Emily Dickensen
When I say to Nyel (as I do with increasing frequency) “I can’t think of a thing to write about,” his almost-always-response is, “You need to get out more.” Sometimes my lament has to do with writing my blog; less frequently (because it’s monthly, not daily), it has to do with writing my column for the Observer.
Nyel’s answer, of course, is predicated on the belief that things happen ‘out there’ and that, by exposing myself to them, things will happen ‘in here’ meaning in my head or in my office or in the computer – I’m not sure which. I don’t often fall into that way of thinking, being the Emily Dickinson fan that I am. Throughout her life, Emily seldom left her home and visitors were few, yet the body of unpublished work (597 poems) she left behind has made her “one of the towering figures of American literature.”
Not that I have any such aspirations. I am just impressed by the fact that Ms. Dickenson found important subjects without ever leaving the confines of her house in Amherst, Massachusetts. I feel the challenge; I should be able to find blogging or column material right here in Oysterville. Especially here in Oysterville.
From Lum’s FB Page
Yesterday, though, we crossed the river to do some errands. At Lum’s we saw Woody Pearson from afar and had a nice visit with Kaye Mulvey. No fodder to write about except to say that Kaye looked fabulous as usual! It’s hard to believe that she will be ninety in less than a month!
And we proceeded on… to CostCo. Nyel actually went in with me and was able to do the obligatory, interminable walking to pick up all those paper staples – you know the TP, the paper towels, the Kleenex. (Yay, Nyel! That feat, in itself, should be worth a blog!) From a few aisles away we saw Barbara Bate who gave Nyel a thumbs up and, later, had a brief conversation with Brian O’Connor who was on his way home from California and in a thrash with a leak at home and a smart phone that he couldn’t operate. We empathized, sympathized and wished him well.
Homeward Bound
We accomplished all our errands and got home in time for me to put the chickens to bed before it got dark. Still, I went to bed noodling about blog and column subjects. I have no doubt that our outing would have given Emily subject matter for another dozen poems. Or, come to think of it, it might have put her over some edge or other.
I’ve been trying to picture Emily Dickinson in CostCo! I don’t think the poor little bird would have survived the parking lot experience! See, once again you have given me something to ponder all day.