The Leaping Thought: Innocence

From David Rakoff's Essay - Hidden People

It isn't pleasant to have my bluff as thoroughly called. My idle claim of being a translucent-skinned neurasthenic who cares nothing for sunlight is incontrovertibly shattered after a mere ten minutes of ambling through the duty-free shop at Keflavík airport in Iceland at ten in the morning. The November sky outside is still as dark as four a.m., precisely the time it would be for me if I were still back in New York. But I am not back in New York and should, by all rights, be enjoying that cognitive dissonance that is the happy dividend of transatlantic air travel: the European day, brightly risen and well under way six hours before its time. I find myself existentially, spirit-robbingly sad as I look over the shelves of vacuum-packed salmon, tinned smoked puffin, lumpfish caviar, and licorice, waiting for a ride in Reykjavík. By the time I have been in Iceland for an hour I am a walking Edvard Munch lithograph. All is blackness in my heart as well as outside the windows of the bus during the hour-long trip into town. The vehicle fishtails wildly, buffeted by inhospitable winds. When I get back to New York, I think to myself, I shall never again denigrate the light. I will start a letter-writing campaign to institute National Photosynthesis Day. I will join a tanning salon.

"To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting.

e.e. cummings (1894-1962) American poet, painter, essayist author and playwright.
_______

To kiss a forehead is to erase worry

To kiss a forehead is to erase worry.
I kiss your forehead.

To kiss the eyes is to lift sleeplessness.
I kiss your eyes.

To kiss the lips is to drink water.
I kiss your lips.

To kiss a forehead is to erase memory.
I kiss your forehead.

Marina Tsvetaeva (1892-1941) Russian poet and writer.
_______

"You know, Hobbes, some days even my lucky rocket ship underpants don't help."
Bill Watterson.

_______

"I generally avoid temptation unless I can't resist it."
Mae West

_______

Some quotes by Terry Pratchett

"It is often said that before you die your life passes before your eyes. It is in fact true. It's called living."

"They say a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but it's not one half so bad as a lot of ignorance."

"It's not worth doing something unless you were doing something that someone, somewhere, would much rather you weren't doing."

"Only in our dreams are we free. The rest of the time we need wages."

"In ancient times cats were worshiped as gods; they have not forgotten this."

1.9.08

Innocence

So the husband and the kid are watching The Deep, that would be the 1977 movie with Jacqueline Bisset and Nick Nolte. Remember the famous wet t-shirt scene? Quite frankly, it's a racy film for a not quite there yet four year old, but M. wants to watch it and so he adlibs the action into G-rated fare for R's benefit.

Jacqui's character is now lying on the bed looking all golden and beautiful. She has the air of a woman who wants to be kissed. Nolte is a yummylicious God, all shirtless and leaning over her. He looks like he's going to oblige...

R: What are they doing?

M: He's looking at her nose hairs.

R: Oohhh...

From the tone of R's voice, I could tell of course that this explanation made perfect sense.

14 comments:

AnonymousSeptember 1, 2008 at 7:27 PM
Brillante!!!! My congrats to the ever creative husband who answers matter of factly with the truth. Ale
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flutterSeptember 2, 2008 at 12:11 AM
HA! That rocks!
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Melissa DonovanSeptember 2, 2008 at 3:16 AM
That's a cute and funny story. Reminds me of all the crazy things my mom used to tell me to cover up grown-up stuff!
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AnonymousSeptember 2, 2008 at 6:44 AM
That was pretty quick thinking!
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Gypsy at HeartSeptember 2, 2008 at 11:26 AM
Ale, the hubby is nothing if not a master of literal, yet another reason why he makes such a good lawyer.

Flutter: Ain't he smart?

Melissa: Like what? I need some help here.

Thomas: Indeed. I, myself am about a thousand times slower.
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exskindiverSeptember 3, 2008 at 8:17 AM
that is too funny.
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SSeptember 3, 2008 at 8:58 AM
That's the funniest thing I've read in a while.

Thank you!
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suzanneelizabeths.comSeptember 3, 2008 at 3:02 PM
I can just picture him saying that with this perfectly serious look on his face, and then looking up at you with a twinkle in his eye!
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Gypsy at HeartSeptember 3, 2008 at 6:08 PM
Chesca: it was funnier in person.

Sarah: Glad it made you laugh.

Suzanne: Knowing him in person I'm sure you can.
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Ron DavisonSeptember 3, 2008 at 6:09 PM
Chesca,
I'm not sure that anything can be too funny but then again, I have been known to laugh at inappropriate times.

Milena,
This suggests a whole new channel - one with movies being shown while quick thinking parents gloss over the real dramatic tension. "He's just trying to get his gum back from her," or, "he's just holding her down so that she doesn't hurt herself during her seizure."
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Gypsy at HeartSeptember 3, 2008 at 6:12 PM
Why Ron, I see you're not a novice to this adlibing either. Of course, you've had a longer time to practice than we have. I shall appropriate the seizure explanation. As my friend Ale said: Brillante!
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AnonymousSeptember 3, 2008 at 7:52 PM
oh ron, put a sock in it.
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AnonymousSeptember 3, 2008 at 7:54 PM
This is great! It reminded me of all the movies we sat through with my daughter and all the quick answers we came up with! We ended up with an incredibly funny, great daughter who is an English major, working on her MBA! When she was 8 or 9 she would beg us to let her watch To Kill a Mockingbird over and over and over.....
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Gypsy at HeartSeptember 4, 2008 at 4:22 AM
Michel! Did you really? What progressive parents you and your wife must have been. I hope with everything in me that my son might grow up to emulate your daughter. Putting to Kill a Mockingbird on my netflix queue as I write. Do you think four is too young? ;-)

Ron, Chesca: I love it that you guys make me feel like Cce here in my blog. Reminds me of the good old days when whole conversations would roll along in her commentary sections. That used to be so much fun...
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