Notes to Self - I Apologize

I have been reading some other bead blogs and I realized how much we apologize for things. A comment was added to one design and the caveat was 'sorry for my english.' Well, I felt like I had been given a mighty smack: I had not detected any problem with the english. I have seen some pretty bad stuff on the internet: I mean the written english language. Wrong verb tenses, incorrect punctuation, misuse of words - either in definition or incorrect placement. And lots of other mistakes, too.

Well, what language do beads speak?

Exactly my point!

Music is an international language. When well done, music can soothe, enthuse, inspire, include. I mean include every listener. There are no borders or boundaries.

I learned something at a performance given by Ravi Shankar, the great Indian devotee of the sitar. At the beginning of his performance at Stratford oh, so many years ago!! he told everybody that the way musicians in India acknowledge fine playing is to shake the head back and forth. In the West such a movement is negative, usually followed with a strong 'NO.' I was glad to learn that little nugget. When you close your eyes you can be uplifted by the music: it has no race, colour, religion, politics - it's music.

In the same way, beads have no race, religion, politics. But it has lots of colours!! And textures. My next door neighbour is blind: she has some vision but not enough to enjoy what sighted people can see. She asked me to make a brooch and she came over to look at the piece in progress. She held it at about nose distance and could see all the lovely colours. And she could feel the texture of the piece as well. I delivered it yesterday and she phoned me last night to thank me. She loved the texture: she could enjoy the piece basically with her eyes closed.

You may have to keep your eyes open when dealing with beads but even with your eyes closed you can enjoy the textures.

Beads have no language: as music is the language, so beads and beading is the language.

We don't need to apologize for our 'poor english.' We just need to seek, find, spread the good word about the great beading and beaders we have found.

Well, that's what I think.

Helene