Words

It's 10.56 am PCT. I've got two dates when I'm supposed to Blog. One is to-day and the other July 11th. However, I have a Post-It note sitting on my desk clearly marked, July 8. Forgive me Goddesses if I have screwed up the schedule. I'll creep into the site on July 8th and see what's going on.

Back to Words. I was thinking about the words AWE and WONDER. I have been awe struck many times. By a painting, a sculpture, a double rainbow hanging over the Rocky Mountains, by a book. We visited Greece many years ago. I remember walking into the museum in Athens and staring transfixed at the magnificent bronze sculpture of Poseiden, god of the sea. There he was in all his glory. Little wonder the ancient Greeks worshipped their gods. But the story of how Poseiden emerged from the deep is worth telling. Years ago Greek fishermen snagged their nets on something lying on the bottom of the sea. When they dragged their catch to the surface, they must have been awe struck! They had dredged up Poseidon, god of the sea. I don't know why he was discarded but I suspect religious zealots had a hand in it. A beautiful god was suspect.

I had the same feeling of awe when I saw DAVID, Michelangelo's unblievably beautiful marble sculpture of David in the museum in Florence, Italy. That human hands had created David from a block of marble boggled my mind. I tried to imagine how Michelangelo started - from scratch so to speak.

In my puny little way, I start a book from scratch and work my way through it piece by piece until a whole story comes together. Mine is a minor talent.

Before I leave, I have just read a book that left me in awe as I put it down. I was in wonder at the skill of the story teller. The book is The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini.

I leave on a sombre note. Six fine young Canadian soldiers were killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan two days ago. I grieve for their wives, mothers, lovers, siblings and friends. I pray they and the sixty other Canadians who have lost their lives in that bleak, unhappy land, have not died in vain. My heart aches.

Anita Birt
www.anitabirt.com