When considering how small a portion of the electromagnetic spectrum visible light constitutes, it’s difficult not to feel cheated. I would like to additionally see ultraviolet and infrared. Technology could give me this ability now, but I’d much rather it manifest itself naturally through evolution, though it’s hard to imagine why such evolutionary developments would occur.

This frustration raises another point: is this insatiable desire for more a human characteristic or merely cultural? The existence of monks would have me believe the latter. Still, I wonder why instead of mourning my narrow range of visible wavelength I can’t be grateful for having the sense of sight in the first place.

Sometimes I’ll imagine I can see the carbon dioxide trails of people around me. I avoid the exhalations of most people. I put people I see through a number of offensive and subjective filters: fat, stupid, ugly. If anyone near me fails all three I hold my breath and take measures to avoid their exhalations, as theirs is the worst quality carbon dioxide. I want pure air. Living in this town, I define pure air as air which doesn’t have a detectable scent, is visibly clear, and has no nearby source of pollution, be it automotive, industrial, or unsavory human.