Though for me G-d is not an answer, 'the ordinary" is: In her essay "The Riddle of the Ordinary," Cynthia Ozick says, “… there is always the easy, the sweet, the beckoning, the lenient, the interesting lure of the Instead of: the wood of the tree instead of God, the rapture-bringing horizon instead of God, the work of art instead of God ..." She argues for the ordinary as an expression of what you have so eloquently written.
Such exquisite writing! I never thought of the universe as “beige”…till now. You’ve made what used to be a boring word interesting! How did you do that? Very clever. Your eyes and ears and heart are very tuned in. You’ve invited mine to be, too. And I’m eternally grateful. ❤️
Thank you momma! It was a joy to hear you speak about your "podcast-less" walk around the lake yesterday and how my writing has inspired you to listen, notice and appreciate all the subtleties of this extraordinary life. I'm just a little seed you watered with your love and am now reflecting back everything your soul already knew, maybe in different shades, shapes or colors, but still born from the same source of knowing. Love you!
I absolutely love this! Especially the ‘proof in pictures’.
#1 and #7 alone, are enough to hold beige dear to heart.
Now you have me thinking about the color beige. I came up with this; it was the color of the shirt I was wearing when I first met my future husband , many years ago when I was sixteen years old.
OH HOW WONDERFUL!!!! I love that you remember this. Do you still have that shirt? I'm imagining that even a good sniff and you're brought right back to that day.
This was fascinating. The fact that the vast expanse of the universe averages to beige is mind blowing all by itself and evidence that what we perceive is so rarely the sum total of anything. This is an interesting series and I can’t wait to see what you will tackle next.
Thanks Ben! Speaking of sum totals, I heard an interesting bit of info yesterday on The Hidden Brain. It was an episode on beauty and apparently the averaging of many different human faces is always more "classically beautiful" than any individual face; the idea being that our brains have evolved to recognize the value of genetic variance and interpret that as beauty. I may have to do an In Defense of Average somewhere down the line. :)
How curious and bizarre. I remember hearing that we are more attracted to asymmetrical faces which is counter to what would seem to be conventional wisdom. For proof of this, you only have to go into Photoshop and mirror one side of your face - super creepy!
I was dubious about the universe being beige until I learned this: "To create beige, one mixes equal parts: red, blue, yellow." This makes sense. Because this means the universe also contains red, blue, yellow, and also green, purple, and orange. Thank you.
Oh how I love your addition! Beige is definitely a mindset, one to carry us through all the pendulum swinging of life. And thank you for introducing me to Sandra. I just subscribed to her @thehappyist so I can learn more about her perspectives.
Exquisite, Kimberly. The casually written "my sepia DNA" hit me right in the feels in your (stunning) photo collage description.
Way to make me appreciate beige more.
Also, in just a moment, I'm going straight to our cat to inhale the rush of warmth ;)
As always, and just like with Chloe (are you two secretly sisters? Is this going to be the next twist?!) I'm left in awe by your writing and how you can immerse yourself in the present moment.
I hope your cat appreciates your face smooshed on her. Their bellies should be the eighth wonder of the world.
And OMG how dizzyingly wonderful would THAT be! I've always wanted a sister and I couldn't dream of a more precious one than Chloe. Incidentally, we did discover during our first zoom convo that we both play the banjo... and not just any banjo, the exact same one. Now that's just weird.
Firstly, I love the idea of a series based on ‘in defence of ...’ that is such a great idea. As soon as I read that it had my mind reeling about all the things that could use a little ‘in defence of’ treatment.
Secondly, you make a wonderful argument for beige, very convincing and, of course, very well written.
And thirdly, I absolutely loved this line:
“And while some may say this emanation is purely heat, I don’t feel the same honeyed magic with my face pressed against the floor vent. (I’ve tried it.)”
Thank you Michael! Please do share anything you'd like me to "defend." I have a growing list though some might be too challenging take on like, In Defense of Stink Bugs. ;)
Well, now you mention it. For a while now I have thought about writing a post called “in defence of night owls” (like people who stay up late, a.k.a, me) but it hasn’t come to fruition so far.
I’m more than happy to see you defend that, if you feel so inclined. :)
That's a great one! Though I must admit, I'm on the other end of that spectrum... ie. In Defense of Keeping Nursing Home Hours. :) I always view you Night Owls as the cool club while I sheepishly admit to my 8:30pm bedtime.
What a beautiful post! For me, beige has always been a 'Zen' type of colour. I love the concept of 'Cosmic latte'.
A week ago, a stray cat gifted us with a tiny kitten, barely ten days old, all beige with slightly darker paws and a brown snout ~ a newly landed siamese, eyes still closed ~ a lazy mother cat, or gift from the beige universe?
We kept this little beige furry bundle warm and fed until yesterday, when it was adopted by its deliriously happy new parents.
Yes, Arvo Pärt... oh how it makes my entire nervous system feel like butter. I love that you've always felt beige as Zen... that's very Buddha Beige of you. ;)
Oh my goodness! A tiny kitten in your presence? What a wonderful gift to experience her freshness in this world. I'm so glad she went to "deliriously happy" parents. I'm deliriously happy just thinking about it.
"And while some may say this emanation is purely heat, I don’t feel the same honeyed magic with my face pressed against the floor vent. (I’ve tried it.)" - laughter literally launched out of me reading that (oohhh l-l-ls) coz I would have done the same 😂
This is perfect. I just noticed today that I am, in fact, accidentally obsessed with beige. I seem to include it in every color palette I create. It's no wonder then that even my skin's been changing tone, so that that the sharp greys of my youth no longer suit me. Now, my only urge is to snuggle up in shimmering beige and creamy gold cloth I can drape myself in an roll around on. Evidently, I'm only longing to remember the Great Hug at the foundation of our existence 😉
What a lovely comment. I'm so happy you're already falling into the warm embrace of beige. The "Great Hug" is so much better than the "Big Bang" isn't it?!
This exceptional, factual, poetical emotional approach to beige has, not only been incredibly informative but opened a door to new depths and layers to existence and its realities. Honestly, I'll never be the same after reading this.
“And beige feels like a hug. Then I’d like to reason the universe is one giant hug…” I love this piece, Kimberly. So beautiful, and such a distinctive way of looking at beige.
Exquisite, the way you take the quotidian and make us realize that the ordinary is anything but ....
Upon deeper reflection, it's usually the ordinary that shimmers in the most lasting and transformative of ways. At least that's been my experience!
Though for me G-d is not an answer, 'the ordinary" is: In her essay "The Riddle of the Ordinary," Cynthia Ozick says, “… there is always the easy, the sweet, the beckoning, the lenient, the interesting lure of the Instead of: the wood of the tree instead of God, the rapture-bringing horizon instead of God, the work of art instead of God ..." She argues for the ordinary as an expression of what you have so eloquently written.
Such exquisite writing! I never thought of the universe as “beige”…till now. You’ve made what used to be a boring word interesting! How did you do that? Very clever. Your eyes and ears and heart are very tuned in. You’ve invited mine to be, too. And I’m eternally grateful. ❤️
Thank you momma! It was a joy to hear you speak about your "podcast-less" walk around the lake yesterday and how my writing has inspired you to listen, notice and appreciate all the subtleties of this extraordinary life. I'm just a little seed you watered with your love and am now reflecting back everything your soul already knew, maybe in different shades, shapes or colors, but still born from the same source of knowing. Love you!
Fascinating. This is a totally unique way of writing
Haha. Thank you....? I enjoy the process!
I absolutely love this! Especially the ‘proof in pictures’.
#1 and #7 alone, are enough to hold beige dear to heart.
Now you have me thinking about the color beige. I came up with this; it was the color of the shirt I was wearing when I first met my future husband , many years ago when I was sixteen years old.
OH HOW WONDERFUL!!!! I love that you remember this. Do you still have that shirt? I'm imagining that even a good sniff and you're brought right back to that day.
Glorious ♥️
This was fascinating. The fact that the vast expanse of the universe averages to beige is mind blowing all by itself and evidence that what we perceive is so rarely the sum total of anything. This is an interesting series and I can’t wait to see what you will tackle next.
Thanks Ben! Speaking of sum totals, I heard an interesting bit of info yesterday on The Hidden Brain. It was an episode on beauty and apparently the averaging of many different human faces is always more "classically beautiful" than any individual face; the idea being that our brains have evolved to recognize the value of genetic variance and interpret that as beauty. I may have to do an In Defense of Average somewhere down the line. :)
How curious and bizarre. I remember hearing that we are more attracted to asymmetrical faces which is counter to what would seem to be conventional wisdom. For proof of this, you only have to go into Photoshop and mirror one side of your face - super creepy!
Take that Instagram filters!
I was dubious about the universe being beige until I learned this: "To create beige, one mixes equal parts: red, blue, yellow." This makes sense. Because this means the universe also contains red, blue, yellow, and also green, purple, and orange. Thank you.
This is beautiful. Thank you for this piece.
Beige is a mindset too. Sandra Ann Miller once wrote about it.
Here’s a bumper sticker— Respect the Beige.
Oh how I love your addition! Beige is definitely a mindset, one to carry us through all the pendulum swinging of life. And thank you for introducing me to Sandra. I just subscribed to her @thehappyist so I can learn more about her perspectives.
Your bumper sticker is brilliant.
I love this idea Carissa, beige is a mindset! Also great call on the bumper sticker.
Exquisite, Kimberly. The casually written "my sepia DNA" hit me right in the feels in your (stunning) photo collage description.
Way to make me appreciate beige more.
Also, in just a moment, I'm going straight to our cat to inhale the rush of warmth ;)
As always, and just like with Chloe (are you two secretly sisters? Is this going to be the next twist?!) I'm left in awe by your writing and how you can immerse yourself in the present moment.
You sure know how to make me smile Nathan.
I hope your cat appreciates your face smooshed on her. Their bellies should be the eighth wonder of the world.
And OMG how dizzyingly wonderful would THAT be! I've always wanted a sister and I couldn't dream of a more precious one than Chloe. Incidentally, we did discover during our first zoom convo that we both play the banjo... and not just any banjo, the exact same one. Now that's just weird.
And then we’ll start a family band where we play the banjo in harmony and bliss out on unanswerable existential questions through song
STOP IT!!! I WANT THIS SO BADLY I MIGHT HAVE A TANTRUM ON THE FLOOR THIS MINUTE.
Now that's crazy-amazing! Wow. The universe aligns itself in your collective presence.
It’s the twist we didn’t know we needed! I’m so ready for it. DNA tests on Maury, here we come…👯♀️
This is fantastic, Kimberly!
Firstly, I love the idea of a series based on ‘in defence of ...’ that is such a great idea. As soon as I read that it had my mind reeling about all the things that could use a little ‘in defence of’ treatment.
Secondly, you make a wonderful argument for beige, very convincing and, of course, very well written.
And thirdly, I absolutely loved this line:
“And while some may say this emanation is purely heat, I don’t feel the same honeyed magic with my face pressed against the floor vent. (I’ve tried it.)”
Thanks :)
Thank you Michael! Please do share anything you'd like me to "defend." I have a growing list though some might be too challenging take on like, In Defense of Stink Bugs. ;)
Well, now you mention it. For a while now I have thought about writing a post called “in defence of night owls” (like people who stay up late, a.k.a, me) but it hasn’t come to fruition so far.
I’m more than happy to see you defend that, if you feel so inclined. :)
That's a great one! Though I must admit, I'm on the other end of that spectrum... ie. In Defense of Keeping Nursing Home Hours. :) I always view you Night Owls as the cool club while I sheepishly admit to my 8:30pm bedtime.
Ahhh I see. It’s probably harder to defend if your on the other end of it. In defence of nursing home hours sound good anyways :)
Oh please, no to Stink bugs!
Haha! They're the bane of my existence. Box Elders I can handle but stink bugs are the loud obnoxious Americans of the bug kingdom.
Oh! I have a ‘In Defense of’
to add to your list~ Shadows
Ohmygod yes!!!! I love this one. I'm excited to dig through my library of photos to see what sparks synesthesic ideas on this topic.
What a beautiful post! For me, beige has always been a 'Zen' type of colour. I love the concept of 'Cosmic latte'.
A week ago, a stray cat gifted us with a tiny kitten, barely ten days old, all beige with slightly darker paws and a brown snout ~ a newly landed siamese, eyes still closed ~ a lazy mother cat, or gift from the beige universe?
We kept this little beige furry bundle warm and fed until yesterday, when it was adopted by its deliriously happy new parents.
And of course Arvo Pärt 🙏 ♥️
Yes, Arvo Pärt... oh how it makes my entire nervous system feel like butter. I love that you've always felt beige as Zen... that's very Buddha Beige of you. ;)
Oh my goodness! A tiny kitten in your presence? What a wonderful gift to experience her freshness in this world. I'm so glad she went to "deliriously happy" parents. I'm deliriously happy just thinking about it.
This is *chef's kiss*. You are such an amazing writer! I will never look at beige the same way again.
Awww, thank you Chris!!!! Enjoy the beige!
"And while some may say this emanation is purely heat, I don’t feel the same honeyed magic with my face pressed against the floor vent. (I’ve tried it.)" - laughter literally launched out of me reading that (oohhh l-l-ls) coz I would have done the same 😂
Hahaha… glad I’m not the only one!
🤓
This is perfect. I just noticed today that I am, in fact, accidentally obsessed with beige. I seem to include it in every color palette I create. It's no wonder then that even my skin's been changing tone, so that that the sharp greys of my youth no longer suit me. Now, my only urge is to snuggle up in shimmering beige and creamy gold cloth I can drape myself in an roll around on. Evidently, I'm only longing to remember the Great Hug at the foundation of our existence 😉
What a lovely comment. I'm so happy you're already falling into the warm embrace of beige. The "Great Hug" is so much better than the "Big Bang" isn't it?!
Yes, I think I'll have to adopt that!
This exceptional, factual, poetical emotional approach to beige has, not only been incredibly informative but opened a door to new depths and layers to existence and its realities. Honestly, I'll never be the same after reading this.
Oh!!!! What a wonderful thing to hear. Thank you Camille. Is it safe to say you now have beige colored glasses on?!😂
Absolutely Kimberly! 🤓
“And beige feels like a hug. Then I’d like to reason the universe is one giant hug…” I love this piece, Kimberly. So beautiful, and such a distinctive way of looking at beige.
Thank you Trivarna! I'm so glad you feel "hugged" by it. ;)
And that’s why there’s a beige sock emoji. Hmm, while your here, and I am presently listening to , Thunder…