The Colorless Wonder
The oddest thing that I’ve gathered about Jeff (so far…I’m assuming there’s a lot more there) is that he is without any distinct color. No, I’m not talking about his colorBLINDness and color CLUELESSness, although that’s fascinating. (He really doesn’t know his colors. Try him some time. I said “chartreuse” or “magenta” the other day and he was all, “how can you possibly know what those mean!?!”)
Jeff’s name, when it pops up in my mind or in my e-mail Inbox, does not take on a color of its own. And that’s weird for me. Because I spent the better part of my only-child-dom with either a book or my Crayola box of 64, when I see letters or numbers, my brain automatically links them with a distinct color. (This is, of course, a self-diagnosis.) The experts call this “condition” synesthesia. I don’t think I have the full-blown deal. Hardcore folks look at a page of text and see a rainbow in front of their eyes. Other sysenthites see colors when they hear certain tones, or vice versa. It’s a mixing of the senses, see.
I have just always found it incredibly easy to remember phone numbers, addresses, names, etc. I grew up at 133 N.W. 104th Terrace. I was black. yellow, yellow…orange, green…black, clear, green. I don’t remember it as a list like that…but I see the shadows of colors in my mind, and just recall the numbers by following my mind’s color guides. Is this making any sense? Even if I can’t recall a number, I can think “it was green! it was green!” and make a pretty good guess.
The single digits all have their distinct colors that rarely change:
1 = black
2 = red
3 = yellow
4 = green
5 = blue
6 = purple sometimes, black sometimes
7 = orange
8 – purple sometimes, black sometimes
9 = orange
And see, I often mix up when it comes to numbers ending in 6 or 8, and 7 or 9 because of this.
Anyway, names take on colors, too, because this also works with letters. I won’t get into the whole list: A is yellow, B red, C green, etc. But J is a nebulous one – sometimes black, sometimes purple…and P is pink for girls, but for boys, it’s COLORLESS! Maybe a bit reddish, but with that black J for Jeff, it has no tone at all.
And thus, my point…Jeff is without color. Sucks to be him.
Jeff’s name, when it pops up in my mind or in my e-mail Inbox, does not take on a color of its own. And that’s weird for me. Because I spent the better part of my only-child-dom with either a book or my Crayola box of 64, when I see letters or numbers, my brain automatically links them with a distinct color. (This is, of course, a self-diagnosis.) The experts call this “condition” synesthesia. I don’t think I have the full-blown deal. Hardcore folks look at a page of text and see a rainbow in front of their eyes. Other sysenthites see colors when they hear certain tones, or vice versa. It’s a mixing of the senses, see.
I have just always found it incredibly easy to remember phone numbers, addresses, names, etc. I grew up at 133 N.W. 104th Terrace. I was black. yellow, yellow…orange, green…black, clear, green. I don’t remember it as a list like that…but I see the shadows of colors in my mind, and just recall the numbers by following my mind’s color guides. Is this making any sense? Even if I can’t recall a number, I can think “it was green! it was green!” and make a pretty good guess.
The single digits all have their distinct colors that rarely change:
1 = black
2 = red
3 = yellow
4 = green
5 = blue
6 = purple sometimes, black sometimes
7 = orange
8 – purple sometimes, black sometimes
9 = orange
And see, I often mix up when it comes to numbers ending in 6 or 8, and 7 or 9 because of this.
Anyway, names take on colors, too, because this also works with letters. I won’t get into the whole list: A is yellow, B red, C green, etc. But J is a nebulous one – sometimes black, sometimes purple…and P is pink for girls, but for boys, it’s COLORLESS! Maybe a bit reddish, but with that black J for Jeff, it has no tone at all.
And thus, my point…Jeff is without color. Sucks to be him.
The best part about this post was its surprise ending. From the beginning, I was expecting a feel good post about Jeff. I thought the end would say how great Jeff is for not be shackled to a color or something cheesey like that, but no...Jeff sucks. Vg
ReplyDeleteI associate Jeff with the color green. However, I might be confusing him with Scott who I think is also "green". Jeff maybe more reflective, going back to your point.
If you notice my time stamp, it is very close to when this entry was posted. Please don't think I am weird or anything. I will have you know I don't check this site every minute. But, I just posted on my site, so I was in the blogging mood.
Jeff's hair, skin and eyes are very close in color. He is manifestly monochromatic. He is, in fact, like a crayon in that respect. I have therefore never had trouble associating him with color.
ReplyDeleteSo what color is my hair?
ReplyDeleteOchre.
ReplyDeleteThat's not for me to say. My name, to me, when written down, is royal blue (S) and kelly green (G). Well, I guess I can say, then. But I'm different color to everyone, I'd hope, as are you Hales. To me, you're red. But to Gabe, maybe you're a rainbow! Aww.
ReplyDeleteFor the record, Haley is a verdurous green.
ReplyDeleteG