Recently, very recently, something wonderful has happened to me soon after I wake up in the mornings (as opposed to after my nap!!). That is, I'm seized by the urge to stretch. And I do. What an amazing feeling! I'm so happy to experience this after a long time. The thing is, making my own decision to stretch and carrying that out simply isn't the same. It doesn't bring that surge of energy and satisfaction, the sense of well-being.
Which is not to take away from the benefits of stretching. Ever since we were taught some back exercises at ballet school I've used various stretches as needed. But somehow the involuntary one feels like a gift. A bit like a good sneeze, I suppose. This, as I understand it, can shake you up in a good way... so rather the opposite of a stretch?
My dad used to get annoyed when I suddenly exploded in a sneeze. "Bren!" he used to chide. "Please!" I never understood what he expected me to do about it because there was no way I could suppress that impulse.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Friday, January 21, 2011
Old typewriters, modern websites
One of these days, before very long, I'm going to up my web presence. This will be in anticipation of publication in Spring 2012. (Yay!!) Expect more, much more, on this in later posts.
So I've been surfing around, looking at various writing and author web sites to get an idea of what's out there. And it struck me how often you find an image of an old typewriter at the top of the page. Is this nostalgia, or have we endowed that out-dated machine with a kind of glamour? As one who actually learned to type on one of those clunkers, I can tell you there was nothing glamourous about it.
Yes, I took a 3 month secretarial course between leaving ballet school and starting at uni. Typing was brutal. Apart from having to wham those keys down with a force at the opposite end of the gentle stroke we need today, we also had to type blind i.e. with a kind of green apron covering the qwerty etc. At that time, people who were starting to wake up to the women's movement used to advise: never admit you can type! But the skill has stood me in good stead over the years. I'm only sorry I lost the ability to take shorthand notes!
I suppose a photo or drawing of a computer doesn't carry much cachet, and the image of the old typewriter conveys a certain romantic notion of 'the writer'. I can't imagine there are many of us today who use those machines, although I have to admit I like using an even older method of putting words on paper, and often pick up a pen or pencil.
And come to think of it, I have an image of a quill-like feather on my business card!
So I've been surfing around, looking at various writing and author web sites to get an idea of what's out there. And it struck me how often you find an image of an old typewriter at the top of the page. Is this nostalgia, or have we endowed that out-dated machine with a kind of glamour? As one who actually learned to type on one of those clunkers, I can tell you there was nothing glamourous about it.
Yes, I took a 3 month secretarial course between leaving ballet school and starting at uni. Typing was brutal. Apart from having to wham those keys down with a force at the opposite end of the gentle stroke we need today, we also had to type blind i.e. with a kind of green apron covering the qwerty etc. At that time, people who were starting to wake up to the women's movement used to advise: never admit you can type! But the skill has stood me in good stead over the years. I'm only sorry I lost the ability to take shorthand notes!
I suppose a photo or drawing of a computer doesn't carry much cachet, and the image of the old typewriter conveys a certain romantic notion of 'the writer'. I can't imagine there are many of us today who use those machines, although I have to admit I like using an even older method of putting words on paper, and often pick up a pen or pencil.
And come to think of it, I have an image of a quill-like feather on my business card!
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Home from the hills
Here I am, back home after almost three weeks vacation, and feeling renewed. To me, California is a little bit like a mix of the Johannesburg and Cape Town of my youth, mostly because they have much of the flora in common, plus the warm, dry air, which does me good.
I have a friend who always asks, 'What was the highlight of your trip?' Sometimes I have a hard time replying. But now this is easy to answer. Setting aside being with family, I was thrilled by the Getty Villa in Malibu. We were lucky enough to catch the last day of a special exhibit about the art of Ancient Greek theatre, and spent a couple of hours examining and admiring large black vases decorated with figures from tragedy and comedy. There was also a huge wall map showing where all the open air theatres were... so many!
It's a special pleasure to visit such beautiful surroundings and see an exhibition put on so well. I almost felt transported to that era, that I could slip into a different experience and see with different eyes. Very inspiring!
But sitting on the beach watching the waves wasn't so bad either.
I have a friend who always asks, 'What was the highlight of your trip?' Sometimes I have a hard time replying. But now this is easy to answer. Setting aside being with family, I was thrilled by the Getty Villa in Malibu. We were lucky enough to catch the last day of a special exhibit about the art of Ancient Greek theatre, and spent a couple of hours examining and admiring large black vases decorated with figures from tragedy and comedy. There was also a huge wall map showing where all the open air theatres were... so many!
It's a special pleasure to visit such beautiful surroundings and see an exhibition put on so well. I almost felt transported to that era, that I could slip into a different experience and see with different eyes. Very inspiring!
But sitting on the beach watching the waves wasn't so bad either.
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