I had taken
the hint
that was in
the conversation
And which
you were probably
hoping
to discuss
Forgive me
it was obvious
so kind
even Operatic
--William Carlos Williams wrote the poem, "This is Just to Say."
I bastardized it here. So, props and apologies to the W.C.W.
12 comments:
Neat quote.
Well, for the first time in my life, my parents forgot my birthday. (I just turned 49!). Ah well.
I've been alone a lot of holidays, forgotten my birthday in the past (I was in school, the family was in Saudia working, with finals the days just blur, you know the drill).
Had some Christmas times that were worse than being alone, and then a number of years it was hard to face (like the one Heather had to hide a tree in her room that I bought her because we just couldn't take everything around Christmas).
This year was better, and I hope that the years to come are better for you.
Message from Stephen M (Ethesis)
E,
Thanks, I took liberties with W.C.'s poem clearly and couldn't preserve his elegance with my word choices, but they were words that needed to be there.
I'm glad you had a nice time. Don't you think your parents are more concerned with the grandkids birthdays at this point in their lives? My dad has forgotten mine a few times, mom never does. (It makes her sad)
Christmas was not bad at all. Just different.
The Eve was bad because of all the drama of not going and then going and then not going and then fighting with mom about not going and the self-disgust at my inability to function like an adult and take care of myself and my responsibilities. And I hated that I made her upset and my sister sad and my dad disappointed and was missing my family. I got over it the next day and enjoyed myself by picking me up one of those jews and some chinese food. We skipped the movie which I'm told is the typical thing for jewish people to do on Christmas
Message from JL
"We skipped the movie which I'm told is the typical thing for jewish people to do on Christmas"
I'm learning all sorts of things about ethnic stereotypes.
We always have Chinese Christmas Eve...
Message from Stephen M (Ethesis)
E,
So what would you say is the difference between 'typical' and 'stereotypical' as used in this context?
I read a NY Times story on it yesterday, that some restaurant owners were complaining that Christmas came on Saturday this year because that means they will just have their usual Saturday business. But when it's a weekday they get 3x their usual traffic because of this phenomenon.
My mom and the sibs started going to the movies as a Christmas tradition too.
Message from JL
So what would you say is the difference between 'typical' and 'stereotypical' as used in this context? hmm, I really don't know what the difference is, in this context, if any. My word choice is not near enough as good as yours in the rework of the poem (which I liked).
I've had a lot of Jewish friends over the years, but none were "typical" enough for me to know much about Jews as a group.
In my experience they are a good deal less thrifty than Mormons, delightful people, with a tinge of New York and a touch of Southern Europe. But then I didn't know that there were Jews in the world until I was older (I thought they had gone the way of the Romans or the Ptomleys, then I learned about the Holocaust, but the person teaching it to us told us all the Jews had been killed. I learned different when I was on my mission at age 20. So I'm not a good source for rumors, etc. on Jews. Jessica's best friend was a Jewish girl she went to school with, and we keep up with her family and her still.).
My last firm, where I was a partner before I moved to my current job, had two Jewish partners, both of whom fit the general stereotype of fiscally loose, delightful and charming, with New York in their backgrounds (the City in this case, rather than UpState).
That's about what I know.
Message from Stephen M (Ethesis)
Cat Under Blanket:
The other day it was minus 25 degrees. I am not a mormon, maybe this is why god is angry at me and makes outside leathal to my fragil human body. drat.
I grew up with mormons though, man were they crazy. So was I, we got along great. played sports and swam together and stuff, then sometimes we'd do psycedelic drugs and theyd tell me about the crazy cerfews in there towns. Some smart kids in amongst all the confusion.
I left that place, oh-alberta. now it's french outside, but warmer, so i figure god loves me more. probably. things have got pretty weird over the last several months, and that smells lke god to me. sounds like too. or so. god doesn't quite 'speak' to me but sometime you know what is being said. god thinks i should get mairred and stop getting into so much trouble. let me explain. (and noyeswhat? yes. i am crazy. but articulate, you got to give me credit for that.)
The Girl From the Movie Store.
there is a movie store on ave du parc where something very strange is going on. some sort of horrible eugenics program, where on the most astoundingly beautiful girls are aloud to survive and the probably all have lighting fast relexs that could smote yea mightily should thoust cast a glace askance from what is wholesome. or such. when i go in there i am very polite.
when last i went on chistmasday, in my lonesome misery, my very favorite girl was working. she has this crazy accent like the youthful mother goddes of all of north america, a sort of polydecendant pochihantas with the back bone of lilith should she ever find herslef where it was even the slightest less beautiful than the usual radiance that surrounds her. "that will be 4 dollors" she she says without even casting me a the slightest flicker of an eye. the girl at the cash next to her watched me disolve with relish, and perhaps a bit of hydrochloric acid.
i look at her and understand how jesus chirst our lord and saviour came into being withing the infallibilites of the laws of the universe. ever person is given a sort of expectation of who they will be, this is known as fate. a girl like this is destined to be an invisable godess working minimum wage in the american gehtoo of montreal, occasionally destroying or creating a life that otherwise would not be there. specifically, by who she is, her impact will be enourmous if maybe understated. i mean, where the hell did she learn to speak like that? really. like she would love to be spanked if she only knew what that was, like there is a wonderful vegan stew on the stove and that rip in your pants has been patched. the sort of voice that knows and understands all in the universe, and only get you to open jars to humour you. and yet the sort of voice that no one has ever really loved.
what did jesus sound like then? pretty cool i bet. not of his own accord, or even that much to do with genitics, but of what was to come i suppose. the light reflected of a billion eyes. but how many really see?
such is life and death and occasionally being crucifed and resurected. yay earth. the playgroud of spirtitual developement, or maybe where you teach the cat to be a drug addict.
no seriously. if any of you have ever tried to get a cat stoned, you now it doesn't really work. or, well, you know, sorta. but the other day i rolled up some catnip and smoked it at the cat and... he had a very good time. so there now we all know that too, cats will smoke, just only the good stuff.
ben
Message from orpheus
Hey JL,
Sorry to hear you missed your flight. You really deserved a break. I hope you can reschedule a flight sometime soon.
Message from El Chidote
El Chidote,
(You're House of Payne right? That looks like one of your post signatures.) Thank you. Yes, I promised my mother I would go in January. I have the whole month off. Our negotiations ended on the 24th 3 hours before my flight when I decided that because I'd have to spend as much for a reservation change to return home a day earlier as a whole new ticket would cost, I'd rather do that. Because otherwise I'd be shortening my trip to 5 days and would have to be grading during the whole Christmas thing instead of enjoying myself, which means I'd be hopped up on stress the entire time and a miserable person to be around, and then would return in a flurry of stress the morning the grades were due and rush from the airport to Columbus Circle that it would be a waste of money for me to make the change.
I told mom that I'd rather buy a new ticket later in January when I could relax and enjoy things and would be a more pleasant person to be around. If you look at that equation it was an easy decision. Except for the unhappiness it caused my family.
Message from JL
Hey JL,
By the way, this is the SCUBA diver from Utah.
Message from El Chidote
El C,
I'm SORRY! MY BAD. I remember you. I fit your 'list' and you're supposed to let me know if you're ever diving on the east coast. Glad you're still reading here.
Message from JL
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