Friday, March 12, 2010

Those Gloomy Bronte Sisters and Various Other Topics which I never Fully Explored

Okay, here's the deal....my brain is mush. All week I've been mentally lamenting the fact that there is nothing going on in the gray matter....NOTHING!

I envy Debby over at Life's Funny Like That. She recently began college...she has lots of new things to think about.

As for me, I've always been a mostly cerebral type of person. My ex husband was fond of calling me lazy (i.e. the "ex" explanation). For years I swallowed his abuse in this area thinking he was right. Everything I love doing is of a sedentary nature. One day in a moment of clarity, I realized that I may not be very physically active, but mentally my brain was always busy. So, it really bothers me to think that I'm finding so little to interest me. I need stimulation. I need challenges. I need someone who will begin an intellectual conversation with me...since at this point I'm incapable of starting the conversation myself.

Which leads me to the reason for this rant. This morning I decided to look back through my blog drafts to see if there was some post I began that I might be able to finish and post today. Nada. I do have some intriguing beginnings...

On October 14, 2009 I started this post:

Last weekend a girlfriend and I watched one of my Netflix selections, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, which was adapted from Anne Bronte's novel of the same name. While I enjoyed the movie, the gloomy nature of the piece got me to thinking about those Bronte sisters. Wuthering Heights by Emily and Jane Eyre by Charlotte as well as this movie all explore the dark depths of human nature.

Let it not be imagined,
however, that I consider myself
competent to reform the errors
and abuses of society, but only
that I would fain contribute my
humble quota towards so good an
aim; and if I can gain the
public ear at all, I would rather
whisper a few wholesome truths
therein than much soft nonsense.
-from the Author's Preface

On November 17th, 2008 I started this one titled Samuri:

Compare this to the education of the Samurai, the warriors of Japanese history. A Samurai was expected to be well versed in warfare, both through reading the works of strategists and through the use of weapons. On the other hand, writing poetry, drawing, tea preparation, meditation and flower arranging were also considered essential skills for a warrior. This is difficult for people in European cultures to fathom unless we understand that all of those skills were signs for the ephemeral nature of life, beautiful and then gone. A Samurai was like the cherry blossom; a beautiful object to behold both on the tree and floating to the ground in death; a life to be relished in the moment and released in jubilation.

Ken Watanabe

On January 1, 2009 I wrote:

I did not read a single book which the New York Times designated as the 100 Notable Books of 2008. Not a single notable book.

In my defense, I listened to a lot of books on CD. I actually read more than a few books too. At some point every year I start listing all of them....and I always quit before long. Resulting in me knowing that I read stacks of books, but having no clue what most of them were. Right now, today, I am again resolving to keep a list this year. (nope...still haven't made the list)

Yesterday, I began this one under the title Halcyon Days Gone By:

Sweet-heart necklines, prairie dresses, knee-high socks with mini skirts, mod prints, big eyelashes, board straight hair parted down the middle, bell bottom jeans with patches and embroidered flowers, hip-hugging pants, big belt buckles, puffy sleeves,



If any of these unfinished topics spark a tiny flicker or a flame of thought, a prickle of interest, a synaptic connection...please talk to me about it!

16 comments:

  1. There's so many opportunities out there! Colleges often have community lectures for free or a low fee. Adult ed classes will get your brain cells firing! (I'm learning about bonsai and taking cooking classes). Give yourself a research assignment and put together a report just for you (I do a version of this with my photography - make an assignment and shoot a small collection). Find a group who is based on something you enjoy and join (for me - mission work and photography).

    As Nike ads say... "Just Do It!"

    :-D

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  2. Teri, you are right about taking a class...I would love to take watercolor lessons again. I just don't think I should spend the money right now. My job is iffy again.

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  3. Sweet-heart necklines, prairie dresses, knee-high socks with mini skirts, mod prints, big eyelashes, board straight hair parted down the middle, bell bottom jeans with patches and embroidered flowers, hip-hugging pants, big belt buckles, puffy sleeves .. these are a few of my favorite things .. when the dog barks when the bee stings . la la la la la ...

    Last nite I watched The Time Travelers Wife .. awesome, cried my eyes out ...

    Personally I think you could teach a water color class .. and lets talk about those doodles you do .. woman you are mega talented ... bright ... lazy? Pffit... not. at. all.

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  4. I can very relate to this post; I too am more drawn to stationary activities, while my brain is always on overdrive.
    But then again, I guess at times our brain need rest after all. I to have many draft posts that I never finish and never publish, as they feel somehow off.
    For what it is worth , I think this is one of your best posts; in fact I have enjoyed incredibly all the posts you shared this week. I honestly even took notice thinking how great they all were.;))
    Have a lovely weekend,
    xo
    Zuzana

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  5. I have to agree with Zuzana: this is an interesting post in itself!

    It is like a collage of your winter ponderings. Collage is a perfectly valid art form, ya know!

    Quite clearly you *are* thinking all the time.

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  6. Aren't those Bronte sister's something? Amazing to thing they wrote such excellent novels while living in such isolation on the moors and daughters to a clergy father.

    I have been part of different book clubs ONLINE ~ just ladies doing it on their blogs ~ for the past 2 years and it's a lot of fun! As a book hostess, you put out your own book of choice or to allow a vote, choose 3 titles. Then your bloggy friends join in and your reading T-O-G-E-T-H-E-R! We've done different things to discuss them such as read the entire thing in a month and discuss at the end... or read 3 chapters in a week (super easy) and then discuss what you've read along the way.

    It's fun and interesting because when people share what they have read which is the same as you, some things that may have resonated with one reader, another reader probably looked over completely and until someone brought it to your attention, you hadn't seen it that way before. People share ideas and ask questions... I really enjoy it. It helped me tremendously with several Jane Austen novels because her use of the english language was crazy to me at first with her clauses, and sub-clauses and sub-sub-clauses... sentences went on forever. ha ha

    It was fun to get in your head today! Blessings!

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  7. Oh, Stevie, take a class. Do it for yourself. Really, I'm having the time of my life. And ex husbands? Well. To heck with 'em. Pllllllt.

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  8. I missed your comment about an iffy job situation. Stevie, the economy sucks right now. That's just the way of it. If you lose your job, the very first thing you should check into is re-education benefits.

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  9. Well, gosh, I actually came to see if you would please tell me the lyrics to the Abba Dabba Monkey. not very high brow. I really like your last post, cause I lived the 70s too. I kinda like the straight hair parted down the middle cause mine still won't do much else. Loved the sweetheart necklines and prairie dresses. And i miss the legs I used to have that looked great in a mini skirt. I still have them somewhere but now they appear to be standing in a group with their friends.

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  10. I think you are very hard on yourself. You are very creative with your art and the written word. But, I also know you just can't help the way you feel. Working and running a house on your own must take up a lot of your time. There has to be a knitting club, art class, book club in your area. I have always wanted to take a water color class, I would sign up in a minute.
    Take care
    denise

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  11. Genial dispatch and this fill someone in on helped me alot in my college assignement. Thank you as your information.

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  12. I'm more than a dreamer than a do-er, myself, but that's OK. I always find your blog posts interesting, Stevie. I would enjoy reading about any of the subjects you began to write about.

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  13. Dear stevie...I've been feeling the same way lately and I haven't read any of those books either...in fact I haven't even heard of most of them...I need some kind of intellectual stimulation too...let me know what you end up doing...

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  14. Steviewren, I understand how you feel as I feel that way sometimes too. Thank goodness my wife Jill is mentally alert and keeps conversations going when my mind is blank. More sleep may solve your problem? I know it would mine!
    - Dave

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  15. Stevie, we do have very much in common!!! Including the former husbands. But, alas, you are still working and it has now been 13 months since my job ended.

    I have no desire to go to school although I really enjoy taking assorted classes from time to time. I was a hospital diploma RN, from the old days ( graduated 45 years ago ) and never got my BSN...too busy being a wife and mother, then a single mother at 40 with two new children and no child support. I managed, though, and don't regret not having a BSN in nursing. I developed so many other interests and have pursued hundred of hours of forensic education.

    I'd be quite content if I'd just win the lottery ( it doesn't even have to be a million ) so I could travel the places on my list I haven't been and drink the wines I love, now that I'm on a strict budget!

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  16. i used to keep a list of all the books i read but no more. it just kind of fell to the wayside. i like your halcyon days start. it brings back lots of images and memories for sure. i'd be interested to hear your impressions of that period in your life as seen from now. you know how time changes the way we look at things.

    i've been unmotivated and lacklustre myself. i just need a good kick in the but and a bike ride on a spring day!!

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I'm glad you stopped by and I look forward to your comments. As Dr. Fraser Crane would say, "Hello, I'm listening."