Freedom Within Form

Got this anemone today on my way home. $12. It's all shrunken up because it hasn't had enough time to get used to my tank conditions yet.

Here it is fully expanded. I like the pure whiteness of the tentacles. It's a natural colour, not bleached or anything. I've seen larger versions at the airport before. Haven't managed to quite identify it yet. I suspect it's either a colour variant of H. magnifica or M. doreensis. Oh well. Something interesting to do in my spare time.

Something my classmate drew during a PW lesson. K.W., if you're reading this, I coloured it in with Adobe PShop.

I remembered this passage from Madeleine 'L Engle's A Wrinkle in Time. Read it a few years back.

One of her characters, Mrs. Whatsit compares life to a sonnet:

"It is a very strict form of poetry is it not?"

"There are fourteen lines, I believe, all in iambic pentameter. That's a very strict rhythm or meter, yes?"

"And each line has to end with a rigid rhyme pattern. And if the poet does not do it exactly this way, it is not a sonnet, is it?"

"Calvin: You mean you're comparing our lives to a sonnet? A strict form, but freedom within it?"

"Yes. You're given the form, but you have to write the sonnet yourself. What you say is completely up to you."

How true indeed. When it comes right down to it, if you've been fortunate enough not to be raised in slavery like African kids in the U.S. during the early 1900s, or subjugated by some tyrant all your life like the Jews under Hitler's regime or something, and I do NOT mean parents, you're relatively free to do as you please, you have a large degree of control over what you can do, and what you do will shape your life, like it or not.

Live with few regrets and let the poetry of your life be penned with words of beauty.

I was thinking of saying that that was my philosophy (Hee! Watashi wa NINDO) but I think it's more of a guideline for me. I'm horrible at following my own advice. Heh.

Almost forgot to insert: <_resentful glare_> for Mrs Gwee over a particular comment on her blog. Haha. But the bit about Allen was funny though. Enjoy your mugging though you won't see this till it's too late. lol.