Rosanne Bostonian

March 13, 2023

The Language of Color

colorful clouds

When I was a little girl my father, an artist, would ask “What color are the clouds?”  I would say “white” and he would smile.  This went on for years and I remember thinking how silly it was.  The clouds were obviously white!  I thought of it as our little endearing game. 

When I was about 10 years-old, my father asked the usual question and I gave the usual answer.  This time he asked me to look closer.  I did.  He asked if I could see any other colors.  I saw a bit of gold and maybe a slight blush of pink.  He smiled. 

Over the years, my father whose language was color, brought my vision past the obvious to the implied, the subtle, that which was maybe beyond the senses, with that simple question. 

We each have a “language.”  For some of us it’s color and for others musical vibration, emotional nuance, or the subtle expression of words.  Whatever it may be, there is an obvious level and there is a more subtle, implied level.  We have to work at going deeper, maybe over a lifetime, to experience what isn’t simply “white.”   

The formula to move beyond the obvious is stillness and a full openness to experience.  It requires a slow, steady presence with all that is and all that could possibly be.  It means extending the virtual focal length beyond the surface and inviting in the realm of possibilities. 

Today I looked at the clouds and saw shades of blue, grey and mauve.  I wonder what I’ll see tomorrow. 

Related Posts

the golden mean - shaking hands for a compromise

The Golden Mean

By Rosanne Bostonian | December 16, 2020

As 2020 winds down (Lord have mercy), it is more and more apparent that no extreme, whether conservative or liberal, will serve this nation.  What will serve us all is knowing when to favor individual freedom and knowing when to pull in the reins of compliance and lead through crisis. We are creatures of community.…

Making a deal

What is a “Deal”?

By Rosanne Bostonian | November 21, 2020

Although the current political climate is disturbing and disruptive, it is still useful. Exposed is the long-hidden underbelly of ego and manipulation that used to be called “back room politics.” Now, the back room has transparent windows and we can see into the proverbial smoke-filled rooms where wheeling and dealing takes place. A “deal” in…

Wearing masks for Covid 19 protection

Mother Nature

By Rosanne Bostonian | October 19, 2020

Our narcissism in the face of Nature’s fury has again brought us to our knees! As we watch those who have not realized that humility is a vital part of getting along fall prey to the pandemic, a great service is being offered. Those who aren’t fans of our president are saying “Aha! You deserve…

Bargains - sale signs

Bargains…

By Rosanne Bostonian | October 2, 2020

The marketing approach of many businesses involves touting bargains.  The notion of 25% to 50% off is designed to woo us into buying mode. We are supposed to take our stimulus money and buy, buy, buy! The problem is that the stuff they want us to buy, like new windows, landscaping, patio sets and new…

open door

The Lessons of 2020

By Rosanne Bostonian | August 26, 2020

There is no doubt that our human minds would not select the challenges we are facing. The layer of unfamiliarity and suffering can either make us victims or open our eyes (20/20). Victimhood is disempowering. It says we are small and incapable and that world events are turning against us.  What if these magnified events…

Tree uprooted by storm

No More Right Fighting!

By Rosanne Bostonian | August 15, 2020

High winds call for flexibility. The recent storm, Isiais, blew the heck out of trees. The most rigid trees lost branches or met their demise. As a result, “power was down.” This is a sign that holding a set position is not always the best strategy to weather hard times. Our current national posturing of…

woman wearing a face mask

“When Irish Eyes are Smiling”

By Rosanne Bostonian | July 29, 2020

Masked life requires more eye expression.  Are you finding that people are averting their gazes when you try to make eye contact? I am trying to practice eye smiling in the mirror.  I don’t have a drop of Irish blood in me, as far as I know, but I get an “A” for effort!  So…

holding hands for peace

The All or None Awareness

By Rosanne Bostonian | July 6, 2020

We are in a time when all of us will make it, or none of us will make it.  The days of one tribe against another for survival are ending in noisy, traumatic drama. There was a time when tribal warfare was the prevailing fact of the day.  If my tribe invaded the hunting ground,…

Empty theater chairs before act two

Act Two

By Rosanne Bostonian | June 18, 2020

When you have gone to the theater and an “act” is over, there is intermission.  Everyone gets out of their seats, stretches and moseys to the rest rooms and refreshments, discussing what they have just seen and heard.  These last three months have felt like a long intermission. There have been debates, discussions, disagreements and…

Tiger Face Mask

The Versatile Mask

By Rosanne Bostonian | June 9, 2020

The cortex of the human brain has no limits.  It will continue to bob and weave through wars, recessions and pandemics.  We are irrepressible thinkers, chewing on past, present and future in circuitous and sometimes foolish ways. As a devotee of foolishness as relief from bad news, I have been observing the versatility of face…