What Love Looks Like, Scottish Slang, And Doing What You Love

Here are ten hand-picked and carefully curated recommendations to give you an uplifting dose of wisdom and inspiration:

I.

A wonderful quote I’ve come across this month. Writer and activist James Baldwin on what love looks like:

“The longer I live, the more deeply I learn that love — whether we call it friendship or family or romance — is the work of mirroring and magnifying each other’s light.”

James Baldwin in Nothing Personal.

II.

I’ve never been particularly fond of asking young kids what they want to be when they grow up. It not only puts pressure on them that I think is unnecessary, but it also puts emphasize on their connection to the material world while they’re still exploring who they are and what excites them. In the Q&A of this month, I’ve answered a reader’s question about the importance of doing what you love.

III.

Being exposed to the language you’re trying to learn is often seen as the ultimate way to learn a foreign language. But what if you’re in your own country, not being exposed to it everyday? I’ve been using Italki.com for a while now. You can meet people online and talk with them for only 5 dollars an hour. It’s a very nice way to meet people and practice more. (Note: I’ve no affiliation with them).

IV.

One of the latest reviews I received from a reader for the book Tell Me Who I Am:

V.

A word I came across during my trip to Scotland this month that quickly became a favorite: a wee bit, meaning something like: ‘a tiny bit’. The Scottish seem to use it at every possible opportunity. Scotland has some seriously fun and playful slang, I just love it. Other Scottish slang terms: peely-wally (looking pale or unwell), doo-lally (crazy), or crabbit (grumpy).

VI.

A documentary I’ve watched: The Thin Blue Line (Errol Morris, 1988) — It’s a classic…it’s just a great example of how powerfully the truth comes across when it isn’t forced, when you’re not being told what to think but you the viewer put the pieces together and arrive at the truth.

VII.

The blind men and the elephant is a lovely re-telling of an Indian parable, featuring six blind men who attempt to observe an elephant. Their individual observations, however, lead to disagreements until they figure out that only their combined wisdom leads to truth. The message behind this parable implies that our perception of the world is conditioned—our lens to look at the world determines the interpretation of what we see. In other words: what we see, is determined by how we see it and not by reality. I love this parable.

VIII.

Every now and then, I love digging into old advertisements because they offer such a intriguing look at how society once viewed beauty. It’s fascinating—and sometimes a little wild—to see how social norms were shaped and presented to the public. Take this 1930s French ad for ROTO-STAR, for example. This machine promised flawless boobies by washing and massaging them with cold water under pressure. Odd inventions like these show just how far people were willing to go for perfection. It really makes you wonder how much has changed in our pursuit of the ideal body, and if we would make wiser decisions now.

IX.

Anthony Bourdain was a veteran of professional kitchens, when in 2000 he published a memoir called Kitchen Confidential about his experiences in the culinary underbelly. He also hosted the Emmy Award-winning travel docu-series, “Parts Unknown” on CNN, and on his personal blog, Explore parts unknown, you can find field notes of his travels. I always find these blog posts a joy to read because his writing makes you feel like you’re right there with him, traveling to another world and experiencing the trip together.

X.

In the spotlight this month:

Lili Jampolier, 2011, acrylic on linen 40 x 53 cm
by Neel Korteweg

Thanks for reading. Tiny Bits is a handwritten, algorithm-free, reader-supported publication. To fuel your curiosity, seek out more valuable ideas worth sharing. Sign up to receive my email newsletter every month.

Lisanne