I seem to be a verb

I hope this post doesn't get me thrown in jail. It's slap full of photographic blips from I Seem To Be a Verb by Buckminster Fuller with Jerome Agel and Quentin Fiore, a now-out-of-print book published in 1970. I ran across it in the early 1980s while perusing the shelves of Clemson University's small satellite library in the school of architecture. I'd been attracted by its nonconventional layout and generalist, big-picture point of view which connected diverse disciplines such as design, engineering, art, science, philosophy, technology, education, and pop culture. As the years morphed into decades, many of the words on these pages stuck with me and helped to shape a worldview into which I've sunk gratefully and comfortably.

A few years ago, I got a little nostalgic about the book and wanted to read it again, curious whether my age would allow new insights. This is when I learned it was out of print, and it appeared my only hope was to find a used copy in some sort of acceptable condition. Turns out it's bit of a collector's item nowadays, so I had to pay a little -- um, OK a lot -- too much to actually own it, but I did. And I wasn't sorry for a minute!

It was a treat to flip through the pages again, nodding and smiling and remembering.

Then earlier this week, a new meditation-group friend said during a discussion, "I'm a verb, not a noun." It made me smile, and I asked him if he'd read Bucky Fuller. No, he said. He'd never heard of him.

No?

I suppose that's not surprising, but it sure is a shame. Bucky was -- and remains -- an exceptional figure in certain academic circles, but I bet that his views and vision would speak to anyone who enjoys challenging thoughts. Below is a collection of random snippets which caught my attention today.... some because of the irony, some because of the brilliance, some because of the chuckle, some because of the implication.

Maybe it'll tickle your brain, too.

Dear anyone-who-might-throw-me-in-jail:  (1) these photos are happy teasers designed to interest others in purchasing their very own books; (2) only three people read this blog, so you really shouldn't care; and (3) in a fit of OCD, I looked it up and copyrighted books that are out of print can, more often than not, be reproduced under fair use practices. So leave me alone. Pretty please.

With sugar on top.

Mmmkay?