Is it Albert who's driving today? Okay. I feel nice and secure then. I had a fab ham & cheese sandwich for lunch on Saturday, per instructions. Then hustled down to the only place in town that sells Drambuie, to discover that even they almost don't now, in spite of being an Irish Shop. None of the staff had any idea what I was talking about, until I spied a dusty gift set on the lowest shelf. For shame! But now I have a bottle of the good stuff and a couple of nice enough glasses and Wow do I appreciate rediscovering what Drambuie is all about. Next I'll try it with ginger ale, if I can find some of the latter. France is so Porto and Martini and Muscadet, there are so darn many things to drink of an evening that they don't even miss Drambuie. The fools!
.
And then I spent my time in front of the mirror as ordered. Here you are:
How did this happen?
Who is that?
What's with all those grey hairs? I can't possibly be more than 25 yet, and those lines?
Oh?
Are you sure?
/
That's what the passport says?
and the driver's licence?
and the birth certificate says the same,
with its tiny footprint and the Seal of the State of North Carolina?
That's what they all say, all at once?
.
.
Well.
.
They're lying.
And yet maybe there's something to it.
Grad school was a while ago. A different century.
Students, some of my staff, passersby, they call me Madame, politely.
There has been an awful lot of coming and going to different countries, and that can't have happened all in a year.
Somehow my photo albums have all got stuffed full,
and blogposts up to the hundreds,
and my bookshelves are sagging and overflowing with works I've read and loved.
I've even outlived several cats.
.
.
So maybe it's true.
Maybe that is me there.
.
17 comments:
Oh, that was a great way to depict how time rushes past us (or is it the other way round? Best ask the driver, i suppose). And it's Monday around here too.
nanu - i keep reminding mysefl - it's only my body. the spirit ages at a different rate and in different facets of its construction some parts seem to age faster than others!! having said that, i just got back in from a windblown cold fifty plus km bike ride through the southern and northeastern parts of my hilly region and my body is hurt. it's saying leave me alone. no more. but what it doesn't know is that i don't really care!!! nope . . . cause my mind's twelve going on fifty two and my body - well it's fifty two, a little lumpy, has grey hairs, wrinkles from laughing too much when i was younger and did i mention grey hairs? but it has to do what i as it to - within reason...... have a sweet day - you're fabulous!!!! steven
Lovely details. Madame...
x
Ah, yes. I know that feeling well. Do you remember the first time someone called you "Madame"? Who? Me?
Really enjoyed this NanU, very funny and true.
I like this very much - obviously, the honesty of both words and pictures, but especially the puzzlement and disputation until the evidence piles up. Particularly loved the "call me Madame, politely".
That constant refrain - where does the time go? - is almost a universal, and that feeling that we are as we were, although evidence suggests otherwise, is so well captured.
Bon!
Heh-heh, I was thinking exactly the same things when I looked in the mirror, but the ham sandwich made me look deeper. Loved the great pics of you!
I hope that is you there because I really like what I see.
And I wouldn't want all those blogs I've loved not to have been.
Meanwhile, I'm just off to get my head shaved before tomorrow's chemo does it for me.
Yes, that's me there. No makeup, no flattering lighting, no smiling (I forget to smile, and think I look stupid when I do, so I just go with my face now) and with the viewscreen on the camera broken it took me 30 shots to get just these two. Thank goodness for digital.
Anyway.
Good luck with your treatment, Barry. Stay zen! I wish you all the best.
LOVED THIS!! I feel like I should go get some Drambuie since all my photo posts lately remind me of the mirror/poetry/Drambuie posts floating around.
You are powerful and beautiful, Nancy! I don't think even the French have invented a fabulous-enough title for you. "Ma'am" just does NOT cut it. "Miss" wouldn't be any better - you have a moxie that goes way beyond "Miss."
Hmmmm!
Two lovely photos of a very down to earth and natural looking woman. How we all follow journeys and how that infleunces and possibly changes us - it's fascinating how you've captured this as well as the images! Some lovely lines in here NanU and I do think this is the harder of the two challenges! 30 photos - yep, thank goodness for digital!
The autumn woodland photo at the top of your blog is superb.
NanU,
A lovely perspective of a lovely image. Merci!
NanU, did you really search out and buy the Drambuie? Above and beyond the call of duty.The writing? Honest, stark and beautiful.Loved the bittersweet humorous ending
my bookshelves are sagging and overflowing with works I've read and loved.I've even outlived several cats.
Lovely, tancxzs ye!
Oh, I can agree, Nanu! I couldn't face the mirror, so I opted for that awful music! We must be about the same age (from the looks of you, young lady), and I wonder all the time how I got to here?
I did, Total, but only because I really like Drambuie and I hadn't had any in years. I should thank you for the reminder!
i've been reading quite a lot of margaret atwood recently so i liked 'i've even outlived several cats'.
verswire? you've got me fooled!
I think I would react very similarly had I opted for the mug in the mirror option.
I was looking at myself the other day and thinking (I might be wrong - it was just a passing thought) how as children we all look very distinctively different and as we get older we tend to look increasingly alike (eg, by 80 we nearly all have white hair).
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