Limbering Up
I
I’ve also undertaken a new strategy in regard to the expansion of topics agenda. Last night marked the beginning of action in this emerging phase: I was standing at my kitchen sink, splashing soapy water over grimy dishes. My wife stood at my side, calmly drying dishes and putting them in their place.
“What’s a good paradox, honey?” I asked, turning the pan over to scrub the bottom.
“Uhm, I don’t know–silent thunder maybe?” she replied with the doubtful look of someone trying to help, but unsure of what is wanted.
“Perfect–I’ll write on that tomorrow.”
Here I am, creativity fed by the discipline of adapting to external ideas and converting them, transcribing them, to my own outlook. Silent Thunder crashed into my mind out of a blind spot, that is, I didn’t expect that response, that paradox. And the newness, in part, brought forth new responses and ideas. The first thing that came to mind were the eternally revolving towers of fire and cloud that the Israelites followed in the Egyptian desert. I imagine the mighty divine cloud as this epic silent storm–mighty and imposing, yet aweful in its silence. If thunder is symbolic of that which overwhelms and imposes, the silent aspect reminds us that awesome things don’t always make a terrific din. In fact, silence itself, so foreign to our sense-craving psyches, is perhaps one of the most powerful entities–it thunders at us with its aweful absence and fills us with fear, dread, or a tender sense of calm. I suppose it depends whether you belong to Pharaoh or Moses…
Humph. A while back I read that blogging was simply “refridgerator” art & I kindof agree. Yet, I find this metaphor ironically liberating. I can’t imagine torturing myself over each word (on a blog). Of course, I started blogging after my thesis, so that could explain a few quirks.
This post makes me feel as if I should be editing . . . as if simply rifting may be . . . gasp, a waste of time.
Time. Leisure time. Who has it–who doesn’t? Classism.
Hey–Is blogging a part of your NaNo project?
Refridgerator art, yes? I’ll have to give that some thought. Your comment seems to imply that you understood me to be saying that I torture myself over every word I write. That is simply not true–I just sometimes think that every word I write should be read (not scanned or missed). Posts here are one-off thoughts, fermented, no doubt, but not tortuously extracted.
Leisure time–Kundera formulated 3 criteria for graphomania. I’ll share those criteria in a subsequent comment, as it seems to be time for bed…
PS. blogging is the NaNo project, but not on this blog…
my earlier comment sounds way too indignant. Must’ve been grumpy
Compared to a thesis, blogging perhaps comes off as regridgerator art–happy squiggles dashed out in bursts of juvenile silliness; good natured, but not that important.
However, everything can be done with a pursuit of quality, and the goal of the consciensous blogger is create material that has a level of quality without becoming too pretentious, without claiming “thesis” status.
By all means, keep the red pen far away from your blog; it should be a safe space. We want creativity, not scholarly expositions complete with MLA citations…
well, so complicated here….
anyway, looking forward to your posts. keep up the good work!
thank you, and welcome!
what a cute wife you have! hehehe