FPQ # 45 – Creativity

Fandango has a really fascinating Provocative Question today and I thought I’d take a bash at exercising the ole’ cerebellum. Fandango asks:

Are there limits to human creativity? Is it be possible for humans to create something completely novel and new that is based on nothing that previously existed? Or is human creativity just rearranging and building on previous ideas?

Nature vs. Nurture – a Fandango Provocative Question

I happened upon Fandangos Provocative Question this week while perusing my reader list. WOW, I mean WOW. Here’s something I actually have an opinion on that’s kind of different for me. And then, as I read on, I came across my own answer, eloquently penned expressing my exact thoughts, on NOT MY BLOG. I mean I know great minds think alike and all. Please do pop over and read cagedunn who expresses these thoughts far better than I ever could hope to. But since this is my blog, I’ll take a bash at laying out my personal “opinion” about the question: Nature or Nurture?

A few years ago, I looked into my bathroom mirror, just a regular morning, nothing cosmic or unusual, and I saw my MOTHER. Now, my Mom was a handsome woman but we had issues (like most mother/daughters) and I really never thought I looked like her at all. But I do, I really, really do. I mean it’s downright creepy.

I inherited from her fair skin, a tendency towards mental illness and migraines. I got not a single iota of her artistic talent, I cannot draw a flower much less render an oil painting that would move you to tears. From my father I got such things as my big brown eyes, asthma, and scary high IQ.

So yeah, from a biological standpoint I’m a brown eyed, fair skinned, mentally ill, non-artistic, chronically ill, semi-genius. But oh my I am so very much more. I am more than the sum of my gene pool, I am more than the training of my childhood.

I am the grand total of every movie I’ve ever watched a dozen times, every song I’ve ever listened to, every heart break I’ve endured, every tragedy I’ve survived, every soul I’ve ever loved and every heart I have ever broken. I have taken the raw genetic and influence matrix my family provided me and I have reshaped it, broken it up and molded it back with decoupage and glitter glue into the sparkly star-shaped, mentally ill, genius, spoonie that I am today. I love too much, I feel too much, I care too much, and if you ask my husband he’ll tell you that I AM too much!  And that’s just fine with us.

So the next time you feel like you’re not special, look up at the stars try to count them, look at the sand try to count the grains. We are but a speck in the universe it’s true, but in the entire grand design, there is no other quite like you.

“Today you are you, it’s truer than true. There is no one alive who is youer than you.” ~Dr. Seuss

Til next time ~Peace ~JPP

Is it Memory …. or Not? FPQ # 17

Fandango’s following up the paradox of life and death with another head scratcher in Fandango’s Provocative Question # 17 …. hmmmm.

“How do you know which of your memories are genuine and which have been altered over time or even made up?”

In two words, “I don’t.” I have memories as far back as two years old, which I’m fairly certain aren’t “real” memories but rather ones my mind has created over the years from photographs. There have been many, many “memories” that, when I’ve shared with family who were also present, bring about furrowed brows, glazed eyes and a general “huh?” “whatcha talkin ’bout Sis?” reaction. And, no, it doesn’t bother me.

An Intellectual Spoon Bender FPQ # 15

Fandango has posed another of those intellectual spoon benders this week.

“The fundamental cause of the trouble is that, in the modern world, the stupid are cocksure while the intelligent are full of doubts.”

Do you concur with Mr. Russell’s perspective? Why or why not?

Well, I’ve read posts by a lot of bloggers whose opinions I respect and, frankly I totally agree with all of them.

Fandango’s Provocative Question # 14 A question of objectivity

Fandango asks another great mind puzzler this week  FPQ # 14

“Do you believe that anyone can really experience anything objectively? Why or why not?”

No. Why? Because we are human. As living, thinking, sentient beings, we are the product of our experiences and perceptions. Have you ever played the gossip game? The one where you all line up and the first person reads a whispered message to the next person, and so on down the line. By the time the same message is repeated by a dozen of so people, the message will have changed significantly.

Fandango’s Provocative Question # 12

To Truth or Not to Truth that is Fandango’s Provocative Question

“How do you feel about people who always seem to exaggerate when relating a story? Do you equate embellishment with lying? As a blogger, when, if ever, is stretching the truth, other than when writing fiction, permissible?”

Hmmmm, well, to quote Geoff Chaucer (as played by Paul Bettany in A Knights Tale) “I’m a writer, it’s what I do, I give the truth scope.” I think to one degree or another most people “exaggerate” when relating a story. How much of that is intentional and how much is relevant to their particular memory, I would not presume to say. It’s all about the story.  To me it will always be about the story. “Exaggerations” that do not alter the intent of a story don’t bother me. They don’t change the basic truth.

Fandango’s Provocative Question # 11

Fandango‘s got a whopper on the line this week! Provocative Questions # 11:

Do you believe that terminally ill people should be allowed or encouraged to end their lives via physician-assisted suicide? If so, under any circumstances or should there be restrictions? If not, why not?

Holy theological debate Batman! Let’s leave the whole, “suicide is a sin” or “suicide is murder” for another debate. Once again my octagon of a brain (I tend to see things from about 8 different points of view) is in a quandary. So I will speak strictly from my own beliefs. As always it is not my intention to offend.

Fandango’s Provocative Question # 10

Fandango has posed another thought provoking question for us this week.

“What is more important to you, doing the right thing or doing things right?”

I’m more of a feeler than a thinker and although I do weigh consequences, I always try to do the right thing. Doing things the “right way” not so much. It is the nature of provocative questions to be matters of opinion. What is right? What is wrong? What is the correct way? What is my way? Is there an only way? I’m one of those people who doesn’t believe in absolutes because complete truth is unknowable.

Fandango’s Provocative Question # 9 – part 2

Fandango has another whopper for us this week. I already answered the first part of this but I thought I’d answer the part 2 too (pun intended).

“As a blogger, do you enjoy ‘virtual relationships’? Do you consider them to be real?”

Yes, I enjoy ‘virtual relationships’ in fact I like them better than most IRL relationships. While it is true that not every virtual relationship is all encompassing, most people don’t know everything about me; the same is true of my interpersonal relationships. Frankly there’s only one person who really knows all of me and he’s sitting across the table.

Virtual relationships take on a special meaning for an introvert, even an extroverted introvert such as I (yes there is such a thing). What makes on-line (I’m just going to use that instead of virtual all the time) relationships special for me is simple expedience. They are available whenever I need them to be and they can be as deep or as shallow as I want them to be. That makes them very important and very real.

We have things in common, things we share. We have differences wide and varied that make for fascinating and illuminating discussions. I look forward to this prompt every week partly because I love reading everybody’s opinion. I have on-line a much more diverse demographic than I would ever have in person.

So, yeah, I like virtual relationship and they’re as real as anything else in this wacky world of ours. Do NOT get me started on the “Matrix” theory.

Til next time ~Peace ~JPP

 

 

Spoonie Saturday – Fandango’s Provocative Question # 9

Fandango’s got a couple of whoppers in the proverbial “provocative questions” hopper this week. Since this first one fits in nicely with my current “Spoonie Saturday” theme, hang on to your seats. Here we go.

What are you struggling with the most right now?

I can sum up my main struggle in one word “biopsy.” Now don’t be concerned or waste your sympathy on me. It’s OK, this isn’t even unusual, more’s the pity. I’m not struggling with the aspects most people struggle with. I’m not struggling with the idea of a debilitating illness, already got those. I’m not afraid of the invasive procedure or the anesthetics, I’ve had two knees replace for pete’s sake. I’m not even struggling with the concept that this could be deadly, death and I are old friends; but that’s for another story. No, what I’m struggling with is the bloody INCONVENIENCE of the whole thing.