Social Lesson

Tuesday, April 23, 2024

Shakespeare was born in 1564, almost 500 years ago. His mature writings have endured, and to this day, they teach and influence powerfully. His story elements have created an enduring legacy. His words are quoted, his characters analyzed, and his stories retold. Shakespeare is a permanent fixture in the worlds of literature and theater.

I have wondered if Shakespeare’s influence is equal to that of the Ten Commandments. After some research, I understand that the two works operate in different spheres. They hold differing kinds of weight among humanity.

Shakespeare’s influence focuses more on artistic expression and cultural understanding, while The Ten Commandments have a broader social impact.

Shakespeare’s influence is primarily in literature, theater, and language. His influence is inspirational, offering insights into the human condition and sparking creativity. His works transcend religion and culture, appealing to anyone who appreciates storytelling and language.

The Ten Commandments are religious and moral guidelines; they are prescriptive, dictating right from wrong. Primarily aimed at religious followers, the Commandments have vastly influenced the shape of Western societies for millennia by impacting legal systems and social codes and influencing individual behavior.

Understanding the differences, I now see that The Ten Commandments are the backbone of Shakespeare’s plots. Similar to how The Commandments greatly influence Western society, they make Shakespeare’s plots very powerful and lasting. Shakespeare’s genius is his creativity, an artistry for structuring complicated plots that beckon highly emotional responses.

Today, Shakespeare’s birthday encouraged me to work through my long-held, knotty question. I understand better now what makes his works continually impact humanity. He was an artist at creating plot structures that intertwined closely to, and often fell against, acceptable social orders and norms.

Dear Friends: Shakespeare makes us think about us! Nobody’s done it better. Diana

Perspectives

Monday, April 22, 2024

A beautiful morning. Today’s header photo shows Maxwell having an early view.

Last night, I got caught up in my tendency to make impulsive decisions. I’m not fond of that quality, having learned that impulsive decisions don’t necessarily work out as I might have wished. Actually, last night, I wanted to look forward realistically and make some meaningful plans for the future.

That forced me to pause and think about my perspectives and outlooks. Clearly, the two are closely related and interact constantly. Focusing on perspective, I think, is a way of essentially self-assessing, in other words, self-informing, to grasp my key attitudes and expectations. An understanding of the two opens a personal baseline, which moves thinking forward and helps with planning for new directions logically.

That’s much better than deciding impulsively, emotionally, and on the spot. In other words, by planning based on perspective and outlook, and combining hope and imagination, I’ll be able to anticipate a more achievable future.

Dear Friends: I’ll have to remember all that and plan accordingly in the future. Diana

Bird-Eyed

Julia’s adorable doodle-pup, “Josie,” @ 6 mos.

Saturday, April 21, 2024

I was called in to work on my day off yesterday and had my first stint at cashiering in the store’s main kiosk, which is dedicated to handling customer service. I enjoyed working in the spot, learning new processes, enjoying a bird’s eye view of a large store section, and not running across unexpected customer issues. An issue that might have occurred would have been handled well because a capable coworker nearby had my back.

My competent backup was the nice fellow who sells sunglasses in the store. Oh, not just any old glasses, but “designer kinds.” During my time working there, and deliberately, I’ve not paused to look at sunglasses. However, now in Central Oregon, the sun shines with real summer arriving. So yesterday, in the main customer service kiosk, I was near a large array of displayed sunglasses; they dominated my bird’s eye view, and they teased! You’ll easily guess the outcome.

Summer thoughts that are pushing more blood into my brain are refocusing me on the horses. Yesterday, I brushed out most of their remaining dense winter coats, combed and untangled their manes and tails, and today will start their reconditing by exercising on a long line.

My working hours are many, as the store is low on employee numbers and I want to help. Meanwhile, I want the time and energy to be working regularly with my horses–wonderful and fun, they’re not to be neglected.

Dear Friends: My new specs, engineered to stay on while riding horseback, are very cool. Diana

Film Art

Saturday, April 20, 2024

Last night, I was thumbing through some streaming offerings and stumbled across “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.” The highlight of that 1954 musical was one of the greatest dance sequences ever filmed. In their real lives, six of the seven “brothers” were classically trained dancers; so were the townspeople, the men and women dancing partners. I was eager to see that movie again.

The underside of its wonderfulness is a dark story. It’s deep winter and the brothers are eager to find wives. They kidnap girls from the town and forget to kidnap a preacher. A sudden avalanche closes the pass to their remote property, preventing the townsmen from rescuing their girls.

The eldest brother is married, and his wife keeps his younger brothers and the girls separated throughout the winter. By spring, love is in the air and everybody is happy. A rescue group led by the town’s Chaplin arrives at the ranch, and finally, the Chaplin officiates over six marriages.

In its time of making, the film’s story was fun. In modern times, however, its fable is much less innocent. It’s hard to ignore the 2014 kidnapping of Nigerian schoolgirls by Boko Haram, an Islamic terrorist group. Finally, some of the girls managed to escape or became rescued, and only now some are telling their stories of years in captivity. Their stories aren’t pretty and don’t end well enough. Even today rescues again living in their village of origin are shunned, considered “Boko Haram women,” and with their children, are treated as outcasts.

Curious, I looked up Stephen Vincent Benét’s short story “The Sobbin’ Women,” published in 1937, on which “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers” was based. Benét’s story is beautifully written and readable. It’s also much leaner and tougher than the movie version.

Fortunately, artistry can overcome much. In “Seven Brides….” the dance sequences are outstanding, and sheer art that lives on film. Someday, I will watch that movie again.

Dear Friends: It’s all about having the capability of leading a good life. Diana

Mind Viewing

Friday, April 19, 2024

They say that a picture is worth a thousand words. This capture of Maxwell says a bunch.

The department store manager where I work part-time will leave in a few weeks. She’s heading to Colorado, to start managing a “sister store.” Our Bend employees are sad that she’s going because she’s a good store manager, but are cheering for her new opportunity.

Bend’s second-tier managers who report to her are well-seasoned, know their stuff, and are good leaders who can keep the store’s goals and line workers on track to succeed. I’ve never found it easy to say farewell to a well-liked someone, but I have learned that a capable succession group can ease the challenges, and we who still are here will adjust appropriately and move forward.

Socially, in contrast to lengthier, earlier times, the post-Viet Nam era’s explosion of technology and wealth has encouraged populations to keep moving and seeking new opportunities. We have learned to live in a nuclear age, and are accustomed to people being constantly on the move. We have become seasoned shifters of allegiances.

We have learned that families may split, long-time close friendships may become long-distance friendships, our supporters and mentors might move away, and now, we’re learning that people are living longer, for more years than ever anticipated. We understand that our home base essentially is ourselves and that calls for self-confidence and self-structuring.

To that end, we are exploring new interests to keep our minds alert, being active to build strength and remain active physically, and knowing it’s important to be sure of ourselves and carry on despite the constant social changes affecting us.

Anyway, now, a capable, fine friend is leaving. I’ll adjust.

Dear Friends: Always, a huge challenge to wrap one’s head around change. Diana

Visuals

Thursday, April 18, 2024

Yesterday was weird. I was thinking about air space and visibility. While driving home around 4 p.m., I couldn’t see a cloud in the sky. Suddenly, I noticed overhead a partial globe, maybe the moon? It was alone, just hanging. After several seconds of doubting reality and double-taking, I understood that it was most of the moon, just floating, naked.

I wondered why the moon sighting had been confusing and why visual perceptions sometimes cause doubts. A little research explained that our brains don’t receive perfectly detailed pictures from our eyes. Instead, they absorb sight data and fill in blanks with what’s known from past experiences and expectations. The “filling-in” can lead to misinterpretations, like my doubting that overhead and so early, I was seeing the moon.

Filling in may be especially confusing when sightings are unfamiliar or in low-light conditions. How things are arranged or lit affects how we perceive their sizes, shapes, and colors. Our brains are generally very good at interpreting the visual world. Still, overconfidence can add to confusion. Our human sighting limitations remind us to be aware of and critical of what we see. Understanding has a reward of less wondering if what we see is an illusion or misinterpretation.

Take this a step forward and consider magicians. Their hands move very quickly, not directly fooling our eyes, but fooling our brain’s perceptions of what our eyes are seeing. They create illusions by exploiting the loopholes in how humans process visual information.

Dear Friends: Now, quitting, on seeing that illusion-related topics are unending. Diana

Hello

Wednesday, April 17, 2024

My brain is roadblocking this morning’s blog. The problem is that I have an early meeting and must attend to time and preparation needs.

For now, I’ll just say “Good Morning” with the hope that your day is fine.

Dear Friends: More tomorrow morning, and also, more creative. Diana

Bitties Insisting

Tuesday, April 16, 2024

My house is under siege by two tiny birds, apparently mates, taking turns tapping unendingly into a lower corner of a high window. They’re working too high for wingless me to reach them without a 20-foot ladder. Little by little a hole grows. The birds are tiny—chickadees or nuthatches—but determined. I watch and yell to no advantage.

Their chosen window is precisely where a Northern Flicker drilled a large hole years ago. Apparently, birds are attracted to high spots protected by an eve. I love birds but would drive away these littles. I yell and threaten, but they ignore me. The long-ago Flicker left an unsightly hole that, finally, a house painter made to disappear.

Now, here we go again. This time, it’s a bird tiny enough to leave space in my palm.

They’re so high up it’s hard to tell, but I think a Chickadee bird pair is tapping into my house. My first impression was that the birds were Juncos, but a Junco doesn’t drill unendingly.

It’s a wonder seeing these tiny birds pecking into my house siding, determined to create a nesting space. A little research says that they can and won’t give up until they do.

Dear Friends: I’m becoming an unwilling nest host to bitty birds. Diana

Crackin’ Peachy

Monday, April 15, 2024

The header photo is an old selfie; it popped up and surprised me. I took it many years ago while driving to Sister’s, slowly, in heavy traffic. It was opening day for the Sister’s Quilt Show, an impressive annual event. Crackers, a Moluccan cockatoo, was on my shoulder. She was my buddy/visitor through that summer and we went everywhere together.

Crackers, a very affectionate bird, always dependably stayed on my shoulder. She had a huge vocabulary; we talked lots. I adored her–didn’t realize how much until after she was home again with her first family.

She’s why later I adopted Peaches, my Citron cockatoo.

Here’s Peaches, exploring a recent challenge.

Peaches’ personality is huge, like Crackers’, and he, too, has a large vocabulary. However, he often speaks less clearly than she–characteristics of their breed types. He loves being with me. One of my favorite things about Peaches is that he sings and creates humanlike melodies. We sing together, communicating that way is lovely.

Dear Friends: Yes, I’m a bird person, all because of my summer with Crackers. Diana

Still Out…

Sunday, April 14, 2024

Rain, rain, and unstopping last night. The small critters stayed inside with me, and the big outsiders didn’t get late-night eat-infusions. My most bothersome thoughts arose from an email saying that my book package had been delivered. I looked around nearby outside and didn’t see a package anywhere. Of all things, books, somewhere in the rain.

What’s more to do? I went to bed.

I slept little all night as my stubborn head replayed much of the Simpson-Brown trial thirty years ago. Then, I lived in LA and worked in a big aerospace company. I had a private office, wonder-of-wonders, where a little radio let me follow each moment of the murder trial. I listened to months of jaw-biting arguments, descriptions of edge-clinging evidence, and commentators’ outrage. I believed Simpson guilty, and still today, I can recall my deep shock at the jury’s verdict.

Now, thirty years later, we understand better how our larger culture influenced the jury’s decision. More makes sense, from the outrage among non-whites after a history of vicious policing against them; and a black celebrity with the wealth for a star team of defense attorneys; and public defenders representing a political office, totally unprepared to handle a trial that became a circus.

That double murder remains openly unjustified and still is an outstanding social tragedy.

Dear Friends: Anxiety-causing memories from my “midnight-awake” time. Diana