Drab to Delightful in 4, 3, 2… October 6, 2007

Orange.

Orange and brown.

Orange and brown and yellow, and a small hint of green.

And some red. As in firey red leaves on the maple trees. I love the colors of this season, and Kerri said it pretty gosh darn well. I have to agree that October is also my favorite time of year.

As I was driving home the other day, I was staring at the washed out gray skies, when suddenly -and seemingly out of no-where- appeared a tree, all aflame with bright orange, brown, red and yellow leaves. That vision-the stark contrast of bright tree against the dreary sky-woke me up out of my zombie-like-state. I swear, it was just two weeks ago everything was a lush green, and I smiled as I thought to myself how beautiful this was…and how perfect that God would make the skies gray in the fall because its the best backdrop for the works of art He exhibits during this season.

There is a certain grandeur about fall, the rich colors and textures and the sharp crispness in the air that seem to heighten my sense of appreciation for everything I have, have accomplished and for the loved ones in my life.  I pause and reflect on just how appropriate it is that I feel most thankful during this time, more so than any other season of the year. Yes, more so than at Christmas and winter holidays; more so than during the fresh starts of spring. More so than in the carefree throes of summer.

And I can’t thank God enough for the little orbs in my head that can see the oranges and yellows and rich browns of the season.

Channeling Mary Catherine Gallagher September 25, 2007

To sum up how I feel tonight, I’d like to share a scene from the 1993 hit movie, “A Thing Called Love,” in which Samantha Mathis portrays Miranda, a woman who knows a thing or two about struggle and triumph.

The Poets & Prophets Were Right All Along August 7, 2007

Since the beginning of time poets have woven tales of love that keep us captive audience members. I am currently chained to the “Hedwig & The Angry Inch” soundtrack, again(!). I’ve been listening to it  for days now, and I just can’t get enough! The creators, John Cameron Mitchell and Stephen Trask, are BRILLIANT, weaving a modern-day tale of love on all levels, using Aristophanes’s’ speech (a eulogy to love) in Plato’s Symposium.  From the first time I heard it, ”Origin of Love” has been my favorite song. If you haven’t yet seen Hedwig & The Angry Inch, I strongly suggest you drop everything you are doing and get your hands on a copy right away!

So all this “love immersion” compelled me to read up on brain chemicals in love. Or… maybe it’s because I really like Barry… a lot…and yet, I don’t want to appear to be foolish in my relationship with him. If I can find some rational, scientific-backed data that explains my emotions, then by golly, I will. It all goes back to my BIG fear of appearing ignorant.

I’ve been reading about hormones and pheromones and oxytocin and the science of love. I’ve learned that attraction   begins with smell, and that pheromones do play a huge role in whether two will couple. This may explain why I tookBarry’s T- shirt with me on my trip to Michigan. Hmmm. My evening’s worth of research has led me on a strange trip around the Internet and I find myself reading (not-so) riveting details of the life of a prairie vole.

Love. Logic. The never-ending battle between faith and science, to me, is fascinating. It’s all just words, anyway. (And math. But I won’t get into that too much here…) Poets’ words are rhythm and meter, measurements of time, distance, space. A beating heart: science tells us its the measurement of life. Poets say its about love and faith.  Poets have told us from the begining of time that love makes one do crazy things. Prophets have told us that God said, Let there be light. And there was. And it was good. Scientists tell us of the big bang theory, which caused light. And for the most part, it was good.

And here, I have found scientific evidence to back up what the poets have told us all along: when one is in love, one does crazy things. What I’ve learned is that it all boils down to primal urges and that the poets were right all along. Even after all of this scientific thought, I find I am in it for the story. So if you want to know the meaning to life, love and the universe, turn first to the poets. Science will eventually corroborate the story.

(The image on top shows the brain of a mother looking at her infant. The image below is a brain scan of a lover looking at her partner. What these scans tell us is that certain kinds of love turn off different receptors in our brains. In romantic love, it appears our sense of logic is erased, which may explain why so many in “romantic” love feel they are invincible. ~From a study done by Andreas Bartels, PhD.  )

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