Fractals and JOMO

Most of us enjoy detailed geometric patterns but have you heard the term Fractals and JOMO? Fractals is when small parts look like the whole. And then another term, JOMO, given to us by social media. Singularly completely unrelated but there is a link. Intrigued? Join me on this podcast as I explore these terms sharing real-life experiences plus a super sweet folk lore story.

Transcript

Fractals and JOMO

Hello Fellow Mavericks, welcome to another exciting episode of the ‘Ordinary Maverick’ podcast.

Heard the term, Fractals? And JOMO. Well, they are unrelated terms, both coined at different times in history and with different contexts. But in true Maverick spirit, we see a connection. And will speak of that soon. But first, let’s understand a bit more about each of them.

Regardless of where you are in the world, as December appears on the calendar, you start thinking of Christmas. It’s kind of the same thing whenever there’s any major holiday coming up in the places we live but it’s pretty much global for Christmas and the soon to follow New Year. There’s just something in the air, people are more relaxed, looking forward to the holidays, the lights and decorations in the streets, in the shops and in homes adds to the festive feel. And of course, the Christmas trees and the pinecones. You know its autumn when there are fallen leaves and pinecones on the driveway, in your garden of on the hillside of a holiday destination. 

We live in the woods and walking in the beautiful lush green forests is a daily activity including seeing the forest floor strewn with pine needles and pinecones and fallen leaves through autumn into winter. One of the added perks of living in the midst of the woods is seeing nature so closely through all the seasons. A real treat, no doubt.  Until recently I must admit I didn’t pay too much attention to the types of pinecones. Yes, there are different ones, and each comes from a different tree. It’s only the cone that falls from the pine tree which is truly the ‘pinecone’. The rest are just ‘cones’ from that tree, like the Western Hemlock cone, the western red cedar cone, the Douglas fir cone and the ones we see in abundance in our garden, the Sitka Spruce cones, native to the Washington State. 

Now Pinecones protect the seeds and keep them safe from weather extremes and animals until the seeds are mature and its warm and dry enough to release them to grow into new trees. Critical function, right? But an intriguing thing about pinecones or cones is the element of fractals. 

These are never ending, geometric patterns that repeat themselves at different scales. What this means is that even a small part looks like the whole cone . Pretty fascinating, eh? Blending complexity from simple rules and basically repeating a process infinitely. It’s like there are deep structures in seemingly chaotic systems, like trees, coastlines and our lungs. Fractals carry deep meaning and are increasingly being studied in cancer research and in modeling studies. They can provide insights into perception, can connect math with nature and consciousness.

The more I thought about fractals, I started looking for them, and found them in the most bizarre yet ordinary places, like pineapples, broccoli. Have you ever observed the patterns in the broccoli floret? Check them out and see how they reflect self-similarity. 

One sees them in ferns. Speaking of ferns, brings back a distinct memory. The Fern Gully in Jamaica. 

It’s a natural wonder, a fascinating 3 miles long stretch of road, winding, scenic, when you feel you have entered the fern wonderland.  . It was like paradise, so moist yet dry, with every shade of green one can imagine or think of. So beautiful that it’s difficult to describe. The magic of nature never goes away. Fern Gully was a riverbed which disappeared after an earthquake in 1907. The river stopped flowing and over time that became the road in between, the Fern Gully. It’s like a natural tunnel where you’re surrounded by trees. When we lived in Jamaica, we traveled through Fern Gully many times en route to Ocho Rios from Kingston. The excitement of the passage through Fern gully was enhanced by what was coming at the end of the road. The Ocho Rios waterfall. One of the few waterfalls that one can climb, from bottom up. And climb it we did…many a times. Another experience with waterfalls but one that all of us fondly remember.

Mavericks, if you’re in Jamaica, do not miss Fern Gully and the Ocho Rios waterfall.

Coming back to cones, the Douglas fir cone is quite distinct. It has these paper-like bracts that extend beyond the cone’s scales. A signature three prong characteristic, unique to the Douglas fir. There’s a folklore story behind how the cone got it’s distinct look. As the story goes, a fire broke out in the forest and a mouse looking for refuge from the flames was searching for a safe hideout. He kept asking the different trees for refuge. And they refused. Till he asked one of the largest trees in the world, the Douglas Fir. And the tree invited the mouse to come in and take shelter. It then went up the tree trunk and tucked itself inside one of the tree’s cones. The mouse’s hind legs and tail were still visible from beneath the cone’s scales, and that’s given the cones their signature three-pronged characteristic. Kind of a sweet story. We have so many of these folk lores across the world. Am sure there’s some truth to them, right? Let’s keep believing in the magic and of course let’s not miss the moral, the gist of the story. Helping and being kind to others makes you a legend and always leaves its mark. The majestic Douglas fir to date provides shelter for mice, porcupines and owls and many animals, some of which live their entire lives in the tree’s canopy. 

You know what they say, to see one is to know one. That’s what the mighty Douglas fir is. They are giants, growing 200 to 250 feet tall even as high as 300 feet. It’s the most iconic tree in Washington State. Their majestic canopy gives shelter to many animals and birds, and some are uniquely dependent on the Douglas fir. One of which is the northern spotted owl which is listed as an endangered species. 

The interconnectedness in nature is unparalled and the ecosystem that co exists together. Fascinating! We learnt about the Douglas fir when we moved to Washington State. And come Christmas time, we bring one of them into our home as our Christmas tree. The smell of the pine needles and the presence of the tree in our living space transforms our home and brings the magic of the holidays right in!

All this talk about patterns and self-similarity, that’s what fractals are. But when you think of it, we create these patterns in our lives too. and the challenging thing is that we create patterns of the difficult and sad times more often than the happy and fun ones. It’s a tough cycle to break. 

And that brings me to JOMO. The opposite of FOMO. Acronyms that are used frequently. The Fear Of Missing Out (FOMO) and it’s opposite, the Joy Of Missing Out (JOMO). 

FOMO literally means when one feels apprehension that stems from not being in the know or missing out on information, or experiences of events. It can generate major anxiety and is considered a type of problematic attachment to social media. It was first coined in 2004 and made it to the dictionary by 2013. One feels a deep sense of missing out and then a deep compulsion to maintain the social connections because of the fear of missing out. FOMO can also create negative effects on physical well being, anxiety, lack of sleep and the fear of social exclusion.

Mavericks, let’s be aware of the phenomenon of FOMO. I believe being aware is the first step to countering anything.

In contras t, JOMO is the Joy Of Missing Out. It is about enjoying what you’re doing in each moment without worrying about what everyone else is doing. It’s about being intentional. About switching off from social media and not constantly trying to keep up with what everyone else is doing. The holidays give us the perfect time to practice JOMO. We had family over to our place for the holidays and believe you me, we had JOMO right there! Ha ha…we planned outings, had a great family cook out fiesta, very deliberate and intentional family time together and the best part – along with JOMO, we created some very special memories. 

Fellow Mavericks, fractals are fascinating and give us insights into systems and patterns. BUT, and here’s the big BUT, do not create patterns of discontent, of anxiety, negativity. Break them. Embrace JOMO and experience the joy of life, of authenticity and truly doing what you value and love.

It’s the Maverick formula, remember the component of ‘Be True’.

This holiday season, I wish all my fellow Mavericks, JOMO!, The Joy of Missing Out.

I would love to hear your thoughts on fractals and JOMO. What did you choose for practicing JOMO?

Write to me at ‘theordinarymaverick@gmail.com’ and follow me on Instagram #theordinarymaverick.  I love hearing from you. As a new feature, we will share your stories in upcoming podcasts.

This is Ajey, signing off and wishing you have an amazing day! Keep well. 

This podcast series was put together as a team effort from the Bhardwaj family.  Concept, design, title, researchers and reviewers: Ajey, Sanjana, Avantika and Niharika Bhardwaj; Script– Sanjana; Cover design – Niharika. All rights reserved.