Chapter 1 (sort of) - "Grooving Along"
Dec. 25th, 2002 11:52 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
regfoghornSo it's been a while since I posted that introductory note, and lots has happened, which will be discussed later.
But for the moment, I'm going to post something that is the result of one of my smaller guilty pleasures - reading that silly "Parade" magazine that comes in the Sunday paper. Of course, I'm weeks behind in doing so......
The December 1, 2002 issue had an article by Marlo Thomas promoting her book about words and what they mean. Whatever. But you could post your own slogan and an essay about it on their website, and maybe get it published. SO I decided to indulge myself. After creating a false profile (Snarf Whigley - what a villainous name!), I wrote the following. Maybe it will get published by them, but it is here too:
"There's a fine line between a groove and a rut" This has been my motto and email tag for almost 10 years. I don't remember how I came up with it; one day it was just there in my brain. It reminds me to always check what I'm doing, to make sure I'm working or playing at my best, not taking any aspect of my activities for granted. This holds true whether I'm writing technical documentation or training materials at work or teaching a course or singing a solo onstage in a musical or Music Hall show or singing as part of my acappella group. Was there something memorable, for me and for my audience or students, in what I just gave of myself? Because if you are in a rut, you aren't making much progress, and you're tripping over every little obstacle. But if you are in a groove, your life's path is smooth indeed.
Yes, that's one of my mottoes - the original one, really. The other, newer one, is "Qihu Nanxia", which is an old Chinese saying that translates roughly as:
"It's hard to grab a tiger's tail when you are riding on its back"
I suppose Qihu Nanxia is something of a response to the changes of the last two years... new jobs, new performing mode, new decade in age....
Well, it's Christmas Day, and time to go to the relatives to hand out presents. Happy Christmas
But for the moment, I'm going to post something that is the result of one of my smaller guilty pleasures - reading that silly "Parade" magazine that comes in the Sunday paper. Of course, I'm weeks behind in doing so......
The December 1, 2002 issue had an article by Marlo Thomas promoting her book about words and what they mean. Whatever. But you could post your own slogan and an essay about it on their website, and maybe get it published. SO I decided to indulge myself. After creating a false profile (Snarf Whigley - what a villainous name!), I wrote the following. Maybe it will get published by them, but it is here too:
"There's a fine line between a groove and a rut" This has been my motto and email tag for almost 10 years. I don't remember how I came up with it; one day it was just there in my brain. It reminds me to always check what I'm doing, to make sure I'm working or playing at my best, not taking any aspect of my activities for granted. This holds true whether I'm writing technical documentation or training materials at work or teaching a course or singing a solo onstage in a musical or Music Hall show or singing as part of my acappella group. Was there something memorable, for me and for my audience or students, in what I just gave of myself? Because if you are in a rut, you aren't making much progress, and you're tripping over every little obstacle. But if you are in a groove, your life's path is smooth indeed.
Yes, that's one of my mottoes - the original one, really. The other, newer one, is "Qihu Nanxia", which is an old Chinese saying that translates roughly as:
"It's hard to grab a tiger's tail when you are riding on its back"
I suppose Qihu Nanxia is something of a response to the changes of the last two years... new jobs, new performing mode, new decade in age....
Well, it's Christmas Day, and time to go to the relatives to hand out presents. Happy Christmas
