I have heard that opposites attract. That is certainly worthy of a longer blog post some day. I have also learned in my marriage that my husband sees the big picture and I see the details in our march through the decisions in this life. Oddly, he sees the details while I see the vistas when we are out of doors marching through the woods. This little guy in the photo above just missed being compressed by the wheels of my bike tire when hubby spotted him far below. The heavy rains had washed him onto the pavement. I stopped and lifted him carefully back into the marshy grasses on the side of the road where his journey would be safer. He was about the size of a nickel.
This "golden spiral" of the snail shell is a concrete illustration of the rules of "divine proportion." It is an equiangular spiral so named by none other than Descartes. Hidden in the direction of the growth rings are the mysteries of Pi. It is a perfect example of symmetrical and balanced growth. We need to study this method and try to figure out how to incorporate it into our spiritual growth as it is known by the ancients as the way that is easiest.
Had my math teacher given this example when teaching, I might have been a much better student.
What a wonderful post. That snail reminds me of the worms which Frank plucks from the sidewalk after a rain, and returns them to the safety of the earth. It makes up for using them for fishing on other days. Balance. He too sees more detail in nature to my day-to-day detailing. Funny, that.
ReplyDeleteI think perhaps the likes of M.C. Escher and Da Vinci also spent time contemplating the golden-ness of the snail's spiral.
ReplyDeleteFor me, I just wish he would slide his mathematical perfection the heck away from my plumeria leaves...
I'd never known the mysteries of Pi lie in the snail shell. What a beautiful image, and thought, of the mystery of nature, of life.
ReplyDeleteInteresting post, Tabor. The happiest and healthiest people are those whose life is BALANCED. My best friend's life is totally out-of-control --and her unbalanced schedule is eventually going to kill her (or me).. ha
ReplyDeleteMy hubby and I have alot of the same characteristics--but we have many differences. The biggest difference is that George is VERY smart and I'm just average. I talk in generalities --and have always done that. He wants everything said totally ACCURATELY --and sometimes I just don't do that nor choose to do that... ha
Hugs,
Betsy
Oh the serendipitousness of blogging. I found my way here via the comment you left on my daughters blog yesterday.I will return.
ReplyDeleteYour beautiful post brought to mind
this snippet that I came across more than than thirty years ago. I liked it so much that I wrote it down and kept it against the day that I found a kindred spirit.
" The wonder of the world,
The beauty and the power,
The shapes of things,
Their contours,lights and shades,
These I saw.
Look ye also while life lasts."
I can't find the author but it has the aura of antiquity. And it is in tune with your philosophy.
Can't help wondering if you would have been as tolerant if this snail had munched its way through your prize pansies in your own garden.....
ReplyDeleteand if it had been one of two thousand rather than just a singleton...
Just thinking.
Tolerance is a precarious quality. Easily upturned by fear.
Don't mind me.