The Son of Man

Today marks the 110^th birthday of René François Ghislain Magritte a famous Belgian surrealist artist who is well-known for his thought-provoking images. One of his most recognized painting is named the Son of Man and is most commonly and perhaps affectionately dubbed “the bowler hat painting.”

Magritte described his paintings by saying:

“My painting is visible images which conceal nothing; they evoke mystery and, indeed, when one sees one of my pictures, one asks oneself this simple question, “What does that mean?” It does not mean anything, because mystery means nothing either, it is unknowable.” (Reference: http://www.magritte.com)

Ars Poetica

The best known poem by Archibald MacLeish (1892-1982) took its title and subject from Horace’s work. His poem “Ars Poetica” contains the line “A poem should not mean/but be”, which was a classic statement of the modernist aesthetic. The original manuscript of the poem resides in the Library of Congress. (Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ars_Poetica)

A poem should be palpable and mute

As a globed fruit,

Dumb

As old medallions to the thumb,

Silent as the sleeve-worn stone

Of casement ledges where the moss has grown–

A poem should be wordless

As the flight of birds.

-

A poem should be motionless in time

As the moon doth climbs,

Leaving, as the moon releases

Twig by twig the night-entangled trees,

Leaving, as the moon behind the winter leaves.

Memory by memory the mind–

A poem should be motionless in time

As the moon climbs.

-

A poem should be equal to:

Not true.

For all the history of grief

An empty doorway and a maple leaf.

For love

The leaning grasses and two lights above the sea–

A poem should not mean

But be.

Food for Thought . . .

 

” A new journey to be started.
A new promise to be fulfilled.
A new page to be written.
Go forth unto this waiting world with pen in hand, all you young scribes,
the open book awaits.
Be creative.
Be adventurous.
Be original.
And above all else, be young.
For youth is your greatest weapon, your greatest tool.
Use it wisely.”

–Wonder Woman # 62 by George Perez
the scene where Vanessa Kapatelis graduates and Diana is hugging her

Simple Words Carry Deep Meaning

Oh, the Places You’ll Go!

Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You’re off to Great Places!
You’re off and away!
You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.
You’re on your own.  And you know what you know.
And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go.
You’ll look up and down streets. Look ‘em over with care.
About some you will say, “I don’t choose to go there.”
With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet,
you’re too smart to go down any not-so-good street.
And you may not find any
you’ll want to go down.
In that case, of course,
you’ll head straight out of town.
It’s opener there
in the wide open air.
Out there things can happen
and frequently do
to people as brainy
and footsy as you.
And when things start to happen,
don’t worry.  Don’t stew.
Just go right along.
You’ll  start happening too.
OH!
THE PLACES YOU’LL GO!
You’ll be on your way up!
You’ll be seeing great sights!
You’ll join the high fliers
who soar to high heights.
You won’t lag behind, because you’ll have the speed.
You’ll pass the whole gang and you’ll soon take the lead.
Wherever you fly, you’ll be the best of the best.
Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.
Except when you don’t
Because, sometimes, you won’t.
I’m sorry to say so
but, sadly, it’s true
and hang-ups
can happen to you.
You can get all hung up
in a prickle-ly perch.
And your gang will fly on.
You’ll be left in a Lurch.
You’ll come down from the Lurch
with an unpleasant bump.
And the chances are, then,
that you’ll be in a Slump.
And when you’re in a Slump,
you’re not in for much fun.
Un-slumping yourself
is not easily done.
You will come to a place where the streets are not marked.
Some windows are lighted.  But mostly they’re darked.
A place you could sprain both you elbow and chin!
Do you dare to stay out?  Do you dare to go in?
How much can you lose? How much can you win?
And IF you go in, should you turn left or right…
or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite?
Or go around back and sneak in from behind?
Simple it’s not, I’m afraid you will find,
for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.
You can get so confused
that you’ll start in to race
down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace
and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space,
headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.
The Waiting Place…
…for people just waiting.
Waiting for a  train to go
or a bus to come, or a plane to go
or the mail to come, or the rain to go
or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow
or waiting around for a Yes or a No
or waiting for their hair to grow.
Everyone is just waiting.
Waiting for the fish to bite
or waiting for wind to fly a kite
or waiting around for Friday night
or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake
or a pot to boil, or a Better Break
or a sting of pearls, or a pair of pants
or a wig with curls, or Another Chance.
Everyone is just waiting.
NO!
That’s not for you!
Somehow you’ll escape
all that waiting and staying.
You’ll find the bright places
where Boom Bands are playing.
With banner flip-flapping,
once more you’ll ride high!
Ready for anything under the sky.
Ready because you’re that kind of a guy!
Oh, the places you’ll go! There is fun to be done!
There are points to be scored. There are games to be won.
And the magical things you can do with that ball
will make you the winning-est winner of all.
Fame!  You’ll be famous as famous can be,
with the whole wide world watching you win on TV.
Except when they don’t.
Because, sometimes, they won’t.
I’m afraid that some times
you’ll play lonely games too.
Games you can’t win
’cause you’ll play against you.
All  Alone!
Whether you like it or not,
Alone will be something
you’ll be quite a lot.
And when you’re alone, there’s a very good chance
you’ll meet things that scare you right out of your pants.
There are some, down the road between hither and yon,
that can scare you so much you won’t want to go on.
But on you will go
though the weather be foul
On you will go
though your enemies prowl
On you will go
though the Hakken-Kraks howl
Onward up many
a frightening creek,
though your arms may get sore
and your sneakers may leak.
On and on you will hike
and I know you’ll hike far
and face up to your problems
whatever they are.
You’ll get mixed up, of course,
as you already know.
You’ll get mixed up
with many strange birds as you go.
So be sure when you step.
Step with care and great tact
and remember that Life’s
a Great Balancing Act.
Just never forget to be dexterous and deft.
And never mix up your right foot with your left.
And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.)
KID, YOU’LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!
So…
be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray
or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O’Shea,
you’re off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So…get on your way!

-Dr. Seuss-

Philosophical Fun

I was given a gift this past week – a book.  The book is titled Plato and a Platypus Walk into a Bar. . . Understanding Philosophy through Jokes – By Thomas Cathcart & Daniel Klein. 

I came across the following quote in the book (pg. 84):

“A sadist is a masochist who follows the golden rule.”

Seems growing up our world is full of rules… typically, I remember the “Golden Rule”, which is spoken to in the above quote.  I suppose the point to the quote above is the fundamental different between “categorical” imperative and the actual golden rule. I wonder. . .what others may think about the above quote?

The chapter continues to speak to the above quote by saying (pg. 84):

“. . .Kant would say that there’s no way the masochist would honestly claim that the moral imperative, “inflict pain on others,” could be a universal law for a livable world. Even a masochist would find that unreasonable.”

I suppose another interesting quote would be one from English playwrite George Bernard Shaw who stated the following:

“Do not do unto others as you would have ohters do unto you; they may have different taste.”

Something to think about. . .

Stone Walls and Iron Bars

‘Stone walls do not a prison make, nor iron bars a cage.’ So said the 17th century cavalier poet, Richard Lovelace – whose father was knighted by King James I. Was he right?

This quote came to me via an e-mail from a wonderful friend of mine…it got my mind wrapped on the actual words and I could not let it go. In fact, they hold much meaning.  Sometimes the walls and iron bars we are “caged” by are our own.  We build the walls and embrace the bars in many ways during our lifetime.  We build the walls to hide behind or to keep us safe from harm or what we perceive as harm.  We want to feel secure, safe, perhaps even elusive.

However, sometimes our own notions of safety and security are merely a facade, an illusion of protection.  Sometimes, they can even be an excuse not to move on with our lives, to keep us from moving towards our dreams because of fear.  It is difficult to move from our comfort zones and work hard towards our dreams no matter how difficult the path may seem and no matter how much those around us, even our loved ones may not approve or understand why we do the things we do.

Don’t let anyone halt your dreams. Break down those stone walls and melt those iron bars and break free!

Here’s to living! Enjoy the ride!

Creativity, Change, Thinking and Innovation

Creativity + Change + thinking = INNOVATION  

Creativity comes in many forms.  It pokes its little head out in many aspects of our lives. But somehow, it seems to have a more difficult time with things that are entrenched or rooted.  You know, the old timeless phrase – “But, this is how we have always done things around here” or “If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it” and the like.  Phrases like that stifle creativity, almost shuns the poor little “C”.

Though at least poor ole little “C” has company; Change.  Creativity and change are pals.  They hang out. They party. They are bored our of their minds!!!! Why? Because people just don’t hang with them very often, if at all.  Strange that this phenomenon seems to continue to happen – avoiding creativity and change. 

I have a few theories on the matter. Perhaps, just perhaps, creativity requires people to “THINK”, now there is another lonely word.  I remember being encouraged, even at a young age, to “think for myself.”  To muddle through tough times and find a way.  “Where there is a will there is a way”, I always heard my mother say.  She was right then, and still is.

Change also requires us to “THINK.”  “THINK outside the box” you’ve heard many a times over.  But, why is something we have done as children so difficult for us to do as adults?  When we were children, creativity, change and thinking came mostly with the utmost ease.  Why did I say mostly? Well, there are some of those little guys and gals that are a bit stubborn from youth… but, still, they eventually got the hang of it.

However, is eventually doing it part of conforming? Or is it by choice?  If it is conforming, does that mean it is bad? *ahem* I am getting ahead of myself here.  Maybe that is for another topic later on. . .

Getting back to thinking, creating, and changing.  When we started out, everything was new, interesting, ALIVE! We looked at everything as a learning experience, as fascinating and usually (when adults were not around), nothing stopped us from exploring, pretty much everything!  Think two year olds; the terrible twos. The only thing terrible was being caught by adults.

We just made our minds burst with data and turned it into information and then into knowledge (intelligence).  Then as we grew older, things like the taste of ice cream or the feeling of the ocean at a beach hitting our little tiny feet for the first time, suddenly became mundane.  Nothing but ordinary;boring.  That seems to happen A LOT.  Everything become ordinary; routine.

Routine stifles creativity, change, and thinking.  We go through our daily routines every morning.  Some people NEVER change their routines, and then the routines become habits.  HABITS! Those hard to break made of some superhuman material that clings to us like kryptonite did to Superman.  They SUCK THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS out of you!

*ahem* Sorry. The passion does come out of me at times.  In any case, we have been creating and changing and thinking of things all our lives, in one form or another.  What we need to do is NURTURE those parts of ourselves more and more.  CCT (creativity, change and thinking) are like a garden.  A garden needs to be tended.  The weeds (habits) need to be pulled, the soil (routine) needs to be tilled and renewed, and mostly, to keep a garden looking its best, one needs to water it and constantly plant new seeds (thinking) that turn into beautiful flowers (ideas and innovation).

Creativity, change, thinking. . . leads to innovation.  That is some pretty powerful stuff if you ask me!  Try it! You may just get hooked… *whispers* Maybe, those can be habits we want to hang around. . . then again, is it a habit, if they change constantly? Now, there is another possible topic for a different post!

Cheers!

P.S. I didn’t forget about conformity and choice, but, this post is long enough, don’t you think?

Muse

from www.voki.com posted with vodpod

William Blake Wisdom

One of my utmost favorite verses in the poem “Auguries of Innocence” by William Blake is:

“To see the world in a grain of sand, and to see heaven in a wild flower,

hold infinity in the palm of your hands, and eternity in an hour. ”

The poem is quite lengthy, but, this verse encompasses so much.  Of course, it is up to everyone’s own interpretation.  However, my interpretation is one that is quite simple (though I do have a lengthy one as well), to always see the “little things” that always mean so much.

I am blessed to have the “little things” in my life, but, for also having noticed and appreciated them along the way. Perhaps, for 2008 and beyond, let’s try to remember to appreciate the “little things” in life as well as the larger ones.

New Year, New Hopes, Old Dreams?

Felix sit annus novus! – Happy New Year in Latin – for those of us still learning.

There is something about the new year that brings new adventures our way.  We get caught up in the excitement and the  “newness” of  it all.  Everyone is always interested in the next “best”, “new” thing.  As the saying goes, “Out with the old, and in with the new.”

But what ever happened  to our “old” dreams?  Do we let go of our old dreams and just start fresh with new ones?  Do our old dreams turn into modified new ones?  Before we are so quick to get rid of our “old” dreams, perhaps we should reflect on them, and if they are still part of our goals, keep them. 

People all over still cherish “old” ideas and keep “old” memories alive. Traditions are old ideas passed on through generations. We keep those traditions alive because they remind us of things we hold dear. So, even though I am an advocate of change and accept change as gracefully as I can, I do enjoy the “old” with the new.

Never give up your hopes, and certainly not your dreams – whether old or new.  May you have a new year filled with health and happiness!

Happy New Year!