Ramblings. As in: Have Words -Will Ramble. As in: Ramble: to write or talk aimlessly or without sequence of ideas, to proceed with turns and twists; meander As In: observances of an everyday life in passing through the spectrum of extraordinary.
COLLECTING
Saturday, August 19, 2006
Present Day- Current Hour
December 10, 2006 - 6:54 PM
(Disregard that blogtime.)
There's an old song that asks "Where have you been, Billy boy, Billy boy - oh where have you been . . . ."
And for no particular reason it's playing in my head this morning. Then I pull up these journal pages and realize - hmmmm, well now - where have I been and where are my words to prove it? Where are the trail of syllable's that mark the path and lead me back home again.
It's been a busy year. On the road months. I've traveled from Nashville to California to Montreal to Florida to Colorado, New Mexico, Arkansas, to Texas and home again. For a little while. And home is a good and glorious place to be. San Francisco is a grand city, Montreal is full of magic, and Texas has been so good to me - and yet, Nashville still captures my heart.
SideBAR
Let me remind all those people that have just moved to Nashville or might be thinking of moving to Nashville that Sister and I have one simple rule about transplants (and we understand because we've been transplanted) - if you're not nice when you get here - that's okay. Just get nice in a hurry. And if you happen to be really famous, I mean really household word famous, relax. If someone asks if you just might be well, you - you don't have to deny it. Just wink and say, "maybe." Chances are they don't even want your autograph but just want to say hi and to ask you how your Momma is.
My wonderful Uncle John was a dead ringer for a young Charleton Heston. They both lived in the same time and generation so that when Mr. Heston was a famous movie star and in his heyday - my Uncle became a bit famous in his own right. Walking down the streets of Miami in his sunglasses he was frequently stopped and asked for autographs. If he denied that he was Mr. Heston people became angry and felt that were being put off. So he did the only right thing under the circumstances - he begin signing autographs. Yes, I know, I know. Somewhere there are family members who have saved these treasures and perhaps have them framed, displayed prominently in their living rooms that aren't worth a whole lot to a lot of people but maybe me. (I'd love to have Uncle John's signature as his alter ego.) But I like to think that on some particular day in time he gave them something worth more than a signature. He gave them a story. They were able to go home and tell their families who they had met the Charlton Heston and about how he had looked, how he had sounded, what he had said - and show them proof!
Present Day- Current Hour
My friend the famous author Robert Hicks, Widow of the South, enquired last night if I collected anything. I had to respond, "No, but I think about collecting." I haven't to date because I have a marked tendency to lose things and if you are a serious collector I don't think that is a good sign. But when I was alone again and driving home I thought about things that I would like to collect and the first thing that came to mind was black holes. (for fun - visit black holes at www.nsf.gov ) Yes, it's true and it's one of those thoughts that my husband (Mr. Wonderful) would strongly suggest I don't tell people. But hey, read my books and I don't think the workings of my mind will strike you the least bit strange. I think black holes are going to come in handy in the future and it might help to have a few to spare. Of course, maybe that's where all my stuff is going that keeps turning up - gone. But the fact is, I don't want to collect things so much as I want to capture something. A piece of the past perhaps. Antique Timepieces, a stone from the Berlin Wall, a cigarette case from the flapper 20s, an ancient rosary, old books. I like things that have been touched by human hands. That have traveled this old world along with the rest of us carrying stories along the way. I am captivated most by the essence of the fact that we are alive and are connected to all those who came before us and those who will come after us. Both in story and in spirit. So for now, I'm collecting precious stories in my pockets. I've discovered they are the one thing I never lose.
posted by River Jordan at 8:56 AM
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