“home”

Faithful readers have read that I’ve embarked on a piece about home. It’s the art assignment at W242 this month. (Lately, it’s occurred to me that I could write about subjects that interest other people. “I” and “me” have their limitations in scope.) As I was prewriting, I got overwhelmed by all the ideas and angles, gazillions of images. So, I decided to look up “home” in the American Heritage Dictionary. “Home” can be used as a noun, adjective, adverb and transitive and intransitive verb. There were ten definitions under noun alone. And, the idiom list wasn’t shabby either. If you’re ever bored, look up “home”. Definitions four and seven are my favorite:
“4. a. an environment offering security and happiness
b. a valued place regarded as a refuge or place of origin….
7. the place where something is discovered, founded, developed or promoted; source”

Now, I’m intrigued with the last couple books of the Odyssey when Odysseus finally comes home (and the three lines that reverses everything), Sappho’s Fragment 16, the Psalmist references to God as home in 90 and 119 (I think), the Logos and I AM (God as verb). Home is a verb? Our hearts are restless until they rest in thee? Jesus: home comes to you? Ah, the connection between the tangible and eternal sneaks it way in. And, I’m reading Balthasar’s Prayer, which celebrates messy and complex. Yippy, yie, yay.

oblivious

My mom has a new favorite cartoon; a king is out on the balcony chatting with his advisors:

Advisor: “Your subjects complain that you’re oblivious to their plight.”

King: “I hadn’t noticed.”

This droll humor describes my life. I chatted on the phone with the principal about compensation; I was too blunt (hard to imagine) but not whiney. He said he’d check with HR and call me back. I didn’t know if he were “checking with HR” or really checking with HR. Whichever the case, I didn’t hear back from him. Of all the emails and calls I sent, two people responded.

oblivious to grammar:
My use of quotation marks reminds me of lunch on Saturday. My sister took me out to RO’s and then Tony’s Ice Cream. RO’s has phenomenal barbeque sandwiches; their slaw is to die for. And, so are their menus: entertaining and creative use of quotation marks abounded. One of my favorites was “new”. What does this mean? Sister and I tried to detect a pattern with the use, but the best we could come up with is that they were used for emphasis much like “the Establishment” uses italics.

just plain oblivious:
The lunch proved quite the adventure, esp. since I found out that my dress was see-through. Sister tells me, “Just pretend like it’s a bathing suit cover.” Older women gave me nasty looks, but what could I do but to stand up straight, suck in my tummy and act “nonchalant”. I was tempted to explain my gaff to the unapproving strangers, but I figured it was easier just to let them think I’m a floozy. So, my wardrobe malfunction will make the redneck lunch one for the annals.

FYI: why I’m oblivious:
Scrabulous IS addictive, and it is a good thing that it doesn’t show up on drug tests.