"What'chya doin'?" -a goat in New Jersey, 2011 (photo y Laelia Watt) Standing at a bus stop recently, I absentmindedly checked my Facebook page for the fifth time that day, when it hit me. It has been a while since I could remember what it is like to not be aware of what 30 friends were thinking at any given time. I like Facebook. It is a great tool which has helped me categorize all my photos, keep in touch with family members scattered all over the world, and has sparked many fun conversations with my friends over the years, but I suddenly missed having my brain filled with only my own thoughts during the day. As a person who has moved frequently throughout my life, the oddest thing about social media is that the thoughts, activities, photos, and political leanings of the friends I would normally leave behind and slowly drift from, are suddenly displayed daily for me to peruse. Don't get me wrong, I like keeping in touch with old friends, and as I said, I...
My Shakespeare professor was showing the class a drawing of the inside of The Swan theatre in England. He said, "This is the only existing representation of the inside of an Elizabethan theatre. It is a prized rendition, drawn by a theatre-goer named Johannes de Witt. He drew it in 1596, then sent it to his friend back in his home country. The only reason why we have a an inkling as to what the theatres of the day looked like on the inside is because of this one drawing that was found in a dusty library in another country." Hearing this information, I was suddenly struck by an idea. Here this guy Johannes probably went on vacation to London one day, and being a doodler, decided to draw the scene in the theatre while he watched a play. Maybe he was bored, or maybe he was drawing it for the sake of his friend, Arend van Buchell, who had wanted to join him on the trip. Maybe Arend became ill or didn't have enough money for the trip, or his wife's baby was due and ...
(Me with yearling horse at the University of AZ Equine Center. Photo by my Aunt) In my journey, I've been focusing more on seeking joy in my body. These are some free-flowing thoughts to express a few thoughts I have had along the way: There is so much SHAME out there from every direction. All the "how tos" of "losing weight" and "never good enoughs" drown out the joy that is eating powerful, life-giving foods and doing exhilarating things that one loves! Walking, riding my bike, dancing, Pilates, canoeing etc are things I can't wait to do! I don't run for exercise, because I despise running unless absolutely necessary. I say, pursue activities that make you feel happy to be alive and thankful for your body! Do you ever marvel in awe at the way your body moves? Study human anatomy and physiology, and you will discover that the simplest move of a muscle requires an intricate chain reaction of minute proportions. One tiny malfunction,...
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