Abs are Not Vanity

While for many americans, the search for great abs can be chalked up to vanity, the search for the perfect body, A discovered their other most fabulous meaning. After having spent a week feeling like an old man who has hurt his lower back and then can't move, sit, pick up, or do anything fun or useful, she learned abs are of the utmost important. Core strengthening not only better surfing skills, etc, ought to be engaged so as not to be an old man again. A now feels the pull to take sit-ups, good posture, seriously not for any "visible results" but to protect her kind and gentle lower back. A also feels thankful to the many who prayed for her, helped her carry things, and the PT friend who sent a list of suggested exercises. A is off to work out her core muscles.

Three

Three

I have you, I have you, in your perfection
& you have me.
Your umbrella-bones reach across—
Your feathers sing on my shoulder blade, my wing.
A trinity to follow, escort, & remind me:
Soaring, searching, & wild—
Into my classroom, my bedroom, on unpaved roads
Or marble steps. A picture of who I am: the sand
In my hair. Of three I once knew, & three I know now—
The way the wind sweeps from the sea, seeking
& bathing the whole of me. A moment of flight,
An eternity. A body of skin for this world: a shadow
Of a pearl in Love’s extended hand. A compass
Always pointing toward the cliff's edge: for vistas
Of orange sunsets, wide sunrises: a life with no regret.

Singing in the Rain/Umbrella-ella-ella

Poem for today

Semaphore

Thank you for bringing me here, to this cliff. Suddenly I’m aware of my toes on the pebbles and thorn-grass. I can hear my mouth, my nose, a quiet thud thud in my throat. I am broken streetlight. The honeycomb Red, Yellow, and Green ring out, all at once, confusing traffic: wrecks, collisions, pile ups. My breath now the only vehicle darting through the tunnels and streets, your name belted to my tongue.

Autobiography of a Face by Lucy Grealy


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Terribly sad book, well written, capturing the point of view of a child in a dysfunctional family experiencing the affects of cancer and its treatment. More sad than the pain of the disease is the misunderstandings and familial relations during this child's growing up. I would say read it only if you are particularly interested in sad stories, or capturing the point of view of a child through writing, or wondering what its like to experience chemotherapy.

View all my reviews >>

American Tourist tries to go deep

But there was no lake to jump into, so she started thinking:

1. Realization: A. likes that the bible is confusing. this occurred to her during a conversation with other americans of various belief systems.
2. She likes that the bible is not cookie cutter instructions, 100% without confusiong because it encourages: 1. Thinking for oneself 2. Making decisions for onself. 3. examination and a thoughtful eye.
3. A remembers the play Waiting For Godot, but she doesn't remember the names of the main characters. But she does remember that one character wants to play a game: having a noose around his neck, with his friend holding the end of the rope so that he doesn't have to make decisions for himself, he must fully rely on friend.
4. A think both christians and non-christians enjoy being told what to do. we like to think in terms of black and white, to put labels on things: good, bad, ugly, pretty because it takes less time, brain power and self examination that gray areas, things without labels, and life without clear instructions.
5. At church today, A. asked for the holy spirit to be there and with her. she recieved it in an unexpected way: conviction. The sermon was on letting your yes be yes and your no no. So simple, such good advice. A. has been shading the truth a lot. A has been involved with department gossip. A. wants out of shaded truth, lies and gossip.

A also wants to go swimming in a lake. or river. or ocean. Good thing in 5 days an ocean will be made available to her!