Tuesday, October 28, 2008

A dictionary post!

Passion
Main Entry:
pas·sion           Listen to the pronunciation of passion
Pronunciation:
\ˈpa-shən\
Function:
noun
(2)b: intense, driving, or overmastering feeling or conviction 5 b: a strong liking or desire for or devotion to some activity, object, or concept

So I'm thinking the other day, what is there in my life that gets me going? that makes me a little lightheaded, or giddy? Is there some activity, some pursuit of mine that I could justly call a passion?

Nope.

Seriously. I make quilts because I like the process and I like the product, but my life would most definitely not be any less full without arms full of fabric and thread. I read books because I enjoy other people's stories - the real ones and the made up ones. But if I lost the power to read, I'd be sad, and I'd move on. I compose poetry in my head. I garden. I knit. I make up silly songs and convoluted soap operas about people and places I don't know. I watch documentaries and listen to talk radio. I enjoy music and sculpture, performance and wide open spaces. As sure as I am about all of that, I'm just as sure that none of those are my passion.

If passion is a jalapeno pepper, I believe I'm oatmeal.

7 comments:

The Calico Cat said...

Me too - only I am plain oatmeal...

I wish I was passionate about something... I mean there are some people who are so passionate that they are willing to kill or die... I am so bland in comparison.

dee said...

If you don't mind, I'd like to be that steel-cut Irish oatmeal-maybe some chopped dates thrown in.
Although I don't know how either of you two can call yourselves oatmeal. You are passionate about your lives and how you live them. It's easy to be passionate about pretty fabric and fun stuff-it's the manner in which you are living your life that requires fortitude-you've got that in spades.

Anonymous said...

I totally agree with Dee, Dorothy! I surely admire your devotion to your ideals, whether it's politics, the Cute Boyfriend (oh yeah, and the other two too!), your "estate management", your pie.... Maybe devotion isn't passion, but don't sell it short. It's a rare commodity and you know that as well as anyone. Besides, you're still young yet!

Anonymous said...

I echo Jane Ann's brilliant comment. I hear passion in your voice all the time. You are deeply passionate about your mother country Canada, and passionate about your many projects around home. I think as we get more mature our passion is more sedate, more watered down. But it's still passion.

Remember how strong our passions were in our youth. We had high highs and low lows. Could we handle that breadth of emotion now? Would we want to?

Teri said...

I obviously feel strongly about many things, but like you said, passion is different. Like you, I could learn to live without many things, eventually. Maybe I think to be passionate about something is to lose control over a part of yourself. So although I wouldn't consider myself oatmeal or a hot pepper.. I would go midway and say I was the clove of garlic in the passion department.
I like the dictionary post! Did I ever tell you that when I was a kid, I liked to read the dictionary? I know weird.. but not passionate!

julieQ said...

I am pretty passionate (addicted?) about my quilts. I am pretty laid back about everything else but my family though. Everyone is just a little different, and that is great!

julieQ said...

I am pretty passionate (addicted?) about my quilts. I am pretty laid back about everything else but my family though. Everyone is just a little different, and that is great!