04.12.07
William Michael
William Michael DeMott was born at 10:28 P.M. on April 11, 2007. A healthy 6 pounds (0 ounces) and 19 inches. I have no words to express the experience outside of “profound”. Mom & baby are both doing well.
04.07.07
Easter or Eostre?
My friends are well aware of my interest (obsession) with mythology and in finding, and pointing out, all the remnants of ancient beliefs that have carried over to our time. It should be no surprise that Easter (or Eostre, pronounced the same) goes way back to a Saxon goddess named Eostre. She was the goddess of fertility and the spring and was represented by (you guessed it) a hare (rabbit…the Easter Bunny, see the connection). Her festival was celebrated as a rite of spring with a feast and much merry making. And being a goddess of fertility you might imagine what that merry making may have consisted of (nudge, nudge, wink, wink, say no more).
In fact, you can follow the tradition all the way back to the dawn of civilization - to the Sumerian goddess Inanna, who was adopted by the conquering Babylonians & Assyrians and called Ishtar, who was then adopted by the conquered Israelites as Ashtoreth. She was also a large part of the Mediteranian civilizations under the names Hathor, Aphrodite, Demeter & Astarte.
Just another piece of useless information that can be filed away under “nothing new under the sun”. In any event, enjoy your spring festival, whatever you may call it.
04.02.07
The Boys of Summer
Today was opening day at Yankee Stadium. It is now officially baseball season. Baseball holds a special magic for me. It’s a sport that reaches back to a simpler time, which is so evident in its form of measurement - the inning. Not a quarter or a half…no time limit is imposed. Simply play until each team records 3 outs, and then continue that for 9 innings. Time seems to disappear as the innings wane and the game progresses. And then there is the number references: 9 innings, 3 outs, 3 strikes, 4 balls, 9 men in the field, 4 bases, the 7th inning stretch. All the numbers have deep psychological & mythological nuances. Hint: 3 is the trinity, 4 is the quaternity (the predecessor to the trinity: earth, wind, fire, water), 7 chakras and 9 being the number of enlightenment.
Of course, that knowledge is not necessary to really enjoy the game. What I think I like best about baseball is that it signals the lazy days of summer. It hearkens back to simpler times and its start seems to signal the start of that time of year where we can indulge in simpler things.
So here’s to the boys of summer and their timeless game.