the way thoughts connect

Every person and place or thing is stored in our brains. Each noun is usually stored with a particular distinguishing feature. For me it is usually a much less visual thing. In grade school our teacher was excused and we were asked to recreate him. It was supposed to be a test of our memory, but from other's artistry in contrast to mine, I realized that it wasn't so much about remembering as seeing thing. I have never been much of a visual artist,. My mind just doesn't work that way. I also recall a time my oldest daughter asked me to draw a dinosaur, and I couldn't, even though pateontology has always been a passion of mine. I drew something and she looked and said, "No. I meant a prehistoric creature. Try again." Her dad had to come draw one for her.

I played a game with the primary children at church. I gave them all crayons and paper and then played a recording of a composition of mine. I asked them to draw what they heard. It was uncanny how accurate their representations were. At first, no one wanted to share their drawing out of fear that the others would laugh or tease them, but as a few brave souls showed what they draw and told about it, they were praised and eventually everyone wanted to share their drawing, too.

I had thought before about talents, and did not start with any intention of even mentioning them, but I figured it was like how artists draw likenesses of people or something for money. Maybe I could compose songs for people, places, or things. which leads me to point out the inadequacy of converting our thoughts to words (without a lot of practice).

I used to like to listen to "absolute music" and I really felt what it was saying more than songs with words, which is why I actually wrote tonight in the first place, I thought about how I think of people and I assign a little value to mean them, likely, they have no thought (awareness) of this. for years I used hair because I felt like it adequately represented someone. They had some choice in that matter (Of how to wear or style it). I stil do that to some degree, and my strongest recollections of people come through not scent or physique, but hair.

I ought to say something about hair bands, but I won't.

Aside: It was so cool today when Elder Packer told how he always knew what to say, and felt that it wasn't too much to say even though it felt like he was blabering. The funny part came when he was saying how everyone has profound experiences regarding how temples effected their families, for him it was his parents always making temple attendance a priority. He asked Russel Nelson if this was the case for him, too. "No. Actually. My parents weren't sealed until they were in their 80's" :) replied Elder Nelson.


I was playing a game to keep my mind plugging away at things other than what it keeps settling on. The game was to think of people and just think of the little associations that I make with them. I was listening to a song last night and I didn't even hear any lyrics. That song will always mean something different to me. I was awestruck by the perfomance, specifically, the breathing. Every performer must breathe or they'd die, so it is not a good symbol to represent (differentiate) this song, but that's how my mind works and it associated the song with Johnny Depp who mentioned that those who truly "live" appreciate each breath. Once in a lesson on being Unprofitable servants one of the things mentioned that is a gift is air. Back to songs, I don't think that I have started trying to listen to catch each performer breathing. It just naturally struck me as a really cool performance technique.

Ok, I passed enough time. urr wasted it, is more like it. I have little to show for it. other than I did actually record my feelings which I know I ought to do. That is right, although deciding if my thoughts themselves are right or wrong is not of my concern.