For those not familiar with dot matrix printers, I would urge you to watch a video of one in action.  Here’s a simple example that I found on youtube that gives shows the printer in action.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_vXA058EDY

As for those that do recall this, now archaic piece of technology, I hope that you are thinking fondly of its whirring and buzzing sounds, and of course your long, patient, waits for it to complete its task.

For the purposes of the coming discussion, it would seem make more sense to compare the process using a 3D printer, as that technology is certainly more in line, and in use, with the current state of printing, and also, human beings.  However, given the constraints of this two-dimensional medium, I am using the dot matrix comparison.

I like to imagine, that each human form is generated similarly, printed, if you will, in extremely rapid fashion, by an individualized dot matrix printer.  This printer starts out printing a human being at the cellular level, and moves in rapid fashion, growing along with the budding life, moving faster, and faster, and adding layer upon layer to the person.

The person eventually develops a symbiotic relationship to the printer and encourages and manipulates it through choices like diet, exercise, and an uncountable amount of life choices.  The printer ceaselessly generates this form to which it is bound.  It replaces cells as they die, it creates muscle when the person strains themselves, and removes it when they do not.  It mends skin and tissue when torn, and repairs broken bones.  And so, for years and years and years, it maintains a form.  In seeing it as a dot matrix printer, generating a dot matrix human, I like to think of the person like this:

0101010

    010101010

  01010101010

  01010101010

    010101010

      0101010

    010

    010

0101010101010101010101010

0101010101010101010101010

0101    01010101010101   0101

0101    01010101010101   0101

0101    01010101010101   0101

0101    01010101010101   0101

01        01010101010101        01

01010101010101

01010101010101

010101    010101

010101    010101

010101    010101

010101    010101

010101    010101

0101             0101

0101             0101

010                 101

010101                101010

Over time though, small issues occur with the printer.  The person does not wish for these things to happen, and may try every possible course of prevention, but no machine last forever.  The change may be virtually imperceptible, at first:

0101010

    010101010

  01010101010

  01010101010

    010101010

      0101010

    010

    010

0101010101010101010101    0

0101010101010101010101010

0101    01010101010101   0101

0101    01010101010101   0101

0101    01010101010101   0101

0101    01010101010101   0101

01        01010101010101        01

01010101010101

01010101010101

010101    010101

01    01    010101

010101    010101

010101    010101

010101    010101

0101             0101

0101             0101

010                 101

010101                101010

But change occurs nonetheless.  Some flake of debris enters the printers mechanism, or a small tear occurs on the ribbon, and the person is never the same again.

These mild blips and omissions may not hamper the person immediately, but as more time passes, the printer continues to break down.

0101010

    010101010

  01010101010

  01     0101010

    010101010

      0101010

    010

    010

0101010101010101010          10

01010101            101010101010

0101    01010101010101   0101

0101    01010101010101   0101

0101    01010101010101   0101

0101    0101010101    01   0101

01        01010101010101        01

01     0101010101

01010101010101

010101    010101

010101    010101

01    01    010101

010101    010101

010101    010101

0101             0101

0101             0101

0                      101

010101                10       0

  Little by little, bit by bit, the person wears down, as does the printer.  Until when close to the end, the only thing left is:

010101   01010

0101010101010101010

0101010101010101010

0101010101010

0101010

    010

0

Then:

 

 

 

 

 

Humbly yours,

J

P.S. When viewing this on a mobile device or mobile browser, I recommend the landscape view.