National Adoption Day

Negative Capability Press and Sue Walker celebrate National Adoption Day – November 22, 2014.

As an adopted child, I would like to recognize the importance of adoption and use this opportunity to thank my parents who adopted me.

Perhaps we might adopt a poet and / or Writer and make this day: Adopt a Poet / Writer Day. Read his or her work aloud like a blessing – and send an email of appreciation to the poet / writer who has graced this special day.

And in addition – might we adopt new things – like cake baking, playing a musical instrument, singing – even off key. Perhaps we could emulate Scotland’s Alexander McCall Smith who was born in what is now Zimbabwe. He is the Emeritus Professor of Medical Law at the University of Edinburgh. He is an internationally known as a writer of fiction but also plays a bassoon in the RT) (Really Terrible Orchestra).

Maybe we could, like McCall Smith’s Isabel Dalhouse, Edinburgh’s chief amateur sleuth -- who is “unprofessional” with her journal and adopt our errors, the ones that teach us things we might well learn.

McCall Smith has visited Mobile, Alabama and stayed in the home of Sue and Ron Walker where, in the early morning, he was found in the den writing professionally in his journal. I’m “fixing” (as they often say in these parts) – willy-nilly fixing to read McCall Smith’s “The Uncommon Appeal of Clouds.”

What Negative Capability is about, really, is adopting the attitude of being able to tolerate uncertainty – when the world seems to be against us, indeed, and bridges and relationships and various and sundry things are falling down around us – and thus – yes and yes, adopting tolerance and belief in our best selves in the art of our becoming.

And once again, my love and thanks to the parents who adopted me.