woodcut art by Ruonan Yan
 

You've got to go out on a limb sometimes because that's where the fruit is. (Will Rogers)

DAH is me, David Anthony Hance. 
This Letter is Free every Friday!
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First up this week: Itty-Bitty …
There's a story about a spider and water spout. An itsy-bitsy spider. You may remember gestures that went along with the sing-song storytelling. But I prefer itty-bitty to itsy-bitsy. Both likely originated as baby talk in the 1930s. Itsy-bitsy strikes my ear as more babyish than the hard-biting itty-bitty. I'm not a baby. Small things do interest me. Tiny things, small things … things that are small compared with similar related objects. Every-day-carry (EDC) things that can fit in a pocket, even if I don't carry them there. At this moment, I'm looking at compact film cameras I've set on a nearby shelf. Not exactly itty-bitty, but rangefinders without massive lenses. EDC analog devices. Yes, I've begun shooting film again.

Second up this week, Indulge …
I’m getting all analog-y again. Could be that this time it will stick. Film cameras, vinyl records, hard-cover books. I do promise not to pull out Mum's old Olivetti portable typewriter. Sending out snail-mail versions of TheThereThere letter is daunting. I am indulging in used old things, particularly used books and simple film cameras. Dad had an antique camera collection. A few of his old shooters interest me, but he really researched and collected them. I enjoy them, but want to use them. Many of his would need significant refurbishing to be usable. Plus, they're all-metal and weigh a lot. I'll stick with my compact, fixed-lens rangefinders, thanks. They're EDC analog.

Third up this week, Inure …
Usage of inure (or enure) dates from the 15th Century. Merriam-Webster suggests "accustom : discipline to accept something : habituate." That sounds like where I am, with my indulgence in the itty-bitty (well, smallish, anyway). I'm inured to the EDC-world, to which Mum introduced me. She was referencing her collection of small finger-spin tops. I hadn't heard the acronym EDC before. But Mum loved the idea of always carrying a top or two. She'd bring them out on visits to the doctor and start them spinning. She'd explain with pride to the indulgent medical team that "these were her EDC tops." I have that collection, too. I’m not sure how to display them. They're more fun to play with than film cameras, so they ought to be out.

A book to switch on wonder …
The Wonder Switch: The Difference Between Limiting Your Life and Living Your Dream
by Harris III
"A powerful, generous and unforgettable book." (Seth Godin)
Before reading this book, I might have accepted that wonder and awe were much the same. After reading it, I can define them differently. Awe mixes amazement, reverence, and even fear. Like looking down into the Grand Canyon. Its immensity certainly inspires awe. Wonder can be an outcome of awe. But Harris (and others) assign it a sense of joy and even magic (real magic, rather than a magician’s trick). Young children experience and express wonder as a sense of amazement. A sort of "I want" excitement. As we mature, and experience life setbacks, we often turn our wonder switch to the "off position." There are tremendous psychological and physical benefits to resetting our wonder switch to the "on position."

And a bit more … 

"The Orange"
by Wendy Cope

At lunchtime I bought a huge orange—
The size of it made us all laugh.
I peeled it and shared it with Robert and Dave—
They got quarters and I had a half.

And that orange, it made me so happy,
As ordinary things often do
Just lately. The shopping. A walk in the park.
This is peace and contentment. It’s new.

The rest of the day was quite easy.
I did all the jobs on my list
And enjoyed them and had some time over.
I love you. I’m glad I exist.


And that's all for this week.
From Mary Oliver's "Sometimes"

Instructions for living a life:
Pay attention.
Be astonished.
Tell about it.