Tuesday, March 24, 2020

A modest reminder


         The harp is such a melodious instrument. Combined with a fiddle accompaniment, it can express wonderful feeling. Three cheers for Celtic sounds. So what is all the rumpus about my harping anyway? Where does harping get its reputation as repetitious and nattering harassment? Well it looks like we can thank the usual patriarchal impulses to demonize the feminine. Boy oh boy it goes back a long way, this inclination, all the way to Greek mythology with the mission of the harpies. (One wonders if that name should be capitalized since they did have a rank in the celestial hierarchy though not individually.) As you well know, they were tasked with bringing miscreants before the court of judgement in sort of a feathered drone delivery system. Fantasized as a woman with wings and nasty talons, these creatures evidently had a superior on time rating, so much so that they were considered inescapable. Talk about logistics!

        There’s nothing unique about the use of this pathetic harpy cliché. There are plenty of synonyms or approximations such as: shrew, virago, beldame, scold, termagant, battleaxe, harridan, nag, scold, fury and on and on. They are all dedicated to maligning women. Some of these unflattering names are quaint and I do love old words, but really. Can we get beyond this petty condemnation just because a gentle reminder is offered? “Please be home by ten o’clock.” “And don’t come home drunk.” “Don’t forget the milk.” “Did you lock the door?” “Have you got the key?” “Did you send my mother a birthday card?” These phrases are all calculated to maintain domestic tranquility. Sometimes repetition is the only way to teach…and learn.

        You can accuse me of plenty of failings in this line, only please keep in mind that always I have your best interests at heart. In these parlous times it might not be a matter of survival but it may be a matter of health. Normally my counsel is intended to smooth the course of your well ordered and gracious life so that you endure as few foreseeable upsets as possible. This applies to everything from table settings, to design décor, to menus, to shopping experience, to environmental awareness (that sounds rather grand but not so grand as mindfulness), to hospitality in general. As with every effort toward excellence, it is the details which matter and, if I offer a reminder, it is only because a small tidbit may have escaped your notice within this whirlwind of unexpected events. Black swan anyone?

        Now allow me to harp on some simple measures. If you have any antiseptic wipes, leave a container inside every door to the house. That way guests may avail themselves and you can conveniently sanitize the hardware between the comings or goings (to-ings and fro-ings). Some smart marketer will certainly soon have a designer container that at least slightly disguises the crass commercial look of those things. That’s one of the virtues of capitalism at work, the attempt to distinguish one product from all the others. If you live in a house where shoes are removed then you are way ahead of the contagion game. If not, then keep in mind that anything on the floors like clothing, pillows or toys will mingle freely with whatever is brought in on the bottoms of shoes. That’s such a yucky thought I don’t want to explore that any further. In the mean time buckle up for the long road to Wellville. See you there!

         With huge hugs,      Celeste

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