June 7, 2006

• Alis volat propiis = She flies with her own wings (state motto of Oregon)

  

  celebration is important. i deeply doubt that we understand how important.

  ...ive been gliding over major things worth celebrating for too long... and ignoring little things...
  this became painfully obvious to me a couple weeks ago when I received a birthday coupon to be redeemed some time in the month of June from clothing store... and upon reading the message to make all customers feel special... i noticed tears. At that point I decided I either needed to change something or donate wild amounts of money to the company's marketing department... and since I do not have wild amounts of money, that choice was easy...

  -it's not that a party must be thrown, or that presents must be given, just time for reflection and thankfulness for the accomplishment. ...When I graduated college i told myself going to Europe and moving to Africa was celebration-- but it wasn't, it was starting a completely different adventure which required evergy and attention... without meaning to, i tend to run from true rest.

  like the rest of us.

  there are big things in the works which deserve for me to celebrate them (you, of course, are under no obligation):

  --i have been accepted into an interpreting program which begins in the fall here in portland. A posse ad esse.
  --i am part of group at church forming a dance troupe of sorts... teaching the class this sunday. Deus Misereatur.
  --and as always, I am forgiven my wickedness, naivete, and selfishness. A cruce salus.

  ...beautiful things are beginning... this time feels good the way stretching sore muscles or exfoliating feel good...

  ...and things are comming that shall continue in question until November...

  

  This is the motto of a conference where I presented a paper last year:

  "to talk in public, to think in solitude, to read and to hear, to inquire, and to answer inquiries, is the business of a scholar."
  -Samuel Johnson

  

  Oh is that all?

  “The ink of the scholar is more sacred than the blood of the martyr” -Muhammad

  ...I understand where the motivation and perspective of this quote come from... but it still makes me uncomfortable.
  Never shall pretentious-or even wise- musings outweigh in value a heart or life. Accipere quam facere praestat injuriam.

  i feel much more like this:
  

  ...the scholar quote I am currently inclined to agree with is from William Hazlitt:

  "A scholar is like a book written in a dead language. It is not every one that can read in it."

  -though admittedly not likely for the reason intended.

  ...there are *far more important things.

  "And let a scholar all earth's volumes carry, he will be but a walking dictionary: a mere articulate clock."
  -George Chapman

  ...and yet I am the one making myself sick over the application...

  ...speaking of far more important:

  "There is no one alive who is youer than you" -Dr. Seuss

  Donna nobis pacem

  currently reading: The Oxford Book of Oxford
  currently watching: The Colbert Report

  • 4:42 am
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