Hey Roberta,
My signature quote from James Baldwin is, to me, an essential truth, not just concerning racism, but concerning hatred in any of its forms. It has a very personal meaning for me in a couple of ways, both having to do with my family.
First was the racism in my family, especially that expressed by my father. His hatred and the statements he made about blacks always seemed to diminish him in my eyes, even though I wasn't old enough to thoroughly understand my feelings. Later, when I was in high school (when he died) and then college, I finally understood what his hatred had done to him. He really was diminished. I began to realize that his hateful comments echoed back toward him; they described him, not those he hated.
What I wasn't aware of was my own hatred of my father, for his abuse of my brothers and, later, me. My hatred was every bit as vengeful as his was toward blacks. Even after he died, I continued to actively hate him for many years.
Finally, it occured to me (slow learner that I am) that the hatred was destroying me. When I acknowledged it, I had to deal with the pain underneath. It was the most difficult thing I've ever done.
It was the most worthwhile thing I have ever done, not only for me, but for my family.
I've always admired James Baldwin. Reading his quote had the most profound impact on me. It has become a part of who and what I am.
Now...as you know through our friendship, I am also extremely silly. There are three other quotes I plan to use in the future, all of which have a kind of personal meaning for me in a more humorous way:
"I used to be Snow White, but then I drifted."____Mae West
"O Lord, give me chastity and continency, but not yet."
__St. Augustine (whoulda thunk?)
"In my sex fantasy, no one ever loves me for my mind."
___Nora Ephron
What can I say? Profundity weighs so much. Sometimes I need pure glee and gaity.
There is the well known Euler identity that e^(ix) = cos(x) + i*sin(x)
Then, let x = pi, cos(pi) = -1, and sin(pi) = 0
So e^(i.pi) = cos(pi) + i.sin(pi) = -1 + 0
and so e^(pi*i) = -1
And from this follows the identity:
e^(pi*i) + 1 = 0
And so, I figured if that identity seemed appropriate enough to Euler, it was surely appropriate enough to me, and so I appropriated it for myself. A naughtcase, zero, full of round and furiously signifying nothing. Q.E.D.
LOL... Debacle, I enjoyed reading your description, which was definately worth more than zero!!
I just added a quote to my profile.... I chose it because it makes me smile!!
Oh Roberta, I wish you hadn't asked about the signatures, but since you have and being that I'm here, let me tell you my sad story.
In the A.M. my brain is terribly addled and by the time my addled brain adjusts to what the day has in store, dusk has already descended. Thus, once again , I must endure the "brain
unaddling" process. As you can probably surmise from this post, dusk has just arrived and yesterday will soon be today. So, you see, it's just a neverending circle game. (sigh)
But, Don't Cry for Me Roberta, Tomorrow is another day.
Monger - WHAT signature - or is "it all started with a sinister little plot...." your signature?
I'm not fond of the weird wavy pattern either! I wish more people would change the color and/or font of their signature, it gives more... texture... to the page!
I've always used Latin mottos to keep in mind what i've considered to be the good adivce they frequently contained . . . so that's what i did for an "electronic signature" here--then again, i've also always been far less than serious, which is why i have the one you see now . . . an' i'll probably stick with the ridiculous Latin quotes--for a while, at any event . . .
Oh dear! I can just hear poor Craven thinking about how to code in non-weird-wavy-things to delineate signatures from posts when he reads that.
Lord knows what we will get....
ROFLMAO!
The thing is, because of my weird, wonky, monitor - I could actually read nothing! However, I could see a black line appear under your wavy line, so I copied it to notepad, as shown to me by that very same Craven to solve this very problem, and there it was!!!!
I love it! I want one!!!!!
You two (Craven, Monger) are dastardly... is this part of the super-hero wars???
Hmmmmmmmmm - if it is, then we must take action, Piffka!
At them - avast, cry havoc and unleash the dogs of war!!!
Havoc, right!
Let's see, tum-te-tum, tum-te-tum.... how to cure from subliminal messaging... I'm blank. omigod, I'm blank!!!!
Oh gods and goddesses, I think they may have taken over my mind! I'm blank, I tells ya, I have nothing to offer. <sobs quietly>
And the eye... notice how it stares? STARES right into your soul???
Monger's avatar actually looks just exactly like one of the creatures in a series of role-playing-games i have for the ol' PC . . .
Awww, and I thought that was the mindless stare of the void, not the mindless stare of a computer game!
