Day 13 - May 28, 2010 - Soaking up Genius

"I just write what I wanted to write. I write what amuses me. It's totally for myself."
-J. K. Rowling

J.K Rowling has taken the world by storm with her Harry Potter series. It's easy to see why. The storyline is powerful, the characters are engaging, and the books appeal to a wide audience. Who would have guessed she began writing these novels on napkins in this Edinburgh cafe called the Elephant House? I never knew. The best ideas come in the oddest packages and at the strangest times.

Rowling wasn't writing to please an audience, either. She simply started writing what she wanted to write about. It didn't matter who read it when she started jotting lines down on her napkin. It was the expression of an idea; the manifestation of characters and actions that formed themselves in her mind. The world of Harry Potter and Hogwarts was cooked up in the mind of one woman who happened to be eating a panini and drinking coffee while looking at Edinburgh castle. Who knows what kind of ideas spring into the minds of people worldwide every day? They simply have to have the courage to bring them into existence; to create regardless of who is watching, reading, or listening. Great artists create from within and ignore the demands of the masses. We remember them because they are different from all the other voices out there. Their perspectives teach us about ourselves and about things we've never ventured to think about before. That's what makes them great.

Day 12 - May 27, 2010 - A Little Mood Music

"O Caledonia! stern and wild, Meet nurse for a poetic child! Land of brown heath and shaggy wood, Land of the mountain and the flood, Land of my sires! what mortal hand Can e'er untie the filial band, That knits me to thy rugged strand!" - Sir Walter Scott

I have always rooted for the underdog in impartial situations. If two sports teams are playing one another and there is a clear disparity between the two, I tend to cheer for the team whom the odds are against (unless it's the Los Angeles Lakers, Dodgers, or Kings of course!). Scotland and Ireland are the underdogs of the British Isles. They've been trampled on by the English for hundreds of years. Perhaps that is why I connect with the people and their cultures.

Bagpipes are an odd instrument. They can easily become grating to the listener under certain circumstances. They produce a shrill noise to say the least. Yet, when I hear them, it is easy for me to sense the pride that courses through the Scottish people. The national anthem and "Amazing Grace" are frequently played by street performers. The songs sound stately, proud, and beautiful. The bagpipes are the voice of the people and the land they inhabit. Truthfully, they are the voice of my ancestors; my past. I am from the United States and happy to be a citizen of its shores, yet I cannot disconnect myself from this place. My family tree is deeply rooted here and the people who preceded my left behind a strong legacy for me to stand upon. Thank God for them, and thank God for the opportunity I have to reflect upon their existence; their role in my life as I move the family line forward into the future.

Day 11 - May 26, 2010 - A Bigger Picture

"The soul never thinks without a picture." -Aristotle

This is Lochness. Well, this is how I used to perceive Lochness before I actually saw it. I've never been near a particularly large lake. I used to go fishing with my papa when I was younger. I thought the lake near my grandparent's house was huge. I had yet to see how massive a lake could actually be.

I've lived near the ocean for 3 years now. Growing up in Texas, I had little concept of how massive the world could really be. Now, I feel that I'm grasping wildly to take in the sheer grandeur and vastness of the world. I'm attempting to move away from my narrow vantage point in order to see the full picture. From what I can see, it's amazing, terrifying, beautiful, and truly enlightening!