Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Hanging, perching, ending & revealing

Sodom and Gomorrah had pillars of salt left in their wake. Lake Washington has my shadow trapped within a pillar of rock more-or-less within its wake. Unless something sort of unique or unusual happens in the next few days (weeks ??), this will be my last photograph for a while. It seems appropriate. A shadow, I mean, more than faceless as I have been on the sea of blogs, and, now, only a silhouette left by the sun upon a stone pillar on the porch of the Lake House. Even on days without the sun and in times long after I have departed this place, I like to think my shadow will remain here until the stone pillar has crumbled into dust. We all become part of every place we have been and of every person we have met.

Odin & Christ & hanging around

The poem from which a pair of stanzas were posted yesterday is from Old Norse mythology (or Old Norse religion, if you prefer), with these particular lines describing how Odin, the chief god of the stone-age Germanic culture (Odin = Wodan or Wotan) -- which spread into what today is Scandinavia and from which these stories evolved -- hung from a tree for nine days.

In this lore, unlike Jesus Christ, who was hung from a cross to ensure the possibility of salvation and life everlasting for mankind, Odin hung from the tree as the price required to gain wisdom. Both these two men/gods, apparently, were there by personal choice. Personal choice = free will (or not).

An interesting comparison of cultural thought and values, it seems to me.

Thinking about a place to perch

The title of yesterday's post, you might recall, was "Just hanging out here & there." As I have mentioned in the past, this Lake House is my fifth place of residence during the nine months of 2010 which have so far come and gone, and next month there will be still another one. I could extend my stay here, in this Lake House, but that is unlikely. I have no reason to do so.

During the next week or two, I have a few decisions to make. For that reason, I will not be here as often as I have the last few months. This does not mean I will disappear, but that I want to detach myself a bit and return to the real world to concentrate on the immediate future.

I still have this crazy idea that I would like to "hole up" for a year with a companion and spend most of my time writing and talking and reading and watching the clouds fly by overhead. But, sometimes things do not turn out to be as uncomplicated as you expect them to happen. A bit of stability in my life would be nice to experience again for at least a few months. I think I could use a place to perch a while.

Some stories never have an ending

A number of years ago, a rather well-known Midwestern novelist had me send the first draft of a novel I had written to his New York agent. "Tell her I said to put it on my tab," he told me.

I sent the manuscript. When it returned, the agent had written that while my writing was quite good, the story lacked an adequate ending and needed work in that regard before she would consider trying to find a publisher for it.

"Every story must have a beginning, a middle and an end," she wrote to me. "Your story has no ending."

"Neither will the story of my life," I wrote her back.

But, I also thanked her, continued to correspond with the Midwestern novelist until his mind left him and put my own story into a box. It has never left the box, so I guess it never will have an ending, either.

I probably should not, but I will anyway

I probably should not mention this, but, I will. I received an email from my ex-second wife (or, should that be second ex-wife) today. She wrote and asked me (facetiously, jokingly, laughingly) why I had not told her a film had been made about my life.

She went on to explain that a new movie -- "RED" -- was being released next week. RED = retired extremely dangerous. Ah, yes, those were the days, my friend, we thought they would never end .... whoops. There I go trying to sing again.

It might surprise you to know my ex-second-wife or second-ex-wife, whichever you prefer, and I get along very well. Actually, we did everything well together except live well together inside the same house. Now that we are no longer married, I actually like her and she likes me. But, love is a very, very, very separate question.

I guess that means I am pretty good at being an "ex." Life is strange. So, then, please "ex"-cuse me while I comtemplate hanging from a tree as I try to write an ending to my story and look for a place to perch with someone other than my ex-ex.


Whatever, no more games, anyone, everyone. Shadows do not last forever unless captured in stone pillars. Say goodbye or get serious ....

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Extremly good photo.You have much fantasy and creation in your mind.Continue with that.

Sad you are going away..i was hoping you sooner or later would come up with a photo of your beautiful face..

Have a good time Fram.And focus on the things that is good for you.


We will meet again.Hope so.


Kisses.

Fram Actual said...

You still must work on your English, Anita. I did not say I was going away. I said during "the next week or two, I have a few decisions to make" and "will not be here as often as I have (been) the last few months." This is very different from your interpretation.

The plans I did have for the next two months beginning next week have fallen apart, so I need to spend more hours thinking, plotting and scheming than I usually do, and that means less time here "for a week or two." I need to concentrate and to focus upon where I will go when I leave the Lake House, and what I will do.

Right now, I am going to town for a decent meal and to look at automobiles again. I still might buy a car to keep the Suburban company in the garage.

Yes, I agree that I do have "much fantasy and creation in (my) mind." Yes, for sure, I will continue that ....

Anonymous said...

Thank you Fram.Yes i know i have to study more english..Iam a lazy woman :)

Iam glad you are not leaving .I need your post.Very good and inspiring ,Specally that viking and norse thing..


I know you have an busy time thinking what to do..I understand.

Enjoy your meal and take care.


Kisses

Fram Actual said...

Yes, thank you, Anita.

Magda Machnicka said...

Hi :-)

What a nice place you live in at the moment, Frammy, I envy you. Especially this time a year makes it magical almost. Here we have a lot of sun, too, but no lake at all.

I wish you more days like that one you pictured!

Kaya said...

Fram, this is a very interesting photo. I like it a lot. . Trees and a little piece of sky and mostly shadows, and your silhouette...

You have a great imagination, very creative. This is a photography I would like to do one day but it's long way to go.

You wrote that you " still have this crazy idea that I would like to "hole up" for a year with a companion and spend most of my time writing and talking and reading and watching the clouds fly by overhead." I think I can understand it, especially reading and watching the clouds and of course talking and talking... Or just listening....

I saw the movie Red many years ago. There were all three parts of Polish director Krzysztof Kieslowski's ( an excellent director) THREE COLORS trilogy, RED, WHITE, and BLUE. I saw only Red and Blue. Great movies.

And I agree that life is strange....

Fram Actual said...

Yes, it is a very nice place, Mag, but it will only be my home for about three more weeks. Time is like a river, and no one has yet found a way to dam its flow. I will try to enjoy it while I have it.

And, yes, it is very beautiful around here this time of the year. A few more maple trees and it would be even better. I am such a baby. It seems like I am never satisfied with what is, and always want more.

Thank you, for your wish, Mag. May autumn last for weeks and weeks for you in Poland.

Fram Actual said...

Thank you, for the compliments, Kaya. The photograph is pretty good. I think it would have been better had I cropped it, but I seldom do that with the photos I post here. My photos usually are present simply for information or as an illustration for a story, rather than for visual effect.

Yes, great imagination and very creative. That is me. I also am the last of the romantics, and extremely humble !!!! I am making fun of myself now, but, sincerely, thank you.

I had this place of which I wrote. It is the place I call my "Sanctuary / Refuge," but it went away when my marriage went away. I miss life in the country -- quiet walks in the evening, watching birds and animals every single day, and living in the midst of Nature as the seasons pass by me. Some day, it will be that way again for me.

This film, this "RED," is not the one to which you refer. This one is new, and will not even be released until October 15.

I have not seen the work you mention, but I have heard of it. My understanding is that your film is genuine art, while the one I mention, I am led to believe, will be primarily comedic and pretty much idiotic, pointless entertainment.

Such is life .... take care, and I hope things are getting better for you now.

Anonymous said...

Long hair, ehh? I knew it! This is exactly how I pictured you!
Shake Ben's paw for me, I am shaking yours (virtually)....
Will be away again as of this Saturday - Russian Federation as you may guess, duty calls....
P.S. Love shadows, have a few similar pictures from the Cloisters museum, will post them when I am back...
All my best to you, Fram,
Natalie

Anonymous said...

"...we did everything well together except live well together inside the same house..." - I think there is a contradiction in this statement, Fram, many people expect just that from life, to do things well together... As to Love.... everyone knows it's fleeting... shadows of it make memories...
Be well,
Nat

Fram Actual said...

I began allowing my hair to grow when I left the newspaper in May 2009, Natalie. How much longer I will wear it this way, I do not know. Perhaps, I should become fashionable and shave my head.

Yes, Russian girl, travel safely, and I hope you will find everything satisfactory at your destination. I think I will be approaching the same manner of duty myself in the not too distant future.

Last June/July, I had some thoughts of possibly spending part of the winter in Moscow, but those thoughts more-or-less flew away and now I am thinking about sunny skies and warm waters. Maybe, even Cuba Libre -- but, the Gulf Stream is cold there, I recall.

Periodically, I have taken a photograph of my shadow. It never really seems to change, and I like that element of it. Yes, I would like to see your shadow photos from the Cloisters museum.

It could be that I am one of the few to whom love is not fleeting. I must think about that more.

Thank you, for coming by and visiting a while.

Something special ....