Thomas Jefferson Quote

In celebration of Thomas Jefferson’s birthday (yesterday), I thought I might share one of his more concise quotes:

“The natural progress of things is for liberty to yield and government to gain ground.” 

--Thomas Jefferson

When Martha Walks

She walks like a single oak leaf released from the treetop and swaying gently from side to side as it slowly drifts down to find a calm place in the grass.

--Mitchell Hegman

Lake of the Returned Sword

I took this photograph in March of 2009 as I walked to dinner along the shores of Hoan Kiem Lake.  The city of Hanoi, Vietnam shutters and honks all around the lake, but a quiet calm manages to survive along the paths immediately surrounding the water.

The name of the lake, when translated to English, means “Lake of the Returned Sword.”   I did not have a tripod with me while we were at the lake.  To capture this image, I had to place my camera on a low stone retaining wall at the shore and hope for the best.    

--Mitchell Hegman

Advice in Addition to “Never Run With Scissors in Your Hand”

-- Never force-feed your pet grizzly bear.

-- Always remove your ice skates before driving.

-- Don’t borrow more money than your spouse can afford to repay.

--Never use a 100 foot bungee cord on a 75 foot jump.

--A wise man does not hire a demolitions expert whose motto is: If a little is good a lot is better!

--Mitchell Hegman

1432 (I Love You Too)

In the age of tweeting, texting and instant messaging words don’t matter as much.  Not actual words.  Not words with capital letters.  Not words with both vowels and consonants.  “R u chillin?” now qualifies as a sentence.  1432 translates into “I love you too.”  IDTS means “I don’t think so.”

Slang and abbreviated forms of communication have always been with us.  But the trend to truncate today is widespread and runs deep into the use of language.  The language is often blunt and without beauty.

We are shrinking our vocabulary.  As a whole, we simply don’t use as many words.  As example, the average teen in America (and much of the rest of the world) has experienced a dramatic decline in their overall vocabulary in the last fifty years.  Fifty years ago a teen commanded something in the vicinity of 24,000 words.  Today, the average teen has mastered somewhere near 10,000 words.

Clearly, the languages used for texting and tweeting are of value.   They offer a convenient and concise form of messaging when such is required.  Sometimes you need to communicate quickly.  As John Lennon said: “When you’re drowning you don’t think, I would be incredibly pleased if someone would notice I’m drowning and come and rescue me.  You just scream.”  But what if we lose both flourish and nuance in our present state on constant expedience?  What if words like tintinnabulation vanish?  Shouldn’t we all use that word at least once in our life when describing the sound of church bells?

Maybe Jarod Kintz put it the best: “Writers fish for the right words like fishermen fish for, um, whatever those aquatic creatures with fins and gills are called.”

--Mitchell Hegman   

Reasons for Not Growing a Beard

I don’t grow my beard because, even at this advanced stage of my life, some portions of my face fill-in rather sparsely.   Basically, my attempts at growing a beard make me look as though I am overreaching—like a kid who just started sprouting a few stray whiskers letting his mustache and sideburns fly.  Several women that I know can actually grow a much better beard than me.  But they refuse to grow them because they come out gray.  

--Mitchell Hegman

Sideways

Curtains in the last light of day and turned sideways.   Colors enhanced.

--Mitchell Hegman