Musing with Molly, Minnie, Milton, and Me

What’s in a word?

What does mean to muse?

The word-term “muse” is a 14th century word denoting meditation; through its meaning-roots are more ancient, they relate to Greek mythology and “the muses,” the nine daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne (Memory).

These nine nymphs were said to inspire artistic and literary creativity. Legends held they would arise by night, and shrouded in mist, walk the hills and bathe in springs. Mortals of “artistic inclination” could by calling upon and receiving the blessings of the Muses function inspirationally. A poet or dancer or musician could transcend the normal bounds of their raw-talent and rise to unimagined levels of creative insight.

Back to the 14th century; so, by "musing" or deep thought the word by then described reflective and creative thought engaged by poets, artists, and others in their active searching for artistic or creative ideas and inspiration.

Now the word musing is generally used to express a mental activity or thinking process; it still implies creativity.

Musing’s, a key to creative living.

Me and Musing

Musing has been a pastime since I was a child. Sort of came with my family territory. I’m the second of two sons born five years apart. Mum and dad enjoyed a ten year age difference, mum the junior. After they were married five years, my brother “appeared.” Then; five years later, just before dad’s forty-eight birthday, my turn to enter the scene. A scene surrounded by older adult conversation, visiting and staying in auntie’s homes packed with books, pictures and wall-mottos; musing was the natural-product of such exposure.

Unlike the Greeks there’s been no nymphs dancing at midnight in my world!

Rats!!

But wait; there’s been other triggers and creative influences for motivating my musing. The adult conversation, those visits and stays in auntie’s homes; the books, pictures, a since boyhood practice of reading in the Psalms, but especially the wall mottos – let me give you these “off-the-wall” motivation-to-musing sources, and then add one to my own wall . . .

Auntie Molly Laurenson

See us together in the first picture, with Mitty the dog; when I "grizzled" to get something extra, Molly just pointed to the following motto  . . . she kept pointing until I got the point . . . 

I had no shoes,

And I complained

Until I met a man who had no feet

Auntie Minnie Mactier-Douglas

For years I read this ancient “rune of hospitality” on Auntie's dining room wall, one day I “got it”, later it would get me . . .

Often, often, often,

Goes Christ in the strangers guise,

Often, often, often

John Milton

17th century English poet whose poetry and prose reflected deep personal convictions, a passion for freedom and self determination, the urgent issues and political turbulence of his day, and embracing theology that’s relevant to life. My long-time friend Wayne Wilson gave me Milton’s words on a plaque back in 1974; lost the plaque in one of our house-moves, but still have it in me. 

God made man

Sufficient to stand

And free to fall.

Me

In musing and writing on the above I've asked myself; “how would I put this on a wall to engender rumination by the children and grandchildren of my world?” . . . here’s my musing by musing . . .

Rhyme of Rumination

If I think about my thinking do I think or have I thought?

When I muse about my musing have I mused as well I ought?

If I muse about my musing have I mused or have I nought?

When I think about my musing, have I mused or have I thought? 

Well, enough musing, back to work . . . for a while . . .