

cross out the things you don’t feel

Shut out the hate, everything’s fake

thought is the thing that’s real

Upon first completion of this song, I reacted with a gasp and felt overwhelmed with emotion.

Reflecting on why I felt this way:

1. There's so little philosophy and wonder in my day-to-day experience. Pondering makes being alive feel more meaningful. I don't do that enough, being bogged down with practical reality.
2. The ending of the song hints at the idea that ground truth may be a relative experience to an individual. You can detach from a lot of the conflict in the world if you operate from this mentality. That's a very peaceful feeling to me.
3. When I was a teenager, I listened to They Might Be Giants quite a bit. Their endless, relentless creation will always be an inspiration to me. They do not seem motivated by external forces, their urge to create feels like it comes from enjoyment of the process. It reminds me of what I want to be and how I want to live. Wholesome, optimistic, funny, and thoughtful.

– Charlie