Tag Archives: storytelling

heatherfromthegrove’s New Year’s Revelation No 1 of 7: “Life’s Too Short”

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Happy New Year everyone!

This year, my New Year’s “Revelations” are based on some of the witticisms and words of wisdom that my mother and father imparted to me.

When I was young, I used to roll my eyes and shake my head at them – not really heeding their words.

Or so I thought.

They’ve since passed, and not a day goes by that I don’t miss them.

Most importantly, their words – often colourful and humorous, but always spot-on – resonate deeply with me today.

I now share them with you.

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My mother used to say:

“Life’s too damn short, so make the best of it. We only have one life.”

This, from a Roman Catholic.  So I would earnestly ask her the obvious question: “But, what about the Afterlife?”  – to which she would immediately quip “When I get there, I’ll let you know. In the meantime, focus on this life.”

And indeed, when I was a child, it was my mother who would occasionally decree her own “snow day.” Rather than going in to school, I would get to stay home and we would spend the day weaving stories, acting out scenes and letting our imaginations soar.  My storytelling gene… I get from her.

My mother, who was born in the mid-1920s on the Mediterranean island of Malta, was a bon vivant (loosely translated, this means someone who likes to live well). She enjoyed people, loved to laugh and dance, savored both wine and whisky (not at the same time, mind you), and always had a mischievous twinkle in her eye.  When she twitched her lips, you knew she was just about to say something exceedingly irreverent.

She practiced what she preached. She taught me how to celebrate life –  in good times, and in bad.

As she said: “We only have one life.”   Her theory was that if we live with the promise of tomorrow, then we may neglect to live fully today.

I embrace her philosophy wholeheartedly, as those who know me well will certainly attest.

Several years back, I gave a eulogy for my mother.  My last words were: “When my mother entered the gates of heaven, God gave the harpists the day off because he knew that the jazz band had just arrived.”

So, on this first day of what promises to be a glorious new year, let’s plan to make the most of today and every blessed day that follows.  Life is a celebration.

“Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude.”

~ Denis Waitley

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heatherfromthegrove’s story spotlight for today: “Oscar and Lucinda” by Peter Carey

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Let’s wrap up fiction week, here @ heatherfromthegrove, with a love story.

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“She held out her hand, like a man. He hesitated, then took the hand and shook it. It was very warm. You could not help but be aware of the wild passage of blood on the other side of its wall, veins, capillaries, sweat glands, tiny factories in the throes of complicated manufacture. [He] looked at the eyes and, knowing how eyes worked, was astonished, not for the first time, at the infinite complexity of Creation, wondering how this thing, this instrument for seeing, could transmit so clearly its entreaty while at the same time—-Look, I am only an eye—-denying that it was doing anything of the sort.”

– Peter Carey, Oscar and Lucinda

What better way to enjoy a summer weekend than to curl up in your favorite chair and read a love story?  Written by Australian author Peter Carey, Oscar and Lucinda is a satire about two star-crossed lovers in mid-nineteenth century England and Australia. Growing up in a strict, religious (Plymouth) household, the shy young man rejects his father’s religion in favor of the C of E (Church of England), and becomes an Anglican priest.  Lucinda is a headstrong Australian heiress who is a feminist before her time. She buys a glass factory, in the hope of one day building a church made from glass and transporting it (intact) to the Australian Outback. Oscar and Lucinda meet on a ship, en route to Australia and discover they share a common vice:  gambling  (he, the racetrack; she, a deck of cards). When they arrive in Australia, neither one fits well in their social circles and the two “outsiders” form a bond.  The wickedly witty gambling duo make a wager that unleashes a series of events that affects the course of their lives.  The wager?  Lucinda bets Oscar her entire inheritance that he would be incapable of transporting the glass cathedral (without any breakage or damage) to the Outback.

Told in a long flashback, this enchanting story is about two people who were truly meant to be together.  And we, the readers, fall in love with them – vices and all.

Other novels by Peter Carey:

* adapted into a film (1997, USA) by the same name; directed by Gillian Armstrong, and starring Ralph Fiennes (as Oscar) and Cate Blanchett (as Lucinda).

** adapted into a film (1986, USA) by the same name; directed by Ray Lawrence.

In addition, he has written a large body of work: short story collections, uncollected short stories, juvenile fiction, non-fiction and screenplays.

Confessions of a Daydreamer

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“As I quietly stare off into space, eyes glazed over and brow thoughtfully taut, know that I am going about my business.  I am a storyteller.  Daydreaming is the best part of my job.”
― Richelle E. Goodrich

Couldn’t have said it better myself.

And now for the confession.

I have been daydreaming all of my life: characters, scenes and dialogue – all created in my mind. I am not crazy (although that subject is a matter of jovial debate in my family).  My mother totally understood the eccentricities of her youngest child.  After years of adjustment, my husband now knows that when he walks by the study and sees me in a trance-like state, tears streaming down my face, he needn’t worry.  Nor does he say a word because there is nothing more annoying to a consummate daydreamer than jarring interruptions. He just walks away, shaking his head and wondering to himself whether or not he lives in a madhouse.

So, I just like to conjure up storylines in my mind. The downside is that there are quite a few unfinished scripts in my filing drawer. Too many ideas, too little time. The upside is that I am never, ever bored.

One loop away from being totally loopy.

Now that the proverbial cat is out of the bag, I’d like to focus a little wrath on the naysayers who give daydreaming a bad name. In a world where everyone seems to be rushing around like the rabbit in Alice in Wonderland, daydreaming is often considered frivolous, lazy, a waste of valuable time and downright “flakey.” 

Not so, say many mental health experts. Daydreaming is not only beneficial to our state of mind, but it also contributes to our productivity.

“How on earth can this be true?”  say the anti-daydreamers.

Well, ye of little faith, psych specialists compare daydreaming to meditation.  Both help us to relax, relieve stress, take a mental “time out.”  After a daydreaming session, we are refreshed, energetic and ready to tackle the rest of the day.

In the Smithsonian article, “The Benefits of Daydreaming,” Joseph Stromberg writes about a recent research study (published in Psychological Science) which indicates “that a wandering mind correlates with higher degrees of what is referred to as working memory. Cognitive scientists define this type of memory as the brain’s ability to retain and recall information in the face of distractions.“

Therefore, despite the daydreamer’s propensity to let the mind wander, she (or he) possesses a heightened working memory which allows her (or him) to snap out of La-la Land when required to do so.

Moving the discussion of science back to the arts, most creative people would concur that daydreaming sparks the imagination. It helps to motivate and stimulate ideas.

Walk into a room filled with writers, authors, poets and novelists, and ask “Who among you daydreams regularly? Please raise your hand.”  With few exceptions, every hand will be raised.

Storytellers daydream. It’s what we do.

La-la land is a great place to visit.  The key is to know when it’s time to leave and come back home.

 

Image via mommasmoneymatters.com.

Maximize Your Five Senses

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“Our senses are indeed our doors and windows on this world, in a very real sense the key to the unlocking of meaning and the wellspring of creativity.”

― Jean Houston  

There is one thing I know for sure:  we should never take anything or anyone for granted.  The saying “Here today, gone tomorrow” rings true for many of us, unfortunately.  Such is the reality of life.  That is why we must savor every moment and appreciate those around us – open our eyes, ears  and minds to all the wonderful experiences that are ours to earn and to claim.

What connects us – to ourselves, to each other, and to everything we do – is very basic… so basic, in fact, that not only do many of us take it for granted, we also fail to maximize its potential.  What does “it” refer to? 

Sense.

We have five basic senses:  sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch.  When we utilize these senses to their fullest extent and in every aspect of our lives, we achieve success and fulfillment… and, most of all, balance.  Those who are missing one or more senses (due to blindness, deafness, a physical inability to smell, impaired taste buds, or paralysis) often find that their remaining senses are heightened.

In the following weeks, I will be writing about each of the five senses – exploring their impact and potential, and sharing a few pertinent anecdotes along the way.  Storytelling is, after all, the most powerful way to connect  people with ideas and thoughts. And finally, I will dedicate a blog to what is commonly referred to as the “sixth sense.”   More on that later.

Upcoming heatherfromthegrove blog:  “Keep That Lens Focused.”   

Until then… enjoy the journey.

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