Catharsis

Last week, I watched two movies.

The first was Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World. It was a wonderful film exploring the life of the poet whose powers of observation – particularly of the natural world – were unmatched.

The second was The Karate Kid.

On the surface, these films could not be any different. But they – in different ways – reflect the cathartic value writing provides to both the writer and their audience.…


Attention

Pay. Give. Hold. Demand. Undivided, Limited. Deficit.

All words associated with our attention. Often parts of phrases clamoring to receive some amount of it. The words have an air of desperation to them. Presumably underscoring how difficult a task it is to receive it for any length of time.

The poet, Mary Oliver, wrote frequently of our attention. Imploring us to pay more attention to the natural world around us.…