2008-05-10

This & That

I was on my Flickr account last night and (for those that don't have one) when you click on Groups, it will bring up any you belong to and on the side a random selection of other groups out there. Last night, one of the random ones caught my eye and I decided to have a look.

It was called "Memento Mori" - Latin for "Remember, you must die". The Group instruction was "Please post what reminds you of your mortality". There were several beautiful photographs, mostly of graveyards, skeletons or various bones, some of the church in Europe that is made from skeletons. Pictures of dead animals, all beautifully photographed. Some photos were of sun breaking though clouds, others had more of a horror film promo feel to them and some just were very nice photographs.

Maybe it is just me, but I wasn't once reminded of my mortality looking at these pictures. We see graveyards on a regular basis, the beauty of the sun breaking through after a storm doesn't remind me that I will die. I think the group administrators could have come up with a better name, as the instructions indicated they would accept this type of photograph.

Personally, I expected more along the lines of this:


Or any of the photos I have of the scars and bruising that accompanied my ordeal. Maybe I just have had a more personal look at my mortality than most.

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My friend is having as much fun with the WWC as I am. I got a phone call this morning asking what the words were for next Tuesday as she had just discovered something that was great! It might work too, we have to research a bit. If not, I am sure I can make it work for something else later on.

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My sister the Bag Lady has named a calf after my blog! If you look on my side bar, you will see a picture of "Pegasus the Calf"! Isn't that the cutest thing you ever saw?

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My boss is stupid! She can't even buy a cardboard file box the correct size! Of course, she asked her husband if they were the right size and he said yes, so they must be! The blind leading the stupid! AAaargh!

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I got my bike out of storage last night and the chain promptly fell off. I have not had to put a chain back on in an eon! I got it though, then I locked up my bike and went in and washed the grease from my hand. I am not very bright, I didn't take the compression glove off of my right hand before I started! Trying to replace a chain left-handed, then having to try to wash the grease off one handed...it took three goes of soap before it was clean enough to get the glove off so that I could wash with a nail brush and both hands. I still haven't gone for a ride and from the sounds of the wind whistling through the gaps in the windows, I won't be going today.

I think that is about as much randomness as I have for today. Take care everyone.

11 comments:

the Bag Lady said...

Thanks for the shout-out, Reb. Your calf is doing well, but holy COW, is he a big brute! I posted a little video clip of him just now - slip on over and have a look at the size of him!

Reb said...

Will do.

Leah J. Utas said...

Your Memento Mori interpretation is different from most for a very good reason, Reb. Most contributors are lacking your personal take on the issue.

Pegasus is quite a calf.

Reb said...

Leah, yeah, I didn't look at any profiles and wonder in hindsight, how many of them are under twenty or even thirty?

Hilary said...

There are a lot of "emo" kids out there obsessed with death and dying but really don't understand the horror of being faced with your own mortality... which of course is a good thing. Did you post that image? I'd be interested to know what comments other may have come up with if you did.

Hopefully that bike will be all set for the next time you're ready to ride!

Reb said...

Hilary, yes, I am sure there were plenty of those kinds as well. No, I didn't post any of mine. They are such bad quality, all I had was a really old web cam - maybe 1mgp, probably less. Although I suppose it lends a gritty realism to the pictures. Maybe I will anyway. Think I should include a bruised and scarred breast?

Frank Baron said...

My memento mori moments occur whenever I happen to catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror.

I've become adept at shaving with my eyes closed. Well, sort of adept. Adept, as in - it only hurts for a little while....

Hilary said...

Reb, I think you should do whatever you're comfortable doing. I'll know you usually speak, post and photograph from the heart.

Reb said...

Frank, you make me laugh! You need to get some rose tint for those glasses do you?

Hilary, thanks. I have to think about it some more...have a look at what I've got.

Jo said...

I think your take on the Memento Mori is fascinating, if you're okay with putting it out there.

Cemetaries don't really remind me of my mortality either. Nature does though...breaktaking things that make me feel small in the big fabric of life...especially extra quiet, starry nights.

Wow, I remember replacing bike chains--argh, the grease is so persistent! I hope you get a nice day for a ride soon :)

Reb said...

Jo, Thanks, I think I just might. Yeah, I feel insignificant in the face of beautiful things like that...the Rockies, Grand Canyon, sunsets.
I hope the wind settles down soon, I can't breathe well enough to try to ride in the wind. I need one of those mask things.