I continued to look forward to encounters with this unusual new friend (My wife reminds me that I’m not so good at “usual”). Our encounters were by now expected, taken-for-granted, but still random, and unscheduled. His sense of time continued to have a pre-dispositioin for Now…He was always busy, always to-ing or from-ing, yet, our brief visits were generally relaxed. It remained a challenge for me to sneak in even edgewise questions, so, when the subject of “carefulhaircutguys” came up once again, I latched on. It occurred during one of a late-afternoon-sittin’-on-the-grassy-slope-watching-for-glimpses-of-sunsparkles-on-the-pond-ice cream-before-dinner-fixes we had begun to enjoy. When it came to ice dream, I was beginning to suspect a stage four alien addiction developing.
The seeming urgency of getting responses to his own questions was one thing, but I found myself reluctant to interrupt when he seemed mesmerized by undulating reflections of sunshine, or in rapt contemplation of the flavor du jour…
Carefulhaircutguys…clearly I don’t qualify…I don’t have much… I don’t get it cut often…and I’m not careful if I happen to comb it… carefulhaircutguys…I can tell…I don’t like ‘em…Riri’s descriptive label has a perjorative ring…it smacks of obsessive pre-occupation with one’s appearance as well as a compulsive inclination to control even small details…carefulhaircutguys…you can tell what they wear… carefulhaircutguyfancysuits …carefulhaircutshoes…hair trimmed so regularly an actual careful haircut is never needed…some sort of liquid helmeting agent you can’t really see but you know it ‘s there…and their words carefulhaircutguywords, jargon detached from truth, judgments exposing hypocrisy…whoa, wait-a-minute, a little carried away, a bit judgmental, I mean just cause they’re not self-righteous ragamuffins like, well, like me…take a breath…
And like I said, this time I latched on for a response…“Riri, tell me, what’s with this carefulhaircutguy stuff…who are the carefulhaircutguys?”
He gave me the usual “I no believe you so ignoring” looks, and sighed, “They Repubblecants. Mostly they Repubblecants.” I smiled…Republicans…I smiled real hard as the sun suddenly warmed my face…John… Boehner…here I go again…Repubblecants...
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Friday, January 15, 2010
thirteen – there are earthguys and then…there are humanguys
From the beginning, Riri referred to humans as “earthguys,” and it gradually became clear that he was inclined to include animals in the category as well. His interest in the creatures he found in the woods, waters and skies around my home in northwest New Jersey, began with simple curiosity, but he soon developed respect for the natural fit of their behavior into the surrounding environment. Nature “earthguys”… “They belonging…they ingtellergent.” Whereas, from his point of view, “you kinda earthguys,” the humans, “self-absorbing”, “conveniated” and “earth-dangering” “not good fitting” folks, but “not all bad bad”… “Humanguys difficult for unnerstand…”
Before allowing Riri to continue, I interrupted, out of my own need for unnerstand stuff…”conveniated”… “Help me, what is ‘conveniated’? What do you mean by that?...”
He hesitated a moment, seemingly stunned by my apparent ignorance…I really had no clue…conveniated?...”Something to do with convenience”? I ventured, “What’s wrong with convenience?”
Con- vee-nee-ence… yes…you kinda earthguys not so fitting, want easy, fast, pop-in-mouth, instink (instant?) faster, easier, remote-control…Do you unnerstand the cost of conveeneeence…? The costs of conveniated is ingconvenient…
Before allowing Riri to continue, I interrupted, out of my own need for unnerstand stuff…”conveniated”… “Help me, what is ‘conveniated’? What do you mean by that?...”
He hesitated a moment, seemingly stunned by my apparent ignorance…I really had no clue…conveniated?...”Something to do with convenience”? I ventured, “What’s wrong with convenience?”
Con- vee-nee-ence… yes…you kinda earthguys not so fitting, want easy, fast, pop-in-mouth, instink (instant?) faster, easier, remote-control…Do you unnerstand the cost of conveeneeence…? The costs of conveniated is ingconvenient…
Monday, January 4, 2010
twelve – the visible “man”
In the preposterous excitement of meeting, and actually conversing with, an observer from another world, my own powers of observation were not quite what I like to crack them up to be. I don’t think I miss too much, even unusual or unlikely connections so obscure that they can leave my wife shaking her head as if it was me that was an alien. In adjusting to the reality of the existence of this little character, it seems I simply overlooked, or took for granted, every think about him.
The fact of his existence had overwhelmed my need for the facts of his existence. About three feet tall and thickish without seeming either fat or muscular, he rarely slowed down enough for me to consider, let alone suggest, some measurement. An opportunity did develop one day out of Riri’s observation that “earthguys all differing sizes and looking,” and that by “earthguys” he matter-of factly includes not just humans, but all creatures great and small.”
“Where I come all same same,” was explained to me, as he stood proudly for his measuring - 2’103/4” There was another measurement I was very curious about…his weight. I could guesstimate his height but his weight was another thing…something about his appearing and disappearing, and variations in color, which seemed to reflect corresponding variation in density, poked my curiousity…how could something transparent have much, or any, weight?
In the process of measuring Riri my hands brushed lightly his softfurrysmoothskin. My fingertips tingled and tiny sparks sort of phizzed when there was contact. Riri didn’t seem to notice or acknowledge if he felt anything… “ I 2feets103/4,” , he repeated , apparently satisfied with his stature …then, “I go now,” and was soon sniffing lilies on his way down the path, dissolving as he progressed, invisible by the time he reached the front gate...before I could try to weigh him or learn anything "personal."
I smiled to myself as I snapped my measuring tape several times in wonder at the continuing adventure taking place, in my mind, as well as in my garden…
The fact of his existence had overwhelmed my need for the facts of his existence. About three feet tall and thickish without seeming either fat or muscular, he rarely slowed down enough for me to consider, let alone suggest, some measurement. An opportunity did develop one day out of Riri’s observation that “earthguys all differing sizes and looking,” and that by “earthguys” he matter-of factly includes not just humans, but all creatures great and small.”
“Where I come all same same,” was explained to me, as he stood proudly for his measuring - 2’103/4” There was another measurement I was very curious about…his weight. I could guesstimate his height but his weight was another thing…something about his appearing and disappearing, and variations in color, which seemed to reflect corresponding variation in density, poked my curiousity…how could something transparent have much, or any, weight?
In the process of measuring Riri my hands brushed lightly his softfurrysmoothskin. My fingertips tingled and tiny sparks sort of phizzed when there was contact. Riri didn’t seem to notice or acknowledge if he felt anything… “ I 2feets103/4,” , he repeated , apparently satisfied with his stature …then, “I go now,” and was soon sniffing lilies on his way down the path, dissolving as he progressed, invisible by the time he reached the front gate...before I could try to weigh him or learn anything "personal."
I smiled to myself as I snapped my measuring tape several times in wonder at the continuing adventure taking place, in my mind, as well as in my garden…
Sunday, December 20, 2009
eleven ? the faroutest reaches of inner space
To this day I haven't been able to grasp Riri's ability to obtain and assimilate accurate information. If he actually had some sort of ability to "listen" to and even to "see" vibrations in the airwaves, how could he sort and make sense of so much vibratory information? His observations were accurate and logical. His application of the bits of information that he had picked up were always appropriate. The "whazzup-boogie dude's" agenda seemed to flow with events some of which triggered changes mid-course, but it invariably remained His agenda. If mine happened to be served by his, fine, but for the most part, my simply stated, but quite challenging agenda of trying to comprehend what I was experiencing, was irrelevant. Although Riri's demeanor was amiable, there was an intensity to his "rechurch". He was generally pre-occupied, intent on his mission to the extent that it was difficult to even interject questions, let alone be graced with answers about his observations.
It wasn't that he was curious in what you would call a selfish sort of way. He was clearly on a mission, as an explorer, an observer, not an ambassador. He never let slip whether his efforts were commissioned. If he were on assignment, it seemed odd that he was alone (he never mentioned others), but it would be a stretch to think that his expedition could be of a personal nature. In any case, I could barely keep up. I was constantly surprised, frequently amazed, completely awed, by what I was blessed to experience.
I felt I was learning right along with my curious guest. I was being treated to a re-markable re-education, re-valuation, and profound re-consideration of my self and the world I thought I knew, despite there never being enough time or space for enough questions. I found myself left to wonder endlessly about his world, his life, his family, his technology, his travels, what he ate (before he discovered ice cream) what he felt. Actually, as I think about it, although the answers I sought remained elusive, his feelings were for the most part apparent. I would say he "wore his heart on his sleeve", if he had a sleeve, or for that matter, a circulatory system.
It was remarkable to witness his process. Naive innocent wonder was complemented by persistent attention to comprehension. This opportunity to view my world through the rare perspective of what had to be a different consciousness, had showed up out of nowhere, make that elsewhere. Occasionally, if I paid attention an intersection of our interest would satisfy my need to understand his take on something in particular.
It wasn't that he was curious in what you would call a selfish sort of way. He was clearly on a mission, as an explorer, an observer, not an ambassador. He never let slip whether his efforts were commissioned. If he were on assignment, it seemed odd that he was alone (he never mentioned others), but it would be a stretch to think that his expedition could be of a personal nature. In any case, I could barely keep up. I was constantly surprised, frequently amazed, completely awed, by what I was blessed to experience.
I felt I was learning right along with my curious guest. I was being treated to a re-markable re-education, re-valuation, and profound re-consideration of my self and the world I thought I knew, despite there never being enough time or space for enough questions. I found myself left to wonder endlessly about his world, his life, his family, his technology, his travels, what he ate (before he discovered ice cream) what he felt. Actually, as I think about it, although the answers I sought remained elusive, his feelings were for the most part apparent. I would say he "wore his heart on his sleeve", if he had a sleeve, or for that matter, a circulatory system.
It was remarkable to witness his process. Naive innocent wonder was complemented by persistent attention to comprehension. This opportunity to view my world through the rare perspective of what had to be a different consciousness, had showed up out of nowhere, make that elsewhere. Occasionally, if I paid attention an intersection of our interest would satisfy my need to understand his take on something in particular.
Monday, December 14, 2009
ten-whazzup?...what’s in the air?...
After several days of intense activities fueled by curiosity and enthusiasm, I discovered Riri sitting peacefully one morning on the grassy slope where I had been dozing what seemed about a lifetime ago. As he squatted silently in apparent in contemplation of his domain, he resembled one of those amiable little stone gargoyles…this time it was my turn to interrupt the reverie…I approached and sat without speaking so as not to startle…I found myself contemplating my own inner domain. There was now a fascinating gnome in the landscape, who after allowing a few moments for me to settle, asked matter-of-factly, “Whazzup?”
Where does he get this stuff…”Where do you get this stuff?…your words, the ones you don’t learn from me…Where do they come from?”
“They in the air…I try…”
Despite limited opportunities, our ability to communicate had continued to improve. His vocabulary was growing in proportion to a tremendous expansion of familiarity and awareness, but his diction and grammar remained, for the most part, a humorous adventure. He really did try…but I still couldn’t understand where or how an alien could pick up some of the jargon of pop culture, or for that matter, ice cream, or politics, or to know to bring my wife some flowers…
“I try,” he repeated, “air full of stuff, I watch, listen, taste…I try…”
I was lost… “Air…? What do you mean?”
“Earth air full of stuff, I see I hear, I try, so much stuff… you no see, no listen …maybe feel…sometimes gobblegook hard for unnerstand…so much…
“Do you mean vibrations?”
“I think…like dance sound…but different…too much…not good for unnerstand, not good for mindthink…hard to get, for listen…vibrations…ye s … everthink vibrations…music…light…vibrations…heat… talk…telebision… rainbow…yes, and more…rainbow…everthink…you…me…’lectric…can’t tell…you no see… everthink vibe…I feel,I see…you…not…not yet…not……………. See me…
“see you…”……What I was “seeing” was not yet clear, but instinctively I got that in addition to light and sound and communication stuff, the material world itself was vibrating, was composed of vibrating atomic particles…if you do a bit of googling, like I did that night…
We often see images of atoms as little, sort of earth- centers with electron-moons orbiting closely. The actuality is that if an atom’s nucleus which is where the mass ot weight is, were the size of a basketball, you would have to travel twenty-two miles to reach the buzzing electrons…This would mean at least an additional twenty-two miles before the next bit of mass…next time, better watch who you’re callin’ “spacey.” We are all more than a little spacey, it would seem
This simple, yet profound observation, is almost unimaginable, and makes every thing imaginable…perhaps any thing possible…Ashes to…ashes...dust to…
energy…from emptiness to full fill meant…
The air…full…of “stuff”…to “try”…
Where does he get this stuff…”Where do you get this stuff?…your words, the ones you don’t learn from me…Where do they come from?”
“They in the air…I try…”
Despite limited opportunities, our ability to communicate had continued to improve. His vocabulary was growing in proportion to a tremendous expansion of familiarity and awareness, but his diction and grammar remained, for the most part, a humorous adventure. He really did try…but I still couldn’t understand where or how an alien could pick up some of the jargon of pop culture, or for that matter, ice cream, or politics, or to know to bring my wife some flowers…
“I try,” he repeated, “air full of stuff, I watch, listen, taste…I try…”
I was lost… “Air…? What do you mean?”
“Earth air full of stuff, I see I hear, I try, so much stuff… you no see, no listen …maybe feel…sometimes gobblegook hard for unnerstand…so much…
“Do you mean vibrations?”
“I think…like dance sound…but different…too much…not good for unnerstand, not good for mindthink…hard to get, for listen…vibrations…ye s … everthink vibrations…music…light…vibrations…heat… talk…telebision… rainbow…yes, and more…rainbow…everthink…you…me…’lectric…can’t tell…you no see… everthink vibe…I feel,I see…you…not…not yet…not……………. See me…
“see you…”……What I was “seeing” was not yet clear, but instinctively I got that in addition to light and sound and communication stuff, the material world itself was vibrating, was composed of vibrating atomic particles…if you do a bit of googling, like I did that night…
We often see images of atoms as little, sort of earth- centers with electron-moons orbiting closely. The actuality is that if an atom’s nucleus which is where the mass ot weight is, were the size of a basketball, you would have to travel twenty-two miles to reach the buzzing electrons…This would mean at least an additional twenty-two miles before the next bit of mass…next time, better watch who you’re callin’ “spacey.” We are all more than a little spacey, it would seem
This simple, yet profound observation, is almost unimaginable, and makes every thing imaginable…perhaps any thing possible…Ashes to…ashes...dust to…
energy…from emptiness to full fill meant…
The air…full…of “stuff”…to “try”…
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
nine - the animals…all critters great and small…are aliens animals…?
The adventure continues…The baby rabbit had made an impression that was right up there with ice cream. This meant disappointment for me, of course, in terms of my desire for a “serious” agenda, but it was more than made up for in the days that followed by the joy of witnessing Riri’s very serious enthusiasm for exploring the woods around our home in search of anything that hopped, crawled, jumped, slithered or flew.
One day I noticed him kneeling at the edge of our pond with his head under the water for what seemed like an impossible amount of time. The next, he was out on a limb, high in a granddaddy oak, following who knows what. Another time he spent hours, mesmerized by the web-making of a garden spider. He would grace me with his presence, only in passing, to ask questions about names and habits of the “furrytails” or the “big floaters” or the “li’l buzzers with nose in fwowies (‘what they lookin’?)
He could get quite excited when the pair of fawns would play, chasing each other at surprising speed, and quickly learned that they would stay around longer if he didn’t try to join them…and when a momma blackbear ambled through, with her very small cubs scrambling to keep up, he trembled with excitement, from behind the instinctive safety of a tree. But, when she stopped to sniff and then fix a laser-like look in the direction of his hiding place, he “POPPED”...
This period of intense attention to wildlife lasted nearly a week, and I was pleased when it actually led to the kind of conversation I had been hoping for…
Had I only known… I could have looked forward to the surprising and inspiring observations he would be sharing…
One day I noticed him kneeling at the edge of our pond with his head under the water for what seemed like an impossible amount of time. The next, he was out on a limb, high in a granddaddy oak, following who knows what. Another time he spent hours, mesmerized by the web-making of a garden spider. He would grace me with his presence, only in passing, to ask questions about names and habits of the “furrytails” or the “big floaters” or the “li’l buzzers with nose in fwowies (‘what they lookin’?)
He could get quite excited when the pair of fawns would play, chasing each other at surprising speed, and quickly learned that they would stay around longer if he didn’t try to join them…and when a momma blackbear ambled through, with her very small cubs scrambling to keep up, he trembled with excitement, from behind the instinctive safety of a tree. But, when she stopped to sniff and then fix a laser-like look in the direction of his hiding place, he “POPPED”...
This period of intense attention to wildlife lasted nearly a week, and I was pleased when it actually led to the kind of conversation I had been hoping for…
Had I only known… I could have looked forward to the surprising and inspiring observations he would be sharing…
Sunday, November 29, 2009
8 - down a garden path…pay attention…
Early next morning, I found Riri out front poking in the garden, exploring and sniffing, admiring gorgeous cream-colored lilies as big as his head. He spun 360 degrees while looking up at the advance scouts for the radiant pink clouds of phlox that would soon follow.
When he noticed me, it seemed he had something on his mind…Before I could compliment his “boogiein’”, he spoke, “You wife… differ… nice bumps… smell good…Where I come we all not differ…what is difference between wife…from planet else?”
“Sometimes…er…there was this book,” I began to answer, while contemplating a diagram of certain planets of our solar system. Not only would pop psychology confuse the issue, if I were to be taken literally, but it simply would not be worthy of a sincere mutual desire for communication and understanding.
I was spared the challenge of explaining that women were not from some other planet else, because Diane’s flowers had also made an impression on our guest. He was distracted by their beauty, and not really inclined to pay attention to my mars/venus speech. He wandered away, then stopped suddenly and crouched. As he disappeared in the distinctive foliage of daylilies, I could see by the direction of his attention that a bunny had emerged to nibble weeds (a rabbit I would tolerate as long as it stuck to munching on the persistent violets that seemed to reproduce like bunnies in the gravel pathways). Foliage soon showed signs of movement towards the critter, ceasing at the edge of the daylily bed less than two feet from the unsuspecting weeder.
As I watched expectantly from a bench, there was what sounded like a sneeze and some commotion in the foliage. The lttle bunny froze for a moment , then skittered away disappearing under dense plantings by the weathered fence
Riri came running (actually,more like hurried waddling…“Did you see?” Did you see?” “What it was?”
What I saw was that there would be yet another digression interfering with my desire to understand an unprecedented (cosmic?) connection…What I said was “rabbit, that’s a rabbit in our garden…we don’t happy rabbits in gardens…
Apparently satisfied, Riri wandered away without another word, poking and sniffing once more, while scanning for bunny rabbits. He faded slowly, very gradually, as he wandered, disappearing completely as he left the garden aiming for a squirrel on the lawn…
When he noticed me, it seemed he had something on his mind…Before I could compliment his “boogiein’”, he spoke, “You wife… differ… nice bumps… smell good…Where I come we all not differ…what is difference between wife…from planet else?”
“Sometimes…er…there was this book,” I began to answer, while contemplating a diagram of certain planets of our solar system. Not only would pop psychology confuse the issue, if I were to be taken literally, but it simply would not be worthy of a sincere mutual desire for communication and understanding.
I was spared the challenge of explaining that women were not from some other planet else, because Diane’s flowers had also made an impression on our guest. He was distracted by their beauty, and not really inclined to pay attention to my mars/venus speech. He wandered away, then stopped suddenly and crouched. As he disappeared in the distinctive foliage of daylilies, I could see by the direction of his attention that a bunny had emerged to nibble weeds (a rabbit I would tolerate as long as it stuck to munching on the persistent violets that seemed to reproduce like bunnies in the gravel pathways). Foliage soon showed signs of movement towards the critter, ceasing at the edge of the daylily bed less than two feet from the unsuspecting weeder.
As I watched expectantly from a bench, there was what sounded like a sneeze and some commotion in the foliage. The lttle bunny froze for a moment , then skittered away disappearing under dense plantings by the weathered fence
Riri came running (actually,more like hurried waddling…“Did you see?” Did you see?” “What it was?”
What I saw was that there would be yet another digression interfering with my desire to understand an unprecedented (cosmic?) connection…What I said was “rabbit, that’s a rabbit in our garden…we don’t happy rabbits in gardens…
Apparently satisfied, Riri wandered away without another word, poking and sniffing once more, while scanning for bunny rabbits. He faded slowly, very gradually, as he wandered, disappearing completely as he left the garden aiming for a squirrel on the lawn…
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)