I was sitting around, watching my basketball pool selections get unselected this evening. Naturally, out of desperation for something of substance to do, I log on to Dkos. No new Front Page stuff since this afternoon. Must be watching the games, too. Some pretty good diaries to read. OK. Some really damn great diaries.
So, I looked at the usual sources for birthdays and various anniversaries, stuff generally reserved for C&J. Just to see who might get overlooked. But something else struck me. Several of the people who have influenced my life, through words or action, appeared in the lists.
More below the fold.
These folks, who celebrate their birthdays today, carry some of the of the responsibility for me being who I am. But I cannot blame it all on them.
1834 William Morris. The Arts and Crafts Movement always had a great appeal. Clean, honest, functional lines. No clutter. Admirable motivation.
History has remembered the kings and warriors, because they destroyed; Art has remembered the people, because they created.
If you want a golden rule that will fit everything, this is it: Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.
1834 John Wesley Powell. Powell articulated an emotion, under the surface but never out of sight. The beauty of the natural world is greater than our ability to describe it. We are that beauty, we feel that beauty, we are of that beauty. That natural beauty absorbs us and makes us speechless. When we cause it to be altered or destroyed, we are diminished. We are less than we were once and we will not get it back.
The wonders of the Grand Canyon cannot be adequately represented in symbols of speech, nor by speech itself. The resources of the graphic art are taxed beyond their powers in attempting to portray its features. Language and illustration combined must fail.
1874 Harry Houdini. I just loved the legend of Houdini and the stories of his showmanship. And he could "snark" quite nicely.
The greatest escape I ever made was when I left Appleton, Wisconsin.
My brain is the key that sets my mind free.
Now, I hear that certain individuals are wanting to have his remains disinterred to prove that he was poisoned.
Ahhh. The show goes on.
1886 Edward Weston. I was and am impressed by the early photographers like Weston, Bruce Weston, Ansel Adams, Edward Steichen, and a host of others. They elevated the craft to an art. They showed us how to see instead of merely look. They taught that the world was beautiful and had the evidence to prove their point. They wrote the book.
...the members of Group f/64 believe that photography, as an art form, must develop along lines defined by the actualities and limitations of the photographic medium, and must always remain independent of ideological conventions of art and aesthetics that are reminiscent of a period and culture antedating the growth of the medium itself. -From The Group's Manifesto
1897 Wilhelm Reich. Reich showed us why Organized Religion hates Sex and Science.
. . . full sexual consciousness and a natural regulation of sexual life mean the end of mystical feelings of any kind, that, in other words, natural sexuality is the deadly enemy of mystical religion. The church, by making the fight over sexuality the center of its dogmas and of its influence over the masses, confirms this concept.
Honest pioneer work in the field of science has always been, and will continue to be, life's pilot. On all sides, life is surrounded by hostility. This puts us under an obligation.
This is in no way meant to be a condemnation of personal faith, but is certainly not meant to be in praise of the Business of Religion.
1936 David Suzuki. He knew what I knew when I looked at the photos from orbit.
The human brain now holds the key to our future. We have to recall the image of the planet from outer space: a single entity in which air, water, and continents are interconnected. That is our home.
1944 Patti Labelle. Ms LaBelle is a classy, talented, out spoken woman. She is now using her fame to help make others aware of the threat of diabetes. When you have a voice and have the pulpit, use it.
1960 Kelly LeBrock. She makes it OK to be a geek. And gives geeks hope. Or at least lonely robot designers.
1970 Lara Flynn Boyle. OK. I'm busted. This is just Eyecandy. Sue me.
1974 Alyson Hannigan. Not a bad philosophy, really.
There should be a law that there's a pajama day every few weeks.
These people we began to miss the minute they were gone.
1905 Jules Verne. Taught me to love science/speculative fiction. He taught me to read outside of reality and to dream. And he liked cats.
I believe cats to be spirits come to earth. A cat, I am sure, could walk on a cloud without coming through.
We may brave human laws, but we cannot resist natural ones.
Liberty is worth paying for . . .
1882 Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Probably my first poet. Who showed me that words are bigger than mere words.
Kind hearts are the gardens, Kind thoughts are the roots, Kind words are the flowers, Kind deeds are the fruits, Take care of your garden And keep out the weeds, Fill it with sunshine Kind words and kind deeds.
1603 Elizabeth I. A strong woman. She played the political game better than the men in her world. She had few illusions.
The past cannot be cured.
Of course, this is not a complete list. The greatest influences were the school teachers who led me to the libraries, my mom who had me reading before the first grade and a community that placed huge value on knowledge.
If you've read this little diary this far, stick around long enough to comment on your personal "influencers". Who lit your light?