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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 6 of 6. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Declan on October 5, 2006, at 19:04:39
People who don't like change may not like the feel of time. I like very simple tasks. Mowing is good, vacuuming the floor and carpets is also good (round and round in circles). Anything is good as long as it can be reduced to a simple set of rules that is easy to follow.
In this respect walking down the street is difficult. Much more difficult than driving a car. Driving cars is so good. There is no (legal) eventuality that is unprovided for. Whereas walking down the street is more difficult. OK, you say, always keep left (I know many of you keep to the right, that's OK, there's room for all of us, I don't want to be rigid), but not everyone keeps to the left when walking in Australia. A doctrinaire keeping-to-the-left on each and every occasion (in Australia) is more trouble than it is worth.
Imagine though more complex tasks. Take something really scary like making a vegetable garden. Where to start? The potential for failure immense, the opportunity for entertainment limited, and all the while the panic about passing time.
I thought I had something to say about the feel of passing time being similar to the intolerable feel of water or sand to an oversensitive autistic person, but maybe I'll leave it there for the moment.
Posted by pseudoname on October 6, 2006, at 16:11:17
In reply to Complex Tasks, posted by Declan on October 5, 2006, at 19:04:39
This is indeed a marvelous set of observations.
For myself, I like walking better than driving simply because I can turn around and change my mind more freely when walking, plus I'm not wasting fuel, the thought of which depresses me. But I take all your points.
I only feel the passing of time rarely, in increments of a few years and even then, it's only against the timeline of my life, projected and achieved.
My self-esteem is far too low to go all "one with the universe" and feel time freely & immediately. The universe can't stand people like me.
Posted by Phillipa on October 6, 2006, at 21:55:41
In reply to Re: Complex Tasks » Declan, posted by pseudoname on October 6, 2006, at 16:11:17
Declan I so need you here. I hate the monotony of vacumming and stuff like that. And to the best of my knowledge we have no rules about what side of the road to walk on. In Malls people usually do this though. And driving I'd rather drive and save as a treat a good 7.5mile bike ride when I get home. Love Phillipa
Posted by Declan on October 7, 2006, at 20:06:59
In reply to Re: Complex Tasks, posted by Phillipa on October 6, 2006, at 21:55:41
You might conclude from what I wrote that this place is very well vacuumed and the lawns quite neat and tidy. But it's more fun to write about doing these things than to actually do them.
There are people who develop an allergy to sunlight......I read it in a magazine.
Posted by Phillipa on October 7, 2006, at 21:42:42
In reply to Re: Complex Tasks, posted by Phillipa on October 6, 2006, at 21:55:41
Declan but I need you here I always run over the cord of the vacumm an excuse to not do it. And you will have your own master suite, full bath, and livingroom with new cable TV and all new furniture. Only thing there is dust upstairs . I never to up there. Love Phillipa
Posted by Lindenblüte on October 9, 2006, at 10:34:28
In reply to Complex Tasks, posted by Declan on October 5, 2006, at 19:04:39
Most "complex tasks" can be broken down into simple ones. I'm going to use a very esoteric example. Last year, I prepared the first movement of Mendelssohn's Emin concerto for violin for an audition.
The first step is to get excited about this piece. I bought a nice recording (then another and another).
I listened not only to the solo part, but also the orchestration- how the violin is supported by other violins or wood winds, or occasionally- nobody!
Next, I tried to sightread it. It was really discouraging. I knew the piece well, and I wanted to be able to play it at full tempo, with perfect intonation, and even some nuances.
At this point, I would have given up, except that I *really* wanted to do this for myself- to teach myself new repertoire without a teacher.
I broke it into chunks- chunks where there are long sustained lines. chunks where there are little finger patterns that my left hand has to master. chunks where my bow has to do complicated patterns, or little bouncies.
Then I learned the chunks. Then it was time for polishing. The hardest part is reuniting the chunks- making the transitions sound smooth, intuitive, and natural. The next step of polishing is always the intonation work for me. Set the metrognome to 40 bpm. play a note. pause. sing the next note in my head. play the next note. etc. this can only go on for about 15 minutes at a time. Then I worked on specific techniques for maximising the power and sound I can get out of my instrument for this type of solo piece. It requires some technical interventions that I rarely employ in my orchestral playing.
Then I play through the piece from the beginning, with a specific musical goal. If I realize that I have totally messed up a phrase- I will play it 10-100 times until it's second nature. Eventually I will get to the end of the piece after about a week, comfortable with the expression and my control of it on my instrument. I might need to go back and do some intonation touch-ups, change some of my tempi and perhaps do some tweaking here and there after playing for my husband.
SO- Declan, I know that there is something soothing about doing nice simple repetitive tasks. but my point is that even the most complicated kinds of tasks (learning and performing a concerto) can be broken down into simple patterns, and even when simple patterns are joined and become more complex, with more repetition, and a focus on the GOAL, they will seem more manageable.
Rather than think about walking as a complicated activity (you're right, by the way) break it up into segments- city blocks, having to pass 10 people successfully) and recognize your small accomplishments as such.
-Li
p.s. I walk/drive on the right. My husband drives on both sides ('cause he's international) but when he walks, it drives me CRAZY, because he always hogs the left side of the sidewalk. Doesn't seem to bother him one whit though!
This is the end of the thread.
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