Motto

You may have noticed that the motto of this blog has changed. It was "No good deed goes unpunished or revenged." It's now Hay que poner un poco de locura a veces en la cordura. Translated: "You sometimes need to interject a little madness into the sanity."

I came across this Cuban saying in a recent Smithsonian article about historian Eusebio Leal who lay down in front of steamrollers to keep them from asphalting over a rare wooden street. That took place in 1967. Leal is now the official historian of the city of Havana and responsible for saving many historical buildings and revitalizing Havana. An amazing man, but I'm not sure I would think of him as insane as much as driven.

Another word for driven is committed. I think anyone in a creative endeavor has to have that commitment. We only have so much time in this world; every choice we make means another choice isn't made. Our choices have to move us toward our goals, whether it's to write a book or paint a landscape or save a building.

Although I do think getting in front of a steamroller in Cuba--not a place that encourages civil disobedience even now--might have a touch of insanity about it. Or maybe an overwhelming commitment.