Jodie Foster's Speech

"Normal is not something to aspire to, it's something to get away from."

 There has been a lot of talk about Jodie Foster's acceptance speech at the Golden Globes. Some good, some trashy, and some just silly; many were perplexed by her words. I was fascinated. Not that I watched the show. After Downton Abbey, I flipped channels, and lo and behold, it was Jodie's moment. A Guardian Film writer dissected her speech and hailed it an oratorical marvel. For me, here are four quotes that reverberated with me and I want to capture these thoughts in time:

“Being an artist is a way of saying, I am here, and this is what I stand for,” she said. “And I will never be tired of that.”

I see myself as both an artist and a (social) scientist. I've been very blessed, in tangible and nontangible ways. My worst fear? That I will never fulfill all the potential I've been blessed with in this limited life!

"Privacy. Someday, in the future, people will look back and remember how beautiful it once was."

I am intrigued as to why some human beings spend so much time gossiping about other people they don't understand or know so little about. I suppose tattering about others is the premise for certain types of businesses? 

"Mom, I know you are inside those blue eyes, somewhere. There are many things you won't understand tonight, but this is the only important one to take in, I love you, I love you, I love you. I hope that if I say it three times, it will magically and perfectly find its way into your soul, that it will fill you with grace and joy in this life knowing that you did good in this life. You are a great mom, please take that with you, when you are finally okay to go ..."

Jodie, I want to say the same thing to my mom too. Thank you for articulating these words that I could never say to her in such a perfect way.

And finally, thank you for your humanity.

From The Examiner, April 14 2011

"However, that being said," she added, "if you're motivated and if you put your foot down and say, 'I don't want to be your reality show,' then you can take charge. But it requires a lot of energy and a lot of always asking that question of yourself, Who do I want to be? … What do I want to see in myself ? … What do I want to stand for ? … always asking that question every time someone hands you that free watch or whatever. -- Every single decision that you make, has to be processed through the consequences of that decision on your psyche." 

Jodie Foster
Image Source: http://www.theplace2.ru/photos/photo.php?id=461611

Neuro-Nontypical Kids & Adults

Compiling some writings that clarify the marginalized and misunderstood "gifted" community:

"Giftedness is not what you do or how hard you work. It is who you are. You think differently. You experience life intensely. You care about injustice. You seek meaning. You appreciate and strive for the exquisite. You are painfully sensitive. You are extremely complex. You cherish integrity. Your truth-telling has gotten you in trouble.  Should 98% of the population find you odd, seek the company of those who love you just the way you are. You are not broken. You do not need to be fixed. You are utterly fascinating. Trust yourself!" ~ Dr. Linda Kreger Silverman

"The truly creative mind in any field is no more than this: A human creature born abnormally, inhumanly sensitive. To him...
a touch is a blow,
a sound is a noise,
a misfortune is a tragedy,
a joy is an ecstasy,
a friend is a lover,
a lover is a god,
and failure is death.
Add to this cruelly delicate organism the overpowering necessity to create, create, create - - - so that without the creating of music or poetry or books or buildings or something of meaning, his very breath is cut off from him. He must create, must pour out creation. By some strange, unknown, inward urgency he is not really alive unless he is creating." ~ Pearl Buck

Read more on FamilyEducation

"Gifted children and adults see the world differently because of the complexity of their thought processes and their emotional intensity. People often say to them, “Why do you make everything so complicated?” “Why do you take everything so seriously?” “Why is everything so important to you?” The gifted are “too” everything: too sensitive, too intense, too driven, too honest, too idealistic, too moral, too perfectionistic, too much for other people! Even if they try their entire lives to fit in, they still feel like misfits. The damage we do to gifted children and adults by ignoring this phenomenon is far greater than the damage we do by labeling it. Without the label for their differences, the gifted come up with their own label: “I must be crazy. No one else is upset by this injustice but me.”

It’s time we took giftedness out of the closet and separated it entirely from the concept of achievement. It’s time we recognized it, valued it and nurtured it in our schools and in our families." ~ Dr. Linda Kreger Silverman

Why I Advocate for Gifted Children by Suki
Gifted Misunderstandings by Suki

It's not "we" versus "the others". My stand has always been that any kind of difference ought not to be marginalized. Whether it's about ability, gender, class, race or anything else.

 

Bruno Mars Performs 'Grenade'

Not many pop singers-songwriters today capture my attention. To me, they are either not "singing" (but talking gibberish) or their voices are drowned by all the digitization. Not to mention some who absolutely have zero talent but think their lives are worth beaming to the world as entertainment. Ouch, sarcastic much, ;-P. I am sure some doctoral student must be studying these media trends right now, LOL. But this Bruno Mars, methinks he is talented. Thanks Ellen! (Yes, The Ellen Show). "I'd catch a grenade for love", anyone else thought of this line before? OK, Taio Cruz wrote Dynamite, Katy Perry wrote Firework... those songs just didn't do anything for me. Another song, "Just the way you are" was performed on Glee Season 2 Episode 8 Furt. When Glee covers your song, you know you've arrived. Here's wishing him success and that he will use his talent to help make a positive difference in the world.

Update: Jan 12, 2011 - I thought I'd elaborate on my criteria for labeling BM as creative/talented. It is based primarily on his creative output since I don't know this chap -- his songs, his vocal quality/delivery, my subjective experience of his performance, and probably that of others too (Glee) added up to my overall Gestaltian perception of and reception to his performances - "The whole is greater than the sum of the parts".