Sundry Sunday Thoughts

Lulav (לולב) – a ripe, green, closed frond from a date palm tree (Wikipedia). The term frond refers to a large, divided leaf. In both common usage and botanical nomenclature, the leaves of ferns are referred to as fronds and some botanists restrict the term to this group. Other botanists allow the term frond to also apply to the large leaves of cycads and palms (Arecaceae) (Wikipedia). You learn something new every day: I came accross the word frond in a poem about lulavim and decided to be a man, admit that I didn't know what the word meant, and look it up.

How much credence should be given to our given personalities? What is the meaning of irreconcilable differences? Is it a) that sometimes personality types are just too different to get along and maybe shouldn't be together in the first place? or b) it could even be that the two people are similar personality types, there are always differences between people, and the emphasis in this phrase goes on the first word, and irreconcilable may mean won't rather than can't.

Should you trust a doctor who assures you he remembers the patient who recommended you, whom he hasn't seen in twenty years - and then he doesn't remember that he's seen you before when you come for your follow up tests?

Last night I had the recurring dream of having a hard time heading out of Israel. I was heading to security when I realized I didn't have a form I needed. This after bicycling and running to get there on time. I realized time was running out, I woke up in order to get the form I needed on time. I also had a dream about early stages of dating that felt very real.

‎"Good writing is supposed to evoke sensation in the reader-not the fact that it is raining, but the feeling of being rained upon." - E.L. Doctorow

The quote above is a riff on the writing teacher's adage: show don't tell. He's saying don't just show, cause the reader to experience. That's what my favorite writers do for me.

Tonight I was reminded of this story about Holland, which is about how in life, as my friend put it, things can turn out to be Okay, but a different kind of Okay than you expected.

What do you think of this picture? I don't know who took it (promise it wasn't anyone I know). I understand the frustration, but I wonder if there wasn't some waiter, waitress, manager, cashier some one to talk to. I don't think this was the way to go.

I just found out about the death of someone I knew years ago. My friends were talking about the loss of a friend... and then I remembered that I knew that deep, life-filled person. Sigh. May her neshamah have an aliyah.

A friend of mine recently told me about a couple in his community that he believes are lamedvavniks. He said that through their actions they redeem his faith in people. Among other things they unconditionally provide a community meal in the shul every Friday night for anyone who wants/needs it. Once my friend was surprised to see this fellow with a baby, as he knew it wasn't his. The man said he and his wife were watching the baby for a while and my friend sensed that it was a quiet good deed and he asked no more.

There's a theory that every performer really has one audience. It could be a mentor or relative or lover or friend. No matter how many people are in the seats the actor is really performing for one person. That fascinates me. I wonder if it applies to the broader stage of life that people have one person - often hidden away from their own self awareness - who is their audience in all that they do. What do you think of that.

It's been years since I read All I Really Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten. The seed in the Styrofoam cup didn't have to die. Once we didn't have to either and one day we will see the death of death. Is look still the first word kids learn? I don't think so. My brother taught me the word look before I started first grade. And he told me how Mrs. Russian (sic) would teach it - by making the "O"s into eyes. I remain grateful.