I saw this writing life cartoon in the New York Times and it kind of spoke to me. Every frame feels like the absolute truth except maybe the last one. Instead of renown, for me a more accurate word would be reassess, or maybe reinvent, or even just relief, because while there's no real glory at the end of the writing process, it does feel as if an enormous amount of pressure has been lifted—and then you have to start again from scratch, and it feels like a whole new ballgame every time.
In other news, I think it's time to color my hair. There's a lot of, um, silver coming in. It really popped out when I used this new filter on Instagram, but I kept the filter anyway, because it nicely smoothed out my folds and creases. This face is not the whole truth.
Today, I went for my annual checkup which I have not done for almost two years. It was fairly painless, because when the doctor sent me to another floor to get a mammogram (also way overdue), and I found out I'd have to wait an hour to be seen, I decided to reschedule. Before that, my doctor was very pleased with me for losing fifty pounds since she last saw me, and though she's skinny herself, she told me all about the food changes she had made in her household and how they'd helped her lose 17 pounds. I tried to listen generously, even though I confess the thought crawled through my brain that if I had started out at her previous size, I wouldn't even have thought about trying to lose. Different strokes. Who was it who said each one's perception is her own truth, or was it the other way around?
you look about twelve years old in the filtered photo and I am a bit jealous but love my rational about "character lines" and gravity as friend...I lie to myself a lot, because I must. Then the kids come home after not having seen us for a few months and gasp. "you are SO OLD!"
ReplyDeleteWell, you look beautiful. Work and life apparently agree with you.
ReplyDeleteYou look gorgeous and I personally love grey hair. Even my own.
ReplyDeleteGosh. You are just beautiful! Filter or no. And really? You're going to color your hair? The silver looks beautiful to me. Remember when Owen told me I should get my hair dyed because "gold is better than silver"?
ReplyDeleteThat cartoon speaks volumes of truth. As I recall from my serious writing days.
Good for you for going for your check-up! And yeah, don't you love when skinny people tell you their own tales of eating to lose weight? "Bite me," I think as I listen with a smile pasted on my face. But, you know, at one time I was skinny and because I had to work at it constantly with diet and with exercise, I look back and know I did the same thing because I never felt thin and deep inside me was convinced that if I let myself eat what I wanted to for one week, I would be back where I had started.
Yes. Perception is truth. Or, vice versa. Whatever.
Love you, sister.
Despite the 9 R's, I like everything about writing and see it as highly creative and satisfying. Clearly, you are a gainfully employed, outstanding writer. Understanding perceptions is key...because perception and truth are one in the same for any given individual. Congrats on seeing your doc. Maintaining good health is important. Susan
ReplyDeleteI personally think the grey hair is beautiful. I may be biased:)
ReplyDeleteI love the gray! Also, I want that filter. Also, I'm not sure perception is truth. What I perceive is different from what everyone else perceives so where's the truth in that? I think maybe truth lies beyond/behind our perception. Also, congratulations on losing 50 lb! XXOO
ReplyDeleteyou look beautiful!
ReplyDeleteYou look beautiful! My hair started turning gray when I was in my 40s. Now it's completely gray. Sometimes I wonder what it might be like to have my dark hair again, but I remember when I dyed my hair once and it was such a long time letting it go back to gray. Stay well and healthy, my friend.
ReplyDeleteI think you look great just the way you are. I've always admired gray hair. (Which is good, because mine is mostly gray -- when I allow it to grow!) The writing cartoon seems pretty accurate!
ReplyDelete"This photo is not the whole truth."
ReplyDeleteMy perception is that the essence of you is truthful and undeniably perceptive, able to contain both sorrow and joy. With ageless and timeless light in your eyes.
Fifty pounds! In only two years. And nary a word on the blog about it. I am very impressed, not least because you don't appear to have needed to obsess about it (or did you save the obsessing for other venues?) I love your blog...
ReplyDelete