What do you FEEL when you look at this picture?

Once a month the kids don't go to seminary, but I still do -- because it's inservice meeting. This month I was pretty excited. I knew the guest speaker coming in. I knew the topic. I wanted to go. I was even on time. Just not on time enough. The back two rows were already filled, which means I had to take a seat third from the back, but technically now the front row. I hope someone comes and sits in front of me. Nope, didn't happen. I hate being exposed, in front, out in the open. Panic time. 'calm yourself Kim. Just sit and take notes, you'll be fine.'

So the teacher gets started by pulling a picture off the wall from the group of Old Testament art, and shows it to the class and asks: What do you feel when you look at this picture?
I'm looking and my brain is totally rapid firing:

• wow, for a queen, she's not dressed up too much
• wait, you don't know she's a queen from looking at the picture, you know she's a queen because the picture's labeled Esther
• it looks like a woman standing there.
• hesistant
• no - that picture says nothing of hesitant, you think that because you know it's Esther
• it just looks like a woman standing there with her arms in front in the midst of a crowd
• is that a Minerva Teichert?
• kind of looks like the muted colors she uses
• Wow, talk about an incredible woman developing her talents. Going off to New York to study art at a young age
• Painting in the farm lands where she settled with her husband
• neat lady
• she didn't do the hands very well
• But I only know this is Esther because it's labeled. I'd never look at this painting and think, 'wow, somebody really captured the essence of Esther'
• I like the arches in the background. I wish my dining room was more enclosed in with arches like that around it. Doesn't fit with the current house, but in the future...

All this rapid fire thinking went on in a very few short miliseconds. My brain was going, I was engaged in the class. I'm surviving the front row.

The teacher didn't get a response from the class so he looks directly at me, "What do you feel when you look at this picture?" Panic sets in. I'm thinking a lot of things, but he didn't ask me what I thought, it's what I feel.

"Quick, Kim, what do you feel? Feel - that's an emotion - think of some emotions.

• Happy. No, when I looked up, it didn't really put a smile on my face, I wouldn't say happy. I didn't look at it and say "that should be in my house so I smile everytime I walk by"
• Sad. No. didn't feel sad inside me, didn't feel sad for the girl. Nothing on that picture indicates there's anything sad going on.
• Confused. No, she doesn't look confused.
• Depressed. Nope, doesn't fit.
• WHAT DOES HE WANT ME TO SAY? I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO EMOTIONAL FEELINGS TOWARDS THIS PAINTING. UGGGGHHHHH. WHAT'S THE RIGHT ANSWER?
• I'm THINKING a lot of things about this painting, but I have FELT nothing.
• WHY AM I IN THE FRONT ROW. I HATE IT.
• EVERYBODY IS STARING AT ME.
• THEY THINK I'M STUPID.
• I WANT TO TOTALLY BOLT OUT OF THE ROOM.
• IT'S 'FRICKIN 6 AM, I FEEL LIKE I STILL WANT TO BE IN BED.
• NOW I KNOW HOW MY CLASS FEELS
• YOU'VE GOT TO ANSWER, HE'S WAITING.
• but what's the answer? you're so stupid, Kim. Why don't you feel anything?
• I feel panic, that's what I feel.

So I just looked up and said, "Um......uh.....I don't really......I um......I don't feel anything. I'm not a very feeling person I guess."

45 minutes later I loved the class -- I learned, I took notes, felt my time had been well spent. But I'm still confused on how I was supposed to answer the question. And I have once again reaffirmed why I need to be early to get a seat on the back row.

Now to a picture in my guest bathroom that elicites a feeling from me. I love it. It makes me HAPPY. It makes me LAUGH. It makes me SMILE. If I had more descretionary income, I would buy up this guy's art. I love the quirky stick figures he draws. The bold colors. The statements that go with his pictures. I'm a words with pictures kind of person. He fits my style. I feel something when I look at this:

it can be found a little clearer at Storey People's website. Take some time and nose around Brian Andreas' prints.

Finally. Music. Ask me what I feel about a song, and I'll have an answer for you. I feel music. A song started on the radio this morning. From the first inkling of strings (which I think is a synthesized note) to the deep base chords starting, I have a smile on my face. I FEEL this song. I love it. The whole Album. It's on my top-5-all-time-greatest-ever-made list. It's tied for #1 with Boston. But I digress.

Sit back, enjoy, and feel: