The Kiss

-
Image
  “Ryabovitch pulled the bed-clothes over his head, curled himself up in bed, and tried to gather together the floating images in his mind and to combine them into one whole. But nothing came of it. He soon fell asleep, and his last thought was that someone had caressed him and made him happy—that something extraordinary, foolish, but joyful and delightful, had come into his life. The thought did not leave him even in his sleep. When he woke up the sensations of oil on his neck and the chill of peppermint about his lips had gone, but joy flooded his heart just as the day before.” The Kiss By Anton Chekhov (1860–1904)

Patient Paper

-
Anne Frank wrote, "Paper has more patience than people."

The Dutch Government issued a call for exiles to keep journals of their experiences and some think that Anne Frank's famous diary was her response to that call. Whatever her reason for writing, it is clear that she found a friend in a block of paper.

Anne needed someone to talk to, simple as that. Sure, she lived in close quarters with others but those relationships could only go so far. She did not write every day, but when she did, Anne expressed what was on her mind: her stress, her thoughts, her need to work out matters. She worked it out with a pen.

Paper is patient.
Paper listens.
Paper does not judge.
Paper understands.

Can one write electronically? Sure. There's something to the sound of clacking keys.

But the dance of a pen on paper, the swoosh and swirl of thought flowing through the ink--captivating.

It need not be legible.
It need not make sense.

Be mesmerized and soothed with the gentle scratching sound of patient paper, listening.

You've got a friend.

Popular posts from this blog

Rock Me, Epictetus!

-
Image
“Keep constant guard over your perceptions, for it is no small thing you are protecting, but your respect, trustworthiness and steadiness, peace of mind, freedom from pain and fear, in a word your freedom. For what would you sell these things?” EPICTETUS, DISCOURSES, 4.3.6 b –8 
Read more

The Smooth-flowing Life

-
Image
Legend has it that the astronomer Ptolemy (1st century A.D.) suggested that falling stars were caused by the gods moving in the heavens, thus knocking stars out of their places. Somehow people reasoned that that if the gods were moving, they must be getting close to earth so they would lift their "prayers" or "wishes" (literally, "desires") whenever they saw the stars falling in hopes the gods would notice and grant a favorable answer. But how does one wish on falling star? Once you see it, it's gone before the wish or prayer can be made! The answer is simple: meteor shower. That's how to get your wish. Mrs. Ann Hodges had a wish fall right into her lap. Sort of. In 1954 Mrs. Hodges was sleeping on the couch when a 8 1/2 pound meteorite fell through her house and into her living room where it bounced off the radio and struck her left hip leaving her with a bruise. Not sure what she was wishing, but that's not how to do it. Epictetus hel...
Read more