Memories and Musings

Relearning the ABCs

Ihe NATO Alphabet consists of the sounding out the letters of the English alphabet with extra information so that someone on the other end of the radio transmission or the telephone can be certain of what you are saying. This is not just a military thing; it can also be useful in our daily lives.

The NATO Spelling Alphabet is a common way of making yourself understood.  It is a kind of code where each letter stands for a whole word, so there is no misunderstanding of exactly which letter you are talking about.

For example, say you are on the phone with someone who needs to know the exact name of the medication you might be taking.  Now, these medicine names are usually rather obscure, so the best way to make yourself understood is to spell the name out.  Of course, you want to make absolutely sure the hearer gets the name right.

But sometimes the connection is not good, and the other person might mis-hear letters that sound very much the same—like C and Z, for example.  This could lead to very unpleasant circumstances, so you really want to make yourself as clear as possible.

This is where the NATO Alphabet comes to the rescue.  You can clarify exactly which letter you are saying by adding the phrase: “as in.”  Instead of just saying the letter “C” you can say: “C as in Charlie.”  Then the person on the other end of the line will know exactly what letter you are saying.  In this way, you are always perfectly clear.

Where the Station Used to BE

A fun writing exercise is to create a vignette or a poem from a favorite photograph.  One way to do this is to find a picture that speaks to you and let it guide you into creating a work of your own in words.  What you will be concentrating on is mostly the feeling of the photograph.  The ideas and the words will not just be a description.   It can give the reader a sense of the subject.

The way to do this is to find a picture that reflects the way you are feeling at this particular moment in time.  Study the photo carefully.  This will allow your mind to engage with the ambiance and the general feeling of the scene.  For this poem, I chose a picture of the old B&O Station.

When the steam train whistle splits the tranquil air,
The tattered streams of echo drift away
To seek the phantom station, that in its day
Was once a crown in the city’s wrought iron hair.
Maybe ghostly travelers still linger there,
In a far dimension evoked by cold steam spray,
As thundering down the track at end of day,
A spectral engine seeks it’s nightly lair.
New buildings now stand in the station’s place,
The present landscape shows a modern face,
But when steam music knocks on memory’s door,
And fond remembrance grows a solid core,
It calls back misty brick and filigree
To gather where the station used to be.

Trees and Stones

by Alf

As you make your way along a forest path in the nearby mountains, you will see a surprising thing.  Some of the trees appear to be growing directly out boulders.  Now, we all know that a tree can't possibly grow out of solid rock, or can it?  Yet these trees seem to be sprouting right out stone.  

On further examination, we notice that the hemlocks, white pines, and poplars are not actually growing directly out of solid stone.  Each tree projects its spidery roots across the surface of the boulder, and then the roots creep down the sides and splay off, like three-toed dragon claws, piercing the damp soil and penetrating the ground at the base of the rock.           

In much the same way, some people also survive in surprising circumstances.  How many times do we hear about folks who live on--clinging to existence and defying the odds?  They hold on to life, grounding their roots for nourishment in home, family, and spiritual beliefs.  And in their own way, they may even thrive.  Like the boulder trees, those who are securely grounded in some way show that it is possible to survive (if they can be flexible) by using what they are given and drawing nourishment where they find it.  Hopefully, we can do the same.

Speaking With I

The I Ching (or Book of Changes) is possibly the oldest known book, as it was put together thousands of years ago in China.  Some people use the I Ching as a way to tell the future, and others use it as a way to get in touch with their inner truth.  I use it as a way to get creative ideas.  In any case, the I Ching is an interesting experience to explore. 

This ancient book of wisdom is divided into sixty-four chapters, and each of these chapters is about a specific hexagram.  These hexagrams are made up of six lines—some are straight and some are broken.  The way the lines are arranged describes a specific set of conditions. 

By constructing a hexagram and reading the accompanying information, a person may be able to get a hint to the future, find a key to their state of mind, or get an idea for the next artistic project.  One of the interesting things about the I Ching is that a lot of what you find out has to do with your intention.  It does not always have to be about fortune-telling unless you want it to be.

There are a number of books on the I Ching, and there are various interpretations and translations of the hexagrams. Find one that seems to speak to your intentions and consult the oracle.

Mind Mapping

One useful way to put your thoughts in order is by using a diagramming system called mind mapping.  In this way of organizing, you put down on paper the many different word associations that come out of one central theme.  The diagram ends up looking a little like a spider, but it does give you a way to actually see all the different ideas that come to mind when you think on a certain topic.

For example, say you were trying to think up new craft topics for blog posts.  The main idea goes in the center of the page, so your write down the word “craft blog” and put a circle around it.  Out from that central idea inevitably comes another idea: “crocheting.”  You draw a line out from the central circle, write down “crocheting,” and put a circle around that.  Now, there are a number of things about crocheting that you might want to remember, and each one gets its own line and its own circle. 

But you wouldn’t stop there.  There are so many more possibilities like knitting, embroidery, quilting—the list goes on and on.  For some reason, one topic leads to another.  You write the next one down, circle it, and connect it to the central theme.  Each new idea gets its circle, its line, and its array of satellite thoughts.  Use curved lines if you want to; draw little pictures or stick in photographs.  You just keep this up until you run out of topics.  

See the picture at the top for how this looks on paper.

Walking the Labyrinth

Who Goes Around, Comes Around

by Alf

What can draw you inside, turn you outside, then twist you around again until you come out back where you started?  The answer to this riddle is not a new amusement park ride: it is an ancient design called a labyrinth.

A labyrinth is a carefully designed shape featuring gravel paths framed in stone. It is not the sort of left-brain, problem-like structure that can bewilder you with high hedges, fences, or cornrows that you can’t see over. It is instead, a unicursal (one path), low-lying, winding trail that directs you along toward a definite goal—the center.

But arriving at the center is not the sole object; the real point of traveling a labyrinth is in the journey itself. At the heart of the labyrinth is a space for contemplation; when you reach the center, you have walked half the distance. Then you turn around and follow the path safely out again to the starting place. No one can get lost in a labyrinth.

Although it may seem like an ancient version of an amusement park ride, the labyrinth has been recognized as a useful tool for adding the solace of walking meditation to our hectic lives. Consider trying this experience for yourself. You may find that as you go around a labyrinth, you just might come around to healing and clarity.