I'll not love again

[Violet]

.. my god this is stunning.. I like how the feathered wispiness of the clouds seem mirrored in the feathered wispy shape of the (mirror-like) water..

Casey, I've been doing some interesting research for you today, so please be patient with me.. things are percolating..

less blue,
v i o l e t (flower).. sipping what's turned into cold kukicha tea.. before heading up the metal stairs to that little loft bedroom of mine..
... maybe.. (Casey & I.F.).. I shall have a lucid dream..

oh.. I thought I'd add this link to a post of mine on Colonial Suicide.. it's a romantic take on some of the material I spoke of a few posts back.. oh, and follow the youtube link.. along with a lovely portrayal of the Thomas Hardy heroine.. there's a wonderful shot of Stone Henge at sunrise..
viewtopic.php?p=175107#p175107

[Violet]

... Elizabeth is nearly finished her second reading of the Qur'an, has opened her Heart, and is an example of:

"And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations."

Elizabeth is ready, waiting in the Abyss.

There are a lot more failing, but not many friends among the mammon of unrighteousness yet.

"The poor useth intreaties; but the rich answereth roughly."

Casey

Good morning, Casey and Elizabeth..

I say unto you, do not befriend "the mammon of unrighteousness".. let us instead open our hearts to seeking the truth..

..only.. just how does one do that?.. and where to begin?.. after a life time of being fed, and accepting (for the most part), lies..

If I said I lacked the "ontological tools for digging us out".. you need to understand, Casey, I was asking awfully big questions at the time, and I had a deadline... so... yes, I felt ill equipped to "tie everything up," so to speak..

But here.. (your patience with me willing).. we have no deadline.. do we?.. other than the moment/s of each of our deaths.. but who's to say when that will be.. so..

ANYWAY.. I wanted to post a little homework assignment.. it's a three-part (very short, half hour) documentary on youtube.. I'd already read about this person, and believe I have a bit more info. on him than youtube seems to have.. I'm looking up that material again, but this documentary is a beginning perhaps.. of course, it's a bit sensationalistic seeming.. but that dies down after a bit..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hr9U1cP68eU
FULL SCREEN...

.. one more little note for Elizabeth, especially..

Okay.. what if the "historical" Jesus never died on the cross?.. (these conjectures are only mine by virtue of my having read these alternate theories elsewhere).. What if, instead (and I'm no doubt re-framing things here, as opposed to quoting).. what if, instead of his stating that the meek shall inherit the earth, he actually represented inheriting (or finding) oneself, as in one's true sense of being, via that itsy bitsy part of us truly in contact with our "higher selves"?.. and that in becoming more ourselves, as it were.. in living and acting the truth.. one would never lower oneself to accepting our own oppression.. just as one would never accept the ruthless treatment of children.. or animals.. those in need of a certain kind of protection, in other words.. In the same way, we need to protect ourselves... from lies.. We start (let's say) by stripping away all we have ever known and accepted as being the truth, so to ready ourselves for some due diligence.. I don't recall if it was Don Juan who used the word "perspicacity".. (I.F., was that his word?.. I believe so..).. but we must be perspicacious in the developing of that self, that state of being that's capable of receiving the truth..

I'm not saying I have all the answers in this.. I'm just saying it starts with realizing how little we truly know.. which allows us to be open to brand new possibilities.. not so to mindlessly wed ourselves to them.. but in order to roll up our shirt sleeves.. to practice "perspicacity".. (I guess I'm starting on that with this documentary I've posted.. oh, you're to look for part 2 and 3 as well, also on youtube..).. In other words, let's not be afraid to use our minds in this spiritual business.. (the terms "faith" and "belief" get rather swampy.. so let's leave them behind for now..).. I'm reminded again of love being the servant to knowledge.. not the other way around.. or at least, we might work with that as our working hypothesis..


.. okay.. need another cuppie a' tea (Irish, with milk and honey)..
v i o l e t (flower).. leaning towards.. well.. another type of Bethlehem..

edit.. okay, I shouldn't be here right now.. but I decided to de-capitalize some of the words in this thread.. like Truth and Being and Self.. I know why I was doing that, but still, it began to annoy me.. as did the use of quotation marks.. it just starts to seem very arbitrary after a while.. so.. I just tried to smooth things out a bit.. and I admit to taking out one or two lines that were bothering me too.. oh, and exclamation points.. even when I house them in little parenthesis, they still bug me no end (!)... v.

.. last edit.. I can't believe I still care about typos, things like that, at this late date.. but..

[Casey Butler]

Sorry, forgot about the slingshot... there, I threw it over there.

A tour of Zion tonight... Up through Kolob Terrace... to check on the fate of the colt for you.

First, a panorama of that place you liked so much: http://viablesoftware.com/casey/panorama3.htm

I'll spare you the Golden Eagle shot, it was too far away for a decent photo by the time I got parked, got the camera, and got out (no more twisting to shoot out of Silver's window).

Just to give you a sense of where Hurricane is, that's Molly's Nipple sticking up in the middle there. Hurricane is just down the cliff that sits on, northwards.




This is approximately where the moon would have risen tonight, but the clouds...


A full frontal and profile of this sandstone big thing...




Horses graze in our "Heavenly Valley"...


Ah, my Pinto...


After sundown...


Sunset, the window was there right until the sun dropped behind the mountains, then a big cloud shut it so it's another blue one. It was a perfect setup for a glorious sunset too. Ach...


...And the good news!


Casey

[Casey Butler]

Today was an amazing day, it was really windy, like 40 mph gusts, etc... and the clouds were just terrific.

Because of the wind, though, the air was full of dust which affected the light in nice ways.

This is the view north from Hurricane, that's Toquerville Mountain, named after Chief Toquer of the local Toquit Indians when the pioneers arrived...


This is that cinder cone to the west, but with the developer's mess showing.


This is one of the toes of Hurricane Mesa (that's it in the background with the water tower on top):


This was taken on top of Black Mesa (see first panorama)...


This is Eagle Crags taken through the dust...


This is a picture of four horses grazing under Smithsonian Butte today...


This is today's sunset, with the few clouds in the west that the wind left behind...


We saw a snake up on Black Mesa... E was thrilled. Mr. Darcy stayed in Silver, though.


Short Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7n_fhlYNR0

This is some short homework for you.... Having done mine (mostly, you know, the formula for Crest Toothpaste is somewhere in the Void too...)... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7O5agx5Ot0&NR=1

(Be sure to watch right up to the credits rolling!)

Casey

[Violet]

Casey.. well, you might not have captured a spectacular sunset, but this has a visceral feel that I like.. I thought I'd place beneath it a fairly recent poem of mine, which I've never posted before..


These thoughts of you

it’s hard to write when you’re numb; without feeling.
I’ve drawn mountaintops though.. wind through the trees.. my longing
bearing down on this earth with a hungry fury

you’re awaiting me.. receiving me.. all that I send to thee,
all that I send.
here in the quiet mountaintops of Manhattan;
here inside the glass and the asphalt

quiet
and quietness comes

out of this man-made inertia;
out of these buildings, these strivings, this
reaching for some future

only my love for you remains

here in these mountaintops,
these winds’ furies

v i o l e t, 2009






.. [THE END]..
.. [note: the above I think of as a little film, comprised of five film stills]..



.. oh, and by the way, I'm so happy to see this (!)..



As to your film clip, it's not homework at all.. The Bridge on the River Kwai is an excellent David Lean film (as are most of his films).. I've heard Charles Loughton was first offered the part, but passed on it.. He later said he didn't understand the character until he saw Alec Guinness play it.. That's interesting to me..

.. anyway, if metaphorically (with this clip) you're suggesting I'm not seeing the forest for the trees, I'd say that's a wrong assumption.. My bringing up this Coral Castle person and phenomenon is to try to pick a tree that might illuminate better that forest.. Anomalies are significant in that they stubbornly resist "known" categorizations.. They really should be used to inform us as to the true nature of the universe, as it were, as opposed to only relying on those phenomena that do as they're told, and fulfill commonly held expectations..

.. anyway, I'll probably read a bit more on this Coral Castle person, and see if I might frame this better.. there seems to be some misconceptions in this documentary too, when compared to the material I have, which might help explain why no one has "figured out" this man's extraordinary accomplishments as yet.. I mean, the answers might be a bit "out there" even for e-channel, I'm thinking..

'til later,
v i o l e t (flower).. (drinking English Breakfast tea with milk and honey)..
... (sorry, Georges, my sweet.. I keep running out)..

.. oh, by the way, Casey.. you cracked me up with your Crest toothpaste line..


.. edits.. just a tweak or two.. oh, and I shortened my little film from eight to five "film stills"..

[Violet]

.. this one has a "castle-ie" fairy tale feel to me.. and so I thought to wed it with this sweet little romantic love poem.. also fairly recent, and never posted..


We're timeless

we’re timeless
like lovers,
in and out of time..
sweet be your caresses.. our dance (hold yours to mine)..
sweet be your mouth.. your tender lips.. your tongue..
sweet be your heart.. its quiet depths unsung..

how closely you hold me, and take me in our storm,
then warm me, your kisses..
.. protect me from all harm..

v i o l e t, 2009

[Violet]

Hello V and C,

V, your last couple of posts are very interesting, and I'd like to continue the conversation. Unfortunately I gotta mountain of urgency to get through today; hopefully I'll be able to respond later tonight...

XO & ...

Hi I.F..

Sometimes things take a while for me to register, but I realized I never replied to this... only, I don't mean to put you on the spot.. I just mean to say it would be interesting to hear your thoughts.. but I understand if nothing comes to mind, or if you're short on time, etc. I just thought it might have been poor form for me not to have replied, is what I'm thinking..

hope all is well with you,
v i o l e t (flower).. xxx

[Casey Butler]

Coincidently (side-stepping your "what if" above, slingshot still on the ground over there) I was at my daughter's house tonight, the one whose husband collects used books all over down here and sells them on eBay. I picked this book at random out of a box and it was "_____" by a C. S. Lewis, and the page I opened up to was Lewis explaining his opinion that people needed to put a "face" on God in order to understand God and so there was Jesus (I'm paraphrasing a great deal because I skimmed and didn't think at the time).

[note: the above I think of as a little film, comprised of five film stills]..

No doubt Jackson Pollack initially suffered the same criticism from certain quarters... So I'll take your 5-frame film clip as an undermining compliment.

And I think therein lies a problem with poetry as a point vehicle, which glosses over the details and presents only a "form" of the subject at hand, like those ink splattered flash cards psychoanalysts used to use...

"The devil is in the details" seems a truism that applies everywhere nearly... So it follows that when you're dealing with the devil, you have to deal with the literary details too.

Alec Guinness as Colonel Nicholson there... Blindly confused and frustrated by what he suspected were acts of sabotage until he saw the face of the irresponsible turned responsible escapee Shears like that... Still, from a certain point of view Colonel Nicholson was the only character in the movie that nobly did what was best for everybody - as he could judge for himself what was best, at least. Anyway, it's a metaphor that I think works on many levels, even where explosives aren't necessary... If a LEVIATHAN Colonel Nicholson should glimpse the face of a LEVIATHAN escapee Commander Shears... bridges never meant to be built fall under their own weight.

Your romantic poems are really cool. If I tried to reply photographically, however, my wife would kill me.

Casey

(Edited to change "psycho analysts" to "psychoanalysts". I was insulting the profession...)

[Casey Butler]

Today we ended up going for our drive a little early since I headed to Sand Hollow after "brunch" and we just kept going that way. I wouldn't post anything except it was very unusual that two Roadrunners crossed the road in front of us, one at the beginning and one at the end of the drive.

Unless one lives in your yard or you're a wiley coyote Roadrunners don't get seen that often, so two in one day was unique - for us anyway (though I have a photo of an albino Roadrunner that crossed the street in front of Dorothy one day).

Here are pics of each, which are really stills taken from two extremely shaky videos I took.

(Hmmm... If I were Wiley Coyote I might suspect that these are one and the same Roadrunner even though they appeared like 10 miles away from each other. Roadrunners have a reputation to uphold... )

RR #1:


RR #2:


A Sissel moment... One of those times the world will never forget, when the Gods invited mortals to "join us", be rich and famous, wise and 'compassionate':

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alwWeMJrEyY
FULL SCREEN

I wonder if any of the wonderful folks appearing in this video lack health care...

...At least they fight profitable wars against 'terror', doing their part for the eeeeconomeeee...

Thank God Leonard wasn't there.

Hmmm.... What about Roadrunners inspires soapboxing. Sorry... I hope some day they'll join us. :-)

Casey

[Violet]

.. wow, Casey.. I have quite a bit to try to respond to..

[note: the above I think of as a little film, comprised of five film stills]..

No doubt Jackson Pollack initially suffered the same criticism from certain quarters... So I'll take your 5-frame film clip as an undermining compliment.

.. okay, first off.. how you turned my lovely little five frame collaborative film into anything remotely undermining is truly beyond me.. but I’ll take a stab at it..

.. I admit, I was “reared” in the New York art world, and so my perception of things might be a tad different than yours.. Perhaps you think to repeat a photograph like that is to in some way diminish its singular importance, as it were.. (I could be totally off with this, but it’s one idea I came up with as to why you had a problem.. only somehow I think I’m probably wrong.. I mean, that would be too simple I think.. and truly, Casey, how your mind works is seldom easy.. (it's funny, though.. I just love your jokes..)..

.. anyway, ever since Warhol, it’s hard not to see the repitition of an image as anything out of the ordinary.. only, here I wasn’t just repeating an image.. I like how it works with how it is you go down a post.. and at least with the first go at it, I think it might be momentarily disorienting since you keep getting the same image.. anyway, right away it reminded me of film stills..






.. [THE END]..

... And I think therein lies a problem with poetry as a point vehicle, which glosses over the details and presents only a "form" of the subject at hand, like those ink splattered flash cards psychoanalysts used to use...

"The devil is in the details" seems a truism that applies everywhere nearly... So it follows that when you're dealing with the devil, you have to deal with the literary details too.

.. as per your comment above.. I wasn’t trying to “make a point” so much as offer a visual/conceptual experience.. there was really nothing more to it than that.. It was inspired by how much I liked your photograph, actually.. and I thought.. how to allow the reader of this post to stay with that image a bit longer.. I didn’t want to transition into something else after my poem (and your photo) quite so quickly.. so how to extend that moment, as it were.. that's when the repetition happened.. and then, as I said, it seemed to me like a little film..

.. Oh, speaking of Andy.. these early interviews are priceless.. (oh, I believe later on in this same interview, Andy's asked if he didn't think he was being repetitive (as if a criticism were being launched).. and Andy (smilingly) answered "yes".. and, well, of course, in that instant, it became something desirable.. )...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gA4aBvnaTpo
FULL SCREEN...

.. oh, and here’s two of my fave artists together.. (oh, and speaking of doubles.. I just love the double Jackie O.)..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzzwxZEECu8
FULL SCREEN...

.. It really could be that Art History didn’t have all that much to do after Andy.. I mean, pop culture sort of took over, at any rate.. and so.. well, Andy sort of covered that..

… ah, but we need “product”.. and “art stars”.. especially dead ones, since they sell the best.. (yes, folks.. that’s Violet flower.. actually being a bit sarcastic for a change.. but if anything will do that to her, it’s the ART WORLD)..



I just love this photograph, Casey.. especially the heathery, scrubby desert landscape.. the colors are just lovely.. and the critter's awful nice too..

.. but wow, Casey, two Road Runners (!).. that’s gotta be a doubly good sign, right??

… AND.. in honor of our two very welcome and auspicious seeming friends.. let’s do a little Wile E... (Road Runner is only heard here, however.. never seen.. but then, he was so very fast..)..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hz65AOjabtM
FULL SCREEN...

.. Actually, I think I chose that clip, not only due to its brevity, but because that’s actually how I’ve been feeling for.. oh.. I’d say about the last year and half or so.. and actually.. it’s gotten more amplified the more I try to “heal” the problem.. so.. who’s to say what’s happening to me.. At least Leonard could understand… well, the “battling depression” part, I mean.. the falling-off-a-cliff part (I love it when he tries to get the other rock out of the way as he's falling, and.. well, you saw it).. anyway.. as I was saying, the falling-off-a-cliff part.. I’m not sure even Leonard had gone through that.. although.. who’s to say.. he did climb Mount Baldy, after all.. and who knows what things seemed like from up there..

.. (speaking of.. [Leonard, I mean].. I wonder how his commemoration at the Chelsea went.. I meant to go.. but while falling about a zillion miles an hour off of this cliff, while frantically trying to get this other rock out of the way, I-- ) (to be continued)..

.. Oh, and last, but hopefully not least.. I came upon this poem today (looking through my poetry file -- just for this cotton pickin’ thread, I might add..).. oh, but before I get to that, thank you for the romantic poem appreciation, Casey.. Although now you’ve got me wondering just what sort of imagery you would have unleashed on us all if your lovely wife Elizabeth weren’t keeping a watch on you (!).. (good for you, E., by the way)..

… Anyway.. this poem stood out for me today.. it’s not brand new.. but it matches something of the mood I’ve been in this week.. (not the falling-off-the-cliff part.. but..).. anyway, I thought it might go rather nicely with the following photo of yours.. (which, yes, I've doubled up on..)..

… I won’t sign out tonight.. I’ll just sign the poem..



If I step outside


If I step outside, I mean to be sober now. no
more of life’s intoxications, I mean to see clearer
now. I

see the institution grim, though faces there
are caring; I see the hope of nations once,

youth’s hope of this restoring;

though
none be mine.


Look now to God, though

lack I
measured graces; I

see
such light, when all
that's in me

means to leave
its cruel effacement

(in
desperate faces.)

such elevation

this simple inch above the ground; my

walk is all

I’ve nothing great
that men shall
mourn.

for what of life has passed
between us,

like death, it
will soon pass;

a self's bereft intoxication,

saves not this mind
its darkest glass.


We grasp so little of this life

its furthest depth, its hidden
measure;

when
men know naught,

a
sea indifferent to
its treasure.

still
of this promise, and
deepest end,

a simple gift,

in kind
a friend:

such small
the heart,

this
smallest dowry,

this smallest
life

so great
intends

v i o l e t, 2008





.. morning edits.. just a few minor tweaks..

[Casey Butler]

.. but wow, Casey, two Road Runners (!).. that’s gotta be a doubly good sign, right??

Since one crossed the road in front of us going from right to left, and the other crossed going from left to right, I have to agree. So now there are two...

"Indifferent to its treasure"... Nice line. So long as it isn't bored with it, I suppose...

So... Today I have another one of those very unique, nearly one of a kind photos I rarely get the opportunity to take, because we had to get up to Cedar City by 8:30 AM to get Silver's front seat fixed at the region's uphostery shop so my back and her would be compatible once more .

Get ready, here it comes...

A real sunrise:


On the way home we pulled into that part of Zion that borders I-15, called "Kolob Canyons", which is one heck of a place but treated like a sideshow because the road in there is more a viewpoint than the real Zion road which takes you right into the heart of things.

Nevertheless, I think Andy Warhol might approve of these photos, as the only original part is the lighting caused by the clouds moving in which I had nothing to do with:





So difficult to communicate the scale of these rocks. Speaking of which, thanks for the Roadrunner YouTube experience...

"Say goodnight, Dick..."

As a special treat, I finally figured out how to use the manual settings on my camera - except for the white balance part which is still on auto, messing things up occasionally...

Anyway, tonight when I went for my after Maverick drive south of town I caught a Barn Owl in my headlights, and I took a picture of the Midnight (here) Moon for you...




"Signing" off... :-)

Casey

[Violet]

"Indifferent to its treasure"... Nice line. So long as it isn't bored with it, I suppose...

.. um.. talk about a compliment with an undermining undercurrent.. actually, Casey, given all these “ouch” comments that you make.. I suggest your mommy spanked you too much.. (Elizabeth.. the best thing to do in that case is to bake him a nice big apple pie with plenty of walnuts and currants (and undercurrents, while you're at it).. oh, and enough honey or sugar to do away with that sour after taste).. (I'll let you decide as to whether I'm talking about the pie, or about Casey, on that one..).. (of course, this is only if you’d like to, E..).. (I’m just saying, in other words.. )… (I mean, it’s for your sake, as much as mine..)…

.. okay, this next little film I call.. "The Owl and the Moon".. (or should that be The Owl in the Moon?"..)..

























THE END.. (oh, and by the way.. that's three sets of eight film stills.. I guess I should be looking up the number eight now..).. [oh, and by the way (again).. it's sort of cool if you scroll down over this "film" as rapidly as you can.. it really starts to simulate a real film that way]..

And now, to go with all that moon… (and something you can enjoy whilst eating that nice apple pie, Casey)..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXg6UB9Q ... 5D&index=0
FULL SCREEN...

.. (now Georges, don’t be all in a huff over this.. this really and truly is a gal by the name of Julie London singing this, and not me “being” Julie London [this statement will make much more sense to Colonial Suicide fans].. so you can take all of that evilish paraphernalia you’ve got out, and put it back in that coffin-shaped dark arts tool kit, or whatever it is you use to store these things in that darkish-dankish Bangorish basement of yours.. geez.. ).. [later note.. actually, I take that back, baby.. this is me being Julie London.. just for you, sweets.. so let's both take out our hankies.. I mean, we've got a lot of crying to do..]..

Gosh, Casey, you think you’ve got domestic problems.. try a jealous North Irelander with black magick..(ish).. tendencies.. But alas, one can’t choose where the heart finds its unlikely home, it seems.. (actually, Casey, if you happen to break out in hives or something tonight, let me know.. I’ll see what I can do, Georges wise.. hmm.. you know, it's probably good you saw two Road Runners, now that I think about it..)..

signed,
v i o l e t (flower).. sipping Egyptian Licorice tea.. supposed to be good for “woman-ie” sorts of things..

.. oh, one last thing, Casey.. I love this night photography idea.. do you think you could actually capture mountains at night?.. even just the outline of them, maybe?.. maybe you'd need a full moon for that.. I wonder.. anyway, that's my new request, to see if that's at all possible.. I'd love to see what you come up with... Oh, and water at night too.. I'd love to see that as well..

[Casey Butler]

I apologize for "ouching"... It's just that as things become clearer - as to the reason - I'm like a spoiled child lashing out in frustrated angst.

Your poem thinks the sea is indifferent(!) Where did it get that idea, I wondered, considering the awful fuss the sea is making everywhere today...

Then I remembered... Security breeds indifference, which to excuse itself relies on that empathy-free compassion we were talking about earlier. It's that type of 'compassion'-laden indifference carried around by all who, as Tony Bennet still points out, left their hearts in San Francisco.

Did a historical Jesus even exist at all... heh heh heh... If he did, that would be an "ouch" too, wouldn't it... heh heh heh...

Sorry sorry sorry.

Indifference is a valid reason, one with which I can empathize.

Georges... One Sabbath my wife was at church in Hollywood and this homeless fellow who was visiting asked her what she was. She said "I'm a Seventh-Day Adventist". He said, "No you're not. Why don't you admit it? You're a Witch!" She took this as a compliment, which even surprised me... Until I thought about it........ Give me hives and Elizabeth will put charcoal on them. I haven't had the hives since 1692...

After reading your message, Violet, I went out and took a picture... It's one of those days when the jet contrails are the only clouds and the wind is playing with them making all kinds of cool feathery things...

This is what I saw:


Heh heh heh...

Sorry sorry sorry...

From yesterday, to make up...




I'll work on the night assignment... What an original thought... The water, I mean...

Casey

[Violet]

.. Casey.. when I wrote..

"when
men know naught,

a
sea indifferent to
its treasure."

.. it speaks to not valuing what is truly valuable..

.. NOW.. as to compassion and empathy.. let’s see what Mr. Webster has to say..


compassion

Main Entry: com·pas·sion
Pronunciation: \kəm-ˈpa-shən\
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French or Late Latin; Anglo-French, from Late Latin compassion-, compassio, from compati to sympathize, from Latin com- + pati to bear, suffer — more at patient
Date: 14th century
: sympathetic consciousness of others' distress together with a desire to alleviate it
synonyms see pity

— com·pas·sion·less \-ləs\ adjective

empathy

Main Entry: em·pa·thy
Pronunciation: \ˈem-pə-thē\
Function: noun
Etymology: Greek empatheia, literally, passion, from empathēs emotional, from em- + pathos feelings, emotion — more at pathos
Date: 1850
1 : the imaginative projection of a subjective state into an object so that the object appears to be infused with it
2 : the action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another of either the past or present without having the feelings, thoughts, and experience fully communicated in an objectively explicit manner; also : the capacity for this

I think I now better understand the words of a friend of mine who said that compassion might be preferable to empathy in the sense of not “draining” oneself in an effort to be of help to someone.. It seems that compassion does include the desire to be of help, but doesn’t require one to, well, nearly “merge” with that person, by perhaps over identifying with his or her plight.. One might be able to retain some boundaries around oneself, in other words, while still understanding what the other poor soul is going through… And, in fact, this might lead to more useful counsel and/or aid, I would think.. I mean, ‘tis better that the caretaker take care of his/herself in order that he/she might be of use to another.. It stands to reason.. (methinks).. This is not to say that "self sacrifice" isn't sometimes in order.. So, it may well be the direness of the situation that would determine that..

MOVING ON..

.. actually, Casey.. I just love this..

.. and instead of Blue Moon (well, really it’s a ghost moon awash in the wispy contrails of an oh so blue-ish sky).. anyway, instead of Blue Moon… (a lovely standard, which I’ve posted before).. the song Blue Room (or, more accurately, The Blue Room) came to my mind..

.. (now, girls, the thing you have to remember is that.. well, while it’s true that when Georges(zez) is bad he is truly truly horrid.. but when he's good.. he's surprisingly.. well, you’ll see..).. (oh, and notice, Casey, at the very end.. how I'm about to... well.. spin..)..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwrqTn0WqzI
FULL SCREEN..

.. you know, having spoken of doubles before, I might point out how much I love Rogders and Hart.. especially Hart’s lyrics.. and especially this refrain.. (let me use your blue-ishness to couch this, Casey..)…

We'll have a blue room,
A new room,
For two room,
Where ev'ry day's a holiday
Because you're married to me.
Not like a ballroom,
A small room,
A hall room,
Where I can smoke my pipe away
With your wee head upon my knee.
We will thrive on,
Keep alive on,
Just nothing but kisses,
With Mister and Missus
On little blue chairs.
You sew your trousseau,
And Robinson Crusoe
Is not so far from worldly cares
As our blue room far away upstairs.
[From The Girlfriend 1926
Lyrics by Lorenz Hart, music by Richard Rodgers]

.. over and out, for now.. v i o l e t (flower).. back on blue, but not feeling blue today.. (no, I don’t mean that sort of blue, Georges(zez)--geez).. (you are incorrigible, you must know that.. anyway, that’s for the other thread..)…


... oh, wait... what a pretty blue bird.. (I guess he's having.. uh, lunch..)..



.. oh, edit.. just thought should credit R&H under the lyrics I quoted.. oh, and for some reason I want to say... bye bye birdie, bye bye..

[Casey Butler]

.. it speaks to not valuing what is truly valuable..

I suppose it comes down to how one "values" truly valuable things, then.

If you are easily drained by your imagination, best not to drain yourself...

But if what you need to empathize with is where you were to begin with, maybe it wouldn't be so draining...

Maybe just listening to someone already there wouldn't be draining at all...

Wait a minute...

Draining of what?

Sometimes it embarrasses even me to watch FOX News.

Re the photo:

It seems to me it's the moon-moon gone surfing, catching a wave on a sunny day.

Was that spelling of Rodgers purposeful, BTW... Or was it really a Violet-typo? :-)

Casey