We have some new LBC members. I have not yet welcomed them, for which I do apologize. I'd better get back to regular blogging again and visit all my old blogging friends. But yeah....our LBC topic this week (the LBC is the Loose Bloggers Consortium, my blogging group) is SYNAESTHESIA. And all I have to say to that is what the..........?!...I have no idea what it means. Curious, I went over to my brother's blog to see what the heck he's made of this topic. You know my brother, don't you? Ramana? The handsome and erudite blogger from Pune?? Okay, he's my adopted brother. So what? I like saying 'my brother". It's something I could never say when I was younger.
Synaesthesia is something to do with feeling something in another sense. Does that make sense? Of course it doesn't. Well, I am a person who is governed by my ears. I am sensitive to what I hear. If someone ever says something to me in the wrong tone of voice, I can't handle it. I swear, I read words and I can hear tone and emphasis even if the author probably didn't mean it. I was once attacked by a blogger/author in my own comment box (I later discovered she'd received some spam in her inbox with my name on it - it was a stunt by some social network to have people their site) and I felt as if I'd been kicked in the gut. I probably hadn't, but I always 'hear' the words I read in my head. When I read her (now deleted) words 'stop dumping your shit in my mailbox' my own brain supplied the sound effects. It's that real....... I had the person's name written along with the story, but I deleted it. My purpose in sharing the story was to share a story, not to slander someone. This person is some sort of religious leader and is revered among bloggers and I have no wish to spoil anyone's reputation.
I'm the one who'll tell you your colours are 'loud'. If they are and if I feel like being open with you. If I don't, I'll just say nothing and probably talk about it afterwards, preferably to someone who doesn't know you, because I don't like gossip. I only like hearing nice things. Nice positive things, actually. Loud colours, loud decor, loud people - from these things I like protection. The poppies in the above photograph are a bit loud, but in this case, I like it. I am, however, a first class chatterbox who talks non-stop from morning to night. There's always something going on in my head. How's that for a contradiction?
Can I 'hear' pain? Sometimes, yes. Can I hear what people are saying to me? If I'm listening, yes.
Did I get what synasthesia was about? Probably not. But that's me.........sometimes I just get it. And sometimes, I just don't get it.......if you know what I mean!!!!!
The Loose Blogging Consortium, a small group of bloggers including Rummuser, Pravin, Shackman, Maxi, The Old Fossil, Lin and Ashok, and Padmum have been blogging along together for several years now, traditionally on Fridays. With my hectic life, I often don't make it by Friday, but I try to blog along nevertheless. I thank the group for the continued inspiration to blog when I wouldn't have otherwise done so.
Image courtesy of Evgeni Dinev at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
I'm the one who'll tell you your colours are 'loud'. If they are and if I feel like being open with you. If I don't, I'll just say nothing and probably talk about it afterwards, preferably to someone who doesn't know you, because I don't like gossip. I only like hearing nice things. Nice positive things, actually. Loud colours, loud decor, loud people - from these things I like protection. The poppies in the above photograph are a bit loud, but in this case, I like it. I am, however, a first class chatterbox who talks non-stop from morning to night. There's always something going on in my head. How's that for a contradiction?
Can I 'hear' pain? Sometimes, yes. Can I hear what people are saying to me? If I'm listening, yes.
Did I get what synasthesia was about? Probably not. But that's me.........sometimes I just get it. And sometimes, I just don't get it.......if you know what I mean!!!!!
The Loose Blogging Consortium, a small group of bloggers including Rummuser, Pravin, Shackman, Maxi, The Old Fossil, Lin and Ashok, and Padmum have been blogging along together for several years now, traditionally on Fridays. With my hectic life, I often don't make it by Friday, but I try to blog along nevertheless. I thank the group for the continued inspiration to blog when I wouldn't have otherwise done so.
Image courtesy of Evgeni Dinev at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
I've heard of people being able to taste words, colours or numbers and of others who can see colours or detect flavours in sounds - I believe these are forms of synaesthesia too?
ReplyDeleteIs reading? We see words, but also the scenery and character's faces, we hear voices, smell flowers or the mc's perfume, taste what the character is eating ... It's not the same I know and it's not real in the same way as the sounds you hear but as writers we want it to seem real, don't we?
What the… was exactly my reaction, Maria.
ReplyDeleteAll I can say is I don't taste colors or see colored letters.
Buuut I do smell burning rubber, fire, sometime sweet smells.
Hang in there, Maria.
blessings ~ maxi
Patsy - I totally hear you!
ReplyDeleteMaxi, good to see you over here!
You got me shanghaied me alright dear.
ReplyDeleteAnd to help you along, let me just add, welcome to the club. I understand the term now in the abstract as a possibility but am unable to internalise it as an experience one way or another, because I am one of the 22 persons who does not have this unique gift as you are. We have got other unique gifts which the one in twentythree does not have.
So, get shanghaied and enjoy the ride/
Such a delight to read you. You're quite the excellent writer.
ReplyDeleteI must say I look bleak in subdued colors. They are for Summers (skin coloring). I'm a Winter. If you're an Irish redhead you are a Fall or maybe Spring (skin coloring). My computer won't let me off this page to go back & see your pic. As you can see I'm a chatterbox too.
OK I see your picture now. You've dyed your hair black to try & look like an Indian. You haven't succeeded.
ReplyDeleteWell I DO know that the Irish come in black hair too-- with white skin.
ReplyDeleteThanks for writing such a good article, I stumbled onto your blog and read a few post. I like your style of writing...
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