Belated Valentine's Day Gift

 

The lift at Sea Spray (where we live)...  When Glenn saw the lady servicing the lift she asked her to turn the sound down!  "Going Up... Going Down... Third Floor... Ground Floor."  In a loud and uninteresting voice.  She said she needed a thinner screwdriver.  Glenn went and fetched his toolbox.  Out came just the right one.  She made the adjustment.

"That's a belated Valentine's Day present."  He said.  I'm a happy lady!  I'm delighted with my gift, my second gift actually.  Now I can go into the lift without blocking my sensitive ear.  Thanks Glenn!

Wordlessness and Words

I'm reading a book at the moment.  The author talks about the state of wordlessness which is a state beyond silence.  One can be silent and yet have thoughts framed in words in our minds.

So, yesterday at around 8am Glenn went for a swim in the sea.  His first since we have been here.  We went to Umhlanga beach.  He made his way into the sea.  I found a quiet and shady place under the life-guards station.  As I dropped into silence and then wordlessness I relished the sparkling sunlight on the waves rolling in and flopping onto the beach.  So glistening, so beautiful.  I sat and breathed in the blustery air, enjoyed the sun on my feet, the cool of the rest of me in the shade of the overhead platform, enjoyed the muted sounds of the people all around me and the rippling sound of the waves..  They were small ones.  A lovely Time Out Of Time.

 Today we had a young man from our Ward for lunch.  Paul Kriel.  We enjoyed good food and good company.  How fortunate I feel to mingle with older and younger of all classes, cultures, viewpoints and experiences. Life is good.  I'm glad to be alive, here, now.

Book - The Tipping Point

"A fascinating book that makes you see the world in a different way."  Fortune

When we came back from England, one of the first things I did was go to the library and choose a book to read.  It usually takes me the whole of the time allocated until return or renewal of the book.  This one I finished a little learly - it is due back on the 10th.

I enjoyed contemplating his proposals of the social dynamics that cause rapid change.

The Law of the Few - The few people in all groups who are influential - Connectors (they know a lot of people), Mavens (they have a lot of knowledge), Salesmen (the ones who effectively persuade people).

The Stickiness Factor - How memorable is the message?  How motivational is the message?

The Power of Context -   In what conditions will an idea/activity tip and spread?  What circumstances will facilitate a tip and an 'epidemic' (good or bad, helpful or harmful, positive or negative)?  When is the most favourable time for an idea to tip and flood?  What are the places that will advantage an idea/behaviour to tip and catch 'fire'?  The importance of groups smaller than 150 for the tip to be able to happen.

I enjoyed learning how to articulate concepts in my head along with my reading:

Those who take up a new idea in the beginning are the visionaries - the Innovators, and the Early Adapters.  Following the first two groups to change are the Early Majority and the Late Majority, followed by the final group he calls the Laggards.  This part answered some questions I have long been puzzling about.

Towards the end of the book I learnt more about the process of addiction from Casual to Regular use - about three years.  I call this the frolic, fun and dabbling time. Exit during this time is fairly easy, fairly painless and fairly possible.  During the next five years casual use gradually escalates until at some unpredictable time a 'line' is crossed and the addiction is entrenched and very difficult to leave without significant cost, pain and suffering - if it is possible to let go.  I call this the deepening and hooked time.  Sobering.

I also learnt that the ..."urge among teens to try something dangerous is pretty nearly universal."  Also interesting to me was "Teens are always going to be fascinated by (daring and immature people) and they should be fascinated by people like that, if only to get past the fantasy that to be rebellious and truculent and irresponsible is a good way to spend your life."

Tipping Point -"the magic moment when ideas, trends and social behaviour cross a threshold, tip, and spread like wildfire."

A worthwhile way to spend the time I allocate for reading.