I was thinking of using the phrase: “I cannot put my arms around that” which meant, I thought that something was difficult to comprehend, was not understandable. Decided to use the services of Google to clarify. Instead found an interesting son never before heard. It is You Can’t Put Your Arms Around a Memory – it is a most evocative song which describes the death of a relationship in very poignant terms. You can Google it and listen to a version sung by Ronnie Spector.
It doesn’t pay to try,
All the smart boys know why,
It doesn’t mean I didn’t try,
I just never know why.
Feel so cold and all alone,
Cause baby, you’re not at home.
And when I’m home
Big deal, I’m still alone.
Feel so restless, I am,
Beat my head against a pole
Try to knock some sense,
Down in my bones.
And even though they don’t show,
The scars aren’t so old
And when they go,
They let you know
You can’t put your arms around a memory
You can’t put your arms around a memory
You can’t put your arms around a memory
Don’t try, don’t try
You’re just a bastard kid,
And you got no name
Cause you’re living with me,
We’re one and the same
And even though they don’t show,
They scars aren’t so old
And when they go,
They let you know
You can’t put your arms around a memory
You can’t put your arms around a memory
It has been many years since I was in a stagnant, dying, moribund relationship Moribund is a great word: Its definition: • (of a thing) in terminal decline; lacking vitality or vigor. Such juicy synonyms: declining, in decline, on the decline, waning, dying, stagnating, stagnant, decaying, crumbling, atrophying, obsolescent, on its last legs; in on the way out. My favorites have to be atrophying, on the last legs and obsolescent. The antonym is flourishing.
By careful observation, however, i can conclude that some friendships can and do appear to be on the way out, are crumbling and definitely lacking vitality. My usual tendency is to attempt to revitalize the friendship or the relationship but this has been shown to be a waste of time and effort. Spoke with a man at the Louvre a couple of weeks ago – it was a rather meaningful conversation. We talked of friendships and how they are often abandoned with you do not serve a function for the other person anymore. There is no continuity, no loyalty. But perhaps this is a good thing – I do not miss any of my dissolved friendships – the void is quickly filled something or somebody else. Allah does say: Do not trust mortal men, put your faith in me. Allah is with one forever and beyond where friendships (and romances) can be fleeting. Hanging onto them creates the despair evident in the song.
This morning awoke to a rather amusing New Yorker story, The Sex Scene is Dead, Long Live the Sex Scene. Here is the link: Four+critics+discuss+erotic+thrillers,+prosthetic+penises,+“Euphoria,”+and+the+state+of+desire+onscreen.+https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-new-yorker-interview/the-sex-scene-is-dead-long-live-the-sex-scene.
It is an amusing, if rather trivial, discussion. But it did contain one absolutely hilarious sentence or two. Here is one: “You watch porn for a reason, and it’s not to watch people talk about books.” The person is laughingly saying that watching porn can be preferable to watching people ruminate about best sellers. Sometimes it is best not to take life seriously and see the humor in things.
I shake my head in wonderment about my life, the people I have met, the situations I find myself in. Very recently had this conversation with SAD (Sheikha Awesome Driver.)
Me: I cannot believe the things that happen to me. I mean I am ordinary, led an ordinary life.
He: No. You are extraordinary.
Me: I love that, Thanks. I am not going to argue with you – that is for sure. I think I will investigate the word and blog about it..
What is extraordinary? Synonyms abound: remarkable, exceptional, amazing, astonishing, astounding, marvelous, wonderful, sensational, stunning, incredible, unbelievable, miraculous, phenomenal, prodigious, spectacular; striking, outstanding, momentous, impressive, singular, signal, preeminent, memorable, unforgettable, never to be forgotten, unique, arresting, eye-catching, conspicuous, noteworthy, notable, great; out of the ordinary, unusual, uncommon, rare, surprising, curious, strange, odd, peculiar, uncanny; fantastic, terrific, tremendous, stupendous, awesome, amazeballs, out of this world, unreal; wondrous. The antonym of extraordinary is ordinary.
I can go with being extraordinary and hence unforgettable, unique, fantastic, stupendous, awesome and definitely amazeballs. But what is unbelievable, miraculous, wonderful, impressive and noteworthy is this. That a 38 year old Muslim taxi driver from Bangladesh used that word to describe me. Think about the likelihood of having that happen. A woman born on the plains of Saskatchewan, lives a rather conventional life, living in the San Francisco Bay Area for most of her life, working for the County of Marin for over thirty years, retiring at the age of 61. There is nothing momentous, impressive, memorable, unusual our out of this world about that. But what is wondrous is that she should be living in Abu Dhabi, being driven in a taxi by a man who calls her Sheikha Fatimah and one day calls her extraordinary.
The day before yesterday five men in this Premier inn, said the following words:
He: I will keep you safe.
One was an Airport police officer, four were hotel staff members. But I have begun to wonder what they are keeping me safe from. So I asked S.A.S.S.
Me: You keep telling me, assuring me that you will keep me safe. And I believe you and feel comforted that you will. But what are you keeping me safe from?
He: From any people that would try to harm you. I would defend you with the last drop of blood I have.
This man Is not from Abu Dhabi – hardly anyone is. Only 12% of people in the UAE are Emerati. I am beginning to see life here differently and did say to SAD yesterday.
Me: I have been worshipping Abu Dhabi. In person, on Instagram and on my blog. But I am thinking that this has been misplaced. I should have been worshipping Allah instead. The good things, the great things here are because of Allah and the Sheikhs and Sheikhas that worship him. But not all here worship him, nor follow his commands.
He: Yes. You are right! In fact and in practice most do not.
Me: Well it took me awhile to catch onto that. But I clearly see that now. And it explains many of the contradictions that I see.
What is a contradiction? This is from Wikipedia. “In traditional logic, a contradiction occurs when a proposition conflicts either with itself or established fact. It is often used as a tool to detect disingenuous beliefs and bias. Illustrating a general tendency in applied logic, Aristotle’s law of noncontradiction states that “It is impossible that the same thing can at the same time both belong and not belong to the same object and in the same respect.” In modern formal logic and type theory, the term is mainly used instead for a single proposition, often denoted by the falsum symbol:a proposition is a contradiction if false can be derived from it, using the rules of the logic. It is a proposition that is unconditionally false (i.e., a self-contradictory proposition). This can be generalized to a collection of propositions, which is then said to “contain” a contradiction.”
More about all of that in a later blog. The photographs attached to this blog are ones from San Francisco. One shows the Golden Gate Bridge – I tell people that I am from the County of Marin, the county north, just over the bridge from San Francisco. I did not take these photographs. SAD sent them to me yesterday, from his phone to mine. I must have gotten them from the Internet. Now that is rather uncommon and unusual.
