The exercise:
Todays starter is "a quick look back." Go!
Mine:
A quick look back is the difference between conscientious and self-absorbed, between a good citizen and a waste of space. It can be surprising how big a gap is created by such a small action but when I'm out and about on the town it's the sort of thing I notice regularly.
Obviously there are plenty of instances in life where a quick look back can be very important, but the one time I notice more than any other is when people are going through swinging doors. Anyone with more than half a thought for anyone else will take a glance backwards as they go through the door to see if someone is close behind them. If there is, they hold the door, and if there's not, they let it swing shut after them. Self-absorbed pricks just keep their eyes front and don't spare a thought for the poor granny three steps behind them who's about to get a door in the face.
And this is by no means a male or female thing. I've seen just as many women on cellphones with their eyes on the prize allow a door to swing closed into someones face as I've seen men too busy admiring their own watches to hold the door for a fellow businessman. Ignorant behavior is color, gender and age blind.
The funny thing is, what actually sparked this topic for me was seeing a man on a cellphone exiting a building check over his shoulder to see if there was anyone behind him to hold the door for. It was an unexpected reminder for me that there is still some civility in this civilization.
Sunday July 6th, 2008
The exercise:
I haven't decided what I'm going to write about yet. Yes, even as I'm typing this. So I'm just going to write whatever I think of first - feel free to do the same!
Mine:
I still couldn't think of anything to write about after writing the above and I needed to go to the bathroom so I did, since that's where I do some of my best thinking. And while in there I decided to write about why that is. So, with all due apologies, here we go:
I guess the main reason I can do my best thinking while sitting on the can is because at this point in my life it just doesn't require a lot of thinking to get the job done in there, you know? I think I've gone to the bathroom enough that I can safely put it on autopilot and allow my thoughts to wander elsewhere. And since I never read while on the can (ew, germ infested magazines, books, and newspapers anyone?) there's not much else to focus on. So my thoughts go to the far away land of Creativity.
The only other time that happens for me is when I'm doing the dishes and I suppose it's for a similar reason. My hands are busy washing and rinsing and putting dishes on the drying rack, my mind zones out after about thirty seconds and away we go.
At pretty much all other times in my life I can find something to distract myself with, whether it's a book or the computer or whatever. Is it still cool to blame my non-existent attention span on MTV? Or in our case, MuchMusic? I know for sure it's still not cool to place any sort of blame on ourselves, so I'll just avoid that.
Now back to aimlessly surfing the internet...
I haven't decided what I'm going to write about yet. Yes, even as I'm typing this. So I'm just going to write whatever I think of first - feel free to do the same!
Mine:
I still couldn't think of anything to write about after writing the above and I needed to go to the bathroom so I did, since that's where I do some of my best thinking. And while in there I decided to write about why that is. So, with all due apologies, here we go:
I guess the main reason I can do my best thinking while sitting on the can is because at this point in my life it just doesn't require a lot of thinking to get the job done in there, you know? I think I've gone to the bathroom enough that I can safely put it on autopilot and allow my thoughts to wander elsewhere. And since I never read while on the can (ew, germ infested magazines, books, and newspapers anyone?) there's not much else to focus on. So my thoughts go to the far away land of Creativity.
The only other time that happens for me is when I'm doing the dishes and I suppose it's for a similar reason. My hands are busy washing and rinsing and putting dishes on the drying rack, my mind zones out after about thirty seconds and away we go.
At pretty much all other times in my life I can find something to distract myself with, whether it's a book or the computer or whatever. Is it still cool to blame my non-existent attention span on MTV? Or in our case, MuchMusic? I know for sure it's still not cool to place any sort of blame on ourselves, so I'll just avoid that.
Now back to aimlessly surfing the internet...
Saturday July 5th, 2008
The exercise:
It's the return of Four Line Poem Saturday! I know you all missed it as much as I did, so go ahead and write a quick little poem about your mood over the course of the day.
Mine:
I roll out of bed to my alarm's warning,
Oh how I hate, how I despise the morning!
But the bright sunshine of the day clears away
My morning fog so I may go out and play.
It's the return of Four Line Poem Saturday! I know you all missed it as much as I did, so go ahead and write a quick little poem about your mood over the course of the day.
Mine:
I roll out of bed to my alarm's warning,
Oh how I hate, how I despise the morning!
But the bright sunshine of the day clears away
My morning fog so I may go out and play.
Friday July 4th, 2008
The exercise:
Welcome back to Def Poetry Jam Friday. In recognition of our neighbors to the south celebrating their independence, today's piece is by the amazing Smokey Robinson - Black American.
Mine:
In a year in which Americans just might elect their first black president, this is an especially moving performance by Smokey Robinson. His message of "we're all in this together" is needed now more than ever; that what's on the outside means nothing and what's on the inside means everything.
It's very sad that race is still an issue in 2008. It's equally depressing that gender is too. I guess it made for some great TV for America to have a nomination race between a black man and a woman, but it would have been a lot more empowering if it was simply a race between two people.
Smokey's thoughts on the ever-changing label for Black Americans are insightful, funny and loaded with the weight of truth. Why are labels like that even needed? Wouldn't it be wonderful to live in a world in which we don't see white, black, yellow or brown, we just see each other? If we're so civilized, why can't we manage that? And if not now, when exactly can we hope to live in that world?
Since this is Smokey's only Def Poetry Jam performance I thought I'd share a link to one of his classic hits. Happy long weekend to our American neighbors!
Welcome back to Def Poetry Jam Friday. In recognition of our neighbors to the south celebrating their independence, today's piece is by the amazing Smokey Robinson - Black American.
Mine:
In a year in which Americans just might elect their first black president, this is an especially moving performance by Smokey Robinson. His message of "we're all in this together" is needed now more than ever; that what's on the outside means nothing and what's on the inside means everything.
It's very sad that race is still an issue in 2008. It's equally depressing that gender is too. I guess it made for some great TV for America to have a nomination race between a black man and a woman, but it would have been a lot more empowering if it was simply a race between two people.
Smokey's thoughts on the ever-changing label for Black Americans are insightful, funny and loaded with the weight of truth. Why are labels like that even needed? Wouldn't it be wonderful to live in a world in which we don't see white, black, yellow or brown, we just see each other? If we're so civilized, why can't we manage that? And if not now, when exactly can we hope to live in that world?
Since this is Smokey's only Def Poetry Jam performance I thought I'd share a link to one of his classic hits. Happy long weekend to our American neighbors!
Thursday July 3rd, 2008
The exercise:
Write some haiku (I had to look it up, but apparently the plural of haiku is haiku... who knew?) - serious, silly, sombre or sly, it's up to you.
Mine:
I went to Europe
Just long enough to get
Second hand cancer
Watch the bunny hop,
Stop to play in the garden;
The carrots are for her.
Me in Vancouver?
In two years, a new event -
Olympic escape!
Write some haiku (I had to look it up, but apparently the plural of haiku is haiku... who knew?) - serious, silly, sombre or sly, it's up to you.
Mine:
I went to Europe
Just long enough to get
Second hand cancer
Watch the bunny hop,
Stop to play in the garden;
The carrots are for her.
Me in Vancouver?
In two years, a new event -
Olympic escape!
Wednesday July 2nd, 2008
The exercise:
I really enjoyed the 'random cd' exercise from a couple weeks ago so I decided to do it again. This time I took out the Johnny Cash cd from the options and rolled the dice to select from those that remained. It ended up taking me someplace I had no intention of going once again so I think I'll continue to bring this exercise back regularly.
Mine:
Beck - Guero - Missing
I prayed heaven today would bring its hammer down on me. To drive the nail that is my body deep into the earth so that I would be grounded at last; my thoughts no longer scattered, instead tied to one solid base.
I begged for clarity, wisdom, voracity. I asked for eyes to see the truth of my life and ears to hear the beauty of it; for lips to taste the sweetness and fingers to touch the blessings all around me.
And in prayer, in supplication, in the asking of these questions I saw my answers and was humbled and made grateful.
I really enjoyed the 'random cd' exercise from a couple weeks ago so I decided to do it again. This time I took out the Johnny Cash cd from the options and rolled the dice to select from those that remained. It ended up taking me someplace I had no intention of going once again so I think I'll continue to bring this exercise back regularly.
Mine:
Beck - Guero - Missing
I prayed heaven today would bring its hammer down on me. To drive the nail that is my body deep into the earth so that I would be grounded at last; my thoughts no longer scattered, instead tied to one solid base.
I begged for clarity, wisdom, voracity. I asked for eyes to see the truth of my life and ears to hear the beauty of it; for lips to taste the sweetness and fingers to touch the blessings all around me.
And in prayer, in supplication, in the asking of these questions I saw my answers and was humbled and made grateful.
Tuesday July 1st, 2008
The exercise:
I just finished playing ultimate with no substitutions in very hot weather. It's also Canada Day. In my slightly delirious state, I decided to combine the two - so here is my take on why there is no substitute for Canada.
Mine:
Because Canadians can be proud of where they're from when they travel abroad.
Because we have the population of California in a country larger than the United States.
Because when we go to the hospital the first question we are asked is not "do you have insurance?"
Because 'eh' and 'aboot' are the worst things people can think to say about us.
Because I wouldn't want to live anywhere else.
I just finished playing ultimate with no substitutions in very hot weather. It's also Canada Day. In my slightly delirious state, I decided to combine the two - so here is my take on why there is no substitute for Canada.
Mine:
Because Canadians can be proud of where they're from when they travel abroad.
Because we have the population of California in a country larger than the United States.
Because when we go to the hospital the first question we are asked is not "do you have insurance?"
Because 'eh' and 'aboot' are the worst things people can think to say about us.
Because I wouldn't want to live anywhere else.
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