13 Comments
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Sarah C Swett's avatar

Fantastic. Thank you. Yes. Off to caress pine needles with my toes. And yes again, Dive was wonderful: The sound of Pencil on paper. Ideas I didn’t know I had. Lovely.

Anna Brones's avatar

Oh this is so wonderful to hear ❤️

Judy Johnson's avatar

Thank you, Anna, for finding material to share with us. I would never have found this manifesto, but am better for having read it. I once heard Billy Collins say he was thinking of trying to deduct as a business expense on taxes the cost of getting the house windows washed by a professional window washer, because it is the job of the poet to stare out of windows.

Anjelika Deogirikar Grossman's avatar

Have you read Christie George’s “The Emergency Was Curiosity” — I appreciated how she thought about attention and community. I think you’d like it too ❤️

Anna Brones's avatar

Ooh no but that sounds right up my alley

Mason Currey's avatar

Putting my phone on grayscale now!

Anna Brones's avatar

It’s awful!!! 😂

Jen S.'s avatar

Fabulous, thank you Anna. As someone who works in largely unseen maintenance (civil engineering and public works), thank you for this piece. I often wonder how folks would “see” if they spent a day following the garage from our houses to the landfill or say from the bathroom to the wastewater treatment plant.

Roshni Robert's avatar

I’m generally very egotistical about my amazing control of my attention, but just now while I was reading this, and Dave said, look outside there’s a brown thrasher! It took at least 30 seconds for my eyes to focus from looking at the phone to looking outside. This is such physical proof that my body is changing because of the attention I give to this tiny monster I’m holding.

“Attention is care, attention is curiosity, attention is connecting. Attention is human.” Bravo❤️

Jacqueline's avatar

Thank you for this!

NikkiFB's avatar

Didn't even know I could put the phone on grayscale--it is magic! Thank you!