Thirteen

In thirteen years of this blog, I’ve discovered some precious things and attempted to expose them in the form of words. As to why, it was an impulse aimed at my own pleasure, first to write and then the desire for outreach, unhindered & unlimited. Such was the blogosphere in 2006: there were many of us doing the same. Things have changed since. Perhaps the world has turned less idealistic. Perhaps Facebook, Twitter & other social media are vehicles for more immediate, less time-consuming, less thoughtful exclamations.

When I say I ‘discovered’ some precious things, it’s not to imply that I was first to stumble upon them. They’re old as mankind. Or older: as if seeds for their flowering were embedded in the structure of the universe, from the original Big Bang, or any other creation myth you choose to believe.

These precious things are not discoverable by reading alone, just as you can’t get fed by recipes, or warmed by pictures of tropical islands.

In often clumsy words, diluted with dross, I’ve tried to put my joy of discovery onto the screens of those who’ve sought them out. If they have any value, it’s to try and express the fresh excitement of ‘aha’ moments. Which might hit a spot with a few readers, if encountered at the right time.

Thirty years ago I bought an old copy of The Testament of Light, by Gerald Bullett. It’s a compilation of excerpts culled from eminent authors across three millennia. I find that I’d ticked some of them with a pencil, indicating approval of their content. I don’t recall any ‘aha’ moments. But I’ve just gone through it again, ignoring those ticks, picking out those which correspond pretty much with my discoveries. The trawl yielded thirteen pages, which I’ve scanned & uploaded then given them one-word titles. They’ll be published one per day, starting tomorrow October 23rd. I’ll add links to the list below as each comes online:

animal
attracted
blissful
constant
forgiving
generous
humble
akin
natural
outreaching
self-proclaiming
unjudging
wise