The Oxymoron ... a Reminder to Laugh at Ourselves

A Sanitary Sewer!  (photo by Jan Siebold)

    I snapped this photo of a "Sanitary Sewer" cover in Washington, D.C.  It is a perfect example of an oxymoron ... a self-contradictory term from the Greek oxus, meaning "sharp", and moros, meaning "stupid".  One translation of the term is "pointedly foolish".
    Popular examples of the oxymoron are "jumbo shrimp", "Great Depression", "military intelligence",  and "poor little rich girl".
    Maybe we enjoy thinking about the oxymoron because we are reminded that as human beings we are full of contradictions* and momentary lapses in judgement.  After all, these phrases were coined by humans, probably by accident or in all seriousness at the time that they were first uttered or written.  For the most part, the chuckle didn't come until later when someone realized the incongruity of the words in question.
    Any time that we are reminded to not take ourselves too seriously is "awfully good" in my book!

*see my blog post "Explore Contradictions!" dated 9/27/12
 

 

 
 

Make Way for Boston...

Make Way for Ducklings statues in Boston Public Garden (photo by Jan Siebold)

"'I like this place,' said Mrs. Mallard as they climbed out on the bank and waddled along."
                                                 -from Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey

I love you Boston, and I know that you'll keep marching forward....

Just Enter through the Gun Barrel

Bathing suits worn by Daniel Craig and Sean Connery in James Bond films. (photo by Jan Siebold)

     I recently attended the opening of "Designing 007", an exhibit of James Bond movie props, costumes and sets in the Toronto International Film Festival's Bell Lightbox space.  "Just enter through the gun barrel'" the museum attendant directed us, pointing to a large cylindrical opening in the wall.  Among the exhibit  highlights were the montage of opening James Bond movie clips/theme songs, a room dedicated to Bond villains, a tour of Q's department (where 007's supply of life-saving gadgets were created and tested) and a gallery dedicated to the inevitable casino scenes featured in the films.
    In one room we saw props such as James Bond's passport and a complete medical report describing his broken collarbone.  I was amazed at the amount of care and detail that went into the creation of these props.  Surely a movie viewer wouldn't even be able to read the print on these items when seen in the final product.
     It occurred to me that such painstaking care could be attributed to the film makers' desire to create a completely authentic experience for all involved in the process.  Such attention to detail serves us well in any type of work that is important to us.  The difference that details can make is like night and day, or even like a martini shaken, not stirred. 

Thank You, John Lennon

The John Lennon Wall in Prague is an ever changing reminder of our basic right to freedom of expression.
(photo by Jim Siebold)

"Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers." (Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1948)

     October 9 is the birthday of John Lennon (1940-1980).  Let us remember his voice, his words, his music and his passion, as well as the message of hope and peace that he brought to the world. 

 

Turn and Face the Strange

photo by Jan Siebold

I recently returned from a trip to New York City and New England.  I am always amazed at travel's power to transform my life and my writing.  I begin each journey still tethered to the routines and rituals of everyday life at home.  As I travel farther away those ties are quickly broken, and I revel in the new and the unfamiliar.  As much as I am excited about natural wonders, I am even more drawn to places where the human spirit is evident .... the World Trade Center Memorial site, art installations along the Hudson River Parkway, a cellist at the Chelsea Market, the High Line path on NYC's West Side.  I am reminded that possibilities are endless and that there is beauty and strength in the triumph over obstacles and adversity.  I return home from each trip with a pocketsize notebook full of revelations and ideas.  My travels do not always take me to far away and exotic places.  There are places to discover just around the corner.  The trick is to take the first steps.  In the words of David Bowie ... "turn and face the strange."  The rewards will be immeasurable.