strange radiation: the pool of radiance archive
Adventures with an unreliable narrator.
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Feb 21 07: the smudge
Ash Wednesday is not a holiday that has any real significance for me personally. But I do enjoy how it changes the feel of the busy city sidewalks, just for a day: the usual crowds of scowling stockbrokers secretaries dentists editors gemologists security guards museum curators et cetera are all going about their business, but every now and then you see one of them with the Smudge. The one that says I took a moment today to think about matters spiritual. Any sign that any of us has carved out a moment from our day for meditation is a good one, I think.
Plus you get to study the various artistic techniques of the city’s clergy. Sometimes the Smudge is crisp and cruciform; other times it just looks like the banker in question was cleaning out the flue on his lunch break. I’m standing in the lobby at Juilliard at the moment, tapping this out on a public terminal as I wait for rehearsal to begin, and on my way here I saw a guy who was doing a spectacular impersonation of the Ace of Clubs.
Which makes one wonder what his particular meditations were about. Atlantic City, maybe. Whatever it was, I hope it brought him a little peace.
Commentary
The editor’s smudge looked like a bass clef. Not sure about the gemologist’s.
posted by djblue71, Feb 22 07 12:18 PM
The Smudge on a woman at chorus rehearsal pretty much shouted ‘Dig Here.’
posted by Andrew, Feb 22 07 12:37 PM
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