music & space
went to a free show last night at a local co-op. saw [praw] and the bilderberg group to name a few. this was probably my first show like this...with this music. at least my first show like this in a while. we walked into the large ballroom filled with cushy worn sofas and puffy chairs. the first guy [praw] played one song on an old organ he found which he said was covered in dust. the song he played was inspired by an old photograph of a little girl taken in the 50's and found in the lid of the organ. it was lovely and a calming drone. everyone sat quiet, listening.
there were chandelier-style fixtures hanging from the ceiling. one had a cobweb bridging two light bulbs.... on their web page i read that if you live in the house you must share in chores. and i had supposed cleaning was a part of that shared work. after looking at the dirt stained tile floor and judging from the musky smell smoldering in the ballroom, i concluded i was wrong about what constituted as shared chores. i imagined that if i lived there i would sweep and mop the ballroom floor. dust, then throw out all of the clearly and dearly loved sofas (perhaps move them on to another good use) with the general consensus of the others... i thought of what might work for such a space and feel like home to those inhabiting it. i envisioned mostly clean white bare walls, a freshly scrubbed floor, and some large pillows for sitting that could be stacked neatly when not being used. there could be traces of color too. worn and washed out patinas of greens and blues. a space for clearing your mind, one for deep breathing. i know that cleanliness, or rather clean spaces may not be a priority for some, but i tend to think of it as just another aspect of taking care of oneself and being mindful of ones presence in the everyday in every moment. it's important to be aware of what one puts in one's body just as important as it is to be aware of one's space. despite my somewhat close inspection and rethinking of the room i was happy to be welcome in their home, because after all it is their home and their space. and despite my unyielding urge to scrub away the dust and grime, i was quite fond of the cobweb spun on the lights.
there were chandelier-style fixtures hanging from the ceiling. one had a cobweb bridging two light bulbs.... on their web page i read that if you live in the house you must share in chores. and i had supposed cleaning was a part of that shared work. after looking at the dirt stained tile floor and judging from the musky smell smoldering in the ballroom, i concluded i was wrong about what constituted as shared chores. i imagined that if i lived there i would sweep and mop the ballroom floor. dust, then throw out all of the clearly and dearly loved sofas (perhaps move them on to another good use) with the general consensus of the others... i thought of what might work for such a space and feel like home to those inhabiting it. i envisioned mostly clean white bare walls, a freshly scrubbed floor, and some large pillows for sitting that could be stacked neatly when not being used. there could be traces of color too. worn and washed out patinas of greens and blues. a space for clearing your mind, one for deep breathing. i know that cleanliness, or rather clean spaces may not be a priority for some, but i tend to think of it as just another aspect of taking care of oneself and being mindful of ones presence in the everyday in every moment. it's important to be aware of what one puts in one's body just as important as it is to be aware of one's space. despite my somewhat close inspection and rethinking of the room i was happy to be welcome in their home, because after all it is their home and their space. and despite my unyielding urge to scrub away the dust and grime, i was quite fond of the cobweb spun on the lights.