The word of the day for March 25, 2007 is “hubris” — Pronunciation: 'hyü-br&s, Function: noun : exaggerated pride or self-confidence.
Went to see Pride this afternoon. There is no connection to the televised movie Proud, which I reviewed in January, except that the cast of each is mainly Afro-American. Pride is a sports story (swimming)—one of those in which you know the home team will win the championship after overcoming all odds. The name stars are Bernie Mac and Tom Arnold, but the protagonist of the story is played by Terrance Howard—who at least looks like a swimmer.
We chose to see Pride because Lloyd taught swimming at Kellom Pool in Omaha during the late 50’s and early 60’s. This was the pool closest to the “projects”: right on 24th Street, the main street through the Black neighborhood. He truly enjoyed life guard duty and teaching swimming and diving. The movie brought back many good memories for him.
The quote for today is from Stephen Vizinczey (b. 1933), Hungarian novelist, critic. repr. In Truth and Lies in Literature (1986). “One of the Very Few,” Times (London, May 11, 1968):
As both capitalist and communist states—not to mention the technological world—have evolved under the illusion that men purposefully built them, ideological optimism seeps into every niche of our lives. It is made worse by mass culture which feeds our most destructive illusions, fostering the belief that if we’re only justified (and who isn’t?) if we only calculate things correctly, if we only do the right thing (and who doesn’t?) then the future must yield the desired results. There must always be a way. And so hubris turns to false certainties, everyone expects to be a winner, and each morning is a mind-blowing surprise.
;^)
1 comment:
I am enjoying my visits to your site. I had a little peek into the Flint Hills Site. I will be back to look around some more. What a beautiful area.
I also enjoy watching the Oympic Competitors take part in diving. It reminds me of the techniqes I taught when coaching gymnastics, twenty odd years ago now, although those sommersaults were nearer to the ground than a high diving boards. I presume, rightly or wrongly, that a support belt was used when teaching the basics prior to their leap into space? Or was the technique built on from basics and added on as they developed? Just wondering...Jeanie.
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