Festina Lente

Here's a brilliant little observation from George Charles Allen of Docendo Discimus:

I am posting earlier than anticipated and, of course, procrastinating ever-so-slightly on this dark and stormy night. Though, as I always say, Procrastination is the realization that true Genius is born in the white-hot flames of crisis.

That thought should keep me going as I try to make a 1 February grant submission deadline at the NSF.

Read the whole post here, but savor in particular these thoughts:

I am writing this evening because I had the infrequent opportunity of having two extraordinary friends in the same room, at the same time, and I came to realize how special and rare a gift I have. And so it seems, every rainy evening, while sitting in the warm, familiar setting of my room reading a book, rocking gently back-and-forth-and-back again in my chair, my thoughts always turn toward my few close friends and the warm, content feelings which conjure up within me. To say I cannot live without them would be absurd; but to say that they make life often more bearable, interesting, pleasant and oft times quite exciting and spontaneous; and to say that every moment I spend with them is a moment cherished, remembered and well spent would couple fittingly with what St. Augustine summarized as his thoughts upon friendship (of which I cannot disagree) in Book IV of the Confessions, and so I share it with you:

All kinds of things rejoiced my soul in their company--to talk and laugh and do eachother kindnesses; read pleasant books together, pass from lightest jesting to talk of deepest things and back again; differ without rancour, as a man might differ with himself, and when most rarely dissension arose find our normal agreement all the sweeter for it; teach each other or learn from each other; be impatient for the return of the absent, and welcome them with joy on their homecoming; these and such like things, proceeding from our hearts as we gave affection and received it back, and shown by face, by voice, by the eyes, and a thousand other pleasing ways, kindled a flame which fused our very souls and of many made us one.

The Wandering Scholar (Docendo Discimus) is a fine blog, one that I recommend very highly.