“There’s nothing more sir, than to love and be loved”
Categories
Author: julesprichards
Anchoring in the shire, with family, friends, coffee and cheese… always looking…
Categories
In the shelter of each other…
It is in the shelter of each other that people find sanctuary.
My attention was recently drawn to the above adaption of the Irish saying, “It is in the shelter of each other that people live”
For me, it’s often an opportunity to relax that brings on a longing for sanctuary.
“Oh please no,” I hear you say, “not again.”
Yup, that’s what I say too!
Trying to describe feelings or thoughts really is counterproductive, it’s sometimes just to heavy to conceive. There’s no specific challenge to be accomplished, but just a frustrating void of failure and sense of unworthiness – I’m not going into that now.
“Oh stop mawdling in misery and count your blessings, you don’t know how lucky you are – you’ve never had a hard day in your life, get over it loser.” I hear some say.
I actually find that no logic, arse-kicking or backslapping makes much difference.
I hate the idea of labelling myself and really don’t want to live up to expectations… But in 2010 I was diagnosed with serious depression.
Although it is not fully understood what causes depression, an imbalance of chemicals in our brain is thought to be a factor. The SSRI drug that I have been taking for a year now, works by regulating the levels of a chemical called serotonin; this eases the symptoms of depression and feelings of panic.
Even after taking Citalopram for a few days, it significantly transformed my mood and attitude – this was after months of serious symptoms and concern. After a season, I stepped off the dose but after a fortnight symptoms reoccurred and GP suggested continuing with a reduced dose.
And so a year on and I wish I was not taking tabs but I am. I still sense the need for a wet fish and a coffee.(notes)
I do wish I could move away from the need to disconnect, but without the shelter of others disconnection is just a way of finding sanctuary.
No man is an island but without a means of shelter my island’s sanctuary is at least a pale vapid something.
I’ll try to keep an eye out for the passing Good Ship Sanctuary.
(Learn to swim boy!)
(Addition; just watched ‘bird song’, that throws a whole new spanner in the works.)
Categories
Elephant Juice
Elephant Juice
As a teenager, I watched the Royal Institution Christmas Lectures. This is a tradition I try to keep up each year. It’s a bit like reading Usborne Guides for children; entertaining, bite-size, palatable info that I find much easier to swallow.
This year the RICL was about ‘the brain’, and was entertaining as ever. It reminded me that “what we perceive” is but a subjective notion and that what others perceive might be similar but not the same. In fact what we conceive of seeing is sometimes at odds with what was ‘true’… A minefield I know! …but fun!
It illustrated that our brains ‘memorise’ (encode) stimuli, map patterns, and retrieve or create perceptions etc. (neural activity, chemicals, electricity).
Take a look: http://richannel.org/christmas-lectures-2011-bruce-hood–whats-in-your-head
It was fascinating to observe visual illusions that illustrated the limits of our visual perception.
That we only clearly see a visual tunnel of a few inches at a time and via stepped saccades we build up our idea of what we’re experiencing. The Change Blindness illustration was enlightening: http://youtu.be/ImQFQj6yvVE?t=32s
And so we are what we think and we think what we are… the paralysis of analysis – my Achilles heel.
And so… thankfully, enter the conciliating creations of myth, song, fable and assurance.
The logic is fair enough and indeed wondrous, but I also wonder what we might do if it were not for the colouring, soothing, palliative artistry that culture, art, nature, and meaning give us.
Without my dose of coffee, cheese, music, fiction and wonder, I would be more lost that I am.
Turn to your friend and silently mouth the words “elephant juice” to them while they watch you… what do they see you say?
Thank ‘heavens’ for mystery.
Categories
More Seasonal Sounds…
Further to the post last month: …Good Old Sing
Some great audio recordings with videos have been posted to YouTube of a few of the other songs in the concert. Well done all!
And a big thank you to Keith Tonks and Steve Johnson for compiling them!
Global Harmony is a mixed a cappella world music choir based in Melton Mowbray, UK.
If you fancy it go and join them!
"more than the heart, the bowel, the knee joint… …more than flesh and blood…" ?
I’ve recently finished reading: "April Fool’s Day" by Bryce Courtenay.
He’s been a favourite author of mine since reading "The Power of One" in my 20s.
"April Fool’s Day" is an altogether different read; a true and rich account that naturally still emits the character of BCs world.
In the end, love is more important than everything and it will conquer and overcome anything. Or that’s how Damon saw it, anyway. Damon wanted a book that talked a lot about love. Damon Courtenay died on the morning of April Fool’s Day. In this tribute to his son, Bryce Courtenay lays bare…
Quite unlike any book I’ve read before!
Categories
Time to snap?
Had to stop and snap the sunrise.
Thankfully the sun rises (or the UK turns in view of the sun) each morning. It also sets equally regular.
Here in the UK, energy is given and time to rest is given. The weather and clouds might confuse matters at time but it’s still there.
It was once written:
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace...
Hummm….
Categories
I was lost, but now am found
“I was lost, but now am found” said my banana.
(pronounced in the Cornish manner ba-na-na, with the ‘a’ as in jam)
The mystery of the lost banana was solved this morning, as mid-commute I spotted it lost and forlorn on the wayside. It must have dropped out of my pannier yesterday! I got to work convinced that I packed it and was baffled by its desertion.
I muse that:
We guide our baggage through both well and less travelled pathways…
We believe that we packed the baggage, we control the tiller… and know the map…
We are ‘guided’ by soft hegemony and cultural info-tainment…
But still our banana’s can fall from our backpacks and confound, amaze and hopefully cause us to reassess our predicament?
However, I am still blind I see.
PS. Today’s banana was energizing.
Categories
More than simple…
Simple is not the right word….
I came across the creation below recently and it ‘struck a chord’.
I like to think of affective art as having a resonance, and this work by Sarah May Rogers rings my neurones.
I recall being taught that the resonating buzz between the coherence and the correspondence in an image/artwork forms a flavour, sound, dream, wonder… fabula… syuzhet… etcblah… enough nonsense.
The artwork above may at first seem a simple image but I have found it quite satisfying; a unique creation, with perfect colours, great composition and proportion, a great idea with a lasting resonance! Big Smile.
Check out her other creations.
Thanks Sarah.
Did you see this on the BBC TV?
I sat there jaw dropped and had to replay it half a dozen times – quite stunning!
Felt I had to share it again… it speaks volumes.
(watch it FULL SCREEN with the sound DOWN, we don’t need Attenborough mumbling on)
Categories
…with you in the sun!
Just had to share this: Tim Minchin’s stuff is quite brilliant and this one’s another corker
Jules P Richards 