Quote Meme

Quote Meme

I was tagged (Thanks for the nudge, Trish!) the other day and I'm finally getting around to writing something. The rules are simple: look through random quotes and pick five from this list that in some way identify you. Then, explain why that identification is appropropriate. Here goes...

There is one piece of advice, in a life of study, which I think no one will object to; and that is, every now and then to be completely idle – to do nothing at all. — Sydney Smith (English essayist, 1771 - 1845)

I think that I have fallen into this way of living for the past year or so. As many of my friends know, I've dubbed the past eighteen to twenty months as my Year Of Living Aimlessly! What?!? So, I'm stretching the definition of "year" a bit! Of course, I don't really consider my life as aimless, but it has seemed to be a major time of discovery for me. Some might call it a mid-life crisis, but that's because clichés are a bit easier to hang one's hat onto. (I've yet to buy a sleek new sports car so, technically, I don't think I quite fit that cliché!)

I said to myself, I have things in my head that are not like what anyone has taught me – shapes and ideas so near to me – so natural to my way of being and thinking that it hasn't occurred to me to put them down. I decided to start anew, to strip away what I had been taught. — Georgia O'Keefe (American artist, 1887 - 1986)

About thirteen years ago, I began thinking a little bit more critically about art and life and the world, and I found some very odd thoughts passing through my head. While I've never read the entire Unibomber Manifesto, I felt I could empathize a bit with what I understood his issues to be (although let me be clear that I absolutely do not agree with his methods for resolving them). Our world has so become a slave to the economy that we have virtually lost touch with our humanity. While I was a supporter of President Clinton (for the most part), I have remained at odds with his "It's the economy, stupid!" campaign theme. This world — and particularly the United States government — no longer seems to base decisions on how they might affect communities but on how they might affect economies (and, subsequently, chances for re-election).

You see things; and you say, "Why?" But I dream things that never were; and I say, "Why not?"— George Bernard Shaw (Irish playwright, 1856 - 1950) [from Back to Methuselah (1921), part 1, act 1]

This quote, of course, has often been attributed to Bobby Kennedy (he indeed used a slight variation of it), one of my personal heroes. I believe that a lot of what our country supposedly stands for died with him in 1968. In my opinion, he was the last politician that seemed to actually stand for something; that seemed to have the courage of his convictions. Seeing his son (Bobby, Jr.) speak a couple of years ago reminded me of that courage, that conviction as I saw the same spark in his eyes. Perhaps I've been blinded by the Kennedy "mystique"... I don't think so, however. While certainly every politician has a not-so-honourable side, I sincerely believe that both Bobby and John Kennedy understood the idea of public service; that their service in the government was purposeful; that the betterment of their country and the world was the aim of government — an aim that I believe is 180-degrees the opposite of that of the miserable failure and his band of crooks and liars.

Every English poet should master the rules of grammar before he attempts to bend or break them.— Robert Graves (English poet & novelist, 1895 - 1985)

I cringe at the treatment of the English language these days. Every noun, it seems, has turned into a verb; those whom you'd think would have an appreciation for the language (especially those that call themselves "journalists") are often the worst offenders. I get sick of hearing this crap about "living language" from those who don't seem to have a knowledge of it in the first place. I'm not a fan of capital punishment, but sometimes think really bad thoughts when I hear supposedly learned people saying such things as "from whence it came." !!! Really.... Don't get me started!

Calendars are for careful people, not passionate ones.— Chuck Sigars (The World According to Chuck weblog, September 8, 2003)

While I was in Paris last November, I missed my original flight home. Perhaps it's because I don't travel with a Blackberry, or a pocket calendar (like I once did), but I'm grateful for not being the most anal person on the planet. The extra nine days I spent in Paris due to my goof-up were amongst the best days I had while I was there. Hmmm... now I've got to tag somebody else! How about Rebekah, Leslie and Kathleen...