Russell Lee:
Boys on sacks of wool, Malheur County, Oregon (1941)
United States. Farm Security Administration

Almost Exclusively In The Dark
The dust turns to talcum powder as August becomes September. School starts, and I volunteer to show The Grand Other how to ride the bus, but the bus route closed down due to road construction work. I drove her to school, reveling in the opportunity to influence her. I feel compelled to offer her the benefit of my experience, even though she doesn't seem to appreciate my attempts. I know my influence won't be immediate, though it might prove insidious. Grandparents are widely recognized for their insidious nature. We plant seeds we know we'll not see flower; our indifference remains our probable superpower. Few things cannot be improved by the judicious application of sincere indifference, and I can see and raise any indifferent move our granddaughter might attempt. She suffers from the certainty that she can see right through me, but I am not nearly as transparent as I probably appear to her. I'm dense and defensive from a longer lifetime of engaging. I can't quite remember the certainty of my youth, but I considered it considerable then. I earned my comeuppances, and while I'd hope The Other might benefit from them, I understand the rules of this game preclude her directly learning anything from me. That's why I go subversive. She cannot see and might never perceive, though the possibility will always remain. Decades from now, one of my odd comments might finally find its mark. Like everybody, I live almost exclusively in the dark.

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Weekly Writing Summary

This Grace Story explains what happened when my home was temporarily transformed into a Jobsite to construct its future.

Lewis Wickes Hine: Construction--Empire State Building, (1930-1931, printed later)
" … we will sorely miss this sacred inconvenience."
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This Grace Story, F_J_B, describes my recent encounter with ignorance, both mine and one other’s. Ignorance is never a permanent condition unless one insists upon it.

H. R. H.: Pen Pictures of the Leading Events of the Last Week, from Chicago Tribune(Published Feb 26, 1893)
" … they are not incorrect."
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This Grace Story, Fairing, faces up to the rather grim reality that the parade passing by before me fairly accurately represents me.

Johann Theodor de Bry: Little Village Fair (16th-17th century)
"The less than generous sociologist in me steadfastly refuses to see the resemblance."
—
This Grace Story finds me explaining why I've never become a competent duster, though I can more than competently iron my own shirts. I describe myself as studiously Helpless.

Elihu Vedder: Fisherman and Mermaid (1888-1889)
" … I prefer to do my own ironing."
—
This Grace Story finds me driving FiveHundredMiles, a vast distance, only to end up where I started. I seem to live exclusively within allegories.

Juste de Juste: Pyramid of Five Men (c. 1543)
" … closed on Tuesdays forever."
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This Grace Story finds me reveling in Approximately, for I never sweat the details I cannot for the life of me perceive.

Russell Lee: Scooping and sweeping dried hops from drying room to adjacent room where they will be baled. Yakima County, Washington. There is approximately twenty-five percent dryout of hops (1941) United States. Farm Security Administration
"You guys figure out the exact measurements between you."
—
This Writing Week fairly typified late summer in a small city. It was Fair Week, so everyone was out and on display. We continued preparing for our future; the villa still turned into a Jobsite. I encountered one of the downsides of small city living, that I come to know more than I'd really care to about some of my fellow citizens, especially those who feel moved to wear caps with F_J_B emblazoned on them. The Fairing serves as a reminder that we are more equal than we might sometimes care to be. I caught myself playing Helpless, one of my more prominent coping strategies. The Muse and I drove FiveHundredMiles, another common feature of small city living. I ended this writing week with a renewed appreciation for how I am an Approximately person. Thank you for following along through this eventful writing week!

©2024 by David A. Schmaltz - all rights reserved

Tags: #Grace, #PureSchmaltz