Friday, April 13, 2012

Friday Ramble - Atomy/Atomies

Atomy comes to us from the Middle English attome, the Latin atomus and the Greek atomos: a- (not) plus -tomos (cutting), thence from the Indo-European temnein meaning to cut.    Kindred words (of course) are atom, atomism and atomic, and (not so obviously), tome which now refers to a book or a volume of reading material but once meant simply something cut or carved from a larger entity.  Synonyms include corpuscle, mote, particle, speck, molecule and grain, as in "a grain of sand" or "a grain of sugar"

An atomy is a tiny part of something, a minute particle, and it was once held in physics to be the smallest possible unit of the known universe: a dense, central, positively charged nucleus circled by electrons whirling around in ecstatic orbit. Complete within itself, it was deemed irreducible and indivisible except for constrained processes of removal or transfer or the exchange of component electrons.  Current thinking is that the much smaller quark is the fundamental element of creation, and the quarks of which atomies, atoms and other tiny wonders are composed come in six eccentric flavors: up, down, charm, strange, bottom and top.

I think of atomies on awakening to gray skies, to rain on the roof beating staccato time without reference to meter or metronome, a puckish wind capering in the eaves and ruffling new green leaves in the garden like tangy decks of playing cards, to drifting fog wrapping the old trees, rooflines and chimneys in the village.

Rain on hosta leaves, dew on grasses in the hedgerow - each and every drop is an atomy,  a minute world teeming with vibrant life, a whole magical universe looking up and smiling at this ungainly creature bent over in wonder with a camera in her hand.  I am not sure I am ever going to get a handle on using my fancy new macro lens, but it is teaching me how to look at the world in new ways, and that is a fine old thing.

6 comments:

Mystic Meandering said...

I love how you point me to the magic *in* life, in living life openly, with wonder and curiosity - learning to see life in new ways... It blurs the concept of living in a time bound world.

Yesterday I went out in the back yard and found two lady bugs, although one must have been a mister lady bug, doing their thing in the plantar tub. Provided a moment of innocent wonder... I think I may just go on another backyard excursion today and see what I can find :) Thanks as always!

Kameshwari said...

Friday Rambles always offer me a moment where I feel that I am breaking away from my cloistered understanding of a word. Friday Rambles frequently expand me to new galaxies of thought and understanding of how I came to be in this very moment.

These rambles also remind me of the days when I was visiting a grief counselor. It was a time when I was recently divorced, moving from my hometown, leaving my connection to community, selling my business and dealing with my old Black Lab who was living her last days. Some extraordinary circumstances led me to a grief counselor. Each session started with him asking me to pick a word that described something I felt, saw or thought. Whichever word I claimed for the session, he would share his version and scholars' of its etymology. I always gleaned inspiration from his various meanings to assist me as I lived in what seemed to be a very dark time of my life. When I look back on that time, there was always a glowing light that assisted me to other levels of developing wholeness.

With deep appreciation for your Friday Rambles.

Kameshwari said...

Whoa!!!! Just returned to the photo in this blog. I think you have a good grip on your new fancy macro lens.

Kiki said...

And you, Catherine, are a fine young thing too.... words that come straight from a warm heart, thoughts from a pure mind and beauty of a fine camera.... :) a triple winner!

kerrdelune said...

It's also a self portrait of sorts - there is an upside down me in that drop!

the wild magnolia said...

..."I think of atomies on awakening to gray skies, to rain on the roof beating staccato time without reference to meter or metronome, a puckish wind capering in the eaves and ruffling new green leaves in the garden like tangy decks of playing cards, to drifting fog wrapping the old trees, rooflines and chimneys in the village."

"...a whole magical universe." thank you for eye opening word pictures, reminders....