42

When stumped for a headline or title (see above) or the answer to a question, "42" is always an appropriate response. Do you know why?

Been meaning to catch up on this blog for some time now, but always find a different distraction. the readings from last week were interesting though and have kept me thinking. Specifically, in "Kick in the Seat of the Pants" there is the group of squares we're asked to make images out of. I did this and then learned that it was Abraham Lincoln when turned upside down and held at a distance. I showed this to my 9-year-old daughter who was impressed, but didn't understand how she couldn't see it up close. When I moved closer and turned the page right-side up again, she said it wasn't fair to turn it over, that it couldn't work that way. It saddened me to learn that she's already had her creativity and ability to view things from an original perspective squashed out of her to this extent. Public schools do a great job of indicating the "right" and "wrong" way of doing anything and everything, but do very little to suggest that there is gray area that should be explored and embraced. I'm going to make it a goal to impress that upon both my kids so they remember what they were born knowing...

Also thought a lot about our sense and how they affect us. I've always thought the sense of smell is the strongest in terms of recalling memories and such. I can smell something from years ago and have a mental image in my head of a time and place years past. There's a certain shampoo or perfume that reminds me of my 8th grade girlfriend without fail. Orajel takes me back to a car trip to Ohia when I was in 4th (?) grade. Flowers, especially roses, remind me of dead bodies, thanks to their presence in funeral homes I've been to. That last one's a bit of a bummer - or so I've been told. Don't really know any different.

I'm lucky to work in an office now (and most real jobs I've had in the past) that really embraces creativity and artistry not only in work, but in free time and life in general. I usually spend a half hour or so once a week writing haikus that are emailed to everyone in the office and watch their own responses trickle in for the rest of the week. Music is always going. My boss gave me an autographed Ramones LP out of the blue one day (effing cool!). I'm getting tattooed over lunch today. All of this helps create an environment where experimentation and risk taking are embraced and encouraged. I often have to remind myself how nice that is.


More to come later. I'll work on my Soundtrack later, but I'm off to the tattoo shop now...