Much Ado About Something

*For the record, I'm not sure where I'm going with this post.

 All I know is that I've been thinking about this for the last few days.  I was watching "Much Ado About Nothing" on YouTube (as one as nerdy as I am does...) and I came across a quote I'd never paid attention to before.  Beatrice is asking Benedick what she should do in the wake of her cousin's misfortune.  Benedick says "Serve God. Love me and mend."  I'm not sure why but it struck me as beautiful.  Though it's not one of his more well-known, I think it's up there with "To be, or not to be..." or the St. Crispin's day speech, not to mention much easier to remember fully.

Another line that's been circling my head has been from "Carry On" by Fun:

"May your past be the sound/of your feet upon the ground." 

 I think it may all have to do with this turning 30 (ugh, this number will never be ok) and still not being completely where I want to be.  I know where I want to go, but getting there is difficult.  I know what I want to be, but it's hard to make it happen.  And I know what I want to do, but it's complicated.  These lines though, seem to suggest that this life thing is easy.  That by being the way we are, and continually pushing forward, we're already "living." Maybe we make things so complicated in our heads that we need a poet from 400 years ago or a rock band to shake us up.

 

Like I said, I wasn't sure where I was going, and I'm still not entirely sure I arrived...

Friday Five

1. "Carry On" by Fun: This song woke me up 3 days this week (my radio station of choice is nothing if not consistent).  Each time I heard only the chorus and loved it.  I knew I had to get to iTunes to download it immediately.  It was no real surprise that the artist was Fun.  It's pretty much a given that I'll fall in love with anything new they release.  Since I downloaded, I think I've played it about 20 times.  Fantastic!

2. What Ellen had to say about the Boy Scouts this week.  She's just one of those people that you can't help but love.  She's always honest and speaks from the heart.  She's never too preachy or over the top.  She delivered just about the most perfect message to those at the top of the Boy Scouts and I only wish they'd take it into consideration, if for no other reason than to show their members what it is to accept people for who they are.

3. VisitBritain.com:  Aside from having a truly awesome twitter feed full of pictures and ideas, they also have a fairly helpful website.  It's no surprise really that I love a website promoting visiting Britain, but this one is a one stop shop for all things British Travel.  Not to mention they hold contests, which may explain why you'll be reading a fairly extensive post on London Shopping tomorrow.

4.  Ravens madness.  Yes I said it before but I'll say it again, the Ravens are SuperBowl Champions!!!  And the entire city of Baltimore has contracted purple fever.  It was truly awesome to see the thousands of fans that attended the parade on Tuesday as well as the multiple players and coaches that have been making the talk-show rounds this week.  It's about time that our guys get the recognition they deserve. 

5. Book Arts. (Ok, this is a weird one so hear me out)  I read an article on a new center opening in London (where else?) called the London Centre for Book Arts.  Apparently Book Arts is a thing, how did I not know this?!  It's gone a bit by the wayside in the last few years due to the rise of eReaders but there are still some art schools and centers offering lectures and instruction.  You focus on typography, book binding, paper, graphics, etc.  I looked for a center here that offered something close to the amazing one in London, but Maryland only has a small art center in Silver Spring that holds occasional lectures.  On the upside the London centre conducts many different lectures and seminars and I'll be there in October so I'll finally get the goods.