I just realized I never explained the title of my blog!
My colleague Michael, who attended the Global Politics of Food lecture with me, as I showed him the post at work this week.
Well, prettyhowtown is a poem by e.e. cummings. One of many favorites by this poet, however, the ambiguity of this particular poem always touches me. I can't explain how or why ambiguity could possibly "touch" me - but that is perhaps the mystical beauty of e.e. cummings' poetry.
Here is the poem:
anyone lived in a pretty how town by E. E. Cummings
anyone lived in a pretty how town
(with up so floating many bells down)
spring summer autumn winter
he sang his didn't he danced his did
Women and men(both little and small)
cared for anyone not at all
they sowed their isn't they reaped their same
sun moon stars rain
children guessed(but only a few
and down they forgot as up they grew
autumn winter spring summer)
that noone loved him more by more
when by now and tree by leaf
she laughed his joy she cried his grief
bird by snow and stir by still
anyone's any was all to her
someones married their everyones
laughed their cryings and did their dance
(sleep wake hope and then)they
said their nevers they slept their dream
stars rain sun moon
(and only the snow can begin to explain
how children are apt to forget to remember
with up so floating many bells down)
one day anyone died i guess
(and noone stooped to kiss his face)
busy folk buried them side by side
little by little and was by was
all by all and deep by deep
and more by more they dream their sleep
noone and anyone earth by april
wish by spirit and if by yes.
Women and men(both dong and ding)
summer autumn winter spring
reaped their sowing and went their came
sun moon stars rain
This poem reminds me of my hometown, Geneseo, in Illinois. It reminds me that nothing matters and that gives me freedom to make every and anything matter.
I don't mean "nothing matters" in a bad/scary nihilistic way, by the way. I mean that in examining the nature of what I think of as reality, which includes an objective world that exists independent of me, where judgements like "good," "bad," "right," "wrong," don't exist; where I, as an identity, is a collection of characteristics, attributes, and experiences from the past who puts these judgements on situations and things. So to explore this nature of reality and take apart these myths I've created in "my" reality, something else becomes possible. A reality completely void of meaning and therefore totally open to me to be grateful for it or to love it how much or little I want.
As a result of remembering the nature of reality, I see that I no longer need to be confined to living within the limited range of myths or "realities" I've created, and I gain the freedom to express myself fully.
So how does this relate to a blog??
Well, I wanted to write a blog for awhile.
I've wanted to express myself transparently.
Be a part of this community and have a voice.
Well, I've held back for a long time, I thought myself out of it time and again.
Then I realized, it doesn't matter.
It just doesn't matter.
But, yet, to me, it matters a lot.
This little blog is my accountability and inspiration to live an examined life, down to the soybeans I eat and the glass of water I drink in the middle of the night when no one is looking. This little blog connects me to my friends who I can't see everyday and new friends who share common values and goals. This little blog is my prettyhowtown, and I am the Pretty How Town Girl! :)
