Talk About the One Reality
A quote from a Tom Robbins book had been going through my head. I remembered which book it was from, and even the basic section of the book -- Even Cowgirls Get The Blues in the clockworks. And while that book had been a sort of Bible for me for a long time, that was a long time ago and I don’t remember when the last time I read it was so I wasn’t sure exactly of the quote.
Waiting for the computer to connect, I noticed that the book was right there beside the computer. I flipped through it -- it wasn’t one of my annotated copies (the ones I’ve written and underlined all through). I decided to play the ‘I’ll open this book randomly and whatever it says will be exactly what I need to hear’ game with it.
It opened to the beginning of a chapter. The Chink is anointing Sissy’s thumbs. She asks him, “What do you believe in?” as in what do you REALLY believe in. He laughs his Chink laugh and is silent. She is moved to tears. Or, it makes her cry. “But her tears don’t dampen her lust.” Eventually they sleep. When she awakens, he is gone but has left a note, two notes, on two walls. One wall says, “I believe in everything; nothing is sacred.” The other wall says, “I believe in nothing; everything is sacred.”
(THE quote of course)
5 comments:
I was struck by "but tears don't dampen her lust". At the risk of invoking disbelief, what does this mean?
My interpretation would be "Sadness doesn't take the edge off her sexual appetite." (My first attempt at paraphrase was somewhat earthier, but not as universally acceptable.)
I'm reminded for some reason of the corny joke listed on the local diner's signboard a few years ago, "Good cowgirls always keep their calves together."
I believe in it all, sacred cows, sacred cowgirls, secular sermonizers... the whole shebang. On Wednesdays. I believe it all on Wednesdays. By Thursday night I'm having serious doubts, and by Saturday afternoon I'm a wholehearted all-round agnostic. On Sundays I suspend both belief and disbelief and eat beets with sour cream and dill, whether I believe in them or not. A minor sacrament, but a personal favourite.
Actually, he's not a member of my pantheon yet. Never read him. But I'll be sure to do that now.
Hey ladies, I love you. Mad cap, your comment made me clap my hands with glee: "Sadness doesn't take the edge off her sexual appetite." I am sure I was exposed to TR in high school and I am sure he corrupted me, but boy oh boy is he vanilla compared to Dali or de Sade. He is easy. Oh this is great fun. Oh yeah Madcap I also liked your comment: Good cowgirls always keep their calves together." I gotta post that on my front door!
You two remind me of my high school girl friends. Oh boy do I miss them. We used to draw and paint together and have great fun, even go out on the town together, after painting ourselves!
Guys think I am out of control and passionate. They are full of bullshit. I am quite in control. They are scared of me.
Like your blod.
I love that quote - thanks for the reminder. Here's a literary quote I like that has a bit of that ambiguous clarity in it:
“If you cry “forward!” you must make clear the direction in which to go. Don’t you see that if you fail to do that and simply call out the word to a monk and a revolutionary – they will go in precisely opposite directions?”
- Anton Chekov
Russian dramatist
Post a Comment