Strange Tedfellows

“I wish you all could be inside my head.  The conversation is sparkling.”

                                                                           -Sheldon, The Big Bang Theory


And speaking of strange fellows, meet Herman.  He is the handsome fiend the the right.  I am submitting him to the Stampotique ATC swap.  It is my first ATC- because I don't know what to do with them upon completion. 


And speaking of completion.  Did you discover my bonus Monday blog post?  If not, look for it in the archives.

I have fabulous conversations with myself, but only in my head.  I find that sound uses too many brain cells to sustain engaging or intelligent thought.  Each week I compose multiple blog entries in my head- all worthy of my consideration, as well as that of my three loyal readers (you know who you are).  But when I sit down to write, all I can find in my head is the ramblings of a mom on the brink of dementia.

Amid the fragments of thought that drift into the darker recesses of my head, there are usually a couple glimmers of sparkling potential.  Like carbon clusters, they need a substantial amount of cutting and polishing before being considered gem-worthy.  Such humble beginnings.  My musings today have been incubating in the dark (kinda like my friend up above) since Christine left, neglected and ignored.  Today they sought light.

As you recall, last month brought me a visit from my dear friend Christine Lee.  Christine has a Phd. in Bio-Archeology and the distinction of being named a TED Fellow.  During her visit we watched a few TED Fellow talks via the internet and she left me with a list of others to pursue on my own. (I think she saw the dementia.  Perhaps she believes some intellectual stimulation will stave it off.)

                                                                                                                                      

I pursued many things in the weeks that followed, not one of which answered to the title “TED Fellow”.  Yet the Fellows pursued me.  One found me in the loo!  There he was at the back of an issue of Week magazine.  Another found me this morning at the breakfast table while reading Joe’s blog.  I could no longer ignore these insistent speakers.

I spent about an hour yesterday morning listening to Brené Brown.  I listened to her expound on the virtues of vulnerability and shame.  I will not detract from the experience of hearing her speak by trying to summarize her here.  But, like the strange Tedfellows stalking me as of late, I insist that you set aside twenty minutes this week to hear Brené speak.  No, make that twenty five minutes.  After listening to her, follow up with a comment on my blog.  Let me know your reaction.  And then tape a note to your refrigerator, or better yet, your dashboard, that reads “I am enough.”  ---  You won’t get it if you don’t check her out.

Click on the link below to hear her.  If you like what you hear, you can find other talks by her and others at the TED site.  Happy listening!


http://www.ted.com/talks/brene_brown_on_vulnerability.html