“We’re putting that picture in the book, eh?” asked Calliope with a wrinkle in her nose. “Can’t do any better?”
“Maybe we could…the grapefruit segments looked…ummm, inappropriate,” Urania shrugged. “For some reason citrus does not convert well to a sketch.”
“I think it looks fine,” said Thalia. “The Sunkist sticker helps.”
“Minn-e-o-l-a — tasted like an orange to me,” said Urania.
“Humans are big on naming and classifying Nia—give ‘em a break,” said Calliope. “They start the wee ones to sorting which picture doesn’t belong at the same time they learn to use the potty.”
Urania looked thoughtful…
“So…last night was fun, wasn’t it?” asked Thalia.
“Yes,” said Urania with a grin. “We haven’t presented a story to a group in a loooong time. No notes!”
“Not too bad for a rusty hinge,” said Thalia.
“Kinda like the picture…sometimes you go with what you have and learn…building for the future,” said Urania.
“Can I share the Vonnegut quote now?” asked Calliope.
Urania and Thalia’s bangs bounced as they nodded their agreement.
I'm so glad Kurt was on that dig! I've always consumed his books like cotton candy at the state fair. I do see a bit of him in my approach to life... other than great writing skills, a keen acerbic wit, and a bushy mustache. I've shared this story with Gail before, about a relative asking me at the age of 7 or 8 what I wanted to be when I grew up. I replied, "A firetruck." The relative attempted to correct my choice of words, "You mean 'fireman'." I responded, "No, 'firetruck'." Along the way, I tried one path then the other. My first exposure to an archeological dig came along as I neared 40. Perhaps it should have come sooner.
Now on today's sketch: while I disclaim any consumption of psychodelic substances today, I have to say the sketches must pull hard on some of the past instances. So does anyone else see the song bird's head protruding from the middle of the right grapefruit segment? Short beak, left eye staring at the viewer, feathers swept back across its crown, and slight streaking behind and below the eye?! Does Caliope have Photoshop skills?
In northwestern Pennsylvania growing up, a common saying (attributed to the Pennsylvania-Dutch) goes, "We grow too soon old, and too late smart." While seemingly silly to a young boy, today it makes perfect sense. A sort of Book of Job comment, paraphrasing, "That which I hath feared the most hath come to pass." Today I feel like the embodiment of that saying.
As you might suspect I love the Vonnegut quote. In my FLP class I show a video on Emilie Wapnick where she coins, I believe, the word "multipotentialite" for people with many interests who in part disdain focus on one thing. I could go on with this thread but the question that is sitting with me "is becoming always in the way of being?" And the other questions flow there. They include "is intention always a limitation on being?".
To V's point there is a lot of writing about how people will love to do what they're good at doing. The architects of this faux wisdom obviously have never been on their local golf course on a weekend.