swishism

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Here is a sentence I wrote in the draft manifesto of the whole swishism quest, when I first began

I guess I am trying to write swishisms that shame.whoever.is.still.hawking lies, that stretch.whatever’s.inelastic.starting.here, today; realising that it will either snap back with a force that propels us to another place or break the status quo entirely.

I think I was onto something, what I didn’t count on was my inconsistency posting these posts. Since starting this blog, though, some things have changed.  Long story short:  I’m in shape of my life, I exercise a few times week, eat a reasonable diet, get enough sleep, but…

some very good physiotherapists have assured me I need to do a series of stretches everyday for the rest of my life to stay at a physical peak without pain.  Everyday.  Nothing to panic about; I’m thankful that it’s just a preventive measure that will help to avoid any real pain, and offer huge flexibility gain.  More than that I’ve snapped out of agreeing that inconsistency, in any respect, is OK, that it has no effect (although it didn’t cause the condition, inconsitency won’t help it).  No more hawking lies to self or refusing to stretch for me. Lets hope we see that commitment online, too. I’ll be posting 3 swishisms a week from now on.

swishism entry choice, compounding, habit, stretch

I thought of saving this one for a really bad day, when I felt like doing something retaliatory after hearing something that offended me; but, ironically,  that’s the moment I’d be  least likely to want to let the matter lie.  Today, at least, when all is calm, I have the grace to shrug in advance  if it ‘kicks off’ tomorrow.

swishism entry choice, habit, ignorance, ignore, indifference

This is more of a double whammy, as it contains a pair of swishes. It’s taken from the opening piece in the book Selected Swishes

some.will.ignorantly.sing.hype to make a platinum disc double
some. will.illuminate.shrouded.hope at the end of the tunnel.

I guess it’s about choices. I’m often asked by kids I teach. “Have you heard of such and such emcee, or so so and so grime artist, and this is what I often feel like saying. In fact, next time I think I will.

swishism entry choice, hope

Nuff said.

swishism entry choice, discretion, double edged, shhhh

Thought I’d preface today’s swishism with the invite I got to LEON Restaurant to taste test some of their (sublime) new recipes yesterday . We were pleasantly surprised to find their operations team and one of the founders we’re not just there, but actually listening to our feedback in person.

Award-winning restaurants soliciting feedback is nothing new, but down-to-earth founders engaging with their customers, trying to find out how they can make something more remarkable without the red-tape… that is rare in London, at least for me it was.

It got me thinking and then I saw this shot, entitled Rise Above (see left)

This flower is shot from the the bottom of a Brooklyn stoop. I imagine it’s one stoop away, one bended knee away from being plucked from relative obscurity to some well-appointed sun-drenched vase.

Once you notice the flower, it’s hard not to stoop down. Often for me though, the thinking goes ‘How can anything good come from… getting low?’ No surprise then that the times I lack humility most are the times I have least hope; no hope that there is anything worthwhile in the ‘low place’ for me, that my crouch will somehow be wasted. I like this picture because it affirms what a lie all that is.

There is hope,
flowering in obscure places
only catch is, I lack the power to
see it in vases.

I think we all lack that power to a degree, if we’re human.

On the upside however, it seems hope (and a slice of the humble) are just waiting to be taken up, whether from a 21st century restaurant in hip London locations, reaching out to Joe Bloggs with testers, or from a 1st century, Galilean fisherman like St Peter, who, once headstrong and proud, became  a conduit for truths like: “Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God, for in due time he will exalt you”. 1 Peter 5:6

swishism entry choice, humility, journey, opportunity, spiritual, waiting

“Planes of thought need to land, calm skies cause turbulence
semaphore.wave.inspiration - she’s hurtling!” - [verb]swish

Great ideas can crash and burn when they are left cruising overhead at altitude, or they can (literally) live to tell the tale.

We can scream attention to the ideas that are ‘out there’, manoeuvring them to touchdown on runways (paper) with ready pens (flags), or not.

How urgent is your wave?

swishism entry capturing ideas, choice, habit, ideas, initiative, signal, wave

A word to the wise who are in a tailspin trying to find the right gift today. From the heart is always best.

Equally this swishism is a part of any  good work/idea ethic…

“The only way to do great work is to love what you do” - Steve Jobs

Shout out to the lovely Mercy, whose swishism about the advertising vid incorporated both of the above!:  such.wonderfully.individual.stuff, honey!

swishism entry acrostic, choice, dont waste life, heart, initiative, love, taking action, valentines