Retirement is a new chapter not terribly different from the others in adjusting to although graduation is grim. :-)
You can still learn to play- most music schools have older students. Yes- the piano- but had flings with bongo drums, guitar, dulcimer and I guess I was serious about singing well- jazz- but not enough to become a performer. And dancing. Can't imagine a world without music. On Jun 15, 11:57 pm, paradox <[email protected]> wrote: > Sounds to me like you have earned your wings :) Is it all it promises > to be? > > Thank you! Yes, i'm on an isle but not Greek. I think you're more > "seer" than you might think or might let on :) > > Well, nothing like a little motivation to a good cause, your son might > say :). Music (playing) is another strand of learning that i was > deprived of; actually, this may have been self inflicted, since the > music master was also the designated holder of the school whip; didn't > pay rewards to get too close :) Fortunately, my daughter plays piano > and clarinet. Do you play? > > On Jun 15, 7:49 pm, rigsy03 <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > I've earned "retirement", believe me! :-) > > > Funny, I guessed you would be on some Greek isle- so I guess that's as > > close as can be expected for an amateur seer. Have a great time! > > > Well, theoreticals need practical applications or they are just arcane > > amusements. I suppose it helped though his teacher was a seductive > > sort for 9th grade boys- and he had no choice- 8th graders were simply > > divided up on the basis of some test. As another example, music must > > be played. > > > On Jun 15, 3:56 am, paradox <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > Lucky for some! :) > > > > Excellent point on the arts, thank you. I think the same. > > > > Yes, i agree; solving equations was always such good fun; when you > > > solved them...:) Sounds like a great course your son did; is he > > > finding it very useful? I'd imagine so. > > > > This vacation, i'll be in a near vegetative state on a sandy beach > > > with the family somewhere on the mediterranean coast of Europe, > > > burning up and dreaming of what it would be like to sail along the > > > coast for half of the year with the essentials; great wine, fine > > > cigars, a good book, and song :) > > > > On Jun 15, 4:25 am, rigsy03 <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > Everyday is a vacation! :-) > > > > > I am going to have some work done on the house so I plan to see that > > > > through- went over the general plan today but I have the feeling it > > > > will be a leisurely sort of "attack" as I know this young man. I need > > > > his muscles and sweat. > > > > > Sometimes our reaction to the arts has nothing to do with the artist's > > > > intent or character- we read into them what we desire. > > > > > As for math, I too have felt dazzled seeing three or four blackboards > > > > with numbers approaching a grand army (once walking into the wrong > > > > classroom). I did like geometry and early algebra but that was all > > > > that was required at my highschool- it was fun to get a "solution" to > > > > something concrete. But I think I have used those rudimentary skills > > > > in a practical way running a home and with various interests so all > > > > was not lost. My youngest son took an algebra course that was designed > > > > to improve discussion and explanations for people in the sciences as > > > > there is a need to translate theoreticals into mere language and > > > > exchange information. > > > > > That is a nice memory of your father. We should all hope to retain our > > > > smiles forever. > > > > > What are you doing this vacation? > > > > > On Jun 14, 4:03 am, paradox <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > Quality memories :) > > > > > > I wasn't suggesting that you might have been making the comment > > > > > regarding his moral compass, rigsy03; i did think the author of the > > > > > quote was freely sharing though :) > > > > > > Yes, i agree; doesn't time just help to put things in context. Fond > > > > > memories of my octogenarian father; his solution to our daily > > > > > existential crises was the most accomodating smile you could > > > > > imagine :) > > > > > > Are you planning a summer vacation this year? > > > > > > On Jun 14, 4:20 am, rigsy03 <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > The correct title of Raphael's Madonna painting is "Madonna of the > > > > > > Chair" so perhaps it was included in the exhibit. And all these > > > > > > years > > > > > > I dismissed the chair as a spindle! :-) It reminded me of my > > > > > > daughter > > > > > > and her younger brother when they were young somehow and I liked the > > > > > > old circular frame- dark teal with gold flourishes and borders. > > > > > > Well, > > > > > > I've learned something new about it- so thank you. I believe the > > > > > > painting resides in Florence. > > > > > > > Was I commenting on his moral compass? I didn't mean to but I liked > > > > > > the quote- to be reminded of the Pagans. > > > > > > > Beyond discernment are some inevitable shifts. Children were a > > > > > > common > > > > > > bond with some groups, I'm back to a few tried and true and we all > > > > > > seem to savor a kind of relief from our busier pasts. I think it's > > > > > > normal. > > > > > > > On Jun 13, 11:44 am, paradox <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > Well, i was hoping to make the Holy See an offer it can't refuse > > > > > > > :) > > > > > > > > I was fortunate to see a collection of Raphael's works at the > > > > > > > National > > > > > > > Gallery in London a few years back; his imagination is truly > > > > > > > captivating. I can't really comment on his moral compass; i'm > > > > > > > just not > > > > > > > qualified, i'm afraid :) > > > > > > > > Guess you're right, we cannot shut ourselves off from the world > > > > > > > around > > > > > > > us; but i'm not sure we're obliged to take in more than we need or > > > > > > > want to (most of the time). It's not so much a call to solipsism, > > > > > > > more > > > > > > > a call to discernment. > > > > > > > > The "d's" sound like a great life balance to me :) > > > > > > > > On Jun 13, 12:12 pm, rigsy03 <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > > And just how, pray tell, to you propose to wheedle that > > > > > > > > painting from > > > > > > > > the Vatican? Besides, dear Paradox, it is a fresco! I also have > > > > > > > > a copy > > > > > > > > of his "Madonna and Child" in my bedroom- sometimes she looks > > > > > > > > stern > > > > > > > > and at other times, amused. A critic writes of Raphael- Taine: > > > > > > > > the > > > > > > > > "unique blessing of a twofold education which, after showing him > > > > > > > > Christian innocence and purity, made him feel pagan joy and > > > > > > > > strength." > > > > > > > > Amen. > > > > > > > > > No one has absolute freedom/liberty but there are degrees- > > > > > > > > relative to > > > > > > > > the particulars of one's existence and one's desires. And there > > > > > > > > are > > > > > > > > possible adaptations/solutions to culture clamps. One can go > > > > > > > > along to > > > > > > > > being a recluse to committing suicide- quick or slow. We cannot > > > > > > > > avoid > > > > > > > > being social animals, however- even a recluse needs groceries. > > > > > > > > :-) > > > > > > > > > Those were just the "d's"... > > > > > > > > > On Jun 13, 3:39 am, paradox <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > Sounds like you have a serious living space indeed :) I'm > > > > > > > > > saving up > > > > > > > > > for the original; i expect to have enough just about when i'm > > > > > > > > > wise > > > > > > > > > enough to apply :) > > > > > > > > > > Last i read Hume was for an undergrad political philosophy > > > > > > > > > module many > > > > > > > > > lives ago; thanks for the reference; i'll make sure i read the > > > > > > > > > "Dialogues...". > > > > > > > > > > I take your poiint about relative liberties, but wonder how > > > > > > > > > relative > > > > > > > > > and free our choiuces if we're "allowed" them; maybe that's > > > > > > > > > the point > > > > > > > > > you make about the "claustrophobia" of culture, and the trade > > > > > > > > > off of > > > > > > > > > freedoms for security (in an social sense)? > > > > > > > > > > Hmm, dreams, delights, and duties...the 3 d's...so now we > > > > > > > > > know about > > > > > > > > > the 03 in rigsy03 :) > > > > > > > > > > On Jun 12, 1:06 pm, rigsy03 <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > I have a copy of that painting in my living room. My living > > > > > > > > > > room is a > > > > > > > > > > serious space. :-) > > > > > > > > > > > Re Hume: I took a grad course in literary criticism- it > > > > > > > > > > really took > > > > > > > > > > me- that included some further handouts beyond the > > > > > > > > > > laborious > > > > > > > > > > textbook= Hume's "Of the Standard of Taste" which I pulled > > > > > > > > > > from > > > > > > > > > > basement files yesterday before I slogged through some > > > > > > > > > > passages of > > > > > > > > > > Hume's "Dialogues on Natural Religion". The former still > > > > > > > > > > has sway and > > > > > > > > > > sense- at least to me. I daresay we could live quite > > > > > > > > > > happily without > > > > > > > > > > modern warfare, politics and culture which resembles a huge > > > > > > > > > > contraption (I have forgotten the word for an evil, > > > > > > > > > > menacing machine) > > > > > > > > > > but there are also great gifts of modern times so we have > > > > > > > > > > accepted the > > > > > > > > > > trade-offs, it seems- at least we who have freedom and > > > > > > > > > > liberty are > > > > > > > > > > allowed. > > > > > > > > > > > The juggling: dreams, delights, duties. > > > > > > > > > > > On Jun 12, 12:31 am, paradox <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > Perhaps we're "just as deluded and misled" because we > > > > > > > > > > > have all these > > > > > > > > > > > communication tools, rigsy03 (not that we could do > > > > > > > > > > > without them now); > > > > > > > > > > > and maybe not enough time to "think" in the traditional > > > > > > > > > > > sense. It's > > > > > > > > > > > not nostalgia, btw; i'm not old enough to remember the > > > > > > > > > > > School Of > > > > > > > > > > > Athens :) > > > > > > > > > > > > Yes, i know exactly what you mean about home and family; > > > > > > > > > > > fundamentals > > > > > > > > > > > first; long as we dont forget how to dream, eh? :) > > > > > > > > > > > > On Jun 11, 9:18 pm, rigsy03 <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > I wish it were so, paradox. We have all these > > > > > > > > > > > > communication tools and > > > > > > > > > > > > are just as deluded and misled as the days of the > > > > > > > > > > > > herald and trumpet > > > > > > > > > > > > in the square or the carrier pigeon. > > > > > > > > > > > > > I think I had a subconscious goal that over-road (is > > > > > > > > > > > > this a word?) > > > > > > > > > > > > other potentialities- a real home and children to > > > > > > > > > > > > raise. Of course, > > > > > > > > > > > > there's more but that is another story..."Gone With the > > > > > > > > > > > > Breeze"? I'll > > > > > > > > > > > > think about > > ... > > read more »- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text -
