bus station prophet
Jan. 14th, 2010 09:03 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
asakiyumeYesterday I took the ninja girl to the bus station, and noticed the people there. This evening I went to pick her up, accompanied by the tall one and the healing angel.
This evening at the bus station there was a crazy person--older man, tall and lanky, with one milky-white blind eye, standing in the center of all the seats, speaking at random. “Shall I invite you to the wedding?” he said to one person. The tall one and I assiduously ignored him, heads bent over books. The healing angel was ignoring him too, concentrating (he told me later) on some missing tiling on the floor that looked like the Norse letter D.
The crazy man passed by us on the way to the bathroom, looked at the healing angel, and said, “You’re twelve, aren’t you.” And since the healing angel is twelve, he said, “Yes, I am.” And then the man said, “You know the scripture passage--‘Why were you searching for me? Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?’ Do you have the keys to the house yet? ....First the house keys, and then when you get to be a little older, the keys to the car!” And then he went into the bathroom.
It was a kind of stunning experience.
Little Springtime was disappointed she didn't get to come along... if I had known it would be such an adventure, I would surely have taken you, Little Springtime!
This evening at the bus station there was a crazy person--older man, tall and lanky, with one milky-white blind eye, standing in the center of all the seats, speaking at random. “Shall I invite you to the wedding?” he said to one person. The tall one and I assiduously ignored him, heads bent over books. The healing angel was ignoring him too, concentrating (he told me later) on some missing tiling on the floor that looked like the Norse letter D.
The crazy man passed by us on the way to the bathroom, looked at the healing angel, and said, “You’re twelve, aren’t you.” And since the healing angel is twelve, he said, “Yes, I am.” And then the man said, “You know the scripture passage--‘Why were you searching for me? Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?’ Do you have the keys to the house yet? ....First the house keys, and then when you get to be a little older, the keys to the car!” And then he went into the bathroom.
It was a kind of stunning experience.
Little Springtime was disappointed she didn't get to come along... if I had known it would be such an adventure, I would surely have taken you, Little Springtime!
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hm...
Date: 2010-01-15 12:16 am (UTC)Mercury is a psychopomp, and while you go to Apollo for prophecy, you go to Mercury for the straight poop.
Re: hm...
Date: 2010-01-15 12:25 am (UTC)And I swear, one blind eye. This guy... I mean... does this stuff really happen? Yes, apparently, it does. The words of the prophets are
written on the subway wallsspoken in the bus terminals.Re: hm...
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Date: 2010-01-15 01:12 am (UTC)I had a... somewhat similar experience in the museum in the crypt of Durham Cathedral, where they keep the bones of St. Cuthbert. The crypt is dimly lit to protect the artifacts, and that day it was (I thought) empty but for me; but when I reached the back, where they keep St. Cuthbert's cross, I met an old woman with long fine ashy hair and a whispery voice
The Romans, she said, saw the Virgin Mary as a young girl, like me. But the Celts knew that the Virgin Mary was an old, suffering woman, like her.
I nodded and smiled, because she frightened me, and inspected the broken crossbar of Cuthbert's cross. She disappeared.
I'm not sure what would happen next in a story. But I bet it would be amazing.
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Date: 2010-01-15 01:17 am (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2010-01-15 08:32 am (UTC)Hmmm......
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Date: 2010-01-15 03:55 am (UTC)I remember with reverence and a little sadness an old man whom my father and I met when I was a small girl. He was bearded like a prophet.
I'll tell you about the Chanter sometime, too. Not that there's much to tell. It just sounds better in person than when I type it all out.
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Date: 2010-01-15 08:30 am (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2010-01-15 08:29 am (UTC)I'll definitely take a look at that paper--thank you!
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Date: 2010-01-15 02:13 pm (UTC)Yes! There are so many variables.
But, I try to be aware of the situation on a number of different levels. How public is the setting? Am I alone? Is the person acting in a way that frightens me, or are they being polite?
Tucson no longer allows the sale of newspapers or other items on the street medians, but there are some parts of the area that are outside the city limits where I still encounter people selling newspapers, flowers, flags, etc. to drivers waiting at the light. I used to avoid catching their eye, because that would cause them to approach in hope of a sale, but Karl pointed out that it's very demoralizing and dehumanizing to have people refuse to look at you in this way. So, now, I try to look at them and smile, even though I also turn down the offer. When we had more money, Karl would often slip them a couple of dollars, too.
I know a lot of people really dislike the street corner vendors, but they're just trying to get by and it's a difficult, dangerous job, even if not a traditional one.
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Date: 2010-01-15 05:39 pm (UTC)I have an incredibly large number of homeless people living around me, but by and large they are not disturbed or mentally ill, which makes me feel very sad. (Not that it's not sad to see a homeless ill person, but...if you came around here you would see why.)
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Date: 2010-01-15 06:41 pm (UTC)**I realized when you left that--man, there's no way of saying it without it sounding all trite, but--you're another forest creature, as far as I'm concerned...
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