Monday, April 29, 2013

Inspiration comes in all shapes and sizes ...

Yes, inspiration truly comes in all forms, shapes and sizes ... often chancing upon the gentle winds of serendipity. I love it when I am able to take an insult and spin it into a positive light, perhaps in that respect despite all of the hardships I've suffered in my personal life, I have somehow retained my childlike innocence?  Maybe there's hope for me yet?

Music is a major source of inspiration for me.  I'm listening to Dylan again tonight.  I'm not sure why, but Bob Dylan's music feels like a piece of home to me ... A really big piece.  Think if I had to give up all music and I could only pick one artist's music to keep in my life it would probably have to be Dylan for me.  Then again, maybe that's just the place I am at in my life right now?  At other times, I'd probably say Jimi Hendrix felt like 'home'.  How about you?  Who's the artist you simply could not live without?







P.S.  Dylan seems to help fend off headaches as well ... No joke, I had a bad headache coming on one evening and 45 minutes of soothing Dylan songs later --with no pills-- and my headache was completely gone.  Gotta love it!   

Saturday, April 27, 2013

Thoughts on 'Nothingness'


 
“It occurs to me that my present endeavor to complete another novel is, in truth, ‘nothingness’ until it reaches its completion.  For only upon the actual completion of and sharing of my story will it bear any worldly merit.  From the latter perspective, the undertaking of the endeavor to write a novel is perhaps painted in rather a daunting, if not outright unfavorable light then, is it not?  Surely such a task is not to be undertaken by the faint of heart, or those who be in constant need of worldly recognition.  Furthermore, given the limited likelihood of widespread acceptance and recognition in the event of actual completion, the payoff for the completion of a novel, in and of itself, is not much of an incentive for embarking upon such a potentially fruitless undertaking in the first place, is it?  So perhaps, the writer … much like all other forms of artisan … is in a very real sense ‘mad’ from the world’s  perspective just for having entertained the notion of beginning to create his art, in the form of written words residing within a novel, in the first place.  The writer is labeled ‘mad’ even before he begins his task and so he remains long after, until he breeches the waters of his works completion.  For it be only upon delivery of the finished work that the poor writer has any chance of surrendering his cap of ‘madness’ for that of true ‘artist’, or if he be truly lucky:  celebrated ‘genius’.  The latter being said, it also occurs to me, that in the process of endeavoring to create the ‘tangible’ –that which the world is capable of grasping on some generally base level of understanding—I am weaving a wealth of tapestry in an understanding of exploration into thoughts, emotions, ideas … making unique connections and insights along the way which will become the very threads of this woven tapestry of exploration … my tapestry of exploration.  And while the latter process is by worldly standards ‘intangible’, I find it immensely ironic that when my body ceases to house this spirit knowing that is the true me –whether my written efforts meet with worldly approval in the end or not-- my ‘intangible’ tapestry will clothe me on my journey into the next life --my reincarnation, if that be the will of our Creator.  Suddenly, in a spiritual sense, the ‘immaterial’ becomes ‘material’.“ ~Isabelle Black Smith

 @Copyrighted, April 2013, Isabelle Black Smith and Michelle C. of whatplanetareyoulivingon . blogspot . com.  All Rights Reserved.




Think I’ve just written the forward/introduction to my novel?  Thank you to whoever prompted my thoughts on the topic of ‘nothingness’ in the first place.  You know who you are.

Saturday, April 20, 2013

Humbly resigned to prayer ...

I have been praying for those directly affected by the Boston Marathon terror attack. I am still trying to wrap my mind around this senseless tragedy and I just haven’t gotten there yet, thus I find myself at a loss for words. I have said before “Do not speak unless you can improve upon the silence” and as, at present, I am unable to offer any ‘improvement’ upon silence:  I have not spoken.  This time, I think I’ll leave the words of wisdom to others and just humbly resign myself to prayer. God Bless one and all and may He help us to find our way to peace and healing.

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

A reminder to remain humble ....

A reminder for me to remain humble these past few days in revisiting many of my teary-eyed, late night, sleep-deprived writes of years gone by.  Someone has been reading here extensively --particularly my older posts-- these past few days, off and on, and that's okay, really.  It's just humbling to read over my words of old and see how much I have grown and changed since then.  It's all good though.  I'm moving forward, even if I happen taken to take two steps backward from time to time. That's all part of the journey towards enlightenment, right? Anyhow, May  God Bless you, whoever you are, reader(s).

Wednesday, April 03, 2013

April is Child Abuse Prevention and Sexual Abuse Awareness Month

A fellow blogger, Linda Garner, has written a wonderful post for this month of awareness.  I couldn't do a better write-up myself, so I will just provide a link to her page.  Linda makes one very important point in her write-up that I will take a moment to reiterate:  this type of abuse can only be prevented and eradicated if people educate themselves, open their eyes to truly see and speak out for those who are unable to speak for themselves.

Preventing Abuse Is Everyone's Job, By Linda Garner



 
May God bless all the "invisible" girls and boys and give them their wings so they can
fly away to safer ... better ... brighter days.
  
 
Perhaps after you have this discussion (in Linda's post) with your own children you can make a white pinwheel to place in your yard as a symbol of Light and Hope for a boy or girl in need of your light, prayers and wherever possible your voice.  The "Image Source" link above will take you to a page with detailed instructions for how to make your own pinwheel.