Here's to you ‘a handful of history’, my sharing of real-life stories from around the world. All the narratives I pick are rooted in history one way or another, yet most of them carry themes and happenings that we can easily reflect upon today. Enjoy :-) - Majken xx
Not just a Bowl of Fruit
In the (very) short movie Not Just a Bowl of Fruit, the 84-year-old British life model Diana Mukuma reflects on her ageing body while posing nude for a group of artists. And we, the audience, are invited to join, to see Mukuma’s naked body through the camera's lens. “I don’t really like my body particularly”, she says at the beginning, “It is not beautiful. But it’s interesting. It’s interesting to draw.”
There’s so much talk these days about how - especially - young people hide from other people's view if they are not wearing any clothes. As I hear, they are afraid not to live up to some media-made ideal of how a body ought to look, which is such a shame. I’m a member of a winter swimmer’s club with an all-naked policy, and you see all kinds of bodies in this place: hairy, bald, big, small, wrinkled, not so wrinkled. All kinds of bodies are represented, and it’s God.Damn.Beautiful. Frankly, I don’t think much about being naked when dipping into the freezing water because, I guess, being naked is just what you do. What I do think about, however, is how wonderful it is to be part of a space with room for many types of bodies. To me, it’s a celebration of life. It’s a warm and beating heart; it’s blood being transported through our veins. It's energy and joy.
84-year-old Mukuma is so brave. I mean…how many mature women openly show their bodies? Now you can see her too if only for the three minutes the movie lasts. I hope you’ll take your time and watch along.
What Kind of Mayan are You?
Do not trust this horoscope! That is basically what this “What Kind Mayan are You?” article tells us. Well, not the best way to ‘sell’ a text. But - as we all know - there is nothing like horoscopes to switch on the light of curiosity, right? So, why not dive in? According to the instruction, you are free to choose whatever sign suit you best since the Mayan calendar doesn’t follow the same logic as our modern ones. So, what are you? A night owl Ch’en, who feels best in black outfits? A mysterious Mak who likes company but needs to be alone to focus on new goals? Or perhaps you’re a not-easy-to-trick Sotz’ who can foresee various hurdles because of your sharp intuition?
My Bad
Okay, we’ve all done something really embarrassing in the past, right? Or at least you know someone who has.
The podcast ‘ This American Life ’ asked their listeners to send in experiences that have made them truly ashamed - and the hosts were flooded with messages. Some are cute and fun, while others are more on the “I can never show my face here again” end of the scale. All of them, though, are entertaining in one way or another.
The one told by the co-host Elna Baker belongs on the light end of the scale. However, it is not for you if you are too delicate when it comes to putting disgusting things into your mouth. (Don’t say I didn’t warn you!) Here it goes.
One day when Elna Baker was at her boyfriend’s place, she had to carry a pizza on a plate and walk across the living room floor. Unfortunately, she tripped, and the pizza fell face-forward onto the (white!) couch. This was unfortunate, especially since she hadn’t known her boyfriend for that long. However, this is not the embarrassing part. As she cleaned up the pieces, she found “a perfect piece of mozzarella curl”, and she thought she’d eat it. However, when she started chewing, she realised it was not cheese; it was a full toenail. AAaarrgh!
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THIS IS a blog post from me to you. I send it out once every fortnight - if you want to join my email list please go HERE. In turn, you will receive ‘a handful of history’, which is me sharing real-life stories from around the world, narratives I’ve picked that are rooted in history one way or another. Every other time, my latest act, ‘from my corner of the world’, will land in your email. These are texts in which I share with you thoughts and views about writing, researching and creating. All the doubts and wonders I come across, all the surprises and discovery of new roads I am lucky to experience when working with my non-fiction texts.
Thanks for reading. I’m happy to see you here! - Majken xx
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