Eggs

Let me preface this post with a brief reminder that I have been ear deep in school work and have had zero time for blogging, I miss it tremendously, and have been writing more than I've ever written in my life. I think I did the NaNo writing project through school in three weeks instead of here in four, and I was graded on it!

One of my papers was on whole brained thinking as opposed to predominantly left or right. When we focus on whole brained thinking, we experience SO much more. In explaining the benefits of examining what's beyond the obvious (developing and using the senses to experience and learn more), I considered the following example as a metaphor for realizing the benefit of learning about that which is outside of our familiar comfort zone.

The eggs are the variable... the eggs could be anything; material, emotional, moral... anything.

Eggs. Let's say someone doesn't like eggs at ALL. Hates them.
Doesn't want to learn about them or have anything to do with them, ever... absolutely no eggs.
Even though they don't like eggs, if they'd taken the time to learn about eggs, then they might have discovered that when eggs are mixed with flour and milk, the result is cake - and this person would have LOVED cake.
But our egg hater will never know about the cake, because they turned away from the initial/basic idea (the eggs), and consequently missed out on a million other great things.
No eggs = closed doors. One can't get very far if they close doors.

~A closing request:

Please look beyond your little world that you walk around in every day, the sphere of your reality that makes up your life... the people you know, your job, your church, your friends, your family and your comfort zones. That's where you live. Go outside of that and find all of the things you never knew you were missing out on.

Look up. Look farther. Look deeper into people, into yourself, into our world... experience more of it, through all of your senses. When you listen - really listen, to more than words, listen to the meaning and the origin of what is being shared with you, even if you disagree, listen. You could learn something. When you speak, be certain that what you say is what you mean, and that when you say it, it's understood clearly by those you say it to. Speak well. When you touch, when you feel the world around you, be careful but be curious - discover your environment in every way possible. When you smell and taste, take your time. Let the scents and flavors of life penetrate you to your core, enjoy them each time as if it were the last time.

There's so much more out there than we allow ourselves to reach.
Don't miss out on the cake. It might be the best part.

Reflection

Turn your sound up...

and REFLECT.

Properly Incensed

I am completely incensed.

Perhaps it is my independent, strong, proud nature.

I don't like labels to begin with, but I realize that for certain purposes they simplify organization.
Categories.
Who are you?
What do you do?
Why are you here?
Where are you from?
When did you come here?

I was reviewing work that had been done by someone else today.
An application.
It is the habit of this particular person to rank people in her esteem according to her opinion of their worth, and typically, old rich white men (and occasionally old rich white women) are worthy to be revered in her lofty perspective. It is seldom that anyone else rises above that sharp angle at the edge of the nose that she looks down.

I see it as a serious injustice and a shortcoming of her personality. I have my own shortcomings; I don't say anything. Often.

Today, however... it bothered me enough to blog about it.
I must vent, I beg your indulgence.

In reviewing the application, I saw that she'd noted the man's occupation neatly and put him first as she always does. Fine. It could be done the other way but I think this hasn't occurred to her. Fine.
I then discovered that she had entered the ladies occupation as HWF.

*****STEAM*****

THAT is short for Housewife.

Deep sigh.

Perhaps she has not noticed that I have corrected ALL of her previous entries of housewife to those of HOMEMAKER. Yes, I am politically correct in this ilk.

We are not in the 50's.

I think at the very least, a modicum of dignity and respect ought to be afforded to those women who choose not to enter the workforce; those who have the daunting task of running a household in the new millennium, something which is no small task and which- if it were a paid position- would net the woman OR MAN (note Homemaker is not gender specified) about six figures a year, currently.

It is without a shred of doubt, a position that commands respect and dignity.

The women who fought and died for equality and recognition at the turn of the last century, did not do so with the vision that women in the coming century could have the freedom to be indifferent to their sacrifices!!!



I cringe and shudder at the thought.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Sojourner Truth would be infuriated, not incensed, at the complacency of some women today.
We are the granddaughters of warriors of justice, integrity, dignity and HONOR.
We are absolutely NOT of a lesser value or worth than our male counterparts.

I certainly hope that each person who reads this remembers what was sacrificed willingly by our foremothers... so that WE could be granted the equality that should never have been a question.

God Bless the Homemakers.

Scarlett & Viaggiatore

7's all around... Randomly

Absolute Vanilla tagged me with another meme... Christmas is coming, dear Vanilla, what on earth will you get in your stocking?

Random Meme Rules
1. Link to the person’s blog who tagged you.
2. Post these rules on your blog.
3. Don't drink anything over the keyboard while reading this meme on other pages.
4. List seven random and/or weird facts about yourself.
5. Tag seven random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs.
6. Stretch.
7. Let each person know that they have been tagged by posting a comment on their blog.

Seven random Scarlett-isms. Hmmm.

2. I often wonder why and how and what
7. I always try to forgive
9. I love the number nine ~ I even cried when I turned 10
27. I am ambidextrous
0. I drink my Earl Grey tea with cream
-16. I know how to check and change the oil in my car, and change a flat tire
81. I cherish all of my good friends

And now to cherish some friends enough to share this random meme.
See number 7, cherished friends, and forgive unto me as I would forgive unto you.

7. The FIRST one goes to an old friend of mine with a new blog... everyone please go say hello to Robin at The Road Less Traveled (in which she used a couple of photos I took to make her point!) she's brand new, very funny and really smart. Heart of Gold. You may remember her as the teacher with the $40 annual budget in my rant "For Love Not Money".

3. Irrelephant, who I believe will be able to conjure up quite a random list. I'm sure there will be at least one train mention, which is good, we like trains.

5. Christina at Single City Chick will undoubtedly come up with a rousing list!

1. Chesca at Exskindiver, who will surely create one to surprise me and make me laugh!

2. Jon at Writing in a Vacuum - he will be able to go from 5 things what are good to 7 that are random!

4. Pearl at Humanyms - and a very interesting list this will be!

6. Sarala at Blogaway - I'll probably get to see a really great picture with her list!


Thanks all... have fun!

Scarlett & Viaggiatore

I Think Continually of Those Who Were Truly Great

Please enjoy one of my favorite poems... on the contingency that you read it aloud...

I Think Continually of Those Who Were Truly Great

By Sir Stephen Spender

I think continually of those who were truly great.

Who from the womb, remembered the soul's history

Through corridors of light where the hours are suns,

Endless and singing. Whose lovely ambition

Was that their lips, still touched with fire,

Should tell of the spirit clothed from head to foot in song.

And who hoarded from the spring branches

The desires falling across their bodies like blossoms.

What is precious is never to forget

The delight of the blood drawn from ageless springs

Breaking through rocks in worlds before our Earth;

Never to deny its pleasure in the simple morning light,

Nor its grave evening demand for love;

Never to allow gradually the traffic to smother

With noise and fog the flowering of the spirit.

Near the snow, near the sun, in the highest field

See how these names are feted by the wavering grass,

And by the streamers of white cloud,

And whispers of wind in the listening sky;

The names of those who in their lives fought for life,

Who wore at their hearts the fire's centre.

Born of the sun they traveled a short while towards the sun

And left the vivid air signed with their honor.

Tales From the Deep End

I know I've been gone too long when I start getting emails wondering if I am OK ~
Just been floundering around in the deep too long...

I am OK!

I think.

I have been very busy with many things; most of which were productive.

I missed it here so much, and I will be around to visit everyone shortly.

And start checking off the bloglist of to do's... I'll start that this weekend.

In the meantime, good to be back and can't wait to catch up with everyone!

Scarlett & Viaggiatore