Marf

aubreyrhea

3:47PM - Conversational Style

Originally published at my real blog. Please leave any comments there.

I’ve bought a bunch of books for all the airplane riding I’ll be doing soon. I couldn’t wait to dive into the best-looking one, “Conversational Style” by Deborah Tannen. She spends the entire book analyzing a two-hour Thanksgiving Dinner conversation between people with different cultural backgrounds and personalities to bring insight to the way people relate.

I think most people would rather be having the conversation than reading about it. But me, I had the pencil out and started underlining by page 4. I find it fascinating why I gravitate towards certain kinds of people and certain situations, which make me “flower” in ways that are remarkably rare. It feels like a miracle when it happens. But maybe it isn’t such a magical mystery as it seems. If I understand it better, maybe I can figure out how to help it happen more often.

aubreyrhea

10:52AM - Yet again

Originally published at my real blog. Please leave any comments there.

I’ve been heavy-handed with the quotes lately, but I just can’t help it. I keep running into good ones that won’t let me leave them alone. I can’t believe I haven’t posted this one here before. This is the thing that made me want to see Garden State.

“You know that point in your life when you realize that the house that you grew up in isn’t really your home anymore? All of the sudden even though you have some place where you can put your stuff that idea of home is gone. You’ll see when you move out it just sort of happens one day one day and it’s just gone. And you can never get it back. It’s like you get homesick for a place that doesn’t exist. I mean it’s like this rite of passage, you know. You won’t have this feeling again until you create a new idea of home for yourself, you know, for your kids, for the family you start, it’s like a cycle or something. I miss the idea of it. Maybe that’s all family really is. A group of people who miss the same imaginary place.”

This, and the song “A Place Called Home” by Kim Ritchey. They understand.

aubreyrhea

7:34PM - links for 2008-07-10

Originally published at my real blog. Please leave any comments there.

• Scientific American: Who’s happy? You are
  There Denmark goes, bein’ all awesome again… :)
  (tags: international)
• Minority Report: The burden of parenthood
  “We live in a society that ostensibly honors families but won’t provide any social support to back up those values.” Article makes me want to scream.
  (tags: women)

aubreyrhea

7:33PM - links for 2008-07-09

Originally published at my real blog. Please leave any comments there.

• Crystal Skulls Deemed Fakes
  So the newest Indiana Jones movie is based on a real Aztec legend. But the crystal skulls proudly on display in Paris, London and D.C. museums? … Not so real.
  (tags: movies science)
• The Space Between: Bon Anniversaire
  Oh BOY does this ring true. It’s about the non-stop voices that begin to ring in women’s heads, louder and louder the closer we get to the big 3-0. (I don’t know what happens after that).
  (tags: women)