I wish, of course, peace, grace, and beauty. How do you do that? You work for it.
Studs Terkel
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It was a scorcher here yesterday and will be another one today. Burning sunlight, scalding water, pea soup air. Every time I opened the refrigerator door I felt like one of the Pigeon sisters. If you don't know who they are, they are in the original play of The Odd Couple. It was so hot they sat in front of their open refrigerator.
I once knew an actor named Brown, I don't remember his first name. We never did a play together but one day he talked about his approach to acting. He decided that what every character he played wanted was peace above all else. He would determine what peace meant to the character he played and everything that interfered with that peace had to be dealt with, violently if necessary. It was an interesting process. It wasn't my system but it was a good one. It doesn't matter how you cook the meal as long as it tastes good when you're done.
He could have chosen grace or beauty as his focus and achieved similar results. The point of his acting was that whatever the harmonious state is if it isn't present then it needs to be worked for. Even if it is not achieved by the end of the play, and it frequently isn't, the effort to achieve it is what makes the drama.
Robert Persig writes about a couple who lived in a chronic state of low level distress because of a leaky faucet they were too lazy to fix. Think how many annoyances we may put up with in life simply because a) we haven't correctly identified what gives us peace, grace and beauty, and b) as a result we haven't taken the sometimes easy steps to correct them.
If you can fix it, fix it. If you can't, live with it until you can. But don't let it become a permanent part of your life. I knew a woman who had a circular card on her desk labeled "A Round Toit." In other words instead of saying "I'll take care of that when I get around to it." she had a round toit and got things done.
I have an unfinished painting and an unfinished story. I have an unfinished life. So do you. Life is unfinished business. There is always something to do. There is always more peace, grace and beauty to be made. Isn't that a wonderful thing?
DB - The Vagabond
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Weekend Puzzle Answer
A minimalist cryptogram
1 = ONE, WON
P. M. = EVENING
AZURE = BLUE
O = RING
U = YOU
R = ARE
& = AND
2 = TOO
B'S GHH GH1 TXTPE P.M.
I'M ALL ALONE EVERY EVENING
GHH GH1 ZTTHBFI AZURE
ALL ALONE FEELING BLUE
1L'O CATPT U R & AYC U R
WOND'RING WHERE YOU ARE AND HOW YOU ARE
& BZ U R GHH GH1 2.
AND IF YOU ARE ALL ALONE TOO.
BPXBFI NTPHBF
IRVING BERLIN
DB
9 comments:
I keep trying to get it that most of my time is spent on things that are never finished--much of it, what used to be called women's work. It's still often work women do, but more folks are scared to call it that anymore.
I keep trying to do a load of laundry so well that it never needs to be done again. I want to clean that junk drawer out so it never accumulates junk again. If, after sixty+ years of trying, I've still not managed to clean the bathroom ONCE AND FOR ALL, you'd think I'd give up. I'm seeking the ultimate in bathroom peace, truth, and beauty, dang it!
Noticed that you tagged this with 'grace and peace'. I do think that is what this entry was about, the individual's search for both things.
LOL I am laughing at Nane's comment. Her ultimate bathroom. I have heard of the round "toit" before. This was inspiring. I think a lot of people don't know what inspires them, what gives them peace, what even makes them happy. I am working on defining these things and adding them to my life and my life has gotten so much happier and much more peaceful. Val xox
I love your humour Nance and I, too, am looking for the place that self cleans, especially the bathroom, kitchen and dishes. Now that would bring a lot of peace to my life. Would also save me a mountain of time so that I did not have to procrastinate about cleaning them. Time I could free up for other important things in my life. There is always something to do and perhaps now I will look at some of my chores in a different light so that cleaning my bathroom or washing my dishes will bring more peace, grace and beauty into my life. Oh yes I will have to work for them and maybe, just maybe it could turn out be a wonderful thing. You might be on to something here db. Now excuse me while I go and empty the cat box as it seems I need more peace and certainly scent free beauty in my life today.
Okay Nance, Val and Pacifica, let's put our heads together and see if we can come up with the self=cleaning house. What a boon tht would be.
D
Big Marks 243 thoughts were mind when I read your site. Hey DB now you know what we've been going through for a month with the heat and humidity in SC. I keep waiting and praying that we'll see some snow coming our way, but won't hold my breath waiting on it here. Take care.
First, thanks for the reminder of those hilarious Pigeon sisters. And next I want to proffer my respect for your honesty and seemingly fearless way of expressing what lies in the depths of us fragile humans. I do admire your ability to see the positive side of "things left undone".
As long as we have unfinished business, we have reason to keep toiling in this life :o)
A very good lesson!
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