Monday, April 18, 2016

Arizona

I met an interesting young woman when I got my tires changed today. She explained to me that the rubber in my sneakers prevented me from completing the energy cycle with the earth, and thus I lose energy while walking, unlike herself, who gains energy while walking because of her leather soles. She traveled 80 miles round-trip for a good deal on two tires. She also revealed to me things I didn't know about gypsies and Scandinavians. She speaks eight languages and can detect when Italian food has been made with metal cookware instead of glass bowls and wooden spoons. She didn't get around to explaining to me what Jesus really meant, though I feared at every turn that was coming next.

I gave no word of contradiction to any of it.




I will add that she talked about other subjects that she got moderately right. The Finns in New Ipswich. Orthodox Jews. It was just weird that she went so quickly to gypsies, Scandinavians, and languages where I actually have a little knowledge that could so easily contradict her. I liked her, though more in retrospect than at the time. She seemed a bright, untrained mind. Well-meaning, kindly. Just kind of ding-y.

5 comments:

james said...

Leather soles? Dead animal bits? I missed where that part changed to be OK.

Sam L. said...

Not to mention, rubber comes from trees, though nowadays there are all those evil oil-derived plastics in it.

Assistant Village Idiot said...

When you are heavily into Native American stuff you get to trump-card over all that vegan stuff. Also, she works in a diner, which would be a conflict.

Sam L. said...

They are not troubled by their own contradictions, for they recognize them not. Not to mention the cultural appropriation!

james said...

Ram Dass had become an archetype, a metaphor himself. Kids followed him to India, around India. The Indians were a bit bewildered. “The young Americans,” they said, “dance and sing kirtan all day.” Kirtan are religious chants and songs. “But they’re so young. Don’t they know the stages? First you’re a student, then you go into a profession or a business, then you become a householder, then your household grows up and doesn’t need you any more, and then you go do kirtan all day.” _Powers of Mind_