Giving A Hoot
I just finished reading Life Of Pi by Yann Martel. I have to admit, I had little interest in reading this book—the cover didn’t lure me in and the back copy seemed silly and possibly more for kids, but it came recommended so I read. Upon reaching the end, Pi says the following: “I wept like a child. It was not because I was overcome at having survived my ordeal, thought I was. Nor was it the presence of my brothers and sister, thought that too was very moving. I was weeping because Richard Parker had left me so unceremoniously. What a terrible thing it is to botch a farewell. I am a person who believes in form, in the harmony of order. Where we can, we must give things a meaningful shape. …It’s important in life to conclude things properly. Only then can you let go. Otherwise you are left with words you should have said but never did, and your heart is heavy with remorse. That bungled goodbye hurts me to this day.”
I believe in what I call “proper goodbyes”. It bothers me immensely if I do not have this and I am often left feeling exactly as Pi puts it in the book—out of harmony. I hold onto things for a long time, hold onto words that were said or never said. The proper goodbye or a proper closure would have spared these feelings.
Today while walking home from the train I noticed a fake owl hanging from the roof of a building. The owl was tied up by the next by what looked like black cable wire strung from one arch of the building to the other. Maybe it was to ward off other birds? But something about it made me think of the book I just finished. It just seemed so ominous—a hanging owl.
According to folklore, the Greeks believed that spotting an owl meant victory for their armies, while the Romans thought of it as defeat. The Romans also believed that a dream of an owl was an omen of shipwreck for sailors. (This is fitting considering Pi’s misfortune.) To ward off the owl’s evil projections, the offending owl had to be killed and nailed to the door of the affected house. Owls are called "the daughter of greediness" and in some religions, an owl’s hoot signifies desolation and loneliness.
Things that are left hanging hold the greatest burden on my heart.
I believe in what I call “proper goodbyes”. It bothers me immensely if I do not have this and I am often left feeling exactly as Pi puts it in the book—out of harmony. I hold onto things for a long time, hold onto words that were said or never said. The proper goodbye or a proper closure would have spared these feelings.
Today while walking home from the train I noticed a fake owl hanging from the roof of a building. The owl was tied up by the next by what looked like black cable wire strung from one arch of the building to the other. Maybe it was to ward off other birds? But something about it made me think of the book I just finished. It just seemed so ominous—a hanging owl.
According to folklore, the Greeks believed that spotting an owl meant victory for their armies, while the Romans thought of it as defeat. The Romans also believed that a dream of an owl was an omen of shipwreck for sailors. (This is fitting considering Pi’s misfortune.) To ward off the owl’s evil projections, the offending owl had to be killed and nailed to the door of the affected house. Owls are called "the daughter of greediness" and in some religions, an owl’s hoot signifies desolation and loneliness.
Things that are left hanging hold the greatest burden on my heart.
posted by Michele at 2:47 PM
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