Happy Friday!
Sliding into the weekend, I hope that your week was good! There are a few fun International Days today. I'll take on two of them.
One of them, International Haiku Poetry Day, just makes me smile. I attended a headache medicine conference in 2008 in Vermont and was challenged (over dinner) by one of my colleagues to give my presentation the next morning in Haiku. The talk was about the basic neuro-ophthalmology exam. Never one to turn down a challenge like that (at the last minute), I did it! I was invited back to give a different talk at their meeting in March and could not resist the opportunity to include some Haiku again for old times' sake.
Haiku is ancient, dating back to 8th century Japan, the peak of the Japanese imperial court, known for its poetry and literature. One style of poetry was called renga, and the opening verse, "hokku" eventually evolved into haiku. In the late 1600s, Matsuo Bashō refined hokku to include everyday language, nature imagery, Zen insight and his own travel experiences. The name "haiku", to describe the independent hokku, was coined in the late 1800s by Masaoka Shiki, who established haiku as a modern poetic genre in Japan. It emerged in English language poetry in the early 20th century thanks to a Danish man named Jendrick Doeff who was a trade commissioner in Nagasaki and loved Eastern poetry. The first English-language haiku journal was founded in 1958. The Haiku Society of America was established in 1968 and is probably throwing a wild party today, writing and reading haiku.
As Japanese haiku units are different than English syllables, the 5-7-5 syllable count is not universally enforced for the English version, but brevity is key.
Today is also International Day of Mastering Conversations the Matter. I touched on this briefly in a recent Friday message, intimating that we are losing the art and joy of conversation due to texting and email. Established in 2019 (when most of our conversations centered around the emerging pandemic), today celebrates the art of talking well and listening deeply. Indeed, the idea grew from the concern that digital life made it difficult to have real thoughtful conversations – essentially, we were speaking more but understanding less. April 17 was chosen because it falls right after tax day in the U.S. (April 15) to encourage calm discussion around this stressful time. Meaningful conversations promote wellbeing and healthier relationships. They don't need to be long, just open, honest and centered around topics that matter, such as values, goals, concerns or relationships. There are cultural differences of course, and some cultures rely more on context, indirect language and nonverbal cues. It's important to be appropriate to avoid being misunderstood.
This weekend, have a
meaningful conversation
with someone you love.
Deb
May he rest in peace – Toby Keith sadly passed away in 2024 from stomach cancer – he performed until the end. I always liked this song, and the video is even better! And trust me, guys are guilty too. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxUuDPNbkJk