Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Coexistence

I saw this bumper sticker on cars a couple of times around town and looked it up on the Internet. I found that it is sold on a website called Peacemonger.org, with an interesting outlook (from their Vision page):
Our vision is of a creative collaborative outreach network that will combine artists and activists on a collision course with peace. We promote peace and social justice issues while advocating and fund raising for a broad spectrum of charitable institutions. 
What struck me about the sticker is the inclusion of many aspects of various people's belief systems in one simple design. I love it and find it very heartening. I'm not a bumper sticker kind of person any more (I used to be), but I think perhaps a magnetic sticker that can be removed without damage to my car might work just fine. Coexistence, to me, is a fact of life, but honoring many belief systems without making any value judgments seems like a very worthwhile goal.
Right now I am also wanting some signs of spring, especially after having read my blogging friend Linda's beautiful "walk through a winter garden." She lives down south in Seattle and has posted several pictures on her blog of her amazing back yard. I have purchased some daffodils and placed them on the corner of my desk, where I can watch them grow and change, watch my birds, and enjoy the pine tree. The window faces east so the tree catches the light at sunset when the grey skies lift. At first I considered buying a bouquet of cut daffodils, but these early daffys grown from bulbs seemed much more appropriate for contemplation. I am learning to coexist with the rain.

Tomorrow I go to see my new doctor and will miss my usual workout. I warned the instructor so she wouldn't worry about my whereabouts. I am such a regular that I'm missed when I don't show up. Last Monday when I went showshoeing, she asked me on Wednesday if I had missed the bus. It's nice to be missed, I find. I had to leave my previous doctor at the Center for Senior Health because they dropped my insurance coverage, and this new medical center is much less restrictive in what insurance they take. The only old thing about my new doctor is his last name: Dr. Whitehead. He's only been practicing medicine for four years and looks awfully young to my senior eyes. I tell myself that he will be up on all the latest, and I am predisposed to like him. I'll let you know how it goes.

I went to see The King's Speech a second time yesterday, this time with Smart Guy. It's interesting how much more I saw this time, and for some reason I was much more emotional and wished I had brought my hankie so I could wipe my eyes a bit better. Maybe it was because I had read up on King George VI and found that the movie followed actual history quite closely. As you might know, the movie is about Prince Albert who was forced to take the British throne just before World War II broke out. He had a debilitating stammer that caused him great distress, since he was expected to address his people through radio broadcasts. He spent many years working with Lionel Logue, a speech therapist who treated him with then-controversial methods. From this Wikipedia link:
In 1911 Logue set out on a tour of the world to study methods of public speaking. Following his return to Perth, and after the Great War, he developed treatments for war veterans whose exposure to shell-shock had left them with impaired speech. In addition to physical exercises, which helped with patients' breathing, Logue's distinctive therapy emphasized humour, patience and 'superhuman sympathy.'
As you may already know, Colin Firth won a Golden Globe for his performance as King George, and Geoffrey Rush (who played Logue) was nominated for Best Supporting Actor, although he didn't win. It is a most satisfying movie, and that link to the movie (from Rotten Tomatoes) shows that both the critics and the audience agreed, giving it a 96% "freshness" rating. If you see it, I hope this true story might inspire you as it did me.
:-)

16 comments:

  1. nice. i have not seen the movie but continue to hear great things...and i too am looking for spring...it is nice to be missed too...smiles.

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  2. Gosh, I'll take your rain and raise you, more rain :} We are in the midst of another storm, two inches of ice after the 6 inches of snow, power is expected to go out again which interupts my 'catching up' chronically. *sigh*

    The crafts stores sell sheets of magnets in all sizes, so you can just get a medium sheet, glue anything to it (such as the very cool bumper sticker)with waterproof glue, and Voila!

    Love the daffodills. I have to wait until spring to see anything growing. Cats eat anything fresh...

    Another storm expected here the end of this week, if this doesn't stop it's looking like I'll miss MY drs. appt in Providence for the end of the month. DRAT.

    :}

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  3. That yellow daffy is beautiful and I am glad it gives you so much pleasure. As for The King's Speech, I told David what you said. He is going to rent it for me, when it comes out in DVD. I am not much of a movie buff, but you've made me curious about it.

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  4. Love the bumber sticker, and the talent involved in it's creation.
    I will soon be buying bunches of daffodils for my kitchen table. I love their sunny faces, their scent and the memories they evoke. Our daughter was born on March 4th, and not knowing what we would have, we called our expected child "Daffodil", who would bloom in the spring. We also used daffodils as flowers for our March wedding, four years before.

    Two thumbs up for "The King's Speech" from me. And thanks for the glowing review/mention of my blog!

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  5. I really like the bumper sticker. I'm not a bumper sticker person either, but I can appreciate the concept.

    The daffodils certainly are happy. It's such a harbinger of spring, which, face it, we can all use by this time of year.

    I'm pretty curious about the movie, too. I'll have to rent it when it comes out (it's just too hard to get to the movies to see everything I want to see).

    Good luck tomorrow; let us know how it goes!

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  6. The bumper sticker is a clever design and I like it's message too. I'm off to visit Linda, since she inspired you to purchase daffodils!

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  7. Really like the coexistence label. We need that more than ever.

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  8. I'm looking forward to this movie...I like both Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush -- both excellent actors.

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  9. You have daffodils, I have tulips D-Jan and like you, I got them in a pot because I want them to last. That's the worst thing about cut flowers, they die too quickly.
    I haven't seen the film yet, but I will. I most definitely will.
    Here in TN I have Boxee and it links to Netflix, which is very new to me. I am experiencing watching films I want to see whenever I like without going out to buy them. Quite a novelty.
    Do you have Boxee? I remember you have mentioned a Netflix list, long before I knew what it was.

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  10. Ah, daffodils! I'm not the family shopper so I didn't know they're around. I'll get myself a bunch. They are absolutely my favorite flower - except for tulips.

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  11. I've seen that bumper sticker a couple of times, and I also love it. It's a beautiful expression of hope.

    The King's Speech is now at the top of my list!

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  12. Hi! Anything with either of those brilliant actors is top of my list.

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  13. Love that bumper sticker, you're right about the magnetic one. Not that we will ever change our feeling about such things.
    I get a lot of enjoyment reading about your walks in the woods. A little envious, too. I used to be a great hiker but now my walking is only done at our town's wellness centers "turtle pool"

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  14. Very unique bumper sticker.
    My Mom always has bulbs...Daffodils. I used to plant them...my favorites were purple Iris...
    I will have to see THE KINGS SPEECH myself, since my eldest daughter (who LOVES anything England) lives in CA...and Mr. Clean will not see it. I was happy both of them won.

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  15. I really like the idea behind the bumper sticker. Coexisting with the rain means lush green forest and waterfalls, something we don't have on this side of the Cascades.

    The movie does sound very good but I will probably wait until it comes out on DVD.

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  16. I saw that coexist bumper sticker a couple of years ago and thought of buying it but did not as around here my car would be “keyed” as it has been before. I’ll go and see the King Speech again or get the DVD. You know that the Australian therapist’s grandson wrote a book from the diaries of his grand dad. It is also called “The King Speech: How One Man Saved the British Monarchy.” The movie makes the Royals more human don’t you think?

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