....something a little different today. Instead of the normal three quotes to start off my entries, today you get ten. Yup! Count 'em! Ten! The reason is quite simple. A few days back, Mackey gave me the letter "D" to be the first letter of ten things I like, and ten things I don't. "That'll be a breeze," I thought, until I sat down to do it. Maybe I over-analyze (it wouldn't be the first time in my life I've been accused of that!), but as I started to do it, the thought occurred to me: "Do I write the first 10 words that pop into my mind, do I pick words that I feel strongest about and reflect who I think I am the most clearly, do I pick controversial choices... nouns, pronouns....what?" ('Decisiveness' should be on my list of "don't likes" I guess!)

So, I thought that I better give a bit of thought to just what exactly 'language' is and does, anyway. What's it for, and how is it used? I concluded that I should start with 10 relevant quotes to 'set the mood', then you can tear me apart for my choices at the end! Here goes:



"It is not the language of painters but the language of nature which one should listen to... The feeling for the things themselves, for reality, is more important than the feeling for pictures." - Vincent Van Gogh

"I speak two languages, Body and English." - Mae West

"The language of friendship is not words but meanings." - Henry David Thoreau

"Language is the blood of the soul into which thoughts run and out of which they grow." - Oliver Wendall Holmes

"Kindness is a language the dumb can speak and the deaf can hear and understand." - Christian Nevell Bovee

"Duty is the most sublime word in our language. Do your duty in all things. You cannot do more. You should never wish to do less." Robert E. Lee

"Language is the dress of thought." - Samuel Johnson

"It is difficult for a woman to define her feelings in a language which is chiefly made by men to express theirs." - Thomas Hardy

"If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart." - Nelson Mandela

"Dance is the hidden language of the soul of the body." - Martha Graham



(These are some of the symbols being used in experiments to communicate with apes).



Now, on with the lists, in no particular order......

10 Things I like, starting with the letter "D":

1) Dogs... (well, except those little yappy ones that hardly classify as "dog", and would best be used for fishing bait. 'nuff said!)



2) Dirt... (not as in 'dirt' dirt, but sticking your hands into fresh garden dirt and just oozing it around a bit. Sorta puts you in touch with Nature in a personal and intimate way...very cathartic!)



3) Different... (Uniformity bugs me, individuality defines us).



4) Dreaming... and Daydreaming (then not quite being sure if it was for real or not).



5) Democracy... (if we could only figure out what it meant).



6) Depp... (as in Johnny. What can I say?!! However, it could just as easily have been di Caprio...flip a coin! One of the advantages of being gay....I get to include them in my MOST-liked list!)



7) Delectable, delicious, favorite foods... (chicken, cheese and chocolate). I couldn't find a picture of chees-stuffed chicken breasts, with sprinkles of chocolate on top, so you'll have to settle for two pics.)








8) Derriere... (BTW, I think this is one of the coolest pictures I have ever come across on the net...yup, I'm a bum man, well, after the eyes first!)



9) Dark, dark skin (it has always seemed so sensuous to me for some reason).



10) Peace... I know it doesn't begin with "D", but it begins with "disarmament", and that's close enough!)



...and there you have it. Now. on to part 2:



10 Things I don't like, starting with the letter "D":

1) Depression... (you knew that one would be on my list!)



2) Desertion by friends when you need them most... (it hurt....still does)



3) Diarrhea... (well?!!!! Who wouldn't have it on their "don't like" list?! C'mon...I can't leave the picture out for just one...besides, I already told you I'm a bum man! The picture kinda gives you a sudden urge to run to the fridge for a Coke, doesn't it....well, 'run' anyway.)



4) Dandruff... (I don't know what it is, there's just something about it that bugs me, especially if it's on a dark suit)



5) Drunks... (I mean of the loud, obnoxious, slobber-in-your-face kind.)



The other kind are okay...and kinda fun sometimes, in fact!



6) Doing Dishes... (sorry, it's just a pet peeve of mine...I'm leaving my entire estate to whoever invented the dishwasher... and BTW, what the HELL is this guy smiling at?!!))



7) Death/Dying... (Inevitable as it is, it still scares me, I don't think I'll ever "be ready", probably because I saw it "Up close" for the first time when my Dad died, and I sure wasn't ready for that!).



8) Discrimination... (because you have to ask, "based on what...height? age? smell? hairstyle? manner of dress?...the list is endless because of our uniqueness...of course we discriminate...but in a nice, non-hateful way).



9) Denial... when it's intended as either a form of lying or of blaming someone else for something you were responsible for.



10) War/Destruction... (see #10 in list above) for both its inhumanity....



....and its results.





PEACE.

Posted by Evydense on Thursday, June 21, 2007 at 2:12 p.m. | Permalink