Resurrection

I'm slowly learning that we all fall down, and we all raise up. We do it everyday. Resurrection of the heart happens as often as we allow it to. Maybe this is a form of repentance. Or maybe it's just what it feels like to overcome the daily struggles that impede our progress.

Whatever the case, I'm slowly learning that we all fall down, and we all raise up.

If we allow ourselves to.

Blind

So I'm still not very good at taking out my contacts (although I did it last night). However Mikey isn't very good at wearing his retainer. So we're fair.

But tonight he told me that because I don't take out my contacts I WON'T SEE THE FACES OF MY CHILDREN because I'll be blind.

I'm still not going to take out my contacts. 

Suggestions?

Mikey just informed me that in the library there is a suggestion box that is labled:

"Johann Suggestion Box"

Classy HBLL. Super classy.

Chatty

Yep, he knows me. And it feels so good.

Between

I've been thinking so much about what I've termed "the stuff between."

Still stumped.

But you can read about it here.

Perks

Having bronchitis has it's perks:

1. Two baths in less than 24 hours. Could there be anything better?
2. Watching Grey's Anatomy. I swear I forgot TV existed. . .
3. Backrubs.
4. Eating popsicles in bed. (And reading the jokes on the sticks)

Progress

Today in my art criticism class we tried to define progress.

My definition was a little unconventional. I proposed that rather than defining what progress is, it is much easier (and creates a clearer picture) to define what it is not. Think of a silhouette. It gives us a clear outline, a stark contrast, and thereby a vivid picture or definition of what we're seeing.

Progress is not a plateau, flat, or static
It is not boring mundane or tired
It's not always loud or exciting
But it's also not always quiet or unnoticed
It's not descending or declining
But it's not stationary either
It's not unnecessary or without effort
Progress is not one thing, this thing or that thing

The question that struck me as we were discussing is: can you have progress without goals?

It turned my thoughts to an exhibition by Tino Sehgal I read about in the New York Times a few weeks ago. It's called, "This Progress" and I want to fly to NYC right now and experience the exhibition for myself. I think I'll have to just do it vicariously through writers and critics (and possibly my uncle if I can get him to go and report to me). Holland Cotter, a New York Times critic described his experience like this:

It begins when you walk a short way up the rotunda ramp. A child comes over to greet you. My greeter, a girl of 9 or 10, introduced herself as Giuliana and stated matter-of-factly, “This is a piece by Tino Sehgal.” She invited me to follow her and asked if she could ask me a question. “What is progress?” I gave a broad answer, then at her request, a clarifying example. We went further up the ramp.

Soon we were joined by a young man, a teenager, who said his name was Will. Giuliana carefully and accurately paraphrased for him my response to her question and slipped away. I walked on with Will, who commented on my comments on progress, which prompted me to try to refine my initial thoughts.

About halfway up the rotunda, Will was replaced by Tom, whom I took to be in his mid-30s and who introduced a new topic.

And it goes on like this until you get to the top of the ramp. Sehgal's work consists of highly conceptual, deep conversations. I think it's fascinating. I want to know what sort of outcomes I would have in my own thoughts.

What is progress?

Champion

My political science 170 teacher uses Powerpoints. Extensively. We look at a lot of maps during discussion with arrows pointing in various places. Today as he was standing in front of the screen, two arrows pointed to his right and left nostril. Perfectly.

I laughed out loud.

Decisions

Mikey is helping me learn to make decisions based on simple math equations. Here's one example:

β = magnitude of bad consequence (rate from 1 to 10)
p = probability bad consequence would happen

if βp < 5, do it
if βp > 5, don't do it

And there you have it. Decision making made easy courtesy of Mikey.

Farside

Sometimes instead of goodnight stories, Mikey reads Far Side comics instead.

This one had him laughing for a solid 5 minutes.

Spring?

Did spring come yesterday?
Well it left already.

Yesterday the sky was blue and endless. It makes me feel like a true Westerner when I connect so deeply to a sky so big.
Today is it gray, close, hovering, like an unwelcome snoop.

Blah.

Is it spring yet?