IMAGINATION IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN KNOWLEDGE….

 

A scene from "The Blue Lagoon" starring Jean Simmons and Donald Houston

                                           
                                       Looking across from Outer Newry Island to Newry Island

 

 

Stop jumping up and down.  I’m quoting...repeating something I read somewhere.

Point your fingers at Albert Einstein, not me. He is the guilty one. In a 1929 interview dear Albert, in reply to a question, stated; “I am enough of the artist to draw freely upon my imagination. Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles (embraces) the world.” 

A couple of years later Einstein repeated his belief, confirming what he imagined to be true. He embellished upon his original utterance by adding; “stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution. It is, strictly speaking, a real factor in scientific research.”

My imagination ran free and unfettered when I was a kid.  As an aside, sadly, I do believe children of my generation enjoyed running free and unrestrained outdoors more often than present generations do. Our imagination had no boundaries. My imagination was fueled, too, by my love of books/reading, and for never missed movies at Saturday afternoon matinees.

The original Jean Simmons-Donald Houston 1949 version of “The Blue Lagoon” (which, by no stretch of the imagination, was far better than the 1980 Brooke Shields-Christopher Atkins version) stirred within me a desire to live on a tropical island.  To my delight, years later there I was living on a tropical island…e.g. Hinchinbrook Island.  On the island I wasn’t alone. I had staff sharing my daily adventures.  A couple of years later I landed on Newry Island. On Newry a lot of the time I was a female Robinson Crusoe, and Man Friday was missing in action every day of the week, not only on Fridays. Except for my two cats, Pushkin and Rimsky who shared my life at the time, and when guests came to enjoy the island’s ambience and my seafood barbecues, alone I was.  Pushkin and Rimsky loved the barbecues, too.

When I was a little girl my imagination was also triggered by “The Red Shoes”.  Frequently I imagined I was a ballerina like Moira Shearer aka “Victoria Page”, the lead character in the 1948 movie.  Many times I’ve watched “The Red Shoes”.  It remains, to this day, on my recorded list of movies.

A school mate and I knew our limitations.  Not once did we imagine we were Olympian sprinters like Shirley Strickland and Marjorie Jackson.  Our talent as athletes was non-existent.  Come the Gympie State High School annual sports day we high-tailed it to the female toilet block to hide out for the duration of the foot races.  To our dismay, a teacher, aware of our devious plan, discovered us shortly before the race was to commence. Knowing we didn’t have a chance in Hades in the foot race, my friend and I joined hands. We skipped along at the tail end of the race, giggling all the way.  Never in our wildest imaginings did we imagine we could have enjoyed a foot race so much as we did that one, that day.

John Lennon asked the question…”Imagine…”  We should reflect, and reflect often, upon the lyrics in the hope, with knowledge, humans could come together as one.  Imagine!

Imagination is wonderful, free, and infinite.  The quest for knowledge is limitless…an unquenchable thirst.  By blending the two one could become invincible…unstoppable.

In my imagination I win the lottery. What fun it would be if it came into fruition!  Perhaps if I allow my imagining free rein eventually my winning the lottery will become a reality!  Imagine! 

I wish it’d hurry up. I’m not getting any younger, which, of course, is not unique to me.  I’m not Benjamin Button, who was a figment of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s imagination.

 

Garlic Button Mushrooms: Mince  4-5 garlic cloves. In pan, heat 3tbs butter or olive oil over med-high heat; add 500g button mushrooms; cook 4-5mins, until mushrooms start to brown on bottom. Flip; cook 3mins without stirring.  Reduce heat to low. Add 1/2tsp onion powder, 1tsp smoked paprika. 1tsp Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Cook 1min.  Add garlic and 2tbs lemon juice; cook 1min, stirring frequently.  Adjust seasonings.

BBQ Moreton Bay Bugs: Prepare bugs; lay 8 bugs on their back; using scissors make incision at base of tail, being careful not to pierce flesh; then cut along either side of shell covering the abdomen. Remove and discard shell to reveal the flesh. Parsley Butter; place 200g softened butter, 1/4c chopped parsley, 1tsp black pepper and 2 minced garlic cloves in bowl with 1tsp salt flakes. Heat bbq or char-grill pan to med-high heat. Add 3 halved limes, flesh side down; grill 5mins, or until blackened; set aside.  Add bugs, belly-side up; spread 1tbs parsley butter over flesh. Cook, (covered with foil if using grill pan), 10-12mins, or until bugs are cooked through; arrange on platter with limes, and remaining butter. Sprinkle with parsley to serve.

BBQ Prawns with Mango Salsa: Grab some prawns; thread 3 peeled, with heads and tails intact prawns onto each skewer. Process 3 chopped mangoes, 2 chopped long red chilies, 4 sliced spring onions, 2 chopped eschalots, 1 bunch each chopped coriander and mint leaves, 80ml white wine vinegar and 80ml olive oil until roughly chopped; season. Transfer half salsa to bowl; set aside. Process remaining salsa with 2tbs oil and 2tbs vinegar until smooth; pour over prawns; marinate 2hrs in fridge. Heat bbq to high; cook prawns 3mins each side; season; serve with reserved salsa.