Life is made up of small bits of knowledge, built up over time; increments of learning that cling together and form a picture, a memory, a smattering of trivia and truth.
Where does this knowledge come from? Everywhere!
Yesterday, I was taking my walk and there on the sidewalk was a crawfish miles away from the nearest pond, struggling along on the dry pavement.
On closer inspection, the poor crustacean had only one front claw. The right one had been torn off.
Like a detective, I formed a scenario in my mind: the crawdad had likely been picked up at the pond by a feeding ibis or egret and carried to a waiting nest. In transport, the struggling crayfish had literally escaped and lost a claw in the process. Sadly, being miles from any water, he’ll probably die looking for his “home sweet home.”
Speaking of which, we have two martin houses in our neighborhood. As soon as March 1st rolls around, they appear and stay for almost three months. I’ve heard it’s difficult to attract them. My two neighbors seem to be pros at it. But tell me, If you could choose between a dingy motel with last year’s leavings or a clean room in a luxury suite, which one would you choose? There’s no such thing as a dumb bird!
Somewhere I read that “drones make more noise and are more in a hurry than the bees, but they make no honey.” I’ve known people like that. They scurry around, bark and bluster at everyone they meet, and when they’re finished you can’t see the results of their presence nor what they’ve accomplished. It’s called “Seagull Management.”
I read the other day that a town in Ohio is changing their annual Easter egg hunt to a Spring egg hunt because they don’t want to be exclusive or offend anyone. If we continue down this road, pretty soon we won’t recognize any holidays or religious celebrations at all. What we’re doing is cutting off the roots that give human beings a sense of history and personal identity. We’re cheating them out of their cultural and religious traditions.
Remember Alex Hayley’s epic “Roots?” We all need them. Without roots we become lost in a maize of merging cultures, man-made religions, and changing values. We lose our identity and the things that make us unique. Instead of thinking on our own, we adopt “group think” and the values of others. We become puppets, manipulated by the whim of those in charge.
But let's get back to art. I read a couple of my old “tweets,” and thought they were quite revealing:
“It is a ritual, painting; a dance in the mind of an artist that ends only when the visual statement comes to fruition on canvas.”
And so life goes . . .
Yesterday, I was taking my walk and there on the sidewalk was a crawfish miles away from the nearest pond, struggling along on the dry pavement.
On closer inspection, the poor crustacean had only one front claw. The right one had been torn off.
Like a detective, I formed a scenario in my mind: the crawdad had likely been picked up at the pond by a feeding ibis or egret and carried to a waiting nest. In transport, the struggling crayfish had literally escaped and lost a claw in the process. Sadly, being miles from any water, he’ll probably die looking for his “home sweet home.”
Speaking of which, we have two martin houses in our neighborhood. As soon as March 1st rolls around, they appear and stay for almost three months. I’ve heard it’s difficult to attract them. My two neighbors seem to be pros at it. But tell me, If you could choose between a dingy motel with last year’s leavings or a clean room in a luxury suite, which one would you choose? There’s no such thing as a dumb bird!
Somewhere I read that “drones make more noise and are more in a hurry than the bees, but they make no honey.” I’ve known people like that. They scurry around, bark and bluster at everyone they meet, and when they’re finished you can’t see the results of their presence nor what they’ve accomplished. It’s called “Seagull Management.”
I read the other day that a town in Ohio is changing their annual Easter egg hunt to a Spring egg hunt because they don’t want to be exclusive or offend anyone. If we continue down this road, pretty soon we won’t recognize any holidays or religious celebrations at all. What we’re doing is cutting off the roots that give human beings a sense of history and personal identity. We’re cheating them out of their cultural and religious traditions.
Remember Alex Hayley’s epic “Roots?” We all need them. Without roots we become lost in a maize of merging cultures, man-made religions, and changing values. We lose our identity and the things that make us unique. Instead of thinking on our own, we adopt “group think” and the values of others. We become puppets, manipulated by the whim of those in charge.
But let's get back to art. I read a couple of my old “tweets,” and thought they were quite revealing:
“A blank canvas dares the artist to defile its virgin face. One brush stroke unleashes a vision of intensity that doesn’t stop until the artist’s passion is vanquished.”
“It is a ritual, painting; a dance in the mind of an artist that ends only when the visual statement comes to fruition on canvas.”
And so life goes . . .
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