Image by Gustavo Frazao
This piece by Maria Bello in The New York Times and her piece that preceded it were food for much thought as I was reminded of them again recently. Consider:
Echoing the thoughts of many, one person wrote to me: “I’ve been feeling ‘whatever’ and I didn’t know what to call it. I’m a whatever too.” Another said: “Being a divorced mom I sometimes don’t know where my life fits, and your story brought to light that everything doesn’t always have to be black and white. There can be ex-husbands who are still partners in our and our children’s lives, friends who could be lovers — whatever it is.”
Yes.
The journey continues toward liberation from preconceived notions and the labels of others we so often think we must personify.
At the risk of labeling you … are you a whatever?
Published May 4, 2015
From time to time, tweets disappear, leaving behind their ghost.
(This was one of my favorites from nearly a decade ago. Here in late 2023 as I rediscovered it, I am glad it’s here.)
As originally formatted, I think, it displayed as:
Those broken parts
You hide from others
Show me
I am glad it’s here. I am glad to have reconnected with it.
Those broken parts You hide from others Show me
— LookOverThere (@Brave_Stranger) February 22, 2014
Photo by topnatthapon
Published May 3, 2015
A line I heard today brought me here to post this. I’m certain there are several variations, but the version I heard is easy to remember.
“The faintest ink is better than the best memory.”
Going through notes I’d jotted down, long ago and more recently, reminded me that false memory is a real thing, and that misremembering something can be as troublesome as completely forgetting it. I’ve experienced both in the past few weeks as I’ve stumbled upon notes, whose details are not the way I’d remembered — or of which I had no recall.
Even now, as the world around me distracts me, I’m losing focus about the points I wanted to make in this post. Ideas fade so quickly sometimes. But my main post is: Write it down.
On a piece of paper. On a receipt. On your hand. Or dictate it and record it. Get it on the record, so to speak. Preserve it. Now. Before you forget it.
Published May 1, 2015
Today’s movie quote comes from “Keeping the Faith,” the 2000 film starring Ben Stiller, Edward Norton and Jenna Elfman. They play childhood friends who grow up to be, in order, a rabbi, a priest and a businesswoman.
At one point, Norton’s character, Father Brian Finn, is struggling with his feelings for Elfman’s character, Anna Riley. Finn looks to the pastor of his church, Father Havel, played by longtime actor, writer and director Milos Forman. Father Havel shares his personal stories of inner conflict with Father Finn before getting to the heart of the matter.
Photo by QueSeraSera
Published May 1, 2015
This blog post, and others on that site, played a significant role in convincing me it was probably time to get back to blogging and what I sometimes call therapeutic writing.
Past time, probably.
There’s more to the story, including why I chose a photo with a snail on hydrangeas, and perhaps that story is destined to be told here later, but I wanted to be sure to say this: The simple, yet powerful, courage and grace of that slow bloomer gave me comfort regarding my own fight with growth in fits and starts. I wanted to share it with you.
And I just did. Hope you are well, or moving closer to it.