Fantasy, whimsy, violence.

"Sheldon: As I will not be engaging in this nonsense, my choice of beverage is moot but for the record I only drink hot chocolate in months with an R in them.

Howard: Why?

Sheldon: What's life without whimsy?"

~Jim Parsons as Sheldon Cooper / Simon Helberg as Howard Wolowitz - The Big Bang Theory

As a young girl I was very into fairy tales... fantasy stories of any kind really which to me was what was found in all the books I read (I freely admit to being a bookworm). I could at any time escape from the ordinary, everyday life into adventure, suspense, action and later on romance, drama, philosophy - the things I've learnt from books are innumerable as are the hours I've spent reading them. As an adult I'm still very much a bookworm and still very into fantasy stories of any kind (I got myself late for work yesterday because I was rereading Nora Robert's Entranced).

A friend of mine took a photo recently of a giant chess set... it brought to mind thoughts of Alice in Through the Looking Glass rather than Ron and Harry in the Philosopher's/Sorcerer's Stone. What is life but a game? What kind of game is life when the players don't play by the rules?  Who sets the rules? How do the players become aware of the rules? Sometimes I feel as though I'm going through my day and everything is so crystal clear that I can understand every little thing that makes up the mystery that is life. Other days there's the feeling of moving through... molasses? very sticky stuff... caught in slow motion and fog. 

There's been a lot of talk (news? discussions? information?) about violence in schools (and out). I wonder about the youth of today ... what do they think about? What do they fill their lives with? Who or what teaches them? I can't believe that their lives are filled with magic or whimsy if they're beating up each other... or engaging in decidedly non-childlike behaviour. I wonder about the parents of these children... the homes... the support systems - it takes a village to raise a child and I think in becoming more of a developed country we've lost that concept. 

I can be grateful that I had (still have) that support... not just from my parents but from the extended family (all the aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents that both mind my business and look out for me). I don't know how to go about promoting such a lifestyle... I've been in some of the secondary schools lately (work, work, work) and the attitudes/behaviour/thinking of these children are completely foreign to me. It's so very different from what I (and friends my age) grew up with. 

Where do we go from here? As a person, a community, a country, the world... It's going to be bad in the future if we do nothing now. What needs to be done? How can we improve?

There's always so many questions.

peace,

Ren

Edited to add:

Got home and found my mom reading this book which a friend of hers brought for her today:

  

Obviously, I must read it when she's done.

Also, if I ever have space for a garden... I'd like a giant chess set... and a labyrinth as well. :)

The pictures in my head are pretty...

"Now is the time to know that all that you do is sacred." ~Hafiz

It's the beginning of the work week and I'm feeling... dreamy? not quite here... Just had a long weekend which was both tiring and relaxing, friend and family filled. Yesterday was Indian Arrival Day in Trinidad and Tobago. I went turtle watching on Sunday... didn't see any turtles. Also went to an apartment-warming on Saturday... one of my girl ppl is getting married next month and has found an apartment to live in with her future hubby. It was both a very long and a very short weekend.

Drove to work in the rain this morning... why is it that rain falls when you're out but not when you're at home? What do you think of while driving? ... do you think while driving? I do. Thoughts of how fabulous a driver I am now when just recently (2009) I wasn't really driving - I think if you don't have your own car then you don't really drive much.. it's only since I got mine that I've become a fabulous driver. Switched from news on the radio (somewhat bleh and vexing) to Bond (amazingly fabulous! I've got this cd!)  which inspired pictures in my head of beautiful people dancing to latin music.. and also geishas and samurai... and also what-may-have-been-Regency-inspired couples dancing... dancing and fighting are very similar in my mind.

Been thinking lately about life and life stages and purpose and such... we've got a house guest at home - a friend of my brother's who is what I consider to be a Very Serious Seeker. It makes me wonder what sort of seeker I am. I'm happy knowing that there is more to the world and myself... I don't know whether or not I'm driven to find out about it. Enlightenment. Hmm.

There's a new moon in Gemini tomorrow as well as a solar eclipse. Time to see if I want to start anything new or breathe new life into stuff that I've put down (I realise that I've developed a habit of starting but not finishing stuff... that's not good).

I'm not doing much of anything today... it's a very-not-crazy workday which somewhat allows for not-work-related web surfing.. some interesting things?

• This article from National Geographic - this quote was what made me read it: "We used to think agriculture gave rise to cities and later to writing, art, and religion. Now the world’s oldest temple suggests the urge to worship sparked civilization."
• This guest post by Liz Kalloch on the blog: Creative Every Day
• Farewell letter from Alan Rickman who according to It's Just Movies, 'has portrayed Defense Against the Dark Arts instructor and Potter’s nemesis Severus Snape with alarming perfection' - it's the end of an era as the final Harry Potter movie comes out in July... I've enjoyed both the books and the movies and, whilst I maintain that the books are definitely better, the story told through both books and movies is excellent.
• Something for your kitchen - 6 DIY spice mixes from around the world...
• Something for whoever likes to play dress-up - The Princess Maker (I confess to making 13 .. yes, 13, different princesses...)

Wishing you a fabulous week ahead...

peace,

Ren