It's not often that my morning jigsaw puzzle ritual generates much in the way of thoughts that are linked together... usually I use the puzzle to _start_ the wheel of the grist mill. This morning however, the P&G ad for 'Venus' Razors (which I've already seen several times) got me 'started', and the puzzle became the counterpoint...
As a boy - years before the age my parents would slip away on Christmas eve for a visit with neighbours, leaving me to wrap incidental gifts for my younger siblings - my sister and I would help my mother do jigsaw puzzles.
From emptying the box on the table top, to deciding who will position the last piece, the conversation moved back and forth - warm, comfortable, punctuated with with smiles and laughter.
I still, enjoy the sound of that type of conversation, and the memories are somewhat stronger this morning as I prepare to drive to Bear River to visit my mother who is just a few days away from her 79th birthday - like her, I was born in a year ending in '0'.
Although success in many human endeavours (probably any life form) is linked to pattern recognition, I don't think we devote enough effort to developing pattern recognition skills in children (or ourselves).
As a teenager wandering the halls of high school, simply asking myself the question "what is the pattern here" would probably have saved me a lot of angst ... ;-)
Teaching MJ how to drive, it's not a question of what the other driver will do (mind reading) it's a question of what might they do that would affect her driving decisions (pr, more confidence).
In art, pattern recognition becomes inspiration, association, interpretation, exploration, and intimacy - the piece alters - the pattern, evolves, repeats.....
Returning to the Procter and Gamble Internet ad, my impression is they're prepared to take the risk.
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