Spectrum & Nuance
Skills that many people are lacking
This is the spectrum of visible light.
According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, “spectrum, in physics, the intensity of light as it varies with wavelength or frequency.”1
This is grayscale. When we remove the intensity that light provides, there is less variety, but it is not completely black and white.
The definition of nuance, according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, is “a subtle distinction or variation; sensibility to, awareness of, or ability to express delicate shadings (as of meaning, feeling, or value)”2
Within a spectrum, there is also nuance. The shift from red to orange to yellow is subtle. At some point, one begins and the other ends, but there is no strict boundary. Willingness to embrace nuance is part of the scientific understanding of the spectrum. There are also parts of light that are not visible to the human eye. That does not make them less real. Science does not really deal in absolutes, much as we may wish that were so. Science deals with hypotheses, theories, and exceptions that prove the rule. Things once believed to be solid fact (flat earth, geocentric system, leeches suck away the fever) have all been disproven and replaced (round earth, solar system, knowledge of blood types and sooooo much more). Microscopes, telescopes, stethoscopes, and other tools have given us knowledge that previous generations have not had access to. All these tools give nuance to the full spectrum, not just of light, but of all parts of life.
During Lent, I chose to abstain from wearing color. At the beginning of the season, I didn't really know why; I just felt a strange compulsion to try it. The first realization I had was that I have a lot of color in my closet, particularly my selection of sweaters. This is likely a coping mechanism for the dark of winter.
The second thing I learned was that one good black blazer (found at the local Goodwill) made me look dressed up, no matter what else I wore. Black jeans and a t-shirt, a blouse and pants, or a skirt, boots, flats, or sneakers - that one blazer has been the hardest-working piece in my entire wardrobe. Some days, when I put together my outfit, my kids would comment, “Nice power suit, Mom.”
The third thing I was reminded of: black is slimming. More specifically, wearing black took my mind off how my body looked in the clothes, and it was more about just putting together an outfit that I felt like wearing. The power suit comments made me feel confident. Putting together different outfits made me feel creative. Like all things, the fashion industry could use some nuance, but one thing that is true about fashion is that it makes a statement. The brands and styles worn by royalty, celebrities, and politicians make statements about values and ideas, just as much as speeches. Maybe more so in an age where visual media is the most prominent kind of attention.
Finally, in a more spiritual aspect of the practice, I was reminded that I am a person shaped by my faith in God. As I leave behind the modesty/purity demands of high control religion, I am still learning to be myself, to trust myself, and to express myself. I believe that I am discovering the person that God made me to be, and sometimes a blank slate helps do that.
For the Ears
This has been a fascinating audiobook.
For the Eyes
Over the past few weeks, I have finished the new book by Erin Moon, I’ve Got Questions, and am reading Beth Allison Barr’s new book, Becoming the Pastor's Wife.
While my reading has been on a real nonfiction streak of late, my television watching has been of the murder mystery variety. I am watching Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries with the kids, and also recently finished The Residence on Netflix.
For the Taste Buds
Costco has a cinnamon roll-croissant crossover that made a delightful breakfast this week. With baseball in full swing, we have been eating quite a few Costco dinners, which really are one of the most economical for a family. It’s right by the baseball fields.
May this week bring self-control to your senses and your soul.
https://www.britannica.com/science/spectroscopy
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nuance