After staring at my brooding face
for a number of years, I decided to take a new photograph of myself for my blog.
As a card-carrying member of Shapeshifters Anonymous, I wanted something unique
so as to be distinctive from the crowd .... and, what would be more memorable than a white
squirrel? After trying a few shots, I decided to abandon the scheme and to stay
with my "wolfen" image which, even if it is a bit bleak, seems more in
character with my persona. Not to allow the photography effort to simply fade
away wasted and unused, I decided to publish one of my portraits .... so, here I
am as Fram the White Squirrel. Pretty good looking, am I not?
Today is my youngest daughter's
birthday, so, best wishes, once-upon-a-time baby girl ....
There are a couple of songs here,
too, meant for the birthday girl and for anyone else who cares to devote a bit more than 17 minutes to listen to them .... we think they are worth it ....
Thou hast nor youth nor age
But as it were an after dinner sleep
Dreaming of both.
Those lines form the opening epigraph of T.S. Eliot's poem,
"Gerontion," which in turn are taken from among the words spoken by
Duke Vincentio in Act 3, Scene 1 of "Measure for Measure," a play written by
William "Willie Boy" Shakespeare.
Conversation with a cloud
Why am I the way I am? Mr. Cloud in the sky ....
No, I do not know why you are the way you are, either ....
I guess there are some things not meant to be known ....
This was part of a discussion I had this morning with a
"lighter shade of pale" cloud I randomly chose from among those drifting along
in a "baby blue" sky. The meaning and the purpose? I was and have been for some
time trying to figure out who and what I am. Obviously, the answers continue to
elude me.
For the record, the cloud did not speak to me. I took the
liberty of imagining what it would say in reply to my questions and comments.
I think the answers to many questions we ask -- usually to
ourselves -- are only confined and bound by the imagination we possess. Whether
this is logical or not, I can only assume this is what is meant to be .... at
least for today .... whatcha think, baby?
15 comments:
What the heck ??Was the first thought seeing thsi photo.I could not determine what animal it was before I read the text.Very nice albino? squirrel :)
I have not read Elliot's poems but maybe I should. I plan to read Ulysses soon.
You look at the clouds thinking who, what, where,and the clouds answer with your voice that they do not know.I think who we are is defined by others.Your friends.Your family. Your girlfriend.Your zodiac sign is the fish that constantly swim in a circle after their own tail.There is nothing to ponder about.Let it be and enjoy life.Who we are is not as important as being to the delight of others.
I really liked your last song today. In addition, a little rock and roll is great. Wish you a nice day. Enjoy yourself in this autumn's great weather
I can understand why you are involved in the medical profession, Anita. Your inner being wishes to help people and to make people happy. That, most probably, is the noblest reason to live.
My designation for it is a branch of the "Jesus syndrome," meaning those who want to serve and to save individuals from themselves and from other people. It is good there are many persons like that to counteract those who range from indifferent to bad to truly evil.
I agree when you say, "Who we are is not as important as being to the delight of others." But, some of us are caught in the maze of self-questioning from which there may or may not be an escape/solution/logical ending. All we can do is resign ourselves to continue to search.
When you say you plan to read "Ulysses," I am not certain if you mean Alfred, Lord Tennyson's poem by that name or something else. I very much like and appreciate the poetry of Tennyson. The work of T.S. Eliot, I think, is more complicated and, possibly, more profound, but all-in-all, both as a poet and as an individual, I prefer Tennyson. I think more highly of Eliot as a literary critic and a playwright than I do as a poet, but I probably am in the minority in that regard.
Yes, it is an albino squirrel. He, she or it clearly is an adult who I first saw a few weeks ago. I have not seen the critter since the day I took the photograph. I wonder if it might have been a ghost squirrel? Hmmmm ....
Thank you, Anita, for the visit and the comment. I hope you enjoy your holiday and have some interesting experiences. Take care, have fun, stay safe and always keep your camera ready in case a white critter should suddenly appear ....
Well how about that.... I guess we saw you in Loring Park when we visited Minneapolis a few years ago. I even took your photo! Some woman we talked to told us there were several albino squirrels in that area.
I like your wolf photo and don't find it bleak at all.
Happy birthday to your daughter!
Happy Birthday to Ariel <3
At first, I thought Fram is a cuckoo bird today but, I now see it is your lovely daughter's birthday and you are celebrating her day with love and rainbows...very nice!
As for the white squirrel, he is unusual, like you, checkbox...they say squirrels are extremely intelligent, like you, checkbox, and they are masters of trickery....hmmmmm.... Dare I say, like you? (wink wink) Yes, I think you are pretty tricky, checkbox. Squirrels are also fiercely protective of their homes and food...I think yes, checkbox, you are a protective person. These are good things. :) And now my dear shapeshifter, I must say that, in my opinion, your Wolfen image suits you best for many reasons. And, he is a very handsome wolf indeed :)
Why we are the way we are? Who knows? Really it is a matter of accepting and embracing ourselves just as we are at the very moment we are in. We are always growing and changing, but for me, I think when I was finally able to accept exactly who I am, my unique and authentic self, what I believe, what I can and cannot do, that's when life got really good. Loving and accepting me for me, the good, the bad, the ugly...pretty darn wonderful :)
Today I love your music and your rainbows and your happy celebration!
I wish you all good things today and always :)
Splish, Splash, off I go :)
Mermaid :)
There are so many people who take photographs of me these days -- cell phone cameras, you know -- that I cannot be sure, but I think you probably were the good looking, young lady with a Southern accent who kept telling me to quit running around and be still just for a few seconds. Am I right?
Curiosity won me over (if you can believe that) and I did an internet check to try to learn how common or uncommon albino squirrels are .... and, in essence, did not really learn anything. Evidently, though, they are not as rare as I thought they might be.
Yes, it is a rather good photograph of me and reflects my thoughtful nature, I think .... hmmmm .... thank you ....
Ms. Fram the Younger thanks you for the birthday greeting, Kelly of Arkansas. Me, too ....
From my experience with squirrels, of which I only have the past few years to form my judgments, I would say your assessments are quite accurate, Ms. California Kelly .... you failed to mention "cuddly," however, and I think you would discover they are much like kittens if you have a few goodies to give them ....
Yes, with hindsight, I think the wolfen image is perfect in many ways and probably I shall keep it forever and ever and ever .... hmmmm .... I also think the words superb specimen would not be an exaggeration .... really teasing now ....
Kelly writes: "We are always growing and changing, but for me, I think when I was finally able to accept exactly who I am, my unique and authentic self, what I believe, what I can and cannot do, that's when life got really good."
Fram replies: I agree for the most part, Kelly, but the end result for me was not the same. In one sense, I have passed over the crest of the mountain of life and am on the downslope. In other ways, I believe/know things are missing and acknowledge that in all likelihood there always will be things missing and unanswered questions. In my case, life did not get really good, I simply moved into a state of resignation while still searching for sort of a grail which, in all probability, does not exist.
I like the music, too. Did you notice all the songs carry a message?
Ms. Fram the Younger, also known as Ariel, thanks you, as do I, and wish you all the best this life has to offer .... later, Mermaid ....
Boa noite Fram!
Nunca pensei que existisse esquilo branco. Nunca tinha visto imagens e nada relacionado.
Ele é tão lindo, uma graça essa foto. Eu amo animais, a natureza me encanta.... Fico triste quando vejo serie de sobrevivência e os participantes matam os bichos para se alimentar. Sei que o ser humano é carnívoro e somos predadores de alguns deles, mais tem animais que não é necessário matar. Eu adoro os esquilos é a maioria da sobrevivência que assisto em serie eles tentam matar esquilos. Mas olha, esse bichinho é muito esperto, difícil cair nas armadilhas.
Eu gosto desse olhar do lobo da imagem de seu perfil. Olhar penetrante e ao mesmo tempo meigo. Difícil entender o olhar de um lobo. Os lobos são inteligentes, velozes e estrategistas no momento da caça, sendo reconhecidos como excelentes predadores. Eu assisti o filme “Pânico na Neve” e fiquei assustada com o que os lobos fizeram. Terror psicológico é esse filme.
Gosto dessa conversa com a nuvens Fram, eu já conversei com a lua, com as estrelas, com a noite, a minha preferida. A noite tem o dom de responder minhas perguntas. Um dia tenta conversar com o pôr do sol, vai ver que vai ter muitas respostas.
As músicas são boas, não conhecia nenhuma delas.
Ariel tem um som bom gostei.
Feliz aniversário para sua filha Fram, que a felicidade, alegria esteja sempre presente na vida dela. E o mais importante a proteção divina.
Obrigada por ler sempre minha postagem com carinho e entender tão bem o que escrevo. Você é sensacional.
Sorrisos daqui do sudeste do meu Brasil pra você.
Fram, eu volto pra ler com calma as duas postagens anterior. Hum tem a Buddy. Gosto.
Sorrisos!
That’s part of your trickery, finding the hidden meaning :) I always enjoy the challenge:)
Have a nice evening, Mr. Cuddles (smiling)
I have learned albino squirrels are sort of few and far between, but they do occur as do (presumably) albino variations of all species ....
Being old fashioned in many respects, Smareis, I prefer the King James edition of the Bible and one of the verses I try to adhere to is this one which reads in part: "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone ....”
In essence, that is the way I feel about hunting and animals killing other animals. Since I "lived" for hunting when I was a boy, I do not feel I can criticize those who do .... but, I also believe if you are not going to eat it, do not kill it. In other words, I absolutely do not believe in sport hunting and, in fact, reject the concept of it.
There is a short story published in 1924, "The Most Dangerous Game," by Richard Connell about a Russian aristocrat who hunts men on an isolated island. I sort of tongue-in-cheek think that should be the fate of so-called sport hunters.
I agree with your thoughts about squirrels and about wolves, Smareis, but it is like the addiction to cell phones and social media: We can preach and urge, but, in all honesty, we cannot change the ways and patterns of humankind which have been evolving for millions of years. Those things will either move/evolve beyond addictions or they will not ....
Just to balance this out and not appear to be overly religious, one of my major complaints about organized religion comes from Genesis and the notion that humankind was created to "replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that move(th) upon the earth."
Smareis, it is my nature to talk to and with anything and everything, animate and inanimate, in daylight and in darkness, anywhere and anytime. I like to think there is a Manitou -- a spirit -- in everything which deserves equal consideration. So far, none of these (inanimate) things have spoken back, but it makes me feel good just to know I consider them as relevant as I do myself as part of this planet in this universe.
As for your post, it is an easy matter to read something "with affection and understanding" when your beliefs are identical and you might have written the same words yourself.
As for the birthday girl, Ms. Fram, now representing the West Coast branch of the family, says: "Thank you, Smareis. The day was absolutely perfect and one of my best ever."
We send our best wishes to you, Smareis, in the southeast of your Brazil, and hope life always will be kind to you .... thank you, your smiles are arriving, a few at a time ....
Yes, part of the trickery .... I do a fair amount of allegorical writing, I have to admit, so there occasionally are hidden or double meanings in my words and sentences. And, much if not most of the time, there is some connection between the words and the illustrations and the videos.
As always, Kelly of California, be on the lookout for sharks, both in and out of the water ....
Happy birthday to your daughter! :-)
Now, about that photo... :-)
Greetings from London.
Ms. Fram the Younger and I both thank you, CiL. She has proclaimed her birthday to be a success and the day to have been among her best ever.
Yes, the photograph. I took it a few days ago while Master Squirrel was taking brunch on our picnic table. It was the fourth occasion on which I had seen him and the first in which he had consented to have a portrait taken .... probably his way of saying thank you for providing him with a free and a tasty meal of peanuts and bird food.
Thank you, CiL, for your visit and your comment ....
Who am I. Without what I have achieved in my life and without being with my family. But just being in me.
What it is is how we experience ourselves. Without mirroring other people.
If you are an albino squirrel. Be careful, you stand out from the crowd.
I hope Albino notices the instinct for self-defense.
You are a rarity, almost unique.
Standing out from the crowd can evoke strong emotions.
Congratulations birthday girl!
The first video amazed me about the colorful rotation of the carousel. Thanks for the live music.
Greeting
Writer/actor/director (not necessarily in that order) Orson Welles is quoted as saying, "We're born alone, we live alone, we die alone. Only through our love and friendship can we create the illusion for the moment that we're not alone."
I agree with that statement. We all have individual strengths and weaknesses, attributes and flaws, and at times successes and other times failures. Rightly or wrongly, I believe most people mimic lemmings in their behavior, while I am more like a white squirrel. Periodically, I encounter another white squirrel, but we are few and far between and even we are not completely alike. Each of us has a spirit -- a soul -- which is an entity onto itself.
I had a very good friend who was very competitive, always measuring herself against other people. I repeatedly argued that the only person you have to compete against is yourself and especially in the sense of growing and improving as an individual. Perhaps, that cannot be done in an objective manner, but it should not stop us from trying and from seeking the opinions/observations of others we respect.
I see two meanings in the song you mention. It is obvious the song is about girls liking colorful things, but also how girls and all of us come in varying colors and how people of all colors and beliefs should be appreciated. The video itself is a technological marvel.
Birthday girl and I both thank you for your birthday wish, Liplatus. She is wonderful and beautiful and intelligent and believes in working hard to achieve her goals .... sort of a white squirrel, herself ....
Thank you, Liplatus, for coming and for writing a comment .... take care and stay safe ....
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