I Am not A.I.
A.I., you and I are different. I feel. I feel the rays of the sun warming my face, the chill of the cold deep in my bones, the pressure of your hand holding mine and mine, resting in yours. I feel the jitters when test scores are posted, the wrenching when news isn’t good, the […]
We, the prodigal people
“There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them. “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living.” Luke 15:11-13 We, the […]
Got that feeling in my body*
Ugly words hurt.Clashing colors make me nauseous.Stripes with plaid make me dizzy. Grim news turns my stomachLoss twists my heart.A word stabsA look penetratesCriticism batters. Thoughts and experiences are, for me, physical.I quite literally feel your pain. Yet,Accept me and my heart bursts!Kindness enfoldsCaring caressesEyes that listen warm meEars that see startle me. My body […]
Kinesthetic Christian: Write, Rest, or Revise?
Dear friends, May I call you that? You, who faithfully (or only occasionally) read what I write here at the Kinesthetic Christian? I regularly struggle with what it means, and what I mean, when I say I am a kinesthetic Christian. It is easier to say what I don’t mean: I don’t mean you have […]
Sticky Fingers Don’t Leave Prints
It’s terrible having sticky fingers. No, not the kind that pull what doesn’t belong to you off the department store shelves. I’m no thief. I don’t steal stuff. I feel stuff. Everything I touch has a sense, a texture, a tone, a pinch, a puff, a cuddle, a rebuff. It’s slippery or slimy, it’s sticky […]
Dear Keurig
You are so convenient. I can get what I want immediately. Power. Poke. Press. Presto! I have my solo cup of java and toss the evidence. Next customer. But what of the sound of grinding? smell of brewing? delightful waiting that stirs the taste buds as I watch the beverage climb its way up my […]
The Lost Art of Touch
I woke to the sound of whimpering turned to whining and then a generalized commotion. Silver, my decrepit and dementia -laden husky, had wandered in the wee hours and found himself trapped behind a chair. He was flailing, unsuccessfully, to free himself. Upon seeing his predicament, I turned on the light, so he could see I […]
Against All Odds
What lingers? Our hearts and senses are left to fend for themselves. To remember, but not with our minds exactly, more with our spirits. We no longer have the crutch of words or explanations or analysis. We can no longer touch or taste or see or hear. But we still feel. Something remains. What is […]
Wired for storytelling
Some UVA scientists have “discovered” something: “the human brain is wired to connect with others so strongly that we experience what they experience as if it’s happening to us.” Really? People who read books discovered this eons ago. We see what the protagonist sees, hear what she hears, feel what she feels. It’s the magic […]
Navigation by Feel
At MIT they’re experimenting with touch. That is, GPS guidance for your driving experience by vibration through sensors attached to your skin. Skip the visual and auditory distractions, a tickle tells you to turn right or left. That’s cool! And, they suggest, a possible option for the vision or hearing-impaired. Touch sensation is an unsung hero […]