EGOTIST

Quote for the Day - October 24,  2010


Egotist: "One who's always me-deep in conversation."


William Bertolotti

ME: 

A MIX OF CONSEQUENCES 

AND REPERCUSSIONS

Quote for the Day - October 23,  2010


"Everyone is the Child of his past."


Edna G. Rostow


Picture on top: Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen, Denmark, 2009

COMMUNICATION: 

SEEING OTHERS 

AS  EQUALS

Quote for the Day -- October 22,  2010

"You can't expect a person to see eye to eye with you when you are looking down on them."


Anonymous

COMMUNICATION:

HOW  IT  WORKS

I was listening – but not at first –
I sense this is how this really works –
so I began listening. It might have been
her eyes – an almost tear, a squint –
extra blinks – skin tightening
around those eyes – at their edge –
at the top of her nose – at the tiny bridge there.
Or it might have been her nervous hands –
fingernails trying to get under fingernails.
Then as she dug and dragged out her story
I could hear my stories edging upwards –
but luckily I said nothing – just the inner warning: “Shut up and just listen to her, stupid.” I did. And at the end she simply said,
“Thanks for listening.” And as she walked away
I said to myself, “I guess this is how it works.”
Then the smile in my eye. Then the wondering,
“Now who wants to hear my story?
Who wants to see my tears and hear my fears?”

© Andy Costello Reflections, 2010

ANCIENT STORY:

GRACE AND SIN

Grace and sin just burst right in,
changing everything – at least
for a moment, a day, a month,
sometimes a lifetime, then it’s back
to plain donuts – dull traffic –
nothing really happening in my life.

Then sin slips in again with snake
rattling suggestions – what if’s?
Myopic me bites into the forbidden.
I say the wrong thing. I hurt another.
I’m selfish, self centered – blind –
just seeing my side of need –
hunger – thirst – empty – fill me. (1)
Then grace knocks in my night.
I’m blinded by Light on the road
to my Damascus. I hear my
“Take and read” moment in the garden.
And I scream, “Who are you I’m hurting?”
Then the whisper: “Jesus Christ.”
It’s you again and again and again. (2)

(1) Genesis 3:1-13

(2) Acts 9:19; Confessions of

Augustine, Book 8, Chapter 12;

Romans 13:13

© Andy Costello, Reflections, 2010

"SEMI-"

He said out of the blue,
“I was just thinking,
‘Semi’ is a good word
to describe me.

“I’m sort of just
here, but I’m
always sort of just
sitting there – in
some other room –
in some other place.

“I’m sort of always
playing in the semi-finals –
semi-retired – semi in church –
but fishing in other waters.

“Yep, that’s me, ‘Semi-’.
Good. I finally
figured myself out.”

Ooops!” he then said.
“I think I just sort of
contradicted myself.”

And I sort of have
been thinking about
what he said that day
for a while now,
while thinking about
some other things.

© Andy Costello, Reflections, 2010

PAINTING
THE CRY IN 
THE NIGHT!

Quote for the Day - October 21, 2010

"For me,

painting is a way to forget life.

It is a cry in the night,

a strangled laugh."

Georges Rouault [1871-1958]

I found the paintings by Georges Rouault on top at the web site of The Art Institute of Chicago. They are part of his more than 400 pieces entitled, "Miserere" from Psalm 51 ("Have mercy on me, O Lord....")