Didn't really like For Pete's Sake - it just was a random thought. But today in spinning class, Malissa was making us work really hard staying in Zone 4 (anaerobic) for a minute or so instead of just touching it and going back down to Zone 3. Anyway, I think she was discussing other ways of hurting ourselves on the spinning bike and she said this workout was a different kind of joy. Because she is an animal and loves to thrash herself on the spin bike, the road bike, or the cross bike, this is a type of joy for her. That's what makes her such a good instructor - she loves the pain and she makes us love it too. So I am extrapolating Malissa's "different kind of joy" into a statement on life. We search for different kinds of joy; we revel in joy when we find it. We need different kinds of joy, and most importantly, we need to recognize joy when it comes to us. My blog will not always be about joy but maybe the underlying thread will be, even if I'm complaining or commenting on less than positive issues. My point is, we cannot abandon the search for different kinds of joy.
Monday, January 4, 2010
A Lobster Poem
As a former English teacher and current poet, I have to confess I've never seen a poem about a lobster before. Well, perhaps this isn't just about a lobster as most poems are about something other than their obvious subjects. Anyway, I got a chuckle from this and hereby reprint it with credit to poet and the website I got it from.
Lobster
Gerard de Nerval, Parisian poet and author, had a pet
lobster which he led through the streets of Paris on a leash.
Ripley's Believe It or Not!
It was eighteen fifty.
Clac-Clac was his name,
a pale salmon color, and dusty
from crossing the city
the way the city was then.
Every night his master
ate him and went for another,
whom he named Clac-Clac again.
"Even a lobster with his carapace
can't stand more than one turn
around this stinking circus,"
Nerval said with bitterness,
rigging himself and his lobster
up for today's appearance.
Kay Ryan
The Jam Jar Lifeboat & Other Novelties Exposed
Red Berry Editions
Copyright © 2008 by Kay Ryan
All rights reserved.
Reproduced by Poetry Daily with permission.
I Love Technology...Maybe
I heard this morning that Tracy Chevalier was going to sign her new book Remarkable Creatures at a local bookstore I like to support. I immediately thought - Yes, I'll go get her to sign my book - before I remembered that I was just sampling it on my new Kindle. Then it hit me (I guess I'm a bit slow on the uptake here), if I read only Kindle books, I can't get them signed by the authors.
Not that I have many signed books. Actually, I have only one, signed by Anna Quindlan, an author I greatly respect. A high school buddy of mine who lives in Manhattan is friends with Anna Q and my friend sent me the book. What a thoughtful gesture. She is a great friend - more about her later.
So, I love my Kindle and maybe I don't love my Kindle. How important is it that I have actual paper copies of books? I don't stalk authors and bookstores to get autographs so that isn't really a consideration. But a few friends and I are forming a new book club this month and even though the Kindle has this place you can put quotes and mark pages, I'm not sure I will like manipulating the Kindle to that place instead of marking and flipping pages. And, yes, I know the Kindle allows you to highlight and write notes on pages, but I'm not sure I will like typing those notes on the unwieldy Kindle "keyboard." It will take some practice to get used to this electronic book thing. I've wanted a Kindle since they came out and my SE (spousal equivalent) gave it to me for Christmas this year so I really do want to like it. And not having all those books around the house will be a very good thing. I think I will still read hard copies of books along with the Kindle books. I love the library and I can't afford to buy every book I want to read. Just hope my SE will understand that not every book I read will be a Kindle.
So the Kindle is one bit of technology that I think I like. Time will tell.
About my friend from Manhattan. Maybe she and my other high school good buddies will be the subject of another blog. We've been out of high school for decades, raised children and now have grandchildren. During the child-rearing part of our lives, we only sent Christmas cards, but after some mini-reunions, we now see each other quite often even though we are spread throughout the country. When we get together, it's just like we never were apart. We share interests, points of view, books, movies, music, humor, life-experiences. The whole shebang. And since we never were competitive or snarky in high school, we certainly aren't now. No big egos in the group - just strong women who know their own worth. I have many friends now who wish they could have such good high school friends as I have. Am I lucky or what?
Not that I have many signed books. Actually, I have only one, signed by Anna Quindlan, an author I greatly respect. A high school buddy of mine who lives in Manhattan is friends with Anna Q and my friend sent me the book. What a thoughtful gesture. She is a great friend - more about her later.
So, I love my Kindle and maybe I don't love my Kindle. How important is it that I have actual paper copies of books? I don't stalk authors and bookstores to get autographs so that isn't really a consideration. But a few friends and I are forming a new book club this month and even though the Kindle has this place you can put quotes and mark pages, I'm not sure I will like manipulating the Kindle to that place instead of marking and flipping pages. And, yes, I know the Kindle allows you to highlight and write notes on pages, but I'm not sure I will like typing those notes on the unwieldy Kindle "keyboard." It will take some practice to get used to this electronic book thing. I've wanted a Kindle since they came out and my SE (spousal equivalent) gave it to me for Christmas this year so I really do want to like it. And not having all those books around the house will be a very good thing. I think I will still read hard copies of books along with the Kindle books. I love the library and I can't afford to buy every book I want to read. Just hope my SE will understand that not every book I read will be a Kindle.
So the Kindle is one bit of technology that I think I like. Time will tell.
About my friend from Manhattan. Maybe she and my other high school good buddies will be the subject of another blog. We've been out of high school for decades, raised children and now have grandchildren. During the child-rearing part of our lives, we only sent Christmas cards, but after some mini-reunions, we now see each other quite often even though we are spread throughout the country. When we get together, it's just like we never were apart. We share interests, points of view, books, movies, music, humor, life-experiences. The whole shebang. And since we never were competitive or snarky in high school, we certainly aren't now. No big egos in the group - just strong women who know their own worth. I have many friends now who wish they could have such good high school friends as I have. Am I lucky or what?
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