Sunday Supplement #89 (January 22nd, 2023)
Below is another Sunday Supplement with a quote worth sharing, a book worth reading, a movie worth watching, brainfood worth consuming, and a spiritual passage worth pondering.
I hope you take something away from these recommendations that enriches your week ahead!
Quote of the Week:
“A diverse mix of voices leads to better discussions, decisions, and outcomes for everyone.”
– Sundar Pichai
Book of the Week:
Little Scarlet – Walter Mosley
Walter Mosley’s Easy Rawlins series follows Black WWII veteran Rawlins, who moved from Louisiana to Los Angeles after the war.
There are fifteen novels in the Easy Rawlins series, and Little Scarlet is book nine. You don’t have to read them in order, and Little Scarlet is one of my favorites in the series.
In the novel, Rawlins is asked by the police to investigate the murder of a Black woman right after the Watts Riots just ended.
Mosley’s novels take the best of the detective fiction genre and explore deep themes and the history of Black America in Los Angeles over a few decades of the character Rawlin’s life.
I featured Walter Mosley and his Easy Rawlins series (picking the first novel in the series) in Sunday Supplement #3. Check out the series and see where you’d want to start.
Movie of the Week:
Tom Ford’s A Single Man adapted Christopher Isherwood’s 1964 novel about an English professor George coping with the death of his partner, Jim.
George goes throughout his day in a despondent nature but has various encounters with people that provide color and illuminate different possibilities of existence.
The casting of the film was excellent. Colin Firth received an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of George, and Julianne Moore and Nicholas Hoult also shone in their roles.
A Single Man was Tom Ford’s directorial debut. The famous fashion designer brought an impeccable look to the film that aided the brilliant narrative.
While the film has a small scale, it has a rich depth to the story and characters that help capture a beautiful snapshot of life.
Brainfood of the Week:
Teachings About Balance in Life | Navajo Traditional Teachings
Navajo Traditional Teachings’ YouTube page aims to teach the culture of the people from the language, traditional teachings, and oral history passed down through the generations.
In this video, Navajo Historian Wally Brown discusses the teachings of balance and how we can take things that don’t matter and lose our balance.
Brown emphasizes the importance of not allowing things that don’t matter to rule your life. He gives the example of outside influences trying to change your values.
Another form of balance Brown discusses is how understanding a negative thing can help make it a positive and create balance.
This six-minute video has much wisdom, and the Navajo Traditional Teachings channel provides a unique insight into a great breadth of teachings.
Closing Spiritual Passage:
“Do not associate with evil companions; do not seek the fellowship of the vile. Associate with good friends; seek the fellowship of noble men.”
– Dhammapada verse 78
This Dhammapada verse made me think about the influences I have around me. While it discusses people, I think different mediums also can affect your life.
On one side, I see people or things wanting you and pushing you to be the best you can be.
The other side would be people or things that promote negative habits that drag you down and take you away from positive experiences.
I liked how the end of the verse was about seeking the fellowship of noble men (& women). The search is worth considering because they may require effort to find, or they may already be in your life and needed to be left in.
Consider your influences, look for positive fellowship, and have a blessed week ahead!
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