On Stringing Words Together
"Wherever we go, we are friends" -Sloth and Manatee
Sloth and Manatee
The other day I was reading a little article, and when I got to the end of it the words that came into my head were, “Well, that was very thoughtful.”
Words are an extension of us, they pick up our thoughts and carry them out there to others. When we read a person’s words, we read that person. Even if they have been gone for centuries.
This is why using machines to make autocomplete-arrangements of words and tell ourselves this is speech, I think, is so egregious to me. When someone stands up to make a toast at a wedding, they are the one standing there glass in hand. What they are giving is their presence. The words that come out might be funny, or sad, or ironic, or really really awkward, and it’s finding out, right there right then, that makes it a toast. At a wedding. On a day. With people.
I recently went to (sat down in front of) a Zoom meeting where they told me there would be automatic notes taken. I thought, okay fine, whatever. But then, I got the summary afterward. I almost fell out of my chair when I saw this report, if you can call it that. It tracked “engagement.” It counted “filler words.” It offered to make suggestions for “improvement.” It had graphs. Oh, and it also tracked “sentiment.” What the hell does that mean? By the way, all the lines on the graph dropped precipitously when we - left the meeting. Thanks, graph. Wow. Insightful.
When I respond to art that a kid has made in one of my classes, what I am giving them is me, really looking, and thinking about what they are doing. This is why I am there. I have no idea how the class is going to go or what is going to get made.
Example: It’s the last 20 minutes of class, and this 5th-grader asks for tape. Now, I have seen kids cover themselves in tape. Or make extremely long fake fingernails out of it. So when a kid asks for tape, well, I generally assume the roll of tape is a goner. But he went and did this:
He masked off the borders, took some pastels, and whipped this out in like ten minutes. JUST LOOK AT IT.
Why do we let machines put the sequence of life together instead of us? Because there is risk? Because the wedding toast might fall flat? Because someone might see us? Or disagree with us?
Where is the room for unexpected use of tape? Where is the opportunity for the toast that you’ll be talking about for years, because can you believe she said that?
If you tried to graph my art classes you’d get a big ol squiggle in all directions and going off the grid and that’s ON PURPOSE (sorry I yelled. This topic makes me yell-y).
Being present is more than a risk worth taking, I’d say that is life itself. Being there. Giving the toast. Letting the kid have some tape. It doesn’t have to be anything big. Just saying a hello to someone, or taking the time to hand-write a note. Saying thank you. Just anything. Even if it’s just a few words, or just one word. But, not a guess by an autocomplete machine.
Brainwaves
Best of Brainwaves Volume One: The Fountain of Stuff
Best of Brainwaves Volume Two: Mom, Dad, I'm a Cat
License Cartoons from CartoonStock
Art!
Reminder that if you are in the San Francisco East Bay, the opening reception for the show at the Orinda Library Art Gallery that I’m appearing in is on Saturday, May 31st from 2:30 to 4:30pm. Come hang out and see! There are like 22 pieces. Plus a whole lot more. Yes yes!
BunnyFrogCatSnake
Things Of The Week
Here’s a newsletter issue from Lisa Maria Marquis’ “The Future is Like Pie” that is about trying to make sense of all your newsletter subscriptions (aka “actual people writing things”)
Here’s one from Sacha Judd about fandom (Disney in particular) and belonging
Here is a band on Bandcamp called Pelican who do some righteous guitar work, if that is your thing
Okay! That's enough nonsense for now.
May you wear an excellent hat, may you talk to a real person for real, won't you be my neighbor? - Betsy
HELLO AND THANKS FOR READING!!
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