English French German Italian Portuguese Russian Spanish

Articles tagged with: metaphor

Keeping the Shiny Objects Shiny

final gem show thoughts, toward the metaphorical as so often

Keeping the Shiny Objects Shiny

The spectacle of the Gem Show--the enormous, the ancient, the dazzlingly polished, the uniquely colored, and all the buying and selling--is the ultimate celebration of bright and shiny objects.

Literally.

Of course, a bright and shiny object can be anything that catches your eye, holds your attention, and comes to represent something else. The "something else" could be simply beauty (is that why magpies hoard tinsel and aluminum foil in their nests?), or prestige ("I want people to see me wearing this expensive diamond"), or commitment to a practice or community or relationship ("I wear this shawl because I'm of this religion"/"This crystal will clear my psychic space"/"With this ring I thee wed").

Acquiring the bright shiny object is a dopamine hit--excitement of taking possession of the item, significance of time and place and intention. The more symbolic the object, the more of a "hit" you get when acquiring it. Symbolic could just mean "more expensive," but it could be a gift that cost no money. Some of my very favorite "gems" I picked up hiking beaches and hills.

So, how do we keep our bright shiny objects shiny?

Deadline, Day of the Dead

Deadline, Day of the Dead

If you read my old blogs, you won't be surprised to find musings about words themselves here quite often.

Today, I woke up with "deadline"

  • It's Halloween, the Eve of All Souls' Day = Day of the Dead, Dia de los Muertos.
  • I have a slew of deliverables for different jobs, due soon.
  • If I miss my deadline, nobody dies! True fact! And yet I'm not alone (am I?) in experiencing the exhilaration of pushing the deadline, the value of this in making sure something gets done.

FREE Newsletter

Upcoming Events

No events