A Thing By Any Other Name
I have great difficulty in determining what is truly important. I can be very self-centered, and judge importance in terms of how the thing or event affects me, and those whom I love. While I know abstractly that global warming, the credit crisis, rising unemployment and the duplicity of politicians are much more important than my photographs of my children and grandchildren and those few remaining pieces of depression glass that I managed to salvage from the wreckage of my mother's life, I'm pretty sure that I would shed more tears over the loss of those photos and cups than I would over the failure of another bank or brokerage house. (I am also pretty sure that the previous sentence was way too long.)
I will illustrate my lack of sense of perspective with a small example of a recent Z-Meltdown. I had a glass statuette of a three-headed, winged dragon that I prized. It sat on a special stand in front of the window in our living room. It had no great monetary value, but it sparkled in the sunlight and pleased me every time I looked at it. And then, one fateful day, Hubby reached across it to open the blinds and KNOCKED IT OFF THE TABLE AND IT SHATTERED INTO TOO MANY PIECES TO REASSEMBLE (he had broken it before, but into only two pieces, which he was able to mend). I screeched and swore and cried like someone had been killed in front of my eyes. Hubby was defensive and I was unforgiving. We were both unhappy for the rest of the day. Then, at some point, I realized that the glass dragon was just a FUCKING THING, but my husband was the man I love and treasure and need more than any mere object. I apologized, we snuggled, and all was well. I will try hard to remember this example, and save my hysterics for something truly important, like a speeding comet heading straight for Wall Street. OH SHIT!
I will illustrate my lack of sense of perspective with a small example of a recent Z-Meltdown. I had a glass statuette of a three-headed, winged dragon that I prized. It sat on a special stand in front of the window in our living room. It had no great monetary value, but it sparkled in the sunlight and pleased me every time I looked at it. And then, one fateful day, Hubby reached across it to open the blinds and KNOCKED IT OFF THE TABLE AND IT SHATTERED INTO TOO MANY PIECES TO REASSEMBLE (he had broken it before, but into only two pieces, which he was able to mend). I screeched and swore and cried like someone had been killed in front of my eyes. Hubby was defensive and I was unforgiving. We were both unhappy for the rest of the day. Then, at some point, I realized that the glass dragon was just a FUCKING THING, but my husband was the man I love and treasure and need more than any mere object. I apologized, we snuggled, and all was well. I will try hard to remember this example, and save my hysterics for something truly important, like a speeding comet heading straight for Wall Street. OH SHIT!
5 comments:
Z... great post. Sometimes it's important to put objects in their perspective, no matter how beloved, and give priority to what's important -- the people in your life that you love. Brava!
That's it in a nut shell.
But there is a tad more - since I make things I tend to consider objects in two biggie groups: 1. Things made by individuals and, 2. Mass consumption things.
My creations are an extension of me. They represent my time and effort upon the Planet. And while I don't think most of these objects will survive forever, some just might last a few generations. And while they last, so does a part of me.
Egotistical? Perhaps. I consider myself an artist and I don't do much self importance horn blowing other than I just make things. Oh, and it's not important if my name goes along with my things...
So, when the comet strikes Wall St., along with the vaporization of the flim-flam guys there will be the destruction of many things that hang on walls or rest in galleries that are the product of someone's hands.
It didn't take you long to see what really mattered. Good for you!
The first (longest sentence in the world), yeah...that's me.
As far as the lost of your three headed dragon...I can feel the lost and I think it is okay to feel the lost of a material item, as long as you come to terms with it later...As you did. Love you.
Something similar happened to me about a year ago, my husband broke a little green powder dish and all I had left was the lid - it was my grandmother's and it had happened on accident - but eventually I figured it was a thing that I would live without as it was gone.
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