"Character - the willingness to accept responsibility for one's own life- is the source from which self respect springs." Joan Didion
If I listen to these words carefully and read them slowly, I can conclude that I must have some character. I have accepted the responsibility for my own life- my bad and good actions. I have made amends. I have held no resentments and anger...recently. I say recently because I am human. It is by accepting responsibility for my own life that I have gained my own self-respect. It just sprang out. I saw it clearly.
I saw its imperfections. But I saw the progress I have made over the years.
A simple task as a HOBBY has more than helped make me the man I am today!
Origami is like magic. With a series of folds a two dimensional paper is finally transformed into an elaborate three dimensional structure. The best part of starting this hobby is that you CAN DO IT.
Origami, from ori meaning "folding", and kami meaning "paper". Kami changes to gami due to rendaku. Origami is the traditional Japanese art of paper folding which started in the 17th century AD and was popularized in the mid-1900s. It has since evolved into a modern art form. The goal of this art is to transform a flat sheet of material into a finished sculpture through folding and sculpting techniques and as such the use of cuts or glue are not considered to be origami. The number of basic origami folds is small, but they can be combined in a variety of ways to make intricate designs. The most well known origami model is probably the Japanese paper crane. In general, these designs begin with a square sheet of paper whose sides may be different colors or prints. Traditional Japanese origami practiced since the Edo era (1603–1867), has often been less strict about these conventions, sometimes cutting the paper or using non-square shapes to start with.
I was fascinated to learn that what I thought was of Japanese origin was in fact not. It is 1st century Chinese. It was brought to Japan in 500 C.E. by the Buddhist monks and quickly integrated into the Japanese lifestyle.
So how did it get to the US? Master Yoshizawa Akira, who wrote children's books had some origami designs. Akira brought her work to the US with help of Samuel Randlett. A New Yorker named Lillian Oppenheimer saw Akira's work and became hooked on the designs- especially one of a bird. She started to practice and mastered the technique. It would figure that a New Yorker would get involved.
She founded the Origami Center of America in 1980.
Get started with origami paper and a website. I prefer http://www.paperfolding.com/ or http://www.origami-usa.org/
If you like books as much as I do, I suggest an old step by step origami instruction guide called Complete Origami: An A - Z of Facts and Folds by Eric Kenneway 1987. I am sure if you check out http://www.amazon.com/ and search for new books on origami you will find plenty.
Until tomorrow...
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