"Drink Me": More Alice References...

 

 Actual size. Slight Edit Ann reference. Swarthmore, PA.

"... this time she found a little bottle... and tied round the neck of the bottle was a paper label, with the words "DRINK ME" beautifully printed on it in large letters. It was all very well to say "Drink me," but the wise little Alice was not going to do that in a hurry. "No, I'll look first," she said, "and see whether it's marked 'poison' or not... if you drink much from a bottle marked "poison," it is almost certain to disagree with you, sooner or later". However, this bottle was not marked "poison," so Alice ventured to taste it, and, finding it very nice, she very soon finished it off.

Sounds familiar...

"What a curious feeling!" said Alice. "I must be shutting up like a telescope!" 

And so it was indeed: she was now only ten inches high... she waited for a few minutes to see if she was going to shrink any further: she felt a little nervous about this; "for it might end, you know," said Alice to herself; "in my going out altogether, like a candle. I wonder what I should be like then?" - Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

Wow.  I never realized how fatalistic Alice was, or how morbid children's stories can be when you really get into them.  I'm not even talking about the Brothers' Grimm, which are obviously frightening, but even watching "Where The Wild Things Are" as a film left me thinking I must have blocked out the creepy parts out as a kid.

Back to the photo: The chair is actual size.  Its on the Swarthmore campus.  Also the bottle was there when I got there... swear.  When I posted this on Facebook with obvious Alice references, one of the first responses was an Edith Ann quote.  My mother was really into Lily Tomlin, but I never thought my peers would remember that character.   So maybe I will end this post with some Edith Ann quotes.  She was perhaps a bit more savvy than Alice, but both wise beyond their years ;)


"I have always wanted to be somebody, but I see now I should have been more specific."

"The trouble with the rat race is that even if you win you're still a rat."

"Man invented language to satisfy his deep need to complain."

"Reality is the crutch for people who can't cope with drugs."

- Lily Tomlin as Edith Ann

Cambio es Bueno

Change is good.  Well, its inevitable, anyway.  So, as my sister says, find a way to "get ok with it".  

A few years ago when I was living in Bucktown I would pass this building near the train station.  Every week or so someone would change the art, just a graffiti style poster series pasted to the wall.  The messages were frequently simple but touching and always evocative.  I love how this one conveys that sentiment between hope and mourning.  Its also a very pertinent image for change.

It seems no good change comes without struggle, like a difficult birth, and at the end you're left wondering if the positive feelings you have are from reaching a higher ground or just relief and exhaustion.  I guess the trouble is that you never know what you are dealing with until its long over and you can look back on it with perspective.  

I'm thankful right now for all the positive things in my life the forward motion and I'm using that energy for strength to face all the question marks in my head.

Here are some thoughts on change:

"We cannot change anything until we accept it. Condemnation does not liberate, it oppresses." - Carl Jung

"Imagine a scenario in which you could live your life with equanimity if the situation in question never changed and then meditate on how you may help evolve it into something new." - Paraphrased from a newspaper horoscope

 

Possibly one of the most touching songs ever sung: "A Change is Gonna Come" - Sam Cooke

Goodnight :) 

Come Out, Come Out, Wherever You Are!

Its Harvey Milk Week, kids!  Check out the schedule in your area: Chicago's schedule. 

There are some interesting, informative and fun events all week long.  Most cities are culminating with a rally and march on Saturday, May 22nd.  It was not that long ago that this simple freedom of self expression was unheard of, but there are still more rights to fight for!  So celebrate it for yourself, support those in your life that you care about... or  attend an event to learn and broaden your understanding of the people you share the planet with :)

"All young people, regardless of sexual orientation or identity, deserve a safe and supportive environment in which to achieve their full potential." - Harvey Milk

"I have tasted freedom; I will not give up that which I have tasted. I have a lot more to drink." - Harvey Milk

"I know that you cannot live on hope alone, but without it, life is not worth living. And you, and you, and you, and you gotta give 'em hope."- Harvey Milk