Okay, timing is everything . . . it’s a truth we’ve all learned at one time or another. But in Ecclesiastes the illustration used to convey it isn’t as “on the surface.” Here it is:<\/p>\n
If a snake bites before it is charmed, there is no profit for the charmer.<\/strong>*<\/p>\n What?<\/p>\n Snake charming as common-place sidewalk sideshows aren’t common place on any sidewalks I walk.\u00a0But where they are, I’m sure the\u00a0performance\u00a0is as\u00a0mesmerizing\u00a0to behold as one would hope the snake is\u00a0mesmerized\u00a0too. If not, if the timing is somehow off, BANG!<\/p>\n Or rather, “FANG!”<\/p>\n Talk about occupational hazards. What a way to wreck a day!<\/p>\n As we’ve seen before in Ecclesiastes, there’s a proper procedure and time for everything (8:6). Time<\/em> itself is one of the great Ecclesiastical themes. There are seasons for everything. There are stages of life. There are times for one response and times for its\u00a0opposite. But here timing has to do with the split second nature of things. So small . . . yet can be the difference between life and death.<\/p>\n Or even in common parlance.<\/p>\n We know about timing in our everyday discourse, or should. There’s a certain protocol, culturally understood, that\u00a0proscribes\u00a0what will be effective and what will not. For example, if a salesperson asks for the order before s\/he lays the groundwork, there will be no profit for the charmer. Literally.<\/p>\n How about anger vented before one’s heard the whole story? Not charming!<\/p>\n Or a joke told during a serious moment? Gauche!<\/p>\n In fact, all humor and any good story telling depends on timing. And in a speech, the pauses can mean as much as the words.<\/p>\n More: All learning has to do with timing. There’s a “readiness” required. And “charming” generally works better than coercion.<\/p>\n But back to our metaphor. Some snakes cannot be charmed, or will not. Then the timing issue is different . . . like when to change your tune, or make your exit, or dispatch the threat before it dispatches you.<\/p>\n Always know what time it is. It makes all the difference.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n ____________________<\/p>\n *Ecclesiastes 10:11<\/p>\n PS As mentioned, we’ve been away in Baja California. Beautiful and highly productive for art-making. Will likely report on it in the next e-gallery<\/em>, early November. Meantime, we’re back on rhythm for Blank Slate<\/em>, next one coming Monday.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Okay, you know about timing, but are you remembering how a split-second can make the difference between life and death? Or cultural blunders? Charming thoughts.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[4],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hyattmoore.com\/blank-slate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4747"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hyattmoore.com\/blank-slate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hyattmoore.com\/blank-slate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hyattmoore.com\/blank-slate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hyattmoore.com\/blank-slate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4747"}],"version-history":[{"count":47,"href":"https:\/\/www.hyattmoore.com\/blank-slate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4747\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10750,"href":"https:\/\/www.hyattmoore.com\/blank-slate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4747\/revisions\/10750"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hyattmoore.com\/blank-slate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4747"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hyattmoore.com\/blank-slate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4747"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hyattmoore.com\/blank-slate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4747"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}