Pentimento: First ever post, re-written

This was my first ever post on the internet (not in Blogger).

Title: Pentimento

On my ancient cellphone is the word ‘pentimento’. Most people, who are afraid to ask questions in pretense that it would degrade their educational achievements or demean their intellectual status (whatever it means), second-guessed the word as a code:

‘It’s a combination of two or even three words – names of his ex-ex perhaps.’

To few who have the courage to ask (I am in belief that there’s nothing demeaning in asking questions; in fact, it shows one’s interest and perhaps a manifestation of a want for growth), I always say that ‘pentimento’ is that image in a painting that was there before and now it’s gone because the artist decided to put something else in its place – a product of a changing mind – or something like that.

Dictionaries describe ‘pentimento’ as an underlying image in a painting, as an earlier painting, part of a painting, or original draft, that shows through, usually when the top layer of paint has become transparent with age.

My explanation was near enough.

I first came about the word in Lilian Hellman’s book ‘Pentimento’ -- that was 20 years ago. I even forgot what the book is all about. But the word stuck in me basically because I thought then that the word described me – my inner me, I mean -- my life; my ever-changing life – warts and all (incidentally, that was the title of my first ever blog, not in Blogger).

Years changed me in countless ways but I’m still that same person who smiles at a sight people in love, who’s smittened by a smiling baby, who craves for pansit canton or bihon, who cries and claps after a very good movie, who melts in front of my crush(es) (ask me no question, I'll tell you no lies), who lounges lifelessly in bed when there’s a good book to read.

I may have become more hmm...mature now but time and again, I still manifest the old me and I guess in every person, the old self can not really be erased permanently. We are all, in some degree, has a petimento.

Here now and going, going, gone. Until someone else notices the old painting within us.

Read the short biography of Lillian Hellman in this site, and if it interests you, her lives and lies written by New York Sun.

This post was originally a tweaked handwritten artwork but recently I've decided to just make it plain and simple so others can read it more clearly. For that old post, I used the original background design of Kristopher Kanaly; found it in http://www.designmeltdown.com/wallpaper/.

The 'hand-written' fonts I previously used was from fuel your creativity website, a very, very cool site of graphic designs with free downloadable fonts.

8 Responses

  1. Anonymous says:

    "Pentimento"... ito yata yung nasa chizwhiz...masarap ito ilagay sa tinapay.... ahahaha... pimiento pla yun...aheks...

    ...pero hindi ko pa din nagagamit ang word na "pentimento" sa isang discussion...mhhh...uu nga ang sabi sa dictionary: "An underlying image in a painting, as an earlier painting, part of a painting, or original draft, that shows through, usually when the top layer of paint has become transparent with age."

    ...so kung sa tao, para pla itong inner self...ang totoong ikaw...mhhhh...tatago ko na ito sa kukote ko baka makatakas pa...

    at base sa platinum rule alam kong ito ang gusto mong gawin ko... alam ko yun kasi sinabi mo...aheks... :D

  2. Thank you for visiting my blog, nebz!
    I give you my permission to use pictures in my blog on the same condition that i mentioned to the Pope. I am delighted that you liked them.
    Thank you and more power!

  3. RJ says:

    Printed last 2005 sa Britain itong dictionary ko rito pero walang word na 'pentimento'. Huhmn, based dito sa re-written post niyo ang ganda ng kahulugan nito. Ako pala ay parang isang pentimento rin.

    Maganda nga itong pangalan ng blog, Kuya Nebz. U

  4. A-Z-3-L says:

    thanks kuya Nebz for the word of the day... PENTIMENTO.

    teka... (ctrl+S)ayan.. nasave ko na sa memory ko.

    "OLD SELF cannot really be erased permanently"... i agree to that. people may change but not totally!

    gusto ko pa rin ng pancit canton.. kahit maputi na ang buhok ko... hehehehe.

  5. Ken says:

    okay, may natutunan ako na word today. I visited the graphics site at magaganda nga. i went to fuel your creativity too kasi nagustuhan ko yung parang handwritten na font kaya nagdownload na rin ako mga fonts. thanks for sharing this parekoi.

  6. mightydacz says:

    hi nebs thanks for sharing this word pagbinbasa ko ito naglalaway ako kasi sounds like ng flavor ng palaman lol.I like the font,the design and the color. oi craves for pancit canton anf bihon love it.

    I like the last line here now and going,going gone.

  7. Nebz says:

    Salamat po sa inyong pagdalaw...

    SuperG: Salamat sa Platinum Rule mo. At alam ko namang kahit hind ko banggitin sa yo ay dadalaw ka dahil mabait kang tao. Naks.

    Sir Dennis: Salamat po. Tomorrow, i-post ko sya.

    RJ: Sounds foreign kc kaya d ko magamit. Parang ang 'isla de nebz' ay hindi? Hehe.

    Azel: Naku, sinabi mo pa. Kahit sa huling yugto ng buhay ko, pansit pa rin ako. Bihon, mas preferred ko ang bihon kesa cantos. Pero mas gusto ko ang canton kesa luglog.

    Thoughtskoto: Maganda ung fonts db? D po bale, pag me nakita p akong magagandang sources, ipo-post ko d2.

    Mightydacz: Salamat sa appreciation. Pwede mo idownload ung mga fonts nya at dalawin ung source ng graphics. Marami k pang makikitang magaganda dun. Ung original last line ko e: Here now, gone tomorrow. Pero kahit itong last line ko d2 parang mali. Dapat Here now, going, going and back again.

  8. The Pope says:

    First time kong ma-encounter itong "pentimento" word, baka absent ako sa skul nung ituro ito hehehehe.

    Sa paglipas ng panahon, pumuti man ang buhok ko, kumulubot man ang balat ko, magpa-Belo o Calayan man ako, 2 bagay ang di mawawala o mababago sa akin, una ay PANANAMPALATAYA, pangalawa ay DANGAL .

    Maraming salamat sa dagdag kaalaman na hatid ng iyong blog.

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