Sunday, November 4, 2012

Word(s) of the day: 11/2/2012

11/2/2012...
Now that my favorite month of the second half of the year has ended, I have much to reflect on as well as look forward to. We have survived The Sandy here in NYC, less about 35 citizens or so, my sister is en route to NC after much delay and mishap, and we are this much closer to Election Day and a true reckoning of what the next years will bring for this great country. My weekend is pretty set to be hectic, frustrating, exhilarating and tiresome all at once, but I am looking forward to the shared effort!

Two words are at the forefront of my mind now, very loosely connected to each other, but if you know me, they have infinite relationships of value.

1- Dittany: a herb. 'nuff said! The name sounds funny and old fashion-y, which it apparently is... all the way back to Roman manuals for medicine and medieval claims of astral projection. It seems to be related to Oregano and/or Marjoram in herbal scent or flavor. The original(true) variety, Origanum dictamnus or Dittany of Crete, is found in  the most precarious and impossible of mountaintops on the small Greek island, and has been used so much over the millenia that it is now an endagered, highly revered and protected plant with limited production in some small areas of Greece. Apparently, Dittany has also been referred to as an aphrodisiac and thus the focus of many erondades (love seekers), passionate and daring men that sought the pink flowered plant to present to their loves, at the great and often peril of falling deaths.

So, one can conclude that this peculiar hermaphroditic(!) plant is responsible for curing stomach ailments, flavoring prefumes, absinthe and vermouth, making crazy -in-love men climb and fall off mountains, and help witches fly out of their bodies.

2- Gravitas: A Roman virtue from ancient times meaning dignity, weight, seriousness and importance. As in, President Obama's call for such a virtue in the midst of the recovery effort post-Sandy, and pre-election. And, I would add, in the next four years, regardless of who is in office, because the last thing this country needs is the rest of the world looking at us with Schadenfreude.

So where do these two words collide? As my mandate states, I aim to Teach, Sing, Write and Fly. The month of October  has allowed me these opportunities in more ways than I could have imagined. I have Sung Songs from every corner of America, even debuted on Pratt Radio with lushTongue. I have Taught volunteers, voters  and readers alike. I have written many emails to family and friends, colleagues and elected leaders, and managed to squeeze in a few blog entries. And with the revelation of Gravitas and the importance of Dittany, I may very well Fly... if this election goes awry, I will have already applied to United and American Airlines.... let's see where the road takes me!

More Info...
http://www.bagnewsnotes.com/2012/08/gravitas-revisited-when-obama-became-acting-president/

1 comment:

  1. Oh my! Best of luck with your new endeavors and I hope the United one comes through as they have a direct flight to my neck of the woods. :-)

    I love the little tidbit on dittany, perhaps a short post once a week or month on herbs and their uses, culling knowledge from disparate cultures is in order.

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