First I need to say that I am not altogether sure what it is one does with their bum in a modern dance class, but whatever it is, it causes it to hurt like the dickens the next day. So now you know.
Oh, and I also need to say that it’s easy to forget.
Especially when the world feels like the kind of three year old who is constantly grabbing at you when you are pretty sure it is nap time. Because, really, darling–you don’t have to be sleeping, but you do have to be quiet.
And you know, they need one more sip of water and can you check and see what keeps tapping on the window? Cause, sure, it’s been that old willow tree each one of the past fifteen times you checked, but maybe this time you’ll look and it’ll be a monster. Finally. And though it’ll be scary, you wonder if the kid will be a little bit happy that he’s actually right. Right before he screams, that is.
But there’s no kid and there’s no monster. What we do have is a world that grabs at you with things like taxes. And how they must be filed. And there are mounds and mounds of sheets you hand the accountant and he asks you why it is that you set such a large stack of papers before him while all you can say is, I don’t know. Because you’ve never, not once, done this by yourself.
But carpe diem and I’m a big girl now and what the heck, why don’t we throw in one more cliche as I remind myself not to cry over spilled milk?
Save the tears for things like broken trust and lies, I guess.
But in a world that is grabbing at you with all that, it’s easy to forget all this.
Brave little flower.
Peeking out first among the leaves that cover the ground like so many patches on a quilt.
‘She is clothed in fine linen and purple,’ just like that lady everybody talks about from the Bible. The one who never sleeps late and is worth far more than rubies and goes and talks with her husband’s friends about current events like she wrote the script for CNN and most definitely knows a thing or two about geography. I mean, she could at least tell you that, though people mention Pennsyltucky LIKE IT’S REAL (ahem), Pennsylvania and Kentucky do not, in fact, border each other.
Like, at all.
Which is what I learned after asking my friends where, exactly, it is that they border each other.
But anyway, the taxes got my attention today.
But so did that purple flower.
And I’m glad I live in a world full of both, you know?
And most of the time I feel more in the mood for purple crocuses, I’ll be honest. But I am also in the mood for some kind of tax refund, can I get an AMEN? Cause Wisconsin owes me $23 and well, let’s just say that I know where Wisconsin lives.
Okay, so I don’t know exactly where Wisconsin lives because, remember? Not so good at geography. Led astray by the mention of Pennsyltucky and all that. But I do know someone who does know where Wisconsin lives, so it betta be ready to cough up those benjamins, is all I can say.
And in case you forgot once again (which is so easy to do in this world, I know), here is the crocus.
Don’t forget to tell her that you like her racing stripes.
The ones on her leaves, silly.
It’s amazing how quickly flowers spring up after the cold, isn’t it? And out here, where during a drought everything is shades of brown, one rainstorm unearth a bunch of green. It’s beautiful how resilient so many things in this world are – just reaching out to thrive and survive.
yes, I find so much encouragement in nature. I see the resilience and then I see that it’s not just utilitarian, either. I mean, God could have done that. Just like the way China became under Chairman Mao’s reign. Everything was about the task at hand, and any bits of beauty or individuality was scorned because it seemed not to serve a purpose.
But beauty serves a great purpose. It certainly buoys me when I see it. Reminds me that God is an artist and paints things purple for the simple fact that he likes that color and wow, look how it is such a lovely contrast to those leaves. And also that he is in the habit of making things beautiful, which is good news indeed.
For the past few days I have seen crocuses at school, 2 brave little patches of pretty, and every time I see them I think of you…they’re purple and yellow. Bless you, Jess.
well, that’s a very nice thing–to have a few little flowers remind someone of me. Thank you:)
Pretty little flowers. They have stripes so they can go fast.
Wisconsin: Face down the lane. Turn about 30 degrees to your right. Go in that direction.
haha see? I KNEW I knew somebody who knew where Wisconsin lives!!!
Pretty!!!
like you:)
Wisconsin lives right around the corner from Pennsyltuckey.
well if it wasn’t on geosafari, I wouldn’t know about it, unfortunately.
Beautiful post Jess – I loved it! I really agree and also feel that pull between both the beautiful and th mundane that coexist.
Also – benjamins are $100 bills….right? And they owe you $23? So shall we rank math right up there with geography for you? Or is that the type of math they teach in Pennsyltucky?
haha yeah, i was wondering if the benjamins refers to $100 bills…oh well, wishful thinking, I guess:) and also–what do you expect from someone who’s major only required three credits of science OR math and of course, opted for the science???
True science requires math.
True love requires sacrifice.
and dancing requires the ability to count to 8.
Jason, agreed.
With great power comes great responsibility.
With great power comes great responsibility to sacrifice to know math so that the science of dancing can be counted to 8. For love.
“And all this science – I don’t understand. It’s just my job, 5 days a week. A Rocket Man, Rocket Man”. ~ Elton John
I always heard it was “Pennsa-tucky”, not Pencil-tucky. And the way it was described to me was thus: Youse got Philadelphia on one side and Pittsburgh on the other. Everything in between is Pennsatucky, meaning red-neck, backward, Bible-thumping, gun-toting country. Except for the backward part, kinda sounds good to me….
But the crocus was beautiful, thanks for that. And although I pay a man to prepare my taxes too, and think the government takes a bit too much (try 47% on some of my compensation!), I still file my return with hope that my refund comes swiftly. Hint: Lots of tithing = lots of tax deductions. God gets his cut right off the top, and the Zaccheauses of this life get to give me some back.
Jim—I wanna meet whoever it was that described to you where, exactly, Pennsatucky is. He (or she) certainly sounds like a colorful, wonderful character:)