15-minute flowers

Time: 15 min
What: pen and markers
When: 6 pm
Why: to experiment with markers, blotchy-style.

The Pearl by John Steinbeck

The paradox of the pearl is rather intriguing. It brings wealth, power, and status to whomever bears it. Yet it brings peril. At first glance into the "Pearl of the World," one may see a bright future, a future of abundance. Eventually this tainted image morphs into one of insecurity, fear, and death. I am reminded of the ring in Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings: "One ring to hold them all, one ring to bind them..." and also of Epicurus's idea of insatiable desires. Sure, the pearl brings wealth, but it also brings an endless desire for more, a reoccurring theme in society throughout the ages. The tragedy of pearl symbolizes good and evil and perhaps serves to remind us of the importance of moderation.