April 30, 2005
"The Lady Has Designs"
8:46pm
for the Friday Illustration theme of Ambition
Here's a snippet from the FLOW book:
"Whosoever is delighted in solitude," goes the old saying that Francis Bacon repeated, "is either a wild beast or a god." (pg 173)
Or both, depending on her mood,.... ;)
Another FLOW quote:
"One of the most interesting examples of how the phenomenon of flow appeared to thinkers of earlier times is the concept of Yu referred to about 2,300 years ago in the writings of the Taoist scholar Chuang Tzu. Yu is a synonym for the right way of following the path, or Tao: it has been translated into English as "wandering", as "walking without touching the ground", or as "swimming," "flying," and "flowing." Chuang Tzu believed that to Yu was the proper way to live - without concern for external rewards, spontaneously, with total commitment - in short, as a total autotelic experience." (pg 150)
"Autotelic" means self-derived goals, as opposed to those which come from external sources. "Without concern for external rewards", that indeed is a bit of growth that many do not achieve. I cannot say I have achieved it. In fact, I know I haven't. For instance, though propping up one's self esteem with such is contrary to the path which seeks one's own personal divinity, I still find myself wanting the 'rewards'. If I allow myself, I can imagine myself being given all sorts of awards, just stacking them high on a pretty little shelf.
I like to think I am mostly free of that IMPATIENCE. But am I? How can I do so further? "Return to the Center", a mantra repeats itself in my mind. These artworks and epiphanies should be for the sake of themselves, and everyone else is having their epiphanies for their own sakes. Here again I get at recognizing peoples Divinity to themselves. They will only find something I share rewarding if it is rewarding to them, and that depends much on their perspective, as well as the inherent skill and elegance within mine.
Whatever the skill and elegance, 'this lady has designs'!
I thank you dear readers for being there for me to share them.
May 7, 2005
"Entertain Your Brain"
6:29pm
Julia has two science fiction books, which she'll probably have finished by weekend's end. I picked up another in the Blue Planet series, Seasonal Seas and Coral Seas. I hope it is not too scratched. With library offerings, you borrow 'em 'as is', scratchs, dents and all. After that, we went to Hastings.
What a pile we came home with! Phantom of the Opera is out now, and I nabbed that. The first in the Life of Mammals series intrigued me, as well as the Cirque de Soleil's Dralion. It sounds like a combination of dragons and lions, and that's just got to be sexy.
"Have a day, celebrate. Holiday hideaway, soon you'll find the answer..."
The raspy voiced tenor of Polyphonic Spree sings that on Pure Moods 'Celestial Celebration'. I also found IL DIVO's album, the male singing quartet which sang on Ophah recently. Julia added a Putumayo selection, 'Sahara Lounge', as well as Yo-Yo Ma's Soul of the Tango and a cheap addition, Popular Pieces for Trumpet and Organ. That's not 'popular' as in modern day popular, but classical, mostly Baroque period.
Friday night, I was inspired to take the following photo, which I altered a bit for dramatic effect:
The small figure of the 'Typhon Hero' (aka SET) points to the Statue of Liberty, as if to say, 'Don't you want to see her in person?'
The cat lies in wait, hidden, as she awaits the perfect time to pounce upon the mouse for whom she has laid out the cheese.
Before going to the library today, we needed to watch the last of the DVDs we rented last week. The Real Eve was quite interesting. Appropriate for Mother's Day, as watching it, I reflected upon that first mother in ancient Africa whose mitochrondrial DNA are in the roots of us all. This goes from only the mother to her children. I think of Africa, of which Egypt is a small part, and think There!, there was born the beginning of the Gift of Set. There he instilled the initial discontent, and from that, came all our subsequent evolution.
So on this first Mother's Day for which my own Mother is not present, I also think back to that first mother. The DNA of her going forth, from mother to mother to end up here in me. I am sorry I am not passing this on. My mother's special DNA ends with me, as I am her only daughter. She was her mother's only daughter. I don't know if my maternal great grandmother had more than one daughter. I would have to dig out those ancestry papers my Mother had sent me. I hope there was. But thus it is so, how the uniqueness 'twines' (was that the word the movie used?) and strands die out. I salute this strand which ends with me.
I also salute all Mothers. May you have a wonderful and happy Mother's Day!
colored new moon mandala
The devilish elf and the happy lady enjoy their mischief!
