Answers To Nothing

"Every heart whispers a song, incomplete, until another heart whispers back."- Plato

Felt like being romantic today. So far its raining were we live which means I don't have to go into work. I found this quote in my phone, I had taken a picture of a card one time during valentines day. There is two other quotes that are just as sweet but I will save them for another rainy day (pun intended).
First of all I get a kick out of the fact that Plato said this. We've been talking about the Allegory of The Cave in my humanities class, and it just seems like this guy (including all of the Greek-era philosophers) are just able to make things so simple. Neitzsche? Kant? They make my head spin. But Plato...

No. He's got the answers.

Ps. does that mean I've been using the idea of Platonic Love wrong?

whisper whisper,
Aryion

La Valse d'Amelie

All right. Amelie, my girl. You don't have glass bones like me-- you can knock against life. 

If you let this opportunity slip away, then, as time goes by, it's your heart that will become  as dry and fragile as my bones. 

So. Go for it! For Christ's sake! 

- Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amelie Poulain

Opportunity for life is worth running out the door for, even if it means you have to stop yourtears from falling into the scones you are baking... 

even though that is good therapy sometimes : )

God. I love that movie : )

-Abi

Lacking in Responsibility

So it seems I forgot to post yesterday. And I almost missed today! But after a long search I have found my quote: it is from a website that I would very much like to share with you- www.dearphotograph.com

For the people who know, it is a lot like post secret. I'll share two of my favorites.


Have a wonderful Windsday!
Aryion

Sheep Lice Don't Write So Much

"Good writing is about telling the truth. We are a species that needs and wants to understand who we are. Sheep lice do not seem to share this longing which is one reason they write so very little. But we do." -Anne Lamott


I love Anne Lamott. Shes funny, insightful, and really knows what shes talking about when it comes to words and writing. Behind this whimsy, is some powerful truth. We really do want to know... in eachother and in the human narrative, we find ourselves. No matter how fictional a story is, if it tells the truth, that will be the story that stays with us.


Its unfortunate that sheep lice don't write; I woulda liked to read their point of view... their truth would probably be black and white though, and pretty dang woolly.




-Abi

Summer Lasts Longer Here (But Still Has to End)

"Narrator: If Tom had learned anything... it was that you can't ascribe great cosmic significance to a simple earthly event. Coincidence, that's all anything ever is, nothing more than coincidence... Tom had finally learned, there are no miracles. There's no such thing as fate, nothing is meant to be. He knew, he was sure of it now."- 500 Days of Summer

I love this movie, so much. Seriously. Go watch it. It made a cynic outta me but also gave me a kind of hope. Free will is so much better than being bounded by fate. I couldn't choose between my favorites so here's two more.

"Paul: Robin is better than the girl of my dreams. She's real."

"Rachel Hansen: Just because she likes the same bizzaro crap you do doesn't mean she's your soul mate."

Keep your head up; love is not all you have to live for.
Aryion

Samwise the Brave

"The one small garden of a free gardener was all his need and due, not a garden swollen to a realm; his own hands to use, not the hand of others to command."
-- J.R.R Tolkien on Samwise Gamgee


ah, where to begin on Tolkien? i wouldn't know where to begin-- there's just too much! but focusing on this quotation, i love this sustainability theme he throws in. i mean, its more about what coercive evil destroys (the individual having a place in the world), but its so cute to see that samwise represents all that is good and green. he is rooted, and finds power to be unattractive. he relies more on his own sense of direction to cultivate meaning in his life than a direction dictated by something bigger than himself. in that, he actually plays a complex and fascinating role. 


and its so relevant in today's world. corporate farming in america is at an all time high, as machines and money create a garden swollen to a realm of politics and ploys... then we have the resistance: the local farming, the small scale farming. that vulnerability is what makes it beautiful. 


i have to say, samwise is one of my favorite characters for that reason.




-Abi

To an Early Grave

"if only if only the woodpecker sighs
the bark on the tree was as soft as the skies
the wolf waits below hungry and lonely
and cries to the moon if only if only"

I'll be honest with you, I wasnt much of a reader in grade school. I distinctly remember falling out of love with reading around fourth grade, most likely after the magic treehouse books went triple digits. I was nothing like I am now.

The bad thing about this is now I have to hide my shame as I conceal grade school books behind newspapers. The Harry Potter books were not as disappointing (because every ten year old was positive they were a wizard.) I needed some catching up to do.

The good thing that came out of it was that the little books I did read had a great impression on me. I read everything Kate Dicamillo wrote. I reread a book about dogs that Avi wrote (for now the name escapes me).

And I read Louis Sachar. Holes was one of those childhood books that I held close to my heart. So thanks to all of you sixth grade writers, to you I will owe an early death of over reading and under moving.

Aryion

Sunshine

"I've had sunshine, I've had coffee... It's beautiful. What more can you want?"
I overheard someone on the phone speaking the other day and she was saying this to the person on the other line. I was astounded at the calmness in her voice, the sincerity in her description of a beautiful day. I really enjoy hearing things like this... It gives me a searing hope that we really are grateful and loving towards the simple things in life.

I am so grateful for the sunshine... And even more grateful for the crickets that make such a loud hugging hum in the evening; the soft quiet sweat on a summer night (een though it's still spring...) it's just something I've always felt comfortable with... It's very human to be comforted by the heat. And coming from a night owl... That's a lot:)


- abigayel

Thoughts Like ee Wrote Them

"If mostpeople were to be born again they'd improbably call it dying."- ee cummings

I used to wish that I never saw his face because his poems, to me, were not made by a person. They're like a conscious stream of thought before they reach a person's mouth and ruin it by speaking words. He is like an entity, because he exists in everyone.

his imagery wondermakes
(and somehow i misshimalready)

Aryion

To Be... Love

“To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable.” 
-C.S Lewis


Perhaps it is because I've just read something very sad in a book, but I was particularly touched by what Aryion wrote. and I needed to post something that means a remarkable much to me, too. i've written about the concept of love and vulnerability for pages and pages in my journal... 


ah, the greats: Lewis and Seuss. they recommend genuine love and weirdness to truly be sustainable and individual beings-- that sounds very lovely to me-- how about you, Ar? : )




-Abigayel

Searching for Sameness

I've been feeling odd recently. Not quite cynical but hovering very close to the edge of it, maybe even a little sad. All the things that are so important to me, all the things that I think define me; my choice in music, my clothes, the things that I love, it seems like everyone else loves them too. I don't know, I just feel.... weird. Everyone in our generation seems to be desperate to be singled out and yet to connect with someone. It's always been like that for everybody forever, it's just that these social medias make the magnitude unfathomable.

I can't explain it.

I guess I'm just feeling like this because I never really thought about the reason why I love these things, why I rave about them to friends and why I have the logo screenprinted to my shirt. I'm the same as everyone else in my generation.

I don't know why it saddens me. (Maybe it's because what defines me no longer carries meaning anymore?)

"We are a little weird and life's a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love."- Dr. Seuss


The quote kinds of sums up what I've been feeling upon this revelation. The thought of 'mutual weirdness' charms me. Sorry to bum any of your readers out, just felt like typing my thoughts on something.

Does 'be yourself' sound too cliche?
Aryion

Nobody but Yourself.

i was supposed to be done for the night... but then i had a panic thing and i forgot i didn't post!! 

"To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best day and night to make you like everybody else means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight and never stop fighting." e.e. cummings

being selfful, fully aware of what/who we are. 

coming from none other than the man who was as individual as you can be : )

-Abigayel

Tumblr Theif!

Quote in the form of a picture! I love this quote, it's like a culmination of every childhood cultural experience.

-Aryion

Hit the Target

"Affix to the bow the sharp arrow of devotional worship; then, with mind absorbed and heart melted in love, draw the arrow and hit the mark-- the imperishable Absolute." -- Mundaka Upanishad


This quotation is a pretty personal one... in that it means so much to me and it is one of those forces in my head when I go to do anything in my life. Its funny, because I've always been drawn to archery-- like super drawn. As a kid, it was my dream to be a bow-and-arrow slingin' bandit. Then, when I was 11 or so and the Lord of the Rings movie came out... and you can imagine, all I wanted to be was Legolas! Its just always been apart of me... so that idea, the concept of archery as a mental and physical concentration melded with the idea of truth, the Absolute, is really appealing to me. especially since my sister wrote it on my 18th birthday card...

enjoy!

-Abigayel

Abarat (Also Known as: Abarat)

"Perhaps a wiser eye than hers would be able to read tomorrow in tonight's stars, but where was the fun in that? It was better not to know." - Clive Barker

I don't remember a lot of kids talking about this book. Whenever my friend turned to whisper it was always 'You read the Harry Potter book, right?' or they begin raving about the Shades in Eragon.

Now don't get me wrong, I love those books. But I did read something about islands that were hours and a magical world that is as well described as it is odd.
I practically blew the dust off if Abarat earlier this morning to rediscover that magic of fifth grade again.
I suggest you read it even if youre older; the style is actually rather adult. But please read it.

Maybe we could all be like Candy one day,

Aryion

Unafraid

"I am not afraid. I was born to do this." 

-Joan d'Arc

this is... wow. talk about accepting everything the universe has ever presented you with and channeling your energy. i admire that she defended human life, while offering her own, and offering a judgement on war. 

all the pieces must fit together. its empowering once we begin to see this. this woman was extraordinary. 

-Abi

The End of the Book

"She had blue skin
And so did he.
He kept it hid
And so did she.
They searched for blue
Their whole life through,
Then passed right by-
And never knew"- Shel Silverstien

I love simplicity. Children's books, to me, are like the simplified answers to the world, forgoing all the stupid complexity we build up around our lives. The language was simpler, so only the important stuff was needed. It's so sad he died before he could continue introducing truths to children.

Now for one of my favorites secrets that I didn't discover until I was older: the end of the book poem.

"The end of the book-
No use to look
For any more, my dear,
'cause if you try finding
Some more in the binding,
You may just...disappear."

Remember Grammar school!
Aryion

Don't Lose Him

"I don't want to lose the boy with the bread." 

-Katniss Everdeen

From the wonderful The Hunger Games. 

*possible spoiler alert* I just love this sentence that becomes a motif in the book. It gets modified, and becomes a really important idea for Katniss as she ventures through to The Hunger Games and when she finds Peeta, finally, when he is battered and feverish. 

Its so sweet, and I think it conveys a lot about what she's feeling, because she doesn't really voice her exact thoughts ever. I think this convey's a lot of what she's feeling, and where she's been. Its a really lovely display of word choice and syntax; so simple, yet so thoughtful.

-Abi

the only Verdict is Vengence

"I'm merely pointing out the paradox of asking a masked man who he is."- V for Vendetta

The movie resonates with me. I want everyone to see it. I want to read the comics so bad. I've read Watchmen and I love Alan Moore's writing. He's such an interesting writer, albeit a bit depressing.

Don't let me catch you blowing up parliament now...

Adieu!
Aryion

Souls

I forgot to post last night... here it is! 

"No, my soul is not asleep.
It is awake, wide awake.
It neither sleeps nor dreams, but watches,
its eyes wide open
far-off things, and listens
at the shores of the great silence."

-Antonio Macado

My sister wrote this on a birthday card she gave me. It resonates so deeply... and the language is really quite lovely. 

-Abi

A Matter of Pride

For now I will go with my favorite line that I have discovered so far.

"To be fond of dancing was a certain step towards falling in love"

Hello again! This quote, I have decided (finally), needs to be from one of my favorite books, Pride and Prejudice. To me, the book is like a fanasty novel the way their world is described. I could not think of a better story and though I can rarely explain why I am so besotted with this story I am just enchanted by the events. Abi knows all about my love for this book (I have a total of three copies; one I got as a present, one in a fancy anthology, and one that is so weatherbeaten I've just decided to highlight my favorite lines.) I wish I had better words to explain why, because if someone came up to me with an argument against Jane Auesten I'd find it hard to repute (but that is only because of my lack of eloquence).

Until then I shall see you in two days!
Keep dancing!

Aryion

C.S Lewis, a child's heart

"When I was ten, I read fairy tales in secret and would have been ashamed if I had been seen found doing so. Now that I am fifty, I read them openly. When I became a man, I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up."

-C.S Lewis


this is so fantastic. it reminds me to never lose the innocence and fascination of childhood that sends us snuffling into all corners of fairy tales and lore. well said C.S Lewis! 










-Abigayel

"I hate quotations" -Ralph Waldo Emerson

Most of the while, I probably have something along the lines of Elijah Wood (his acting, and adorable eyes), Tolkien's writing, the 1800s, and social activism on my mind. I love finding lines in songs that serendipitously coincide with how I feel, simultaneously explaining a massively confunding philosophical theory I have brewing in my head (they still remain a mystery).

Most of all I like collecting my notes, and quotations (duh!), and I love daydreaming that I am a gardening Hobbit, at the same time a writer, and at the same same time, Elizabeth Bennet, or along the lines of someone very cool from her time.

and I like to create change, I like the feel of it. So I thought the Heartfelt Diaries might be a cool place where people can find, well, heartfelt, or even sometimes outlandish-- but none-the-less special quotations-- found by none other than myself or Aryion. and speaking of Aryion, if we read these introductions years down the line, and are still working on this blog, that would make me smile a thousand times over. I hope this will be an ever-growing thread of our friendship.

Since people normally read introductions far down the line of a blog, I'll end now and tell you to enjoy if you are taking a peek!


much love to all, as always,
Abi

Peter Pan- a Shadow of Youth

I was first introduced to Peter Pan visually. I saw the Disney movie when I was little. So little, in fact, that I don't quite remember the age. It is just ingrained in my memory like I had lived it. It was only recently that I read the book and I HIGHLY suggest it. It reads just as I would imagine a Disney movie would. Innocent. It has child-like wonder with a kind of obsession with youth. The art of the first movie, though it isn't my favorite (totally love Mary Blair 'Alice in Wonderland' concept art), is impressive with the idea that it was animated in the 50's.

"Do you know, why swallows build in the eaves of houses? It is to listen to the stories."

J.M. Barrie always makes me want to climb trees and fight with wooden swords. 

Next- Abigayel's introduction!

Until then, leave your window open. Peter Pan has a habit of coming in unannounced.

Aryion

The First Joke and other Important Happenings

Introductions aren't my thing. Nothing I say sounds clever enough. More often than not I resort to bad puns or awfully 'deep' imagery that makes even the most patient person roll their eyes. So sitting here at this computer screen, waiting to slip under my covers, I figured my best approach would be to be honest. So here I am, in all honesty.
I have no words to explain myself. But maybe that's the best explanation of all. I classify myself as a culture-enthusiast. It's difficult for someone to find a topic I don't know anything about. I read (the title of this post is from The Magician's Nephew). I draw. I write.
My friend will be posting here tomorrow, making her introduction and posting her quote. I can only imagine how awful mine will sound next to her eloquent words, but I digress.
My 'quote post' is next!
Until then, adieu!

Aryion