Every once in a while I go through a period in my life where I have a lot on my mind and the thoughts are free flowing in and out of my brain and consciousness at almost light speed. This is one of those times. Over the past couple of days I have been working on a potential blog entry entitled "The Many Faces of Death" but it takes so much energy for me to put into words what I want to say sometimes. So, for now I am putting my thoughts on death aside and will just pass along some of my ponderings on a number of other things I have been thinking about this week....
President Bush's Speech: I was glad to see Bush in a more somber mood this time around and was glad to hear him, at least mention, some things that he and his party generally ignore like looking for alternative energy sources and Global Warming...but I can't help feeling that much of what he had to say and propose, especially regarding Iraq is too late...I hope I am wrong...but...sometimes so much damage is done you can't go back and fix that which has been obliterated.
Reading: I don't just read through books to gather information anymore. I read slowly, underline as I go, journal a bit, and try to allow the words to interact and engage my soul. I know this probably sounds a bit esoteric but it seems to be working. I can at times almost feel the energy flow through me as I am pondering this or that. If this all sounds too New Agy for you, please disregard and move on....
Relationships: Difficult, exhilarating at times, painful, beautiful, generally worth the time and effort, mysterious, unpredictable, sacred, blissful, and a unique aspect of the human condition that touches the deepest essence of our souls....
Music: Pearl Jam in concert rocks....especially Daughter and Given to Fly....and long live U-2's Vertigo DVD...God, I love the opening number, City of Blinding Lights...
Movies: I love movies. I love the storytelling aspect and the wonderful sights and sounds...and... I don't think enough people appreciate the craftsmanship and passion that goes into this incredible art form...and...in the next life I hope God makes me a film director...I could dig it...
Jung: I love reading the writers who have been influenced by the Swiss giant who brought us archetypes, ponderings of the soul, and the emphasis on imagination, which are the things lacking in our high tech, overly analytical, supposedly efficient, mean and lean, society run by bureaucrats and power brokers who have, imho, lost touch with themselves and what really matters in this world....
Church: As I stated in an earlier blog entry I had all but given up on organized, institutional religion. It had become too painful, boring, and to be blunt, largely irrelevant to me and I had stopped feeling guilty about my attitude towards church and the fact that I had stopped going a long time ago...For the past three weeks I have been attending a local Congregational Church and am more excited about going to church than I have been since I can't remember when???....I find the pastor inspiring, intelligent, humorous, and a good story teller. Next week she is going to start a new sermon series on Brian Mclaren's book, The Secret Message of Jesus. This series will last for four months and the congregation will be discussing the book each week after the sermon....and...the pastor is offering a free book for anyone who promises to read the book and participate in the discussions. I am really, really, excited about this opportunity. This is right up my alley and I am looking forward to entering into the discussion and getting to know some people along the way and we'll see where this all leads in the months to come.....
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5 comments:
Nice post, Bilbo, similar to the one I just put up tonight in that it covers a lot of territory and from what I see our thoughts and impressions are overlapping in some ways, esp. what you said about film which has been leaving deep spiritual impressions on me lately...
Cool news Bill. I didn't watch the SOTU and watched a recorded Heroes segment instead (I blogged about this).
I like the storytelling part of movies too. I also like movies like Rainman that showcase a characters transformation from jerk to caring individual.
I love the idea of doing a book at church with discussion afterwards ... keep us posted on that. Any picks for the Super Bowl?
Dave,
I think film leaves the kind of "deep impressions" on us because they are fundamentally a work of art and art has a way of getting around our defenses, walls, and intellectual barriers that guard us...and...potentially move us in directions we may have repressed or underemphasized...I also love how great filmakers integrate a strong sense of imagination in their work. I am not necessarily talking about imagination exclusively in terms of fantasy, but imagination in terms of storytelling in general which applies to all genres. Imagination is something that is underestimated and underemphasized, imho...and...something that inspires me because I think it can and ought to be integrated more into every area of our lives...
Hi Bob,
I have been following some of your blog entries on film and culture and have been intending to post a few thoughts on your site but haven't got around to it yet. I'm not a big fan of some of the older films you wrote about like Spartacus and the Magnificent 7 but I share your sentiments about Little Miss Sunshine and Rainman. I loved Little Miss Sunshine and was happy to see it nominated for best picture. I try to stay away from the Food Channel because I can't relate to all the fancy recipes because I have spent most of my adult life as a cuisine barbarian who lives off rice and salads for the most part. I guess I need to find a wife who can provide me with some inspiration and some help in this area of my life....My pick on the Super Bowl....Indy 30 Chicago 13....I expect Manning to have a monster game....
"cuisine barbarian" - I am still smiling :)
Ditto your prediction for the SB Bill ... hope Manning has a good day.
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