Now Reading: The Anthropology of Turquoise

“In this invigorating mix of natural history and adventure, artist-naturalist Ellen Meloy uses turquoise—the color and the gem—to probe deeper into our profound human attachment to landscape. From the Sierra Nevada, the Mojave Desert, the Yucatan Peninsula, and the Bahamas to her home ground on the high plateaus and deep canyons of the Southwest, we journey with Meloy through vistas of both great beauty and great desecration. Her keen vision makes us look anew at ancestral mountains, turquoise seas, and even motel swimming pools. She introduces us to Navajo “velvet grandmothers” whose attire and aesthetics absorb the vivid palette of their homeland, as well as to Persians who consider turquoise the life-saving equivalent of a bullet-proof vest. Throughout, Meloy invites us to appreciate along with her the endless surprises in all of life and celebrates the seduction to be found in our visual surroundings.”

Have any of you fellow bloggers read this already? What are your thoughts? This will be my first read of the summer and I’m very much looking forward to it!

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On Judgement & Negativity…

Passing judgement without reason is lethal. You can never grow or learn more if you are constantly putting a person, idea, or place down. I’ve recently started noticing how unwarranted some people’s negativity can be. Opinions are healthy, different perspectives are necessary, but negative presumptions are toxic. To me, having an open mind and the curiosity to learn are some of the most beautiful qualities we can posses as human beings. If you find yourself in the company of someone who has turned sour, try to remind them that there is no harm in listening and learning more. 

Why Do You Travel?

Why do you travel? 

To understand yourself outside of yourself. To know your place in the world. To realize what you can do, who you can be, and how you can help. To break through the bubble you’ve lived in–whether good or bad–know that there is more out there, there is more to life. To see the injustices, the beauty, the creativity, the sunrises and sunsets. To hear the accents, the music, the rumble of the city, the roar of the jungle, the silence of the woods, or the calm of the ocean. To feel the pain, the joy, the suffering, the kindness of loved ones and strangers. To step outside, around the corner, buy a one-way, ride your bike, take the train, or just take a walk. To rediscover your home, or adventure to a new one. Open yourself up and don’t be afraid to be afraid. To absorb as much as you can. From the architecture that surrounds you, from the artwork in museums, from the foods you taste, and from the friends you make. To look up. At the clouds, the stars, the ceiling. At the beauty of exploring a place you’ve never been. To look down. At the grass, the cobblestone, the sand, the snow, the dance floor. To revel in each unique experience. 

That is why I travel. 

Uncertain.

I’ve been having a lot of restless nights lately. I go to bed tired, but then I lie in bed wide awake. An anxious feeling consumes me. I am excited, nervous, scared shitless. Up until now, life has been a single staircase and I just took steps. But now, as I’m preparing to graduate college, I take my final step. But my final step to where? It doesn’t just stop. I see doors, I see another set of stairs, and another and another, I see slides and I see bikes and I see planes that can take me everywhere. I don’t know what I want to do or where I want to go and that terrifies me. I thought college was supposed to be the step I took to get to the step where I knew what the rest of my life would look like. But here I am, up at 2 am thinking about all the possibilities–and all the consequences. I guess that’s a beautiful thing though, right? This panic that I am so privileged to have? I get to dream about a world filled with opportunities and challenges, but soon I will be apart of it. It will be chaotic and messy, but an adventure all my own. This uncertainty is unsettling, but then again if I was completely certain what sort of nights would I have? What sort of dreams would I dream?

Watch This.

Debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival, this 17-minute video is set entirely on a teen’s computer screen. The film provides a super creative perspective on modern day technology and relationships…Definitely worth watching.

My Thoughts on the Miss America Pageant.

Last night, an Indian-American won the Miss America Pageant. I did not watch the show, but later I was reading about it online and found this article.

The article both shocked and disgusted me. How can people be so ignorant, yet so confident? It baffles me that as a nation of immigrants, people have the audacity to single out what a “true American” looks like.

Everyone comes from somewhere different, unless, maybe, you are one hundred percent Native American… Regardless, a person should not be judged, especially in such a racist way, on these perceived–and extremely flawed–characteristics of what it looks like to be an American.

Besides, ‘looking’ like an American is not the important part. What matters is how we act. This shows the true colors of a nation. By making these kind of comments, whether jokingly or not, you perpetuate the negativity and oppression that we vowed to move past as an independent nation many centuries ago.

You are not just hurting the winner of the contestant in slandering her like this, but also you are making a mockery of the principles that our country was founded on.

So the question is, what does it really mean to be American? Does it mean being ignorant, racist, and disgusting? If so, we are absolutely killin’ it, ‘MERICA!

But truthfully- I know we are better than this. We are the country that believes in human rights for everyone, we are the country that has more opportunities than any other place in the world, we are the country that does NOT perpetuate hate. We embrace the differences among us and THAT’S what makes us American.

So please, let’s get our sh** together, I’m begging you.

Late Night Lana

 

Sometimes all you need is to be alone with Lana and your thoughts… All criticisms aside, there is something about her voice that just resonates with me when I’m having a bad day. Even if everything else about her isn’t authentic, her voice is. And that’s what matters.

“If it would destroy [a 12-year-old boy] to be called a girl, what are we then teaching him about girls?” -Tony Porter

Dove Real Beauty Sketches Campaign

Dove’s newest campaign on what “real beauty” means was recently unveiled, and with over 9 million views, you’d think it was a success. I’ll admit, when I watched the video for the first time I got a little emotional. However, after re-watching the commercial, although intended to be revolutionary, wasn’t really different at all. I found the following response to the campaign on Tumblr. It is spot on. Read here.