Journal 1

     Red is the color of passion. Whether that passion is in the form of love, lust, anger, or rage, red is the fire that fuels us to act on impulse, to disregard our intuition, and devote ourselves whole-heartedly to something or someone. Articulating this type of passion to a blind man is tricky in the sense that you want him to know both the positive and negative forms of passion associated with the color red. I would use a red rose to convey each aspect of passion.

     I would first have him smell the rose, and describe to me it's scent, making sure to tell him that what he smells is what he would be looking at if he could see. After he describes to me the sweetness of a rose, I would have him feel its velvety petals, gently brushing them against his face to get the full effect. I would then have him hold the rose himself, intentionally having him be poked by a thorn. I would explain to him that every rose has its thorns, just as for every positive form of passion, there is a more negative manner. Red is a complex thing, like all colors in general, and I think those of us who can see take it for granted.