In the endless splitting of potential worlds, a sphere exists where I am, just this moment, looking at my emptyish classroom walls (a cute arty project has yet to be assigned), pausing between attempts to photocopy something on the one 20something-year-old machine that is still working. "Just one period left," I say.
Or maybe I'm energetically making a dent in the pile of touchy-feely-differentiated tests that are a coup to administer but so time-consuming to grade. Maybe I'm breathing deeply because, hey, today was a good day. It was just one of those good days. How nice to have one again.
But I'm not in that sphere; instead, I decided to check the "Personal Illness" box and stay home. I grabbed an extra four hours of sleep and marveled that, no matter what all the party poopers say, Airborne really seems to work for me. I feel rested and great. I guess the district would prefer that I barf up the proverbial Ferris Bueller lung if I'm going to stay home, but isn't prevention the best medicine? (And if all I've done is delay the cold by a few days, well, that'll be my sucky weekend, won't it?)
Yes, I feel great. I may even rally the mental troops and bring in some construction paper for tomorrow. Grim is as grim does. Maybe some sunshine yellow cut-outs and the wielding of cut-rate glue sticks will turn my whole year around. (Something has to. It's only October and I'm actively researching potential transfer options for April.)
Meanwhile, I have ruined the lower left corner of the "Saint Paul - Côte d'Azur" postcard. Look below to see it in its former glory.
Do you ever grab a slim straight-edge and cruise it around the keyboard, gathering tufts of dust and hair that compressed air seems to miss? Do you ever find it hard to stop, always sure there's at least one more satisfying grey puff to extract? That's what happened to the corner of this postcard. I feel bad now. Let's see what the back says.
To: Mr. & Mrs. O. E. Stevens, 117C Versaille Circle, Towson, Maryland, 21204. ("117" doesn't map, but the "A" on the map is 119, next door. The "B" is 111.)
Date: 5 May 1987
Americans! Like me, who was a few months out of high school. Now the French collection will enter a stretch of dates where there will be no "oh, and I was doing this fun/poignant/odd thing." Until I move away from home in 10 months, my biggest adventures will be doing daily yoga, giving up refined sugar, and walking to the store everyday to check for new books and magazines, and hoping to have enough change for one or another. (I'll also run up phone bills to friends in Michigan and New Mexico that will wipe out whatever cash I've earned doing data entry for my parents' business.) I'd like to look back and pine for the healthy habits, but what if I had to take the emotional spending back, too? Or even just the phone calls, which I've come to hate? Better to be fat, I'll tell the part of me that lives in black and white.
"Dear Lil and Steve,
"This has been some trip! Much too expensive, but worth it. Since Venice we have driven to Florence, Pisa, San Gimignano, Bellaggio, Milan, Cannes, Moriago, and Nice. The last two days were spent in the Dordognes (the Boardwalk area). We are on the road now, going toward Paris. We have seen beautiful art, i.e. "David." However, "The Last Supper" was a great disappointment! We have met some lovely people, stayed in some interesting places, and been through traffic you wouldn't believe! N.Y. should be a piece of cake now! :)"
"Love, Vinie and Alan."
Details, Vinie and Alan! Why was "The Last Supper" disappointing? Why?
My guesses:
- The painting was in the middle of its major and controversial restoration. (I guess Vinie and Alan were there during a time when the painting was still sometimes available for viewing? I'm confused.) The restoration interfered with their enjoyment of the art.
- The painting still looked like this.
- The painting now looked more like this.
- They found the presence of a woman in the painting disconcerting (Da Vinci Code theory).
- They found the presence of papal rabbits in the painting disconcerting (South Park theory).
- Because the Da Vinci was under restoration, they had to content themselves with someone else's Last Supper, like maybe Dali's, or Rubens', or (NSFW and anachronistic to our card) "Yo Mama's Last Supper." Eek.
Maybe, with a little microscopic infrared technology, I can restore the corner of this postcard to its original "buy two get one free" revolving stand glory. Just as soon as I coax another split end from behind the space bar.
Comments