Overwhelmed « gingatao

Overwhelmed

July 10, 2008 at 8:49 pm | In links, poetry, writing | 20 Comments
Tags: blogging, links

Sometimes overwhelmed is the best way to be.

Here is a beautiful love story from the wilds of Alaska, (how I love the sound of that, ‘the wilds of Alaska’.) It is called UFO and it is by Mrs Sarah Ott.

Here is an incredibly clever poem which made me laugh and blush at the same time. (Caution, Sarah Flanagan is pretending “The Minstrel Squire” is about me.)

And a wonderful short short story by one of the funniest coolest Writers, either Reading or Not Reading, depending on how she feels. I like Insecurity Clearance a lot and if you read it and you know me you will know why, apart from that is cool and funny and so is Gloria.

Oh and I got interviewed by Anonymum, I sound a bit silly and it’s a bit embarassing so I am putting it last.

Which was a good idea and I am thinking of doing an interview series myself where I will send you ten questions and I will post your answers here with a link. Of course I will be asking the questions so, well, any volunteers?

And I called this post Overwhelmed because I am, there is so much wonderful writing about at the moment, far too much for to put links to all of it here but you know who you are and you should know who each other is by now too, the whole is more than the sum of its parts,

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Well, given you said yes, I guess it would only be fair to volunteer first…so here I am..at your service kind sir
*deep curtsy*
Hope it morphs for you like it did for me

Haha that sounds fair. I might do one a week. Thanks for volunteering. I will ponder my questioning strategy.

Comment by anonymum — July 10, 2008 #
here’s your second volunteer. queuing like there’s hot second generation iPhones for sale.
Woohoo, you are definitely on the list, Aefiel, I shall think up some very tricky questions,

Comment by aefiel — July 10, 2008 #
awe, paul, you’re so thoughtful. this was a hopeful way to start my monday. i look forward to coming home and perusing the other links you listed. i do spend time every so often checking out your blog roll. i’ve always been dumbfounded, there are just amazing talents hiding under the bouldery rocks of the internet. ; ) im certain bouldery is a word. whatver. lol
It is amazing, Mrs Ott, the thing is everybody who writes regularly gets better at it, so the quality just goes up and up. Your story just made my heart leap it is so beautiful. It reminded of the poem you wrote oh so long ago, about the warmth of home in the vast coldness, remember that one. One of the first you posted in the Cafe? I do.

Comment by mrs. sarah OTT. — July 11, 2008 #
oh no, i’m not pretending the poem is about you – because it is about you. thank you for the linky luv. i’m glad it made you smile.
sarah
Oh it must have been me pretending that you were pretending out of false modesty, haha. Linky luv, yayaa

Comment by sarah flanigan — July 11, 2008 #
yay about the interview. loved reading it & you had a poem written about you. how cool is that.
Thanks for your lovely comment over at my interview, Lissa. Lissa!

Comment by lissa — July 11, 2008 #
nuhuh, you’re not interviewing me – you would have a Meg Ryan/Parkinson moment I’m sure.
Oh please please, it would be the best one. I would think up such fantabulous questions, Mary Ms P, it could be an Oliver Reed/Parkinson moment instead?

Comment by Mary P — July 11, 2008 #
I don’t really know Anonymum, or you for that matter (smiling), but I really liked your interview. Especially what you would have on your tombstone. LOL

I’m reading Wayne Dyers’ latest (Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life) – his take on the Tao, one chapter/verse at a time. Not sure you’re familiar with it (Dr. Dyer’s book, that is). Anyway, I’m loving getting to know the Tao. Currently, I’m working on practicing #29.

Namaste
Hello, Grace. Thankyou. I’ve never read Dr Dyer’s book. After a while the Tao all boils down to the first line of the Tao Te Ching, “the way that can be taught/described is not the true way”, kinds makes all the rest a bit redundant, haha. What’s number 29? Wu Wei?

Comment by Grace — July 11, 2008 #
Sorry…I’m not sure. I’m reading Stan Rosenthals’ translation…here it is:

29. TAKING NO ACTION

The external world is fragile,
and he who meddles with its natural way,
risks causing damage to himself.
He who tries to grasp it,
thereby loses it.
It is natural for things to change,
sometimes being ahead, sometimes behind.
There are times when even breathing
may be difficult,
whereas its natural state is easy.
Sometimes one is strong,
and sometimes weak,
sometimes healthy,
and sometimes sick,
sometimes is first,
and at other times behind.
The sage does not try
to change the world by force,
for he knows that force results in force.
He avoids extremes and excesses,
and does not become complacent.
Ah, the principle of nonaction. The harder you push against the world, the harder it pushes back or ‘don’t try to make it happen, just let it happen’, but this is often interpreted as meaning, ‘do nothing’ when the sage will say ‘doing nothing is impossible, since inaction is also a decision’.

Comment by Grace — July 11, 2008 #
btw…I totally AGREE with your statement. LOL
Cool, laughter, I think is the truest taoist thought,

Comment by Grace — July 11, 2008 #
awe i do remember, ‘pockets cold to the warmth…something something’ – i wonder if i still have that one, cant remember what i called it. i havent posted many alaskan poems lately. most of them are far too hippie i think people will wonder if i’m doing acid or something. lol.
Well we certainly wouldn’t what that. But you do have this sense of place right through your writing that I admire greatly.

Comment by mrs. sarah OTT. — July 11, 2008 #
Aw tao shmao…blah blah blah, use a little of the common sense that helped you climb this far up the evolutionary ladder and you’ll be fine. “Confuse Us” wasn’t all that smart but Jesus did steal some of his lines like that do unto others thing, straight out of The Analects. Hell, I’ll answer a few questions, count me in on this thingy, just let me know. Peace for the people.

Comment by Fabian G. Franklin — July 11, 2008 #
Does Mrs. Sarah up there know where we can get some acid? I’d do a hit or two. lol So long as I’n functional again in three days. No? Oh well, I guess the rum and coke will do for now.

Comment by Fabian G. Franklin — July 11, 2008 #
I’ll be an interviewee if you’re still lookin’

Loved your interview.

Comment by Simonne — July 11, 2008 #
haha, fabian. for as out of the loop as i am to the druggy life, everyone knows where to get acid up here, including me: the talkeetna bluegrass festival in august. you need only unwrap the door to any teepee in the sea of them; hallucinogens abound.

but if you want to keep whats left of your sanity, lol, probably best to stick to the rum and coke.

its a much classier method of self-medication. lol.

Comment by mrs. sarah OTT. — July 12, 2008 #
Heys Paul! I would love to be a volunteer as well….and I did enjoy the interview you participated in as well…..
Yayayay, yours will special, the pressure is on with the questions though,

Comment by thatplaidhipster — July 13, 2008 #
ooohh an interview by Paul..I am in!! I can only imagine the thinks you would ask. I am game! I will also make it interesting..I will answer completely honestly any question under the sun….(…hmmm could be dangerous..:))

Comment by nectarfizz — July 14, 2008 #
Interview is wonderful..ever notice you have something in common with that Pooh bear guy? Sweet.

Comment by nectarfizz — July 14, 2008 #
i’d agree to an interview, but only if i can be as truthful as you.
sarah

Comment by sarah flanigan — July 14, 2008 #
yes, it is overwhelming…

Comment by pieceofpie — July 15, 2008 #
Yep, ditto!!! Its like finding an unseen jackpot that is always just too much to do justice to …

Aww, the song is real fitting !!

Comment by Mental Mist — July 16, 2008 #