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charly
November 2009 
Flowers for Algernon - Update (my 100th blog!)
Posted on Jul 27th, 2008
by 
heemes
heemes
The book Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes has a brilliant premise: What if we could affect human intelligence positively through medical means? If you haven't read the book, the protagonist, Charlie Gordon (he says he attends a retarted school where he lerns 3 days a week) is given an opportunity to become smarter. Through the course of the story, he becomes so smart that he actually surpasses his mentors, teachers, and healers, completing the experiment in which he himself is a subject.
A basic conclusion of the personal growth work that I've done in the past 10 years is that all there really is to do as far as becoming something is to uncover it; it was already there underneath the surface, waiting for the moment/opportunity to emerge.
Where I wanted to go with this blog
From the pen of e.e. cummings:
since feeling is first
who pays any attention
to the syntax of things
will never wholly kiss you
wholly to be a fool
while Spring is in the world
my blood approves,
and kisses are a far better fate
than wisdom
lady i swear by all flowers. Don't cry
--the best gesture of my brain is less than
your eyelids flutter which says
we are for eachother: then
laugh, leaning back in my arms
for life's not a paragraph
and death i think is no parenthesis
Personally, if given a choice, I'd rather be loved than be right. But this was not always so. I've evolved. Since I can't see your eyelids' flutter, let me ask the next question: What is the best expression of your brains, individually and, now, collectively?
I wish to document the best of your minds, hearts, and souls, here in this blog post. I wish to make this blog post the most viewed piece on my profile. How?
In the movie, Charly, starring Cliff Robertson, the height of his genius intelligence is depicted by questions posed by reporters at a news conference and his wise answers. What wisdom do you know or have found?
I will track each of the comments to this blog, giving credit to the person/profile who first made each "wise" contribution, then tallying how many "I like this one" comments came after it. The explanation of synergy I like the most is that none of us is as smart as all of us.
I will subsequentlydelete amplify each of the comments, once it is documented, in my attempt to keep this blog concise and compact honor those who comment.
So, the body of this blog will start to look like this from now on:
Paul wrote, "None of us is as smart as all of us." (0)
Peace Seeker reminds, "It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye" (Le Petit Prince, Saint-Exupéry, ch. 21) (2)
Resurrected1 represences, “My children, errors will be forgiven. In our obsession with original sin, we do often forget… Original Innocence.” (Pope Innocent of Assisi) (1)
Paul shared, "There is a road from the eye to the heart that does not go through the intellect." (G.K. Chesterton) (0)
Paul kicked in later, "All endings automatically equal new beginnings." (Stan Dale) (0)
Paul added, at last, ""It is not how old you are, but how you are old." (Jules Renard) (0)
Paul inserted, "Trust shows the way." (Hildegarde of Bingen) (0)
Jenna recommended, "You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams." (Dr. Suess) (1)
A basic conclusion of the personal growth work that I've done in the past 10 years is that all there really is to do as far as becoming something is to uncover it; it was already there underneath the surface, waiting for the moment/opportunity to emerge.
Where I wanted to go with this blog
From the pen of e.e. cummings:
since feeling is first
who pays any attention
to the syntax of things
will never wholly kiss you
wholly to be a fool
while Spring is in the world
my blood approves,
and kisses are a far better fate
than wisdom
lady i swear by all flowers. Don't cry
--the best gesture of my brain is less than
your eyelids flutter which says
we are for eachother: then
laugh, leaning back in my arms
for life's not a paragraph
and death i think is no parenthesis
Personally, if given a choice, I'd rather be loved than be right. But this was not always so. I've evolved. Since I can't see your eyelids' flutter, let me ask the next question: What is the best expression of your brains, individually and, now, collectively?
I wish to document the best of your minds, hearts, and souls, here in this blog post. I wish to make this blog post the most viewed piece on my profile. How?
In the movie, Charly, starring Cliff Robertson, the height of his genius intelligence is depicted by questions posed by reporters at a news conference and his wise answers. What wisdom do you know or have found?
I will track each of the comments to this blog, giving credit to the person/profile who first made each "wise" contribution, then tallying how many "I like this one" comments came after it. The explanation of synergy I like the most is that none of us is as smart as all of us.
I will subsequently
So, the body of this blog will start to look like this from now on:
Paul wrote, "None of us is as smart as all of us." (0)
Peace Seeker reminds, "It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye" (Le Petit Prince, Saint-Exupéry, ch. 21) (2)
Resurrected1 represences, “My children, errors will be forgiven. In our obsession with original sin, we do often forget… Original Innocence.” (Pope Innocent of Assisi) (1)
Paul shared, "There is a road from the eye to the heart that does not go through the intellect." (G.K. Chesterton) (0)
Paul kicked in later, "All endings automatically equal new beginnings." (Stan Dale) (0)
Paul added, at last, ""It is not how old you are, but how you are old." (Jules Renard) (0)
Paul inserted, "Trust shows the way." (Hildegarde of Bingen) (0)
Jenna recommended, "You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams." (Dr. Suess) (1)
Access: Public
Heh…this has been one of my favorite books, read it when I was about 12 or so. Has always stayed in my heart.
Looking forward to your blog ;-)
mine too and me too! :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NrtataHoeU
I found this , and will look forward to what your view of this is about , as we all have or views , and I respect everyones.
Loriann
This is one of my all-time favorite books and especially now that I use it with my intermediate-level ESL students (in the spring). Very much looking forward to this…
I have not read the book , yet I have a sense of what the dialoge is about. We can not expect anyone to be our friend nor someone to be or try to be someone else. We can only be excepting of ourselves , and I am excepting of me , and love who I am . I am excepting for everyone here. As I do not say Hey I will not accept you as , a friend . I will accept , and respect all, As this is who I am , and this is how I have taught many children , many people that Have come in my life.Acceptance for all , and for one, is true oneness.
I find it amazing that you've already gotten 6 comments and you haven't written anything about the book (LOL). I'm looking forward to your update.
Seems a bit of a disincentive to post since I am getting traffic anyway. I think I know now why Google keeps everything in beta now; ha ha!
Well that's just mean, Heemes.
If you don't post anything, we're going to have our own discussion :-D
Deny my audience? Never! I'll post once I know…
Before you know it, this is going to be posted as one of the hottest blogs… ha ha!
Perish the thought, Peace Seeker! I can't allow that to happen.
Wait, by repeatedly commenting on the blog, I am actually making that more likely, aren't I? Curses! I plant the seeds of my own destruction AGAIN!
<big grin>
I checked out the book from the library. The movie (the 2000 remake, not the classic original) is out on loan, so that will have to wait. Will start the body of this blog tomorrow. Hope no one is disappointed. This search was harder than I thought!
I guess I could say I can relate , to this movie, as your life can take such a dramatic change, as it did in my life whe I was very young. My Bamp died he was the apple of my eye , I have never known , a man as kind and gentle , and warm as him.Then after he died it was as though everyone died in our family , I was the one that payed the price , not sure why, I was always , the called the stupid one , and many other names , I was locked in my room like a caged animal , I don't know what I did that was so wrong. Yet I did take colourful markers when I was in my room , and I coloured the walls brightly coloured colours. As result I gave up on school, I became this big dreamer , and I would look ut the big windows , and dream of better days. When I was in grade 7 I was taken out of my school , and sent to a dummy school as they called. I never ever told people were I went , as I was No dummy. I lost contact with a lot of good friends , and were I went was not , a place I woulld wish any child or teen to go.
For years , and years I never ever knew what direction I would take. So many turns , and tosses. Then 2000 was a turning point , and I have not looked back, just going forward.
I feel for all the children ,as when I worked with them, my heart broke as the stories they would tell me , as they never had anyone they trusted , but me.One little girl that I worked with was dieing, and each day she smiled at me , and I knew each day she was getting weaker , and weaker, and she moved , and before she moved I gave a gift from my heart , and my Bamps heart. We ever she is she will alaways be be special in my heart . I will not ever , put a label to a name , as I know what the results are , and if people want to do that I will say they are people , and they have a heart , a mind , and a soul.
LOve ,
Loriann
One piece of wisdom I have found comes from The Little Prince, by Saint-Exupery:
It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye (chapter 21).
Lovely thought, Peace Seeker. Me too!
btw, I've reconsidered deleting the comments. Simply posting the brilliance in the body of the post is sufficient.
The Little Prince is another fave. I have the same copy from childhood ;-) FULL of Wisdom.
This is near and dear to my heart…
“My children, errors will be forgiven. In our obsession with original sin, we do often forget… Original Innocence.”
~Pope Innocent of Assisi, 15th century A.D.
Superb! Now we're cooking! I like this one too!
Here's another one I found quite beautiful.
”There is a road from the eye to the heart that does not go through the intellect.”
~ G.K. Chesterton