1. Our son (my stepson), Patrick, has been involved in graphic design, among other things in his profession, either in college or in his work, since 2002. In 2007, a documentary movie came out entitled Helvetica. It's an exploration of the typeface (or font) called Helvetica and delves into the many perspectives typographers and graphic designers have about this particular font and about typeface and design in general.
I had watched this movie back in 2007 and seeing it again today, just over fifteen years later, my response was similar.
It's a fascinating plunge into an aspect of our lives we encounter almost non-stop. Almost everything we interact with has words on it, has been designed, and whether we know it or not, we are responding to the typeface and to the ways images are arranged.
As I watched Helvetica, both times, it absorbed my attention and stimulated my thinking.
But, like so many things I read or watch, I understood it in the moment, but soon the information seems to vanish and I can't repeat what I learned.
This phenomenon came up a week ago when Eddie Butler left his spot at the end of the bar at The Lounge and came down to ask me what I knew about the difference between rye whiskey and a Canadian blend. I said a few general things, but I also told him that when I go online and read up on whiskey, I understand what I'm reading, it makes sense while I read it, but, before long, it's gone and I can't repeat it.
It's the same way with movies. I'll watch a movie, really enjoy it, and not long afterward, unless I look it up, not only have I forgotten the movie's details, I've often forgotten the title.
When I was younger, every movie I ever saw imprinted itself in some detail on my mind and memory and I had little trouble accessing titles and details.
Those days are gone.
2. In fact, after we continued our routine this evening of watching an episode of Columbo and a couple episodes of Perry Mason, Debbie remarked that she wasn't looking forward to the time when we had no more episodes to watch. I told her that I could go back and watch episodes over again because once a certain amount of time has passed, watching the episode again would be as if I'd never seen it before.
The details melt away.
3. Every once in a while, Luna turns predator during the night and attacks my hand, scratching and biting it. This happened early this morning. Luna's occasional mistaking my hand for a rodent or a bird puzzles me. I respond by getting up, cleaning my wound with soap and water, and putting Luna in the Vizio room and turning on the heat in there. I'm not punishing Luna. I am protecting my sleep. With Luna in the other room, I'm not lying in bed, half awake, half asleep, wondering if Luna will attack my hand again. I always know that when we are reunited in the morning, Luna will act as if nothing happened. I return the favor. As soon as she can, Luna leaps on me, affixes herself to my chest, purrs deeply and contentedly, and we are back to our best selves again.
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