Mistakes are really discoveries

Nico's really into making things with paper. Origami, paper cuts, boxes, birds, you name it and it will be in paper form in a matter of minutes. (As I type this Jason is trying to convince Nico to delay the tape-box he's making for me until after dinner. It's like water off a stone with our determined boy.)

A few weeks ago, I taught Nico how to make snowflakes. A thousand snowflakes later and I am prepared to declare him an addict. Now and then though, he makes a mistake. I say mistake only because that is how he perceives them. I am not sure if his idea of perfection is rooted in nature or nurture but I do know that I want him to relinquish the negativity he associates with mistakes and see them for what they really are: learning opportunities. Thomas Edison said regarding his failed lightbulbs "I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work".

Mistakes can also be a source of discovery, as Nico found out today. 

A broken snowflake is really just a pair of wings.


And once one person has a pair of wings...



Colette was happy to be a choucho (butterfly) and immediately jumped off the couch with great hopes. Landing with a thud, she said あれ (Japanese for 'huh?'). I love that she believed she could fly.


I also love that when Sebastian return from playing with friends, Nico asked him if he wanted a pair of wings too. 

 I love that Sebastian said of course.

My Lovely Nippon

So, I realize my last post was a little bleak and despairing. That nuclear contamination sign is not exactly eye candy. The truth is that the facts are bleak and despairing. There is rampant corruption, media censorship, and terrible consequences of Fukushima Daichi's meltdown arising daily. (And yes, it was a meltdown and terribly enough it will be worse before it gets better.)
I have a hard time living in negativity. I have been naive in my assessment of how the government and TEPCO would handle their responsibilities. This doesn't mean I am in any way forsaking Japan. No, not my lovely Japan.
There are a lot of terrible truths that the country must deal with but one truth that will pull us through is the Japan of Japan. The soul of the country will survive this awful catastrophe. Of that I am certain.
It may be that we have to leave Honshu or return to the States for a bit. This bothers me but I want to respond to my fears with something more positive. Something that showcases my unwavering affection for these islands. So I started a new photography blog on Tumblr called My Lovely Nippon. It is an ever-increasing collection of images old and new that I believe capture a bit of that je ne sais quoi that keeps Japan in my heart. As the new reality unfolds, Japan will seem tainted but the true beauty cannot be contaminated.



xoxo