a word from our sponsor

january is a great time to focus.  take blogging, for instance.  if i didn't have a theme to center the subject material and purpose of my site, i would be all over the place, like my *brain :)  *see also the creative connections of an attentive soul.  for me, this isn't a journal per se.  nor is it for mini sermons...neither do i want to make commentary on world events and news necessarily...wordnest is all about words, new books, stories and culture.  i was thinking this week not only about the amazing focus that comes with age (focus is to the late 30's as success is to the 20's) but also the necessary purpose (or lack thereof) of different means of communication.  (facebook:  long-distance friends?  pinterest:  visual interest?  not to mention texting, tweeting, blogging and old fashioned email...can we spell fragmentation?) just this week i've been handed a huge range of topics from school safety concerns and family of origin issues to the benefits of omega-3 fats and special needs education.  that's quite a range.  just like we have to filter the information that comes to us, gain perspective & rise above the daily residue of film left on us just by being alive, in relationship, and out and about (akin to needing windshield wipers for the soul after a mud puddle splash), we remember who we are by who we're not, what is lifegiving by what is not...i keep coming back to the idea of positive and negative space in art or rests in jazz music, white space on a page...the restraint that comes from everything we don't say or fill or clang...in this culture seems to be especially soothing; how you want to lean in and listen to someone who carefully weighs their words and speaks softly.  enthusiasm need not be loud.  our theme at school right now is "keep your promises".  so, dear readers, i promise to stick to my theme in hopes of inspiring you toward a meaningful succession of words and a shared richness of life...