 |
   
|
Titanic
The attitude of unhappiness is not only painful, it is mean and ugly. What can be more base and unworthy than the pining, puling, mumping mood, no matter by what outward ills it may have been engendered? What is more injurious to others? What less helpful as a way out of the difficulty? It but fastens and perpetuates the trouble which occasioned it, and increases the total evil of the situation. At all costs, then, we ought to reduce the sway of that mood; we ought to scout it in ourselves and others, and never show it tolerance.
-- William James
Monday, December 22, 1997
Someone (a journaler noted for a dark view of life) was asking me how I stay so cheerful. After sharing with zir my strategies for cheering myself up or comforting myself when I need it, and acknowledging my luck in getting "happy" brain biochemistry, I noted that there certainly have been tough times in my life, when I was grief-stricken, confused, depressed. But the nineties have been good for me. (Note: the quote above doesn't necessarily express my views on depression; but I do like the James brothers, William and Henry.)
I also wondered if a generally happy tone in my journal might not exactly jibe with my real-life affect. Like anyone else, I have peevish days and sarcastic moments. Perhaps I just don't write here the rants or jeremiads that I actually say to people or write in email. What do those folks that know me in three dimensions think? (Let me know if I can quote you, anonymously or otherwise.)
* * * * * * * *
I did have some moments of aggravation today. There was some confusion between one of the program managers and myself about what should be happening with versions of docs, some of which the lead pm (my boss) had passed to me, some of which the first pm had asked me to convert on zir section of the team site. When I first got started with these, I didn't know there was duplication in this content. When I found out, I expressed my concern. I didn't want my work so far to go for nought! But all was resolved when my boss confirmed my understanding of what he wanted to happen.
* * * * * * * *
Like everyone else, I went to see Titanic this evening. Cameron is a unique film maker! There is a lot here for everyone, and there wasn't anything about the movie that I didn't like. The story of the ship has been perennially popular ever since it happened, much more so than any other sinking or disaster. I remember reading about a teacher of early elementary school children that used it as a springboard for history and science lessons, because the kids were fascinated by it. Remember the old song? "It was sad when the great ship went down..."
I got a bit teary, but I wasn't sobbing out loud. The images from the film do stay with you.
I want to start dressing in 1912 costumes! This is the same fallacy that made me learn to knit. I was so in love with the photography in Kaffe Fasset's books, that I think I subconsciously believed that I would be standing in an English garden, tall and pale with long red hair, if I made one of his sweaters.
|