Sprang Again
When asked to write 300 words to be included in a book of photographs of the wetlands of Lake Washington’s Arboretum, I recalled a line from the poet e e cummings – “wholly to be a fool while spring is in the air my heart approves.”
Unfinished Business – 2
The final test at the end of a year-long course in comparative religion asked this: “Out of what you have studied, take the best aspects and construct a new religion.” Ha. No problem, right? I was young and smart, and eager. After a month of struggle, I turned in a final paper that simply said I could not do it.
Chicken and Eggs
Odd how ordinary topics rise to the surface of conversation and news. Eggs, for example. And just in time for Easter. And at the same time, bird flu (avian influenza H591 virus) stalks the chicken population and maybe us. “Uncertain times” is another topic these days.
Living in the Yellow Still
When I first came to this small town in Utah, there was only one stop light. Now, there are more than ten, and more are being installed. What has not changed much is human behavior. An essay I wrote in 1993 shows just that.
Flash Mob
Suddenly, out of the fog, two young men rush by. Carrying trombones. Followed by two snare drummers and a bass drum on a cart. All headed in the direction of the sound of the trumpet.
Who Knows
While shopping in the local supermarket, a child passed me pushing a cart filled with groceries. Her mother walked behind, cradling a newborn in a sling. In the place in the cart usually reserved for little kids was a large doll. I asked the little girl, “Is that your baby?” She sharply replied, “No, stupid. that’s a doll.”
Ear Worms
This is a model of the human brain. There’s music stored in a living one. Like yours – a jukebox containing hundreds of tunes and lyrics. You can voluntarily call up the music, silently play it in your mind or sing it aloud. But sometimes the brain plays a tune on its own – relentlessly.
Reincarnation
For many years I had a conversation with a scholar of comparative religion. When I shared the thinking with him I’ve just shared with you, he once said that if the Hindu vision of reincarnation was true, and he factored in what he knew about me, he predicted that I would likely return as a multilingual cow.
What Child Is This
This child is 6 months old. The essence of innocence. He cannot read or write or sing or walk or dance – not yet. As you can see, he doesn’t have teeth or much hair. If you asked him his name, he would not know – or even understand the question.