 Open Mic Wednesday |
 Blog For Free! Archives Home 2007 May 2006 October 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 March 2005 February 2005 January 2004 November 2004 October 2004 September 2004 August 2004 July 2004 June 2004 May 2004 April 2004 March 2004 February My Links Filbert The Jongleur tBlog My Profile Send tMail My tFriends My Images Sponsored Blog  
|
posted by: lindy (reply) post date: 04.06.05 (8:56 pm) I always have the easiest (and most precious) default in the world... I'd be scooping up kids and cats, an arm full to be sure... Materially... since I can't carry my extra snuggly kind size bed... I will go with my photo albums and yearbooks. And my music... oh man! *sock in the gut... what about my vinyl?!?!?!!?!?!?!?! posted by: juniperflux (reply) post date: 04.06.05 (9:02 pm) Reply to: lindy I always have to decide that no music will go... choosing only one or two cds would, for me, be like choosing between one of my kids. How could I take some and not the other? It's like a REALLY superficial Sophie's Choice - minus all the oscar potential of course. :) Speaking of which, good choice taking the kids. They'll be releaved. :) Thanks for being here tonight. You rock, my friend. j posted by: juniperflux (reply) post date: 04.06.05 (9:03 pm) Reply to: juniperflux *ahem* Of course, I mean relieved above. Just testing you. j posted by: lindy (reply) post date: 04.06.05 (9:07 pm) Reply to: juniperflux at least you didn't spell it R-O-L-A-I-D-S... hahaha. No music eh? wow. When my marriage ended, I gave up all the furniture, household items, cars, everything as long as I could have the msuic. I'd say I got the better end of the deal... thank you for having me here. :) I enjoyed this post as it got me all kinds of thinking and feeling. posted by: cmaze (reply) post date: 04.06.05 (9:12 pm) Wow. This post was actually quite moving. While I have yet to read the novel of which you speak, I can relate very much to what you have explained. I love the way you finish with "we can blame it on Steinbeck." Anyway, I find myself wanting to answer this question of importance. I have never been materialistic myself, but on the same note, there are thos things that may be material, but are filled with the magic of life. At this point in my life, I really do not know what I would take with me. I believe that I would leave most, if not all, material things behind...for none are essential to me. The only things that I have to take are my memories. Mostly, the memories of the pictures I took with my mom at a young age, the postcards I had recieved, the music I listened to, and the poetry I had written that was destroyed by anothers hand so long ago. This experience was the most important role that had been played in my life. I learned the meaning of 'importance' and 'essential' with such vividness that I almost cracked. In fact, I did crack. That is what I will always have though, the good times. The pictures, postcards, music, friends, and family. I need nothing else. posted by: juniperflux (reply) post date: 04.06.05 (9:16 pm) Reply to: lindy Well... if I could take ALL my music, believe me, it's going... but when boiling it down to two things, I'd just rather have none. Plus... it could all be replaced, I think. It might be hard... but it could. posted by: juniperflux (reply) post date: 04.06.05 (9:18 pm) Reply to: cmaze Chris... you seem surprised that it's moving?? :) Seriously, your response is thoughtful and thought provoking. You've adopted a zen aesthetic that I admire. I know the true valuables are really in me... but sometimes I think I lack the confidence to see them. Thanks for stopping by... And than you Lindy for leading this horse to water. j posted by: BerlinBear (reply) post date: 04.07.05 (12:30 am) Reply to: juniperflux Oh thank goodness. I was already beginning to wonder whether lindy's kids were trees. But then, I wouldn't be that surprised, now that I know that lindy is an egg and a teletubbie impersonator. ;-) posted by: BerlinBear (reply) post date: 04.07.05 (12:35 am) OK, so first things first, I have no idea what I would take. I would *definitely* leave behind my thesis. It would be the perfect excuse. As for what I'd take, no idea. But what actually made me respond to this post was this line: "In it, the migrant workers, (who have been forced off their land at the hand of the great drought they cannot combat, the failure of a stock market they do not understand and a system of corporate ownership that values profits over humanity)" When you boil it down like that, Steinbeck looks like an omniscient prophet. I'm sure he'd be dismayed to see how right he got it. That had not really struck me when I read it a few years ago. Great novel though. I can also recommend "Travels with Charley" by the same author. posted by: juniperflux (reply) post date: 04.07.05 (1:16 am) Reply to: BerlinBear Clearly, you two have a relationship I do not understand. :) posted by: juniperflux (reply) post date: 04.07.05 (1:19 am) Reply to: BerlinBear First of all... I had to laugh at your comment regarding your thesis. Well put. And secondly... I think Steinbeck would be a bit dismayed, although I find Grapes to be a scathing commentary of all thing capitalist.. which is what lead to much of the controversy that has swarmed around it for the 65+ years in which it has sat in judgement of a system that clearly does not work. In short, I think he'd hate that he was right, but wouldn't be terribly surprised. Thanks for the comment. j posted by: BerlinBear (reply) post date: 04.07.05 (2:30 am) Reply to: juniperflux Sorry, you need to read my comments on Lindy's latest post about lace to make any sense of that at all. The trees thing was a reference to your typo, which had Lindy's kids being re-leaved. Or maybe you got that and are just taking the piss? I'm lost, and it's my comment. How must the others feel? posted by: juniperflux (reply) post date: 04.07.05 (2:43 am) Reply to: BerlinBear Na... Lindy's relationships are something I usually attempt to avoid understanding... it's better that way. Releaved... *sigh* :) You're a funny guy. j posted by: BerlinBear (reply) post date: 04.07.05 (2:46 am) Reply to: juniperflux Why thank you. *gracious bow* posted by: BerlinBear (reply) post date: 04.07.05 (2:47 am) Oh, and, I have just dedicated a post to you which I thought you'd like, given our linguistic-type discussions the other day posted by: juniperflux (reply) post date: 04.07.05 (3:50 am) Reply to: BerlinBear Ooooooh! How lovely. I hardly ever get posts dedicated to me, you know? *rubs hands together* j posted by: chicalookate (reply) post date: 04.07.05 (9:15 am) I see journals from all over the world and the one of the subjects covered frequently is that of the numerous refugees in the world. Not something we see in the U.S. press. These are people who are often lucky to escape with their lives, let alone any possessions. It makes one realize how lucky we are. If I had to flee or my house was on fire I can't think of much I would grab. My cat, a few photos and that is about it. I have made an effort to purge a lot of my material possessions. Even my books and music I know I could probably replace if I wanted. Great post btw posted by: surrogate (reply) post date: 04.07.05 (5:23 pm) My life has forced me to make such choices in the past few years. In the end I decided, in fact, on two things and let all the rest go - though some of the booty still exists in the homes of relatives and friends. My choices were simple though once I got to thinking about it, and I've not regretted making the decision that lead to parting with my material things. It's taught me that they really didn't mean as nuch to me as I thought they did all those years. Hell, I don't even really miss even the things that I once thought of as symbolic of my life and it's rich past. I got to choose two things. And what's funny is that had I opted to keep the rest, I'd have lost what I kept...and I think I got the better end of the deal. I kept my mind, and I kept my heart. posted by: adpierin11 (reply) post date: 04.08.05 (6:20 am) as long as i have my family, my friends, and my dog (s) then I am fine.... posted by: juniperflux (reply) post date: 04.09.05 (10:21 pm) Reply to: chicalookate Thanks, Kate... you make an excellent point about refugees and the fact that the only news we ever hear about them is usually something spun to make a point about imigration. Thanks for your comment. As always, insightful. j posted by: juniperflux (reply) post date: 04.09.05 (10:23 pm) Reply to: surrogate Clearly, those are the things that really matter. It's tough, I find, to let go of things that are dipped in specific memories. Even touching them seems to transport me back to a certain spot and moment. But... in the end, it's not the *thing* that matters, but the who and why. That said, I think you made the right choice, kiddo. j posted by: juniperflux (reply) post date: 04.09.05 (10:24 pm) Reply to: adpierin11 True. Although sometimes I might be tempted to put my dogs at the head of that list. ;-) j posted by: surrogate (reply) post date: 04.10.05 (9:48 am) Reply to: juniperflux I agree with your comment, though, thankfully, I've found I don't need the "things" to keep the memories alive, warm, and just as cherished as they've ever been. posted by: newbie (reply) post date: 04.14.05 (5:21 pm) Reply to: BerlinBear loooooool. Trees? hahahaha... whatever do you mean, Mr. Bear?!?!?! hahahahaha.... posted by: newbie (reply) post date: 04.14.05 (5:22 pm) Reply to: juniperflux psssssttt... I don't understand it either. ;) |
|
There is a scene in John Steinbeck's [u]The Grapes of Wrath[/u] that breaks my heart. In it, the migrant workers, (who have been forced off their land at the hand of the great drought they cannot combat, the failure of a stock market they do not understand and a system of corporate ownership that values profits over humanity), must make choices about what things they will carry with them on their journey to a new life many thousands of miles away. Their plight is made even more desperate by the fact that the space to carry belongings on the journey is very limited, so often only the bare necessities can be gathered up... the rest are burned in a primitive ceremony that allows the simple people to pretend that they have control over at least one aspect of their fate.