To thine own self be true

Possibilities, Connection, Discovery, Pattern, and Structure
(Posted on February 25, 2016)

The latter two concepts which are learned very early.

Pattern–I can recall my oneish-year-old grandson playing in the living room near the window with a view to the opposite side of the back window. In both, he saw trees moving in the wind. He stopped his play, alternately looking toward one, then turning his head, glancing toward the other. He momentarily realized and connected there were two windows and similar trees blowing in each one.

Structure–grandson playing with 10 colored cups, putting them together one way, then another, taking them apart, putting them together in different combinations.
Again, like the first example, delight and pleasure in play, making connections, discovering/becoming aware of structure–how things are and can be organized.

Possibilities-
A third example–same grandson, a little older. Discovering wall light switches in everywhere. Magically turning each on and off. possibilities, connection, discovery, pattern, structure, and the possibilities of choice for action, play, pleasure, engagement, and some vague inkling of the meaning in all of this at some subconscious/unconscious level perhaps.

that, after stubborn accumulations of toothpaste get caught in your toothbrush, you can rinse them out under vigorous water flow from your bathtub tap in about 15 seconds. Prevents build-up and saves on having to replace brushes more often.

going back to the 2000s is giving funeral speeches and writing e-obituary-condolences for family and friends. A sample from yesterday for an old high-school buddy who was a very unique individual:

Condolences & Memories

Lorne was a pretty-laid-back-from-the-get-go guy, a grade 11 and 12 classmate-friend of mine in 1965-67 at Silver Heights Collegiate. We kept in touch into the first year of university during the first year of U of W.

In grade 12, Lorne came into his own just as the completely baffling, infamous Physics PSSC course was being piloted. Even the teacher was unable to explain the answers, and she and the rest of us always turned to him for explanations and verifications. He was also the only one in class who knew how to operate a sliderule, which was being allowed in the classroom for the first time. Suddenly the class nerd became known, overnight, as “Sliderule”, the cool SHCI physics genius.

We eventually lost touch in university and it wasn’t till the mid-70s, when I was back in Winnipeg, that we met up at one of his then-favorite spots, Churchill’s. He was magnanimously hosting, sipping brandy and smoking foreign cigarettes from a tin. He seemed to be at the pinnacle of coolness on that convivial reunion.

That Lorne later got more into photography is not surprising. (He and Robert were both taking photos as early as 1966.) I will add that–as you can see from the charities he supported–that Lorne was an arts fan as well as a bright sciences-computer guy. He loved music: Beatles, Dylan, Ravi Shankar (the latter in his Indian period when he started lotus-positioning). I used to drop by his house to listen to “Blonde on Blonde”, “Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme”, and “Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” when those albums first came out; his parents’ stereo was excellent!

Lorne was truly one-of-a-kind, an individual, and true to himself. He is one of the most memorable persons I have ever met or had the pleasure of knowing. My sincere condolences to his children and family.

for not reinstating mask use in hospitals, unlike smarter, more realistic B.C.

Bergman’s classic about humans facing death/Death. An earnest, but disillusioned Knight (Antonius, played by Max von Sydow) is returning from the Crusades with his witty cynical squire (Jons played by Gunnar Bjornstrand) when they join up with a wagon of decent, ordinary travelling entertainers for their return trip home to the Knight’s castle.

Death (memorably played by Bengt Ekerot), as a character, intervenes along the way with the Knight, having singled him out for death. They play a chess game that symbolizes the journey through life with all its challenges and conflicts.

In the memorable 97 min. black and white film, we see many examples of human weaknesses, sins, and self-inflicted corruption, though the Knight and squire end up helping and supporting others.

The movie is very powerful visually, beautifully and hauntingly photographed by Gunnar Fischer with frequent well-timed natural sound effects as well as appropriate music by Erik Nordgren. There is also a fair bit of humor, slapstick, and wit.

The movie’s ending becomes more than the plight of one individual as seen in the castle scene and the iconic dance of Death scene, but Bergman is not entirely pessimistic in his views of the flawed human condition; for some anyway, there will be happy endings. The director does not hide his understandings and appreciations of artists and honest, simple folk.

This classic was one of Bergman’s top 10 personal favorites he “could stand behind” and an entertaining, truth-full meditation with astute observations on human nature and shortcomings, in addition to mortality.

“History is a nightmare from which I am trying to awake.”

W.B. Yeats in his classic timeless poem “The Second Coming”, likewise, nailed the current times:

“The Global Weekend Cooking Show”. At most, they have no hard news and less than 15 mins. of community/city news in 1 hr. broadcasting.

The headline banner at the bottom of the page basically has news flashes that are several days old. Anyone watching this show will likely be out of touch with what’s happening on the weekends.

In Saskatchewan, 35% of teachers so far this year report instances of abuse and violence by students this September. ON, AB, NS and the territories admit to similar rates.

I still remember in the fall of 1972 when students of Grand Centre (AB) High rounded us up early one afternoon into the agora with the goal of getting the rest of the day off. I, like other male teachers, was manhandled by two or more male students.

It occurred to me then, that students could easily overcome and overwhelm staff if they so chose. And, now, some 50 years later, this possibility of open physical/violent rebellion has come of age and is much more commonplace in Canada.