Those who are possessed by nothing, possess everything.
Morihei Ueshiba
**************
Take a number and get in line.
-----------------------------------
This morning I astonished myself by realizing how much time I spend on the computer. Of course I really don't have much else to do, but considering that a scant 8 years ago I didn't even own a computer it's amazing how my life has changed. Now I act as if I couldn't live without it.
I actually never thought I would have one, because whenever I came near any one else's the thing would stop working. If I walked into a room where a computer was turned on, it would take one look at me and hide, or else it would start doing crazy things. So I genuinely believed that computers and I had an unsolvable adversarial relationship. I'll would stay away from them, if they would stay away from me.
Now, everything is different. I spend hours typing and reading. This computer is supposed to be a servant. HA! Which one of us is in charge? That's what I'd like to know. Certain things like sleeping, eating, cleaning, going to the market are highly resented intrusions upon the more important computer time. And I hardly ever play games on it. (No, I know what you're thinking. But it's true. I don't.)
In short, I'm possessed by the damn thing. "Please, release me, let me go" as the old country song says. But then I stop and think that if it weren't for my journal I wouldn't know a lot of fine people I've met through this same task master. There is a lot of information I wouldn't have at my busy fingertips. And, face it, what else would I do?
I don't own a TV or a motorcycle, I don't go fishing or play golf, I have no dog to walk or grandchildren to play with, my sky diving and bungee jumping days are over, I'm not in training for the marathon, they'd never take me on as an astronaut or a presidential candidate, Broadway isn't calling and neither is Hollywood, I'm too old for the Green Berets, to tall to be a jockey and to slow for the Everest Expedition, I'm too smart to join a street gang and too ignorant to be a nuclear physicist, I'm too sedentary to explore the Brazilian jungle and too tender footed to try ballroom dancing. I could go wrestle alligators, but I'd rather not.
No, I think I'll just sit here and be possessed. I've got almost everything in my possession that I want anyway.
DB - Vagabond Journeys
---------------------------
Have a sweet day.
**********************
Showing posts with label reading. Show all posts
Showing posts with label reading. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Jotting Jobs 6/06/09
We work in the dark - we do what we can - we give what we have.
Henry James
************
A hearty good weekend to you.
------------------
Never call anyone a dope. We are all dopes, when you get right down to it. What I know can barely get me to the post office and back. What I don't know can get me to the edge of the universe and back. No matter how much I learn I am still in the dark about most things. Is that a good reason to stop trying to learn things? Of course not.
When I retired 8 years ago I naturally was urged to do what I had looked forward to doing, full time reading of the topics that interest me, which includes almost everything. I became and am a voracious reader of books, magazines, newspapers, cereal boxes, can and bottle labels, matchbooks, etc. It has led me into some surprising discoveries, some of which show up in my journal, from time to time.
Since I started reading my eyesight has dimmed a bit. Sometimes I have to read with a magnifying glass, so reading is slow going. But, one of these days, ONE OF THESE DAYS, I'll be able to get some reading glasses and then, Watch out !
During my working life I felt I was in the dark most of the time. I think any thing is on the job training no matter how well prepared you are when you go into it, whether it's rocket science or motherhood. Acting was much of a mystery to me all the years I did it. Along the way I noticed that those for whom it was not a mystery were not very good at it.
The common thread throughput my career, as it is with any important enterprise, was the act of giving. I had a talent, which is the word used to differentiate the performer from all the other people involved in theatre or film: such as "Who's the talent on this one?" But one does not get by on talent alone, at least not for long. After "talent" comes the hard work, and that's where the joy of giving comes in. I don't think there is an artist alive who doesn't feel that his talent and ability is a gift and that the work to turn that into something beautiful and meaningful for other people is his gift to life and to the world.
It's a strange thing in life that we don't seem to get as much as we give. We put out 100 per cent and we get back 50 (if we're lucky). And while it's true that some people seem to get back 200 after giving out 20, that's an exception.
There's an old saying in show business "Give me a bare board and a passion." In other words give me a place to stand up and something that moves my heart and my mind and I will entertain you. Al Jolson used to stop people on the street blow a tone on his pitch pipe and sing for them. If a painter has no canvas, paints or brushes he can make a beautiful picture with a jar of ink and a stick, if he's really an artist. I studied drawing with a teacher who actually made us do that, on a hunk of shelf paper.
Every time we recite a poem, sing a song or draw a picture we get one step closer to the edge of the universe. And it doesn't matter what your occupation is, if it's a giving thing you're on the same journey. As the old song puts it, "It ain't what you do, it's the way that you do it."
DB - Vagabond Journeys
___________________
Let your light shine. Please.
*******************
WEEKEND PUZZLE
Okay. Here you go.
Without cheating (i. e. Googling), how many of the following can you identify with their full titles? Warning, they get progressively more difficult. The correct answers and winners, if any (heh, heh, malignant chuckle), will appear after 9 p. m. EST on Sunday. So get busy. No cheating.
1. PIN
2. NASA
3. CORE
4. FAA
5. ASCAP
6. AFL-CIO
7. AGVA
8. LASER
9. EDGAR
10. CARD
1 winner so far
Good luck. You'll need it.
Henry James
************
A hearty good weekend to you.
------------------
Never call anyone a dope. We are all dopes, when you get right down to it. What I know can barely get me to the post office and back. What I don't know can get me to the edge of the universe and back. No matter how much I learn I am still in the dark about most things. Is that a good reason to stop trying to learn things? Of course not.
When I retired 8 years ago I naturally was urged to do what I had looked forward to doing, full time reading of the topics that interest me, which includes almost everything. I became and am a voracious reader of books, magazines, newspapers, cereal boxes, can and bottle labels, matchbooks, etc. It has led me into some surprising discoveries, some of which show up in my journal, from time to time.
Since I started reading my eyesight has dimmed a bit. Sometimes I have to read with a magnifying glass, so reading is slow going. But, one of these days, ONE OF THESE DAYS, I'll be able to get some reading glasses and then, Watch out !
During my working life I felt I was in the dark most of the time. I think any thing is on the job training no matter how well prepared you are when you go into it, whether it's rocket science or motherhood. Acting was much of a mystery to me all the years I did it. Along the way I noticed that those for whom it was not a mystery were not very good at it.
The common thread throughput my career, as it is with any important enterprise, was the act of giving. I had a talent, which is the word used to differentiate the performer from all the other people involved in theatre or film: such as "Who's the talent on this one?" But one does not get by on talent alone, at least not for long. After "talent" comes the hard work, and that's where the joy of giving comes in. I don't think there is an artist alive who doesn't feel that his talent and ability is a gift and that the work to turn that into something beautiful and meaningful for other people is his gift to life and to the world.
It's a strange thing in life that we don't seem to get as much as we give. We put out 100 per cent and we get back 50 (if we're lucky). And while it's true that some people seem to get back 200 after giving out 20, that's an exception.
There's an old saying in show business "Give me a bare board and a passion." In other words give me a place to stand up and something that moves my heart and my mind and I will entertain you. Al Jolson used to stop people on the street blow a tone on his pitch pipe and sing for them. If a painter has no canvas, paints or brushes he can make a beautiful picture with a jar of ink and a stick, if he's really an artist. I studied drawing with a teacher who actually made us do that, on a hunk of shelf paper.
Every time we recite a poem, sing a song or draw a picture we get one step closer to the edge of the universe. And it doesn't matter what your occupation is, if it's a giving thing you're on the same journey. As the old song puts it, "It ain't what you do, it's the way that you do it."
DB - Vagabond Journeys
___________________
Let your light shine. Please.
*******************
WEEKEND PUZZLE
Okay. Here you go.
Without cheating (i. e. Googling), how many of the following can you identify with their full titles? Warning, they get progressively more difficult. The correct answers and winners, if any (heh, heh, malignant chuckle), will appear after 9 p. m. EST on Sunday. So get busy. No cheating.
1. PIN
2. NASA
3. CORE
4. FAA
5. ASCAP
6. AFL-CIO
7. AGVA
8. LASER
9. EDGAR
10. CARD
1 winner so far
Good luck. You'll need it.
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