On a Beach Walk: #58 (Quiet)

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I like walking the beach. It’s good for the mind, body, and soul – and refreshing on my feet.

Today I think about quiet – that calming word signifying no sound. Quiet – a time and place that questionably exists. Quiet – when there seems to be little noise, action, or activity – a time of still – an important personal time – They are all quiet.

The sea’s roar is not quiet – yet it can be the white noise for solitude. The sea is never quiet –  never still – but it can be a quiet for calming the mind. The wind whistling by my ears and the waves clapping as they wash ashore – yet, I can hear the popping of small bubbles on my feet, Yes –  walking on the beach can be a place of quiet for listening to nature and for quieting the mind.

Our mind is seemingly never quiet. It may be removed from one’s regular routine, but thoughts continuously race – and frequently bouncing between subjects, which is far from quiet. Sometimes when I walk the beach, my mind is like the perpetual activity of the sea.

Quiet is like an open meadow or standing on a mountain top overlooking serenity – but it is not void of sound – yet the mind may slow down to enjoy the relative quiet of the moment.

Life today is not only like a perpetual motion machine, it seems to be going faster and faster – yet quiet is an important mental health club – a time, a place where one can enjoy the spirit of reflection, imagination, or just rest.

Quiet is a reason some meditate or practice yoga. Others find quiet while jogging or riding a bicycle. Others find it in music, reading, or sitting by a crackling fire.

Quiet is being on the road that goes nowhere – a time away from the noise of life.

The roar of the waves can resemble societal noise. From the rambling anger and tremors of political pundits trading political soundbites over seeking meaningful solutions to real problems to the mountains that are really mole hills, they are far from quiet.

The news focuses on negative events of the day is far from quiet – therefore, mirroring the sounds of busy traffic.

The roaring waves resemble the roundtable discussion where being heard is more important than listening. It is in quiet that we learn to listen to ourselves and ponder what others have said.

The roar of the waves is the metaphor for now. Think of the immediacy of voice mail, call waiting, call forwarding, texting, email, and other modern technologies. It is on of these beach walks that I typically go without my phone – a respite from the immediacy of today’s world.

The sounds of the beach serve as a white noise. While my walk is absent of crowds, the active water delivers an inner stillness to the mind and soul – a time when the mind can both relax and focus – yes – a time of quiet. A time of solitude. A time of resting the mind. Even a time for focusing the mind.

Quiet is a time or a place where one finds peace and tranquility. Away from daylight’s activity, the quiet of night provides twinkling moments of reverence under the sparkles of the stars and the glistening moon.

Quiet is a place for the still without noise or voices – yet also the muted, the faint, indistinct, the inaudible, or the whispered.

While cruising in Alaska, I remember with its night still being like dusk, seeing the outlines of the mountains that were dark shadows with only a very rare sighting of an electric light. That’s also quiet.

I also recall one morning when cruising the Danube. All alone on the top deck, I could hear the splashes of water as the ship moved as well as the constant breeze – yet it was quiet enough to hear the morning birds in the distance. That’s also quiet.

I enjoy walking into a church where I am alone – that quiet sense of awe and wonder. Libraries are another place of reverence with a hush driven by the power of the knowledge found in the printed words that are bounded by covers.

Quiet – hush, still, faint, peace, tranquility, reverence, pleasant, soothing, restful – Not only are all quiet, quiet is a reason I like walking the beach. After all, walking the beach is good for the mind, body, and soul – and refreshing on my feet.

On a Weekend Concert: Journey

Journey

The Producer’s Guidelines

1. Only songs performed by Journey (no related solo acts)
2. No duplicate songs
3. Include the song title in your introduction text so others can see it
4. One song per person on Day 1; unlimited on Day 2
5. To prevent browsers crashing from loading too many videos, please paste the URL as part of your last line (not a new line) – (I do not mind unembedding, so no  apologies are necessary)

Note: Return on Day 2 to submit more songs without limits. (My typical signal is posting a song for all attendees.)

“Separate Ways”

 

Next Concert: Prince (Saturday 5th October 2019 @ 1:00 AM Eastern US)

Past Concerts (Category): Beatles, Ex-Beatles, Moody Blues, Queen, Neil Diamond, Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, Aretha Franklin, Carole King, Elton John, Billy Joel, Crosby Stills Nash & Young (the group), Doobie Brothers, Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley

Opinions in the Shorts: Vol. 413

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The Weekend Concert Series returns this weekend with Journey taking to the stage. Concert time is this Saturday at 1:00 AM (Eastern US).

Week 2 of Dancing With The Stars revealed a new way of eliminating contestants – which to me is a result of the trend of viewers making goofy choices. Meanwhile, even though one contestant is typically eliminated each week, those who need to go early are identified – therefore, gives others time to develop into contenders.

Because I just mentioned television, I didn’t watch the Emmy Awards, but from what I’ve seen, gotta love Zendaya Coleman fashion statement.

A Cincinnati Reds legend had his final game this afternoon. Marty Brennaman has been the play-by-play  radio broadcaster for 46 years. He’s not only a local legend, but is also enshrined in the broadcaster’s wing at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. Maybe the first inning of his first game served as an omen. That’s when Hank Aaron tied Babe Ruth as the all-time homerun leader. Marty – thanks for all the memories!

About the game today. I didn’t watch on TV, I listened on a small, transistor-like radio beyond the final out through the post-game show. I turned on the television to watch the post-game ceremony. Yes – I shed a few tears.

Benevolent Impalers (my football fantasy team) lost it’s first game last week falling to 2-1. We got thumped. The opponents, the lowest scoring team in the league the first two weeks (and I the highest), achieved the highest scoring week of the season by far. My week was OK, but the opponents were on fire.

Did you know Popeyes is the official chicken of the Vatican? ( know Marc knows!)

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President Trump can no longer surprise me.

House Democrats have started an impeachment inquiry. This is the first step in the impeachment process, and it could also be the last step.

Although the US Constitution provides a mechanism for impeachment, there should not be any doubt that impeachment is a political process driven by party-first politics on both sides of the aisle. Unfortunately, what is best for the country cannot overcome tribalism.

A well-constituted court for the trial of impeachments is an object not more to be desired than difficult to be obtained in a government wholly elective. The subjects of its jurisdiction are those offenses which proceed from the misconduct of public men, or, in other words, from the abuse or violation of some public trust. They are of a nature which may with peculiar propriety be denominated POLITICAL, as they relate chiefly to injuries done immediately to the society itself. The prosecution of them, for this reason, will seldom fail to agitate the passions of the whole community, and to divide it into parties more or less friendly or inimical to the accused. In many cases it will connect itself with the pre-existing factions, and will enlist all their animosities, partialities, influence, and interest on one side or on the other; and in such cases there will always be the greatest danger that the decision will be regulated more by the comparative strength of parties, than by the real demonstrations of innocence or guilt. (from Federalist Paper: No. 65, Alexander Hamilton, 7 March 1788)

The end of the third quarter is a time for my latest odds.

• President Trump being nominated: 97%
• President Trump receiving my vote: 0%
• Democratic nominee receiving my vote: 10%
• President Trump winning re-election: 55%

To lead you into this week’s satirical headlines, The Onion provides a glimpse of what is happening in a high school science class. I wonder who will look here.

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Weekly Headlines from The Onion (combos welcome)

Every ingredient in recipe substituted for to avoid trip to store
Child concerned parents might never amount to anything
Nation perplexed by 16-year-old who doesn’t want the world to end
Obsessive-compulsive baseball player has to touch all 3 bases before going home
Man struggling to accept the fact that he’ll never move beyond medium salsa

Interesting Reads

Time with Turkish militants
Keeping working satellites safe
Death of Alexander the Great
Apps and the battle in Hong Kong
Mac & cheese and Mars
(Graphic) America’s political divide since 1994 (I love this one!)
(Photos) Milky Way photo contest winners
(Photos) Running of the wieners

To send you into the weekend, time for a bit of old school Frank style from Blue Man Group. In the words of Garrison Keillor, Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.

On Three Exhibits

Click for excellent background music for this post from The Piano Guys.

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Typically, I take pictures at a museum exhibit with hopes of creating a post. Well, I never got around to writing these, so while cleaning out my blog closet, I decided to give a synopsis of them in one post. Sort of a Pictures at an Exhibition. Hope you enjoy the walk through the gallery

Terracotta Army: Legacy of the First Emperor of China

Unknown until 1974, this archaeological discovery is about the legion (over 8,000 life-sized figures) guarding the tomb of China’s first emperor. Not only multiple warriors, the exhibit included arms, armor, ornaments, ceramics, jewelry, and excellent information about this early civilization. The Cincinnati Art Museum hosted this fascinating exhibit.

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Chocolate: The Exhibition

Although it’s not true for everyone, but many people enjoy chocolate. Milk chocolate, dark chocolate, white chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate, chocolate milk, chocolate ice cream, brownies, fudge, and many more items. As a kid, I sprinkled cocoa powder onto my Rice Krispies, plus enjoyed Bosco! I still like an occasional gulp of straight Hershey Chocolate Syrup. So, I had to attend the exhibit at the Cincinnati Museum Center.

When first entering the exhibit, the smell of chocolate grabbed your attention. Yum! A large section of the exhibit focused on chocolate’s history. The German or Belgians come to mind, but hey – chocolate goes back to the Aztecs in Central America – so it made way to Europe from there! Uses, products, and production completed the exhibit. At the end, a local chocolatier provided samples. Yes – it was a good day.

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Guitars: Instruments that Rocked the World

Guitars have a fascinating history – and one much longer than many people may think. But did you know there is a National Guitar Museum? Yep – but it is a travelling exhibit without a permanent home!

Besides displaying some famous guitars, the exhibit included over 70 guitars of different styles, ages, and historical value (including one from 3000 BCE). Besides guitars, visitors can learn more about sound through numerous interactives. Toss in posters, graphics, banners, and the World’s Largest Playable Guitar, this exhibit is a winner for music lovers. Yes – I enjoyed this exhibit!

Click here to learn more about the National Guitar Museum and it’s exhibition schedule. I wonder if the museum will find a permanent home.

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On a Beach Walk: #57 (Wind)

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I like walking the beach. It’s good for the mind, body, and soul – and refreshing on my feet.

Wind is one of our earthly constants. Although it may only be slight at our planet’s surface, winds are constant throughout the atmosphere.

Today the wind is strong and gusty – not a whispery breeze. Today the wind provides a strong headwind as I walk.

Today the wind roars as it passes my ears. Today is more of a slap than a feathery touch – but tomorrow may be different.

Today’s wind causes me to think about other terms associated with wind – gales, gusts, squalls, storms, cyclones, hurricanes, typhons, tornadoes, vortices, and more. Other terms describing wind come to mind as sea breezes, mountain breezes, desert winds, easterlies, westerlies, prevailing, polar, topical, headwinds, tailwinds, crosswinds, and there are more.

The wind is as moody and fickle as people. Winds change throughout the day and from day to day. The winds of yesterday, today, and tomorrow are all different – yet the wind always speaks to us in the form of spirits, messages, metaphors, and similes. But do we listen? Does anyone even know the language it speaks? Maybe the wind just stimulates our own private thoughts.

The wind is mysterious. We don’t see it, but notice its effects. We can’t hold it, but feel it on our body.

Like us, the wind can be conflicting and complex in its messaging. Like the wind, change is constant in life – and an absolute certainty – especially as technology seems to be moving us to change faster and faster. To some, change is an uncontrollable feeling of a piece of paper being tossed around by the wind.

I watch an approaching helicopter fly into the stiff wind. It flies straight, but the pilot positions the aircraft at an angle for reasons I do not know – but it must be because of the wind. That stiff wind is also the resistance that comes with change – that resistance for maintaining the comfort of the status quo.

Whereas the wind provides resistance, it can also be directive. Like moving with ease when implementing an idea. Who doesn’t like the wind at their back? That wind also allows us to float with ease – but to some, it can be like riding a wild bull.

From causing leaves to rustle, flags to flutter and refreshing our skin, the wind is poetic – it’s moving – it provides imagery to us all. The wind can be soft or rough – fierce or gentle – hot or cold – damaging or refreshing while delivering a variety of messages. Yet, the wind is free – free to do as it wants – even imposing its will.

Wind – that natural flow of atmospheric gases along the Earth’s surface – simply, the movement of air.

Wind – that force moving sand along the beach, changing the landscape, or eroding stone.

Other planets have winds, but solar winds are not the movement of gases.

Wind – a key component of song and movie titles as Gone with the Wind, Inherit the Wind, Blowin’ in the Wind, Candle in the Wind, Ride Like the Wind, They Call the Wind Mariah, Colors of the Wind, and many more.

Wind – a necessity for recreation as moving sailboats, flying kites, windsurfing, hand gliding, paragliding, and more.

Although the wind can be many things, the wind on the beach can provide a freshness that only the winds of the sea provide. The wind can be one of the reasons why walking the beach is good for the mind, body, and soul – and refreshing on my feet.