Articulation

A perpetual concept on my mind is the power of language to shape and alter the way a person thinks.  If language can affect how I think, then it can certainly have influence on the person I become.  Simply having words to name things in the world affects how I perceive them.  Having vocabulary to describe the things I feel and experience allows me to reflect on them, as well as share my thoughts with others.  So, can speaking more than one language affect who a person becomes in a significant way?  Can growing up in a place with a particular dialect or accent (perhaps one that's different than that of the parents) change things in the personality or character of someone?  The language one uses--and hence the thoughts one has--affects the physiology of the brain.  So what are the ramifications of the choices we make regarding the language we teach our children?

Busy Nap Times

Now that Sebbie has settled into daily 2-hour naps, I have this little window of time during which I can try to accomplish things.  Many days this ends up being simply food prep for dinner: sauce making, garlic crushing, and lots of washing and chopping of vegetables.  Occasionally, it also becomes my nap time, if i really need it.  And I'll sometimes relish the bit of quiet time for reading.  But now that this is happening with such reliable predictability, I can't ignore the sense that I should be using this time for truly productive work.  Researching.  Reflecting.  Writing.  There are a few passion projects that have for too long been on back burners. Perhaps I ought to move them forward and get cooking.

Back on your horse, girl!

Oh, so sad that I fell off the wagon with this writing habit.  Time alone is a rare and precious thing.  And such time is essential for me.  I spent one hour on my own in Chinatown on a recent evening.  It was lovely.  I had an Americano and a coconut tart from Wonder Bakery (love that place) and people-watched in the Old Chinatown Central Plaza as families wandered amid the new art studios and old import/souvenir shops.  I took a stroll down Hill and reminded myself how I love catching a view of downtown at night.  Even after so many years here, this city holds many secrets and adventures to explore and discover.

in miniature

I've been wading in a shallow tide pool,
a hint of the ocean my life should be.
I set up a dollhouse, a miniature version
of where I ultimately want to live.
Small tokens and gestures keep me feeling
Connected to far off goals.

Time for Thought

What a challenge it is to carve out time for writing--which is really carving out time for thinking--when I'm caring for a small child. I identify with Virginia Woolf's sentiments in A Room of One's Own. To really create thoughtful work, I need space, time, and certain amount of financial independence. Although it sometimes feels like a necessity to do such work, it usually also feels like a luxury. Thoughtfulness is a habit to be cultivated.

Dismay

Why would you support an institution that has been abusing children for generations? How can you weekly give your heart to an organization that for centuries tortured people? How can you make yourself vulnerable and seek spiritual guidance or benefit in a place that demeans you? How can you humble yourself and offer praise in a house whose keepers do not respect who you are? Again and again, acts of cruelty, inhumanity, and reckless evil are exposed, and still the flocks make weekly pilgrimages. Why do you not shout with outrage? Demand better? Overthrow the corrupt leaders and take back your safe havens that have been anything but safe for many of those around you? If I believed, it might be worth a rebellion, but I don't, and so I just keep moving farther and farther away.

Remakes

I am of two minds regarding remakes.  There are stories that are so compelling, we return to them again and again, revealing in new ways the universal truths they share.  The themes are so meaningful to us in our human experience that each new generation hears them and retells them in their own way.  These stories offer us an experience of new discovery each time we pass them forward.  I appreciate the role these stories play in our arts and in our lives.

Then there are stories that are retold because of personal connections with the material.  This can also be a meaningful reason for a remake...as long as the storyteller takes the time to make sure there is something meaningful being shared.  This type of remake could illuminate the experiences of a subculture, for example, or educate about a certain philosophy.  Far too often, what I see is a story being retold because someone liked it when they were young.  Nostalgia is powerful stuff, potent emotion.  I don't, however, think it is a strong enough reason alone to remake an already-told story, rather than creating an original story of one's own.