I looked out at the front yard earlier this evening to check on my (loudly barking) dog, and I noticed lots of fireflies glowing. This was quite lovely to see, because it's really the first time this season I've seen them shine. How beautiful.
Streetlamps at twilight...now that's one of my other favorite summer sights!
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Travel
My Massachusetts vacation has helped me to have a new appreciation for this grand old state in which I was born. In all the daily hubbub (and hubris) of where I currently live, I lose track of the great aspects of small-town MA life - most of which have been passed down to me from my parents. One of the best parts of small-town MA? People are really down-to-earth here. It's a different kind of down-to-earthedness than you find in small towns in other parts of the US. Yes, people may be a bit more private than most people are in, say, the South, but they watch each other's backs and don't put up a front. Or, as my boyfriend taught me to say (because I am hopelessly out-of-date sometimes when it comes to "slang"), they don't be frontin'.
Oh, and trying to find parking in Boston on a Friday night? Don't even try. Learned that the hard way. And it had to happen while my cousin's GPS decided to stop working. Yeah, that made for a slightly frustrating, though rather entertaining excursion. But we made our way to a fantastic eatery, finally, and the creme brulee was tre fabulous. Yum!
I'm pretty antsy, not quite sure how my upcoming travels will work out schedule-wise...but that should be settled soon, so all's the better.
Oh, and trying to find parking in Boston on a Friday night? Don't even try. Learned that the hard way. And it had to happen while my cousin's GPS decided to stop working. Yeah, that made for a slightly frustrating, though rather entertaining excursion. But we made our way to a fantastic eatery, finally, and the creme brulee was tre fabulous. Yum!
I'm pretty antsy, not quite sure how my upcoming travels will work out schedule-wise...but that should be settled soon, so all's the better.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Fantastimagical, scrupledeedupulous, technocolorific retro rainbows
What was it about those retro-rainbow bits of the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s that prompted ensembles like Rod Stewart's little number? Rainbow socks, skinny red pants (jeans or corduroys, I'm not quite sure), soft feathery hair (how pretty). Don't get me wrong, I kind of enjoy that whole cartoony, Schoolhouse Rock style...slightly muted (but slightly bright), dusty colors, lots of lines encasing other lines, and dreamy premise. But I just wonder where this came from, and if we will ever see it again. Well, of course the past decade has pretty much been a throwback to the last 60 years, so I'm sure it will come up. Give it time.
In fact, Rod's pic got me to thinking...how tastes in male "heartthrobs" have changed through the decades!
Let's see...
1900s: Dapper young fellow, keen to explore and enjoy his youth in these exciting modern times
1910s: Another dapper young fellow, strolling through the park one day...and contemplating his upcoming marriage to a proper young society woman, not one of those silly suffragettes
1920s: Boys like me wear stripes, play polo, and go to dances with those flashy flapper women. Look at my intensity. You can bet I ain't flivver!
1930s: People (including female people) wanted heroes to distract them from the devastation of the Great Depression. So why not throw on oversized goggles, take to the sky, and soar into the American imagination?
1940s: Film noir. Cynical men who trudge through wet city streets late at night, smoke on cigars and look like Humphrey Bogart...all while fighting against fascism. Can't get more stylin' than this.
1950s: Say, Ethel, I think you're really swell. May I please escort you to the drug store for an ice cream soda? I hear they've been playing some of that "rock" music there!
1960s: Retro rainbow action! Here are the Monkees...four groovy guys who are fabulously boy-bandtastic. Davy Jones, however, wins as the "heartthrob" (at least, according to my mother). Not sure, but I think he's the pretty-looking one in the middle.
1970s: Also got the inspiration for this one from my mother's vault of celebrity crushes. Neil Diamond, in all his hairy-chested, feather-haired, man-jewelry glory.
1980s: The King of Pop himself. (Okay, this actually makes me sad. Some people made an image of Michael as he may have looked without ever having surgery, and put it next to how he looks now. He had no reason to feel insecure about his looks - he was adorable without having any work done.)
1990s: What could be better than clashety-clash, neon, and a high-top? Put 'em all together, and you get a smart-aleck but lovable Philly transplant living it up in Bel-Air. Hijinks ensue.
early 2000s: Oh, look at those curls. Those boyish pink lips. And the falsetto of gold. The "cool" girls in my junior high mandated that we all had to like Justin Timberlake. And I admit, I did what I was told.
now: I lack the objectivity to look beyond the moment and select the stereotypical upper-2000s "heartthrob". There are just so many looks to choose from. Personally, I'm partial to "geek-chic" guys - a mop of dark hair, intelligently hilarious banter, and quietly a-maz-ing eyes make me melt. But is everyone the same? I don't speak for all women. I only speak to the cliches of the past 100-something years. Here's to the next 100.
In fact, Rod's pic got me to thinking...how tastes in male "heartthrobs" have changed through the decades!
Let's see...
1900s: Dapper young fellow, keen to explore and enjoy his youth in these exciting modern times
1910s: Another dapper young fellow, strolling through the park one day...and contemplating his upcoming marriage to a proper young society woman, not one of those silly suffragettes
1920s: Boys like me wear stripes, play polo, and go to dances with those flashy flapper women. Look at my intensity. You can bet I ain't flivver!
1930s: People (including female people) wanted heroes to distract them from the devastation of the Great Depression. So why not throw on oversized goggles, take to the sky, and soar into the American imagination?
1940s: Film noir. Cynical men who trudge through wet city streets late at night, smoke on cigars and look like Humphrey Bogart...all while fighting against fascism. Can't get more stylin' than this.
1950s: Say, Ethel, I think you're really swell. May I please escort you to the drug store for an ice cream soda? I hear they've been playing some of that "rock" music there!
1960s: Retro rainbow action! Here are the Monkees...four groovy guys who are fabulously boy-bandtastic. Davy Jones, however, wins as the "heartthrob" (at least, according to my mother). Not sure, but I think he's the pretty-looking one in the middle.
1970s: Also got the inspiration for this one from my mother's vault of celebrity crushes. Neil Diamond, in all his hairy-chested, feather-haired, man-jewelry glory.
1980s: The King of Pop himself. (Okay, this actually makes me sad. Some people made an image of Michael as he may have looked without ever having surgery, and put it next to how he looks now. He had no reason to feel insecure about his looks - he was adorable without having any work done.)
1990s: What could be better than clashety-clash, neon, and a high-top? Put 'em all together, and you get a smart-aleck but lovable Philly transplant living it up in Bel-Air. Hijinks ensue.
early 2000s: Oh, look at those curls. Those boyish pink lips. And the falsetto of gold. The "cool" girls in my junior high mandated that we all had to like Justin Timberlake. And I admit, I did what I was told.
now: I lack the objectivity to look beyond the moment and select the stereotypical upper-2000s "heartthrob". There are just so many looks to choose from. Personally, I'm partial to "geek-chic" guys - a mop of dark hair, intelligently hilarious banter, and quietly a-maz-ing eyes make me melt. But is everyone the same? I don't speak for all women. I only speak to the cliches of the past 100-something years. Here's to the next 100.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Sunglasses, finally!
Bought two pairs of Jackie O sunglasses at JC Penneys, while they were having fantastic sales. One pair is very similar to this one, minus the rhinestones.
Sigh. Retro is beautiful. (Unless if it's ugly-retro, which can still be pretty fantastic.) I know it's really cliche to go on and on about Jackie's taste in fashion, but isn't that why she's an icon? She personified the idea that clean, well-fitting garments (and accessories) pack a whole lot more punch than overly trendy, cluttered looks. Don't get me wrong, I love me some hippie-ish crochet and "world" fashion, and I appreciate certain layered looks a lot. But for my part, I try to buy relatively simple pieces that fit well without you really having to "fuss" with it in order to make it look right. Hence, my recent love of dresses - if you find the right one, you put it on and bam! you're done. My tastes have changed a lot over the years, that's for certain!
Sigh. Retro is beautiful. (Unless if it's ugly-retro, which can still be pretty fantastic.) I know it's really cliche to go on and on about Jackie's taste in fashion, but isn't that why she's an icon? She personified the idea that clean, well-fitting garments (and accessories) pack a whole lot more punch than overly trendy, cluttered looks. Don't get me wrong, I love me some hippie-ish crochet and "world" fashion, and I appreciate certain layered looks a lot. But for my part, I try to buy relatively simple pieces that fit well without you really having to "fuss" with it in order to make it look right. Hence, my recent love of dresses - if you find the right one, you put it on and bam! you're done. My tastes have changed a lot over the years, that's for certain!
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Mine
Social Security. What does this term conjure up for me? Mostly frustration, and a bit of bitterness that I'm paying into a system that might not be there for me when I get to be of recipient age. That whole pay-as-you-go thing. Don't get me wrong, my grandparents are now benefiting from Social Security, and I am glad that they are. I guess I just wish our society would think of this program more in terms of, "Okay, it is our duty to care for the older generations that raised us." Instead, even though we SAY that you get what you put into it (which, yes, is somewhat true), technically the people paying into it now are funding the current recipients. One might argue that either way, as long as you contribute as a young person and receive your designated funds as an older person, it doesn't really matter if you get your own money or someone else's: because everyone will get their money when their turn comes. But it does make a difference if you are my age and can look forward to turning 67 (or probably 87, by the time I'm old enough) without any assurance that the system will be there.
But you know something? I was thinking about this today, and it hit me...why am I so concerned with making sure that I get what's MINE? Shouldn't the focus be on having enough to live comfortably and joyfully, without worrying about accumulating all that I'm "entitled" to? I'm not a socialist. I'm inclined to favor compassionate free trade. There's nothing wrong with having a society organized around the principle that on some level, people should enjoy the fruits of the work they've accomplished. And I believe it's natural and good to feel a sense of pride in your work, and it's a blessing to enjoy what you have earned. (Of course, you can argue that some of the hardest working people in the world - ie. crop workers, etc. -don't get properly rewarded relative to the intensity of their efforts. But that's a different discussion.) However, to become obsessed with grasping on to what is supposedly my due is wrong. The more important thing is to use what you need, without focusing on grasping money and goods just to hold on to them because they're yours. If it all belongs to God ultimately, then it's my job to save it, care for it, be smart about it, but ultimately just live and LET IT GO.
If only I actually lived my daily life this way. I'm working on that. Maybe I'll get the hang of it by the time I die.
Oh, and I'm sick of the lack of pictures on this page. Let's fix that now. Since I still am concerned about the whole copyright thing, let me just stick to my own photos. Here is a beautiful pic I took in London. This is one example of the gorgeousness of city lights. Light pollution it may be, but at least it's pretty pollution, right?
But you know something? I was thinking about this today, and it hit me...why am I so concerned with making sure that I get what's MINE? Shouldn't the focus be on having enough to live comfortably and joyfully, without worrying about accumulating all that I'm "entitled" to? I'm not a socialist. I'm inclined to favor compassionate free trade. There's nothing wrong with having a society organized around the principle that on some level, people should enjoy the fruits of the work they've accomplished. And I believe it's natural and good to feel a sense of pride in your work, and it's a blessing to enjoy what you have earned. (Of course, you can argue that some of the hardest working people in the world - ie. crop workers, etc. -don't get properly rewarded relative to the intensity of their efforts. But that's a different discussion.) However, to become obsessed with grasping on to what is supposedly my due is wrong. The more important thing is to use what you need, without focusing on grasping money and goods just to hold on to them because they're yours. If it all belongs to God ultimately, then it's my job to save it, care for it, be smart about it, but ultimately just live and LET IT GO.
If only I actually lived my daily life this way. I'm working on that. Maybe I'll get the hang of it by the time I die.
Oh, and I'm sick of the lack of pictures on this page. Let's fix that now. Since I still am concerned about the whole copyright thing, let me just stick to my own photos. Here is a beautiful pic I took in London. This is one example of the gorgeousness of city lights. Light pollution it may be, but at least it's pretty pollution, right?
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
The overly-long explanation of what this is all about. Sorry, I'm horrible at paring down my words. So much for simplicity.
I guess it's time to lay out what exactly I'm aiming for in this blog. Why exactly am I trying to "discover simplicity in a metropolitan world"? Excellent question, gentle reader(s? one can only hope): and I shall try to provide an answer.
To put it simply, my life feels extremely cluttered. My room, my schedule, my responsibilities - all are examples of things that I have never managed to bring to a state of meaningful completion. Over the past couple of years, I have increasingly felt the need to resolve that which has been left undone; to finish what I've started; to decide what's truly meaningful in the midst of all the dross. I'm not talking about having everything pristinely organized for its own sake, or developing a rigid style and personality. I'm talking about cutting through the garbage in order to make the most of what I've got while I've got it, so that what I've got can be used for good - can be meaningful.
My natural inclination is to daydream, to throw together colors and patterns and layers of material together in art projects, to pay attention to immense detail just because I think it's beautiful. I need lots of alone time to experiment with my personal projects and missions. I don't like adhering to a rigid schedule, but rather going along with what I'm feeling. At the same time, I have another natural inclination - one that wars with this eclectic artsy-fartsy persona. Ever sense I was little, I have struggled with an often paralyzing sense of perfectionism, particularly in all matters moral and behavioral. There's trying to do the right thing, and then there's OBSESSING over doing the right thing to an unhealthy and unrealistic level - which almost always produces a sense of all-consuming guilt when those "perfect" aspirations are not attained.
In many ways, I have become MORE of a "free spirit" as I've gotten older, because I've been trying to break away from the misery that comes with such debilitating, self-inflicted guilt. This is good and bad: good, because I've learned to loosen up and not be quite so hard on myself or on others, and bad, because sometimes I let myself get so caught up in being artistic, dreamy, and enjoyable that I neglect some really important parts of daily living - even basic things like keeping my area reasonably clean or writing thank-you notes in a responsible manner. Sometimes dreaminess can be a little selfish, no matter how good your intentions. While I've always been pretty self-controlled and reserved when it came to my body, my personal space, etc., I have struggled with getting a handle on things and duties in my life. There's a sense of powerlessness that comes when you constantly procrastinate, lose things, and bungle your responsibilities, and at the same time CARE about the fact that you are messing up. I hate that feeling, and I am trying to find more order in my life - WITHOUT losing my appreciation for spontaneous passion, creativity, and beauty for its own sake.
What does this have to do with "metropolitan"? Well, let's just say that I live in an area that doesn't exactly promote simple living: the thriving insanity that is the Greater-Washington-Metropolitan-Area.
The thing is, I am NOT anti-city - far from it. It actually really bothers me when people assume that country=pure, and city=corrupt...that goodness only exists in a rural, bucolic setting and that cities are automatically on the highway to hell. God has just as much redemption available for people living in cities as he does for those in the country. Still, I know that I often let my busy, crazy, colorful environment (which I rather enjoy!) get the best of me - I ascribe greater meaning to the looks of things and to the pure excitement of it all than to those more essential things...faith, family, friends, giving to strangers, unlearning selfishness...that are truly beautiful.
In order to break past unnecessary distractions, then, do we all retreat to pastoral communes? No! I want to learn to simplify where I am, to make things better where I am for those around me. And where I am is here...in this nutty metropolitan area that molded me. An area that I kind of love.
I want to make what I have work for me. And the thing is that I don't want to WASTE stuff anymore, because there are so many needs in this world that could be met if we learned how to use our stuff more effectively. Not being militant or OCD about it, just being smart.
Whoa. I think I'm delving into the happy waters of sustainability and postmodern eco-friendliness. Those trendy "Green" celebrities and Al Gore would be proud of me. "Yay."
Now that I've spent a ridiculous amount of time blogging about myself...
Maybe I can work on that cover letter? And SIMPLIFY my life by starting to make enough money to pay for my own loans and take the burden off my parents? Sigh. It would be so much easier to put off that responsibility for the morrow...
Until then. Live long and prosper.
(Am I evil for linking to the new Spock rather than the old? Sorry. But let me plug for the new movie - it was quite enjoyable, even for this not-quite-a-trekkie who is more partial to The Next Generation than the original series.)
To put it simply, my life feels extremely cluttered. My room, my schedule, my responsibilities - all are examples of things that I have never managed to bring to a state of meaningful completion. Over the past couple of years, I have increasingly felt the need to resolve that which has been left undone; to finish what I've started; to decide what's truly meaningful in the midst of all the dross. I'm not talking about having everything pristinely organized for its own sake, or developing a rigid style and personality. I'm talking about cutting through the garbage in order to make the most of what I've got while I've got it, so that what I've got can be used for good - can be meaningful.
My natural inclination is to daydream, to throw together colors and patterns and layers of material together in art projects, to pay attention to immense detail just because I think it's beautiful. I need lots of alone time to experiment with my personal projects and missions. I don't like adhering to a rigid schedule, but rather going along with what I'm feeling. At the same time, I have another natural inclination - one that wars with this eclectic artsy-fartsy persona. Ever sense I was little, I have struggled with an often paralyzing sense of perfectionism, particularly in all matters moral and behavioral. There's trying to do the right thing, and then there's OBSESSING over doing the right thing to an unhealthy and unrealistic level - which almost always produces a sense of all-consuming guilt when those "perfect" aspirations are not attained.
In many ways, I have become MORE of a "free spirit" as I've gotten older, because I've been trying to break away from the misery that comes with such debilitating, self-inflicted guilt. This is good and bad: good, because I've learned to loosen up and not be quite so hard on myself or on others, and bad, because sometimes I let myself get so caught up in being artistic, dreamy, and enjoyable that I neglect some really important parts of daily living - even basic things like keeping my area reasonably clean or writing thank-you notes in a responsible manner. Sometimes dreaminess can be a little selfish, no matter how good your intentions. While I've always been pretty self-controlled and reserved when it came to my body, my personal space, etc., I have struggled with getting a handle on things and duties in my life. There's a sense of powerlessness that comes when you constantly procrastinate, lose things, and bungle your responsibilities, and at the same time CARE about the fact that you are messing up. I hate that feeling, and I am trying to find more order in my life - WITHOUT losing my appreciation for spontaneous passion, creativity, and beauty for its own sake.
What does this have to do with "metropolitan"? Well, let's just say that I live in an area that doesn't exactly promote simple living: the thriving insanity that is the Greater-Washington-Metropolitan-Area.
The thing is, I am NOT anti-city - far from it. It actually really bothers me when people assume that country=pure, and city=corrupt...that goodness only exists in a rural, bucolic setting and that cities are automatically on the highway to hell. God has just as much redemption available for people living in cities as he does for those in the country. Still, I know that I often let my busy, crazy, colorful environment (which I rather enjoy!) get the best of me - I ascribe greater meaning to the looks of things and to the pure excitement of it all than to those more essential things...faith, family, friends, giving to strangers, unlearning selfishness...that are truly beautiful.
In order to break past unnecessary distractions, then, do we all retreat to pastoral communes? No! I want to learn to simplify where I am, to make things better where I am for those around me. And where I am is here...in this nutty metropolitan area that molded me. An area that I kind of love.
I want to make what I have work for me. And the thing is that I don't want to WASTE stuff anymore, because there are so many needs in this world that could be met if we learned how to use our stuff more effectively. Not being militant or OCD about it, just being smart.
Whoa. I think I'm delving into the happy waters of sustainability and postmodern eco-friendliness. Those trendy "Green" celebrities and Al Gore would be proud of me. "Yay."
Now that I've spent a ridiculous amount of time blogging about myself...
Maybe I can work on that cover letter? And SIMPLIFY my life by starting to make enough money to pay for my own loans and take the burden off my parents? Sigh. It would be so much easier to put off that responsibility for the morrow...
Until then. Live long and prosper.
(Am I evil for linking to the new Spock rather than the old? Sorry. But let me plug for the new movie - it was quite enjoyable, even for this not-quite-a-trekkie who is more partial to The Next Generation than the original series.)
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
The First One...and oh my, the pressure.
Another late night up, another night not getting done what I'd like to accomplish. Well, okay, I did sort of start a blog...but that's not exactly the same as finishing up that new cover letter, or doing the work for my mom like I said I would...or cooking something to bring to work for lunch tomorrow. In actuality, some of these things weren't really concrete plans, more like vague concepts of future possibilities - so I guess I shouldn't be so hard on myself, right? But the cover letter is something I really need to do soon, before that job closes. Yikes.
Okay, so time to get some popcorn, organize those checks for Mom, and maybe...pop in a movie? Watch some TV? The night is young. Barring the fact that I need to be up in about 8.5 hours to get ready for work. I'm not meant for this being-awake-during-the-day thing, if it means I have to go to bed early. The thing is, though, that when you are up late at night, then you feel the urge to sleep in during the day (if you don't have to get up for school / work), and then you miss the morning. I don't like to miss morning OR night. So maybe...I should forgo "sleep" altogether in favor of a huge midday siesta? I shall have to ponder.
Okay, so time to get some popcorn, organize those checks for Mom, and maybe...pop in a movie? Watch some TV? The night is young. Barring the fact that I need to be up in about 8.5 hours to get ready for work. I'm not meant for this being-awake-during-the-day thing, if it means I have to go to bed early. The thing is, though, that when you are up late at night, then you feel the urge to sleep in during the day (if you don't have to get up for school / work), and then you miss the morning. I don't like to miss morning OR night. So maybe...I should forgo "sleep" altogether in favor of a huge midday siesta? I shall have to ponder.
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