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This week's photography assignment has to do with shutter speed, which is shooting things in motion. I  need lots of work with shutter speed. I don't photograph a lot of things in motion. I realized life without a dog and kiddos doesn't allow one to experience large amounts of motion. Someday I will see more motion.

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For as long as I can remember my brother has been a loud boy. He has been diagnosed by the family as suffering from Voice Immodulation Disorder, the same disorder as a Will Ferrell character from SNL.  He claims it's due to being the only boy smack dab in between two sisters who was just trying to be heard. I think he has a point. When I was living with my parents during my rendezvous in North America, I too was diagnosed with Voice Immodulation Disorder. My particular case of VMI tends to get worse when I have too many alcoholic beverages. So when I read this little blurb of advice from a travel blog Matt sent me I felt a bit of anxiety...

Talking vs. Shouting

Americans talk LOUDLY. If you don’t believe it, watch cable television “news” for a few minutes. It’s gotten so that restaurant reviews in the United States now include ‘sound’ ratings to denote the volume in restaurants. Many of us are used to speaking loudly, especially when we get into groups. If you’ve ever tried to have a peaceful dinner next to a table celebrating their annual office party, you know what I’m talking about. In Paris, people will modulate their voices so as not to disturb other diners; keeping your voice down will endear you to the locals much better.

I want the locals to like me, so I am going to work really hard to keep my VID under control. Especially after some vino. 

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I'm currently reading, Tiny Beautiful Things, by Cheryl Strayed. It's a little bit of a different book, in fact, it is a collection of advice columns. The author, well known for her NYT Best Seller/ Oprah Book Club 2.0 memoir, Wild, also poses as an online advice columnist {previously anonymous} named Sugar on The Rumpus. So yes it's a different type of read, but I love it. Even more than the book itself, I am in love with her voice, the way she writes. She is honest in a way that many aren't, she is wise, she knows how to string words together with a sort of musicality, and she knows when a curse word is necessary. I've been highlighting and making notes of some of the sentences and phrases that when read, slay me. I want to write like her when I grow up.  
While writing this post I was searching for a link to the book and stumbled upon an interview between Ms. Strayed and Oprah. 
gasp. 
The best part, I was able to watch it. 
So I did. 
I stopped and watched the entire interview. 
Oprah is all over Cheryl's sentences as well. 
I didn't know I could love her anymore. 
Now I do.