A terribly frustrating writing day, where I churned out 3000 completely useless words. I'm going to bed in disgust, but my bad mood won't last long. It is spring here, with snow yesterday and warm sun today, a juxtaposition that New England does with such endearing impertinence. The birds are twittering and the coltsfoot is up, turning the road shoulders bright yellow, and tomorrow is another day.
So far it seems it is all women who are responding tonight in these first ten minutes. I just watched the PBS NOVA program title Picture a Scientist which is about discrimination of women in science. An excellent program I can relate to as a woman engineer (that is not an oxymoron) who graduated from M.I.T. For example, I was showing my M.I.T. class ring to a small group and one man said. "Oh, I didn't know spouses could have class rings." One think I love about M.I.T. is when the "Study on the Status of Women Faculty at MIT" was published by the female faculty with all the scientific rigid they put into their own fields it was acknowledged by the President of M.I.T., Chuck Vest, with the quote: 'I have always believed that contemporary gender discrimination within universities is part reality and part perception. True, but I now understand that reality is by far the greater part of the balance.' At M.I.T. you take the scientific evidence, acknowledge it and then act on it. When I was there the student population was about 6 or 8% women, now it is 46%.
One reason I found the campaign slogan "Make America Great Again" so distasteful is that I didn't want to have to live through breaking the glass ceiling again. Been there, done that. I recommend the program even though ironically a major sponsor of NOVA is David Koch....
Please know that today’s “useless” words are far outweighed by the thousands of words you’ve given us to put this complex world in perspective. We are lucky to receive your words.
Thank you for “March”, Peter Ralston. I don't want to go backward a month, but still enjoy that close line holding up a lot washed garments. It's a touch of levity after a terrible week. Rest well Heather. In addition to the ups and downs of daily life, America is a heavy burden. I identify with your frustration. From the record of this week's activity, my life hasn't changed but it has. I feel more than frustration. The Chauvin trial and the deaths by guns, the agony of the families, in the streets and in our minds is a constant. We go about our lives with a shadow attached. It is the sorrow of America. We are in spring; there are the gifts of nature, of fellowship, faith and family and then there is America.
I suppose April in Maine is about the same as March down here in Connecticut; confused.
We now have screaming yellow forsythia everywhere and maple blossoms are adding a pale green tint to the brown hills. Soon they will be covered in infinite hues of pale green growing darker and deeper every day. There are some gaps which one assumes to be the ash trees we have lost to that little bug. Mother Nature will fill in the gaps in her own way.
In the orchard the apricot trees are in full glorious bloom and the apple trees are close behind ready to burst into pale pink glory.
Happy Spring, HCR and to all who read and write on these pages.
Rest well and thank you for the perfect photograph. Air dried clothes, sheets and towels smell so good and save energy. I find it meditative pegging things on the line in the sunshine.
I hope you’ve saved those “useless words.” I suspect you’ll find a very useful place for them in the coming days. Or, you could share them with “aspiring”—over several decades—writers like me to bolster our efforts to communicate via letters and words...and whatall. In any case, thank you for your sanity and clarity, and have a glorious day to yourself and your loved ones.
Girrrll. Go to bed. Even the greatest warriors need to re-charge. Please Self-Care. I've had so many times that I've written something so heart-wrenchingly honest & authentic & bold & true only to discover that I somehow in my genius DELETED IT .... just go to bed. I say, for the rare night like this? Pour a dram of Scotch or Whiskey, turn off the lights, lock the door, & go to sleep. We'll all be here, problems-a-plenty, in the morning. :)
I suspect your muse realized it’s Saturday, when you usually simply post a lovely photograph. I also suspect your mind will figure out some use for those 3,000 words.
Early in our courtship (1983) I visited my future wife in her apartment and noticed a magnet on her refrigerator. It said- “Any woman who wants to be equal to a man is not ambitious”. I guess I noticed that. Her father, a leader in the medical field and mentor to many women, taught his three daughters that the sky’s the limit. They’ve done quite well but have also encountered others who didn’t emulate their father’s example.
So far it seems it is all women who are responding tonight in these first ten minutes. I just watched the PBS NOVA program title Picture a Scientist which is about discrimination of women in science. An excellent program I can relate to as a woman engineer (that is not an oxymoron) who graduated from M.I.T. For example, I was showing my M.I.T. class ring to a small group and one man said. "Oh, I didn't know spouses could have class rings." One think I love about M.I.T. is when the "Study on the Status of Women Faculty at MIT" was published by the female faculty with all the scientific rigid they put into their own fields it was acknowledged by the President of M.I.T., Chuck Vest, with the quote: 'I have always believed that contemporary gender discrimination within universities is part reality and part perception. True, but I now understand that reality is by far the greater part of the balance.' At M.I.T. you take the scientific evidence, acknowledge it and then act on it. When I was there the student population was about 6 or 8% women, now it is 46%.
One reason I found the campaign slogan "Make America Great Again" so distasteful is that I didn't want to have to live through breaking the glass ceiling again. Been there, done that. I recommend the program even though ironically a major sponsor of NOVA is David Koch....
Please know that today’s “useless” words are far outweighed by the thousands of words you’ve given us to put this complex world in perspective. We are lucky to receive your words.
Thank you for “March”, Peter Ralston. I don't want to go backward a month, but still enjoy that close line holding up a lot washed garments. It's a touch of levity after a terrible week. Rest well Heather. In addition to the ups and downs of daily life, America is a heavy burden. I identify with your frustration. From the record of this week's activity, my life hasn't changed but it has. I feel more than frustration. The Chauvin trial and the deaths by guns, the agony of the families, in the streets and in our minds is a constant. We go about our lives with a shadow attached. It is the sorrow of America. We are in spring; there are the gifts of nature, of fellowship, faith and family and then there is America.
Thank you, Professor Richardson for putting one foot before the other and continuing to move forward.
The paragraph you’ve shared this morning encapsulates a theme that runs through your Letters – that even when things seem darkest, there is hope.
And you saved this Ralston photo for such a day. A brilliant image of “getting on with it”.
All good your way.
I suppose April in Maine is about the same as March down here in Connecticut; confused.
We now have screaming yellow forsythia everywhere and maple blossoms are adding a pale green tint to the brown hills. Soon they will be covered in infinite hues of pale green growing darker and deeper every day. There are some gaps which one assumes to be the ash trees we have lost to that little bug. Mother Nature will fill in the gaps in her own way.
In the orchard the apricot trees are in full glorious bloom and the apple trees are close behind ready to burst into pale pink glory.
Happy Spring, HCR and to all who read and write on these pages.
Rest well and thank you for the perfect photograph. Air dried clothes, sheets and towels smell so good and save energy. I find it meditative pegging things on the line in the sunshine.
These 119 words are quite beautiful and refreshing. Thank you, Heather.
I hope you’ve saved those “useless words.” I suspect you’ll find a very useful place for them in the coming days. Or, you could share them with “aspiring”—over several decades—writers like me to bolster our efforts to communicate via letters and words...and whatall. In any case, thank you for your sanity and clarity, and have a glorious day to yourself and your loved ones.
Girrrll. Go to bed. Even the greatest warriors need to re-charge. Please Self-Care. I've had so many times that I've written something so heart-wrenchingly honest & authentic & bold & true only to discover that I somehow in my genius DELETED IT .... just go to bed. I say, for the rare night like this? Pour a dram of Scotch or Whiskey, turn off the lights, lock the door, & go to sleep. We'll all be here, problems-a-plenty, in the morning. :)
It’s spring. A time of promise and discontent. Line dried clothes are a balm.
Even Lincoln worked on a rough draft of the Gettysburg Address.
I suspect your muse realized it’s Saturday, when you usually simply post a lovely photograph. I also suspect your mind will figure out some use for those 3,000 words.
Early in our courtship (1983) I visited my future wife in her apartment and noticed a magnet on her refrigerator. It said- “Any woman who wants to be equal to a man is not ambitious”. I guess I noticed that. Her father, a leader in the medical field and mentor to many women, taught his three daughters that the sky’s the limit. They’ve done quite well but have also encountered others who didn’t emulate their father’s example.
It is such an incredible blessing to find your words at the end of the day - any words!
Peter’s work is inspiring, what a keen vision - a reminder of the beauty and gentleness we can find in the world.
Betcha there’s something in those 3000 words, maybe their usefulness has yet to be discovered.
A picture like that easily speaks at least 3,000 words. Thank you.