Two days is a lot better than two weeks, am I right? Make time for more of the good stuff!
I've got my DOCUMENTED LIFE (DLP) and JOURNAL 52 (J52) pieces to share with you today.
For DLP, the prompt was "Wish List", and here's what I did:
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| "I wish for: time, answers, understanding, enough." |
I thought about putting a lot of different things on my wish list...because, honestly, there are a lot of things that would be really awesome to have (aka every art supply I wanted)...but when I thought about it a little harder, I realized that at some point, if I saved my pennies, I could just buy the art supply I desired...and I don't want to waste wishes on something I could easily do for myself!
No, no, no. These wishes had to be things which I have a very small chance of getting...or at least things where effort on my behalf wouldn't change the outcome. That's a much better use of my wishes!
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| I liked the girl blowing the dandelion fuzz away...and luckily enough, my mom had given me a page of cute dandelion wall decals, so, in addition to the hand drawn dandelion, they came to live on the spread too. |
I thought about things like a never ending supply of chocolate milk or to have legs that were skinny enough to fit perfectly into cute boots. (Seriously, even when the rest of me was skinny, my calves are the calves a steroid-using body builder wishes he had!)
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| You're all I've ever wanted. |
...but even that seemed like not enough. I mean, if I'm getting wishes, I'm not wasting them...not even on awesome footwear.
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| Pretty happy with my lettering! I went really, really slow...it turned out...not too shabby! |
My favorite wish...the most important one for me...is "Enough". I'm not greedy...I don't want a lot...I just want enough of things (time, answers...money) not to have to stress! That's the best wish I came up with I think!
For J52, the prompt was "Technology", and here's what I came up with:
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| Oh, the irony... |
I was trying to decide whether I was a fan of technology or not...
Interestingly enough, I was just having a conversation with my husband about fear, and he said one of his worst fears is that "they" drop an EMP (Electro-Magnetic Pulse). If that happened, it would basically be like they broke electricity and nothing electronic would work. He got mad at me because I said I'd basically be ok with that. But it's true!
On one hand, I enjoy technology VERY much...I like being able to talk to my family on the phone...or to hop in the car and go see them whenever I want. I like to have information right at my fingertips whenever I happen to be curious about something. I love being able to know people from all over the world who share the same interests I do...especially because I don't know anyone in my day-to-day life that does! I love getting to see people's amazing art and I love all the inspiration and ideas that are exchanged! And I love having access to interesting music...the internet is my sole source of good music. I really like electricity and having access to clean and (if I choose) hot water in an instant! I totally understand how limited my life would be if it weren't for technology...and how much more time consuming daily activities, such as bathing and cooking, would be if it weren't for technology.
On the opposite side, I am very completely a person who could live on the side of a mountain somewhere without electricity or indoor plumbing or internet access! I don't know if I've mentioned it on the blog before, but for the first 11 or 12 years of my life, I lived in a house with no running water. We had an outhouse...we had a well with a hand pump... And this was in the 80's and 90's in Ohio, not a third world nation or way back when... I don't know if I recognized it as a kid so much, but it was an odd way to be raised for someone in my generation... Because of my non-conventional childhood, I know that if electricity suddenly did disappear, I'd be ok with it! I'd be inconvenienced, but I wouldn't be unable to survive or anything!
To be completely honest, I actually think I would enjoy that life very much! There'd be a lot of hard work involved, but it would be honest work...there'd be a sense of accomplishment that went along with it.
Sometimes I think about all the things I have and ask myself if it was really worth exchanging my time for these things. Because that's what it all boils down to for me... It's so easy to get caught up in the 'wanties'...I want a new phone because mine is 6 months old and out of date... I want a bigger TV because that's 'better' than the one I have. I want.... I want... I want...
Don't get me wrong, I like my things. I appreciate having all my basic needs handled to the extent that I can sit here and ponder over the things I want...because there are a lot of people in the world who don't have that luxury. But if it weren't for all those extras...if I was sitting in my mountain shack, doing just enough to ensure my survival...how much more enjoyable would my life be? Or, how much more time would I have to enjoy life? How much more would I appreciate the simple things? Because I can google pictures of flowers all day long, but it will never be the same as seeing one right in front of me, smelling its fragrance, feeling the softness of the petals with my own hands...
I guess where technology is concerned, I'm kind of like what would happen if Big Foot married a robot and they had a child... I'm Robofoot... (or Bigbot...) I like technology well enough, but I like the absence of it just as much.
What about you? What's on your wish list? Are you a technophobe, or do you enjoy the gadgets and gizmos? Do you want to come live with me in my mountain retreat or is your idea of roughing it staying at a Motel 6 for the weekend?
On one hand, I enjoy technology VERY much...I like being able to talk to my family on the phone...or to hop in the car and go see them whenever I want. I like to have information right at my fingertips whenever I happen to be curious about something. I love being able to know people from all over the world who share the same interests I do...especially because I don't know anyone in my day-to-day life that does! I love getting to see people's amazing art and I love all the inspiration and ideas that are exchanged! And I love having access to interesting music...the internet is my sole source of good music. I really like electricity and having access to clean and (if I choose) hot water in an instant! I totally understand how limited my life would be if it weren't for technology...and how much more time consuming daily activities, such as bathing and cooking, would be if it weren't for technology.
On the opposite side, I am very completely a person who could live on the side of a mountain somewhere without electricity or indoor plumbing or internet access! I don't know if I've mentioned it on the blog before, but for the first 11 or 12 years of my life, I lived in a house with no running water. We had an outhouse...we had a well with a hand pump... And this was in the 80's and 90's in Ohio, not a third world nation or way back when... I don't know if I recognized it as a kid so much, but it was an odd way to be raised for someone in my generation... Because of my non-conventional childhood, I know that if electricity suddenly did disappear, I'd be ok with it! I'd be inconvenienced, but I wouldn't be unable to survive or anything!
To be completely honest, I actually think I would enjoy that life very much! There'd be a lot of hard work involved, but it would be honest work...there'd be a sense of accomplishment that went along with it.
Sometimes I think about all the things I have and ask myself if it was really worth exchanging my time for these things. Because that's what it all boils down to for me... It's so easy to get caught up in the 'wanties'...I want a new phone because mine is 6 months old and out of date... I want a bigger TV because that's 'better' than the one I have. I want.... I want... I want...
Don't get me wrong, I like my things. I appreciate having all my basic needs handled to the extent that I can sit here and ponder over the things I want...because there are a lot of people in the world who don't have that luxury. But if it weren't for all those extras...if I was sitting in my mountain shack, doing just enough to ensure my survival...how much more enjoyable would my life be? Or, how much more time would I have to enjoy life? How much more would I appreciate the simple things? Because I can google pictures of flowers all day long, but it will never be the same as seeing one right in front of me, smelling its fragrance, feeling the softness of the petals with my own hands...
I guess where technology is concerned, I'm kind of like what would happen if Big Foot married a robot and they had a child... I'm Robofoot... (or Bigbot...) I like technology well enough, but I like the absence of it just as much.
What about you? What's on your wish list? Are you a technophobe, or do you enjoy the gadgets and gizmos? Do you want to come live with me in my mountain retreat or is your idea of roughing it staying at a Motel 6 for the weekend?
Roflmao.... Robofoot. wa ha ha ha... I can do without the TV. I don't have cable at the moment and don't miss it at all. I would however miss air conditioning very, very much. I also would miss the internet. I've learned so much about art through the internet. I love your girl. I think she is the best one you have done to date. I can almost hear her blowing on the dandelion.
ReplyDeleteWe are currently cable-less too...I don't miss it at all...Andy is having severe withdrawals, but I'm not really a TV watcher anyway... I would definitely miss the Internet if I didn't have it, for exactly the reason you said! And I'd miss the connections to my fellow artsy friends! Thank you for the compliments about the girl! I am pretty happy with how she turned out too! <3 <3 <3
DeleteAnother great blog sweet Tea. Your dandelion wish seeker is marvelous as well as you wonderful penmanship!!!! Oh I have tv on 24/7 for background noise, have to have air condition I sweat a lot, and if I didn't have a microwave is starve( although we eat out 99% of the time!
ReplyDeleteSweets, you never cease to amaze me with you heartfelt ramblings and amusing anecdotes. Your writing is spectacular. Only you will love this like I do, but the "a" in Understanding just makes me swoon!!!! I agree that this girl is one of your best, her nose is so sweet. My wish has always been to travel, but now I have a reason to want to travel (you are definitely one of the many wonderful friends I would like to visit) Hugs, Pamikins
ReplyDeleteYou made me think about my childhood. We had no car, no phone, no tv, no computer, of course no internet and I had a wonderful time. And I had more time. All these things keep you busy, mostly thinking about all kinds of rubbish you did not ask for. But I must admit, my computer and the internet I would miss, sitting in the middle of nowhere, but if I wouldn't know, I just had a loooooot of time for painting. Wonderful. Also wonderful is your little lady. Well done!
ReplyDeleteI LOVE this blog post!!! We lived in WV for a time, and the lack of indoor plumbing was something many people, even in your generation, were quite well-acquainted with. Your lettering - yes, especially the "a" and "g" (of understanding) - is beautiful, and I love the detail of the dandelion. There is a great sense of calm in this spread, I think. I also got a great kick out of Bigbot!!!
ReplyDelete