January 14, 2020 thought for the day: May it always be spring with you. Chinese Proverb

The information at the doctor’s office yesterday was good. Then Lowell took me to lunch where we met Rebecca. The meeting last night went a little long but was productive. We covered quite a few important subjects. I hope tonight meeting goes as well.

The January 13th photo challenge, “water”,  wasn’t a standout pick for me today. While I was at the doctor’s office, I caught sight of the “water cooler” type fixture in the waiting room. I decided to capture that image for a possible choice for my darkroom today. As it turned out it was my only attempt for the day so it turned out to be the upload for today.

It has been a ho-hum day. I have plenty of things on the day’s agenda. It is just getting the mind turned in the direction of productivity.

After last night’s meeting I had some information to add to the bulletin so I took care of that early. Later this afternoon I got the information I needed to finish it. Now it is ready for the readers and then to be printed.

I got the gumption to work on one of the last two boxes that need unloaded. I didn’t get too far with it but every little bit helps. As I took things from that box and placed them, I was able to moved an item here and there to a new “permanent” home in a drawer or cupboard. I also added a few items to the Goodwill boxes I have started.

Along the way, I was able to catch a photo shot for the theme today.

This makes it two days in a row where the photo challenge, “slice”, wasn’t exciting for me. I was making my lunch, a tuna salad sandwich, and decided to grab my camera.

The word is destiny.  The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be, Ralph Waldo Emerson.  Destiny grants us our wishes, but in its own way, in order to give us something beyond our wishes, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Every individual has a place to fill in the world and is important in some respect whether he chooses to be so or not, Nathaniel Hawthorne. What lies behind us and what lies ahead of us are tiny matters compared to what lives within us, Henry David Thoreau. A person often meets his destiny on the road he took to avoid it, Jean de La Fontaine. Men acquire a particular quality by constantly acting in a particular way, Aristotle   The efforts which we make to escape from our destiny only serve to lead us into it, Ralph Waldo Emerson. The soul is dyed the color of its thoughts. Think only on those things that are in line with your principles and can bear the light of day. The content of your character is your choice. Day by day, what you choose, what you think, and what you do is who you become. Your integrity is your destiny ... it is the light that guides your way, Heraclitus.   Integrity is your destiny-it is the light that guides your way, Plato.  

I have always been in the habit of reading for years. It can transport you to other places, other times, and other ideas. It adds to the fullness of life. The title of the article of choice today is “The Future of Reading”. I learned in this article that reading is required by the third grade but then it drops off. Another statement that caught my attention (in the educational venue as opposed to for pleasure), “reading is not only discerning what a book is about as it is fathoming its meaning”.  Apparently for generations students don’t read in favor of getting information from movies, or Cliff Notes. It is also mentioned in that article that Alexa has taken a place of ‘artificial intelligence’ used by many. Reading is a human ability and not yet the cognitive capability of a machine. There are scientists working on an algorithm called Genesis. It is being programmed to read text and understand a story. As I understand it the article pointed out that is it possible that reading is declining for humans? Further that “machines” are taking a place in our conference rooms. One further point in the article, that, for now, the ability of reading by humans is scientific and mathematical beyond the point capability of a machine.

I think we will have either homemade cheese calzone or hamburger sandwiches for dinner. I have the afternoon to decide.

Joy