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Third Stanza: [WRITTEN]
Feb. 4th, 2012 06:38 pmIt’s my birthday today. I won’t presume I have anything new to say about why we celebrate something we can’t help. A few years ago, my aunt gave a speech about celebrating the ticking of time as death approaches, then gave me a pair of her socks and wished me happy returns.
“Don’t take the socks off, Julian,” she said. “Not under any circumstances.” It’s a good pair of socks, too. I’ve had to have them darned numerous times, but perhaps the goodwill of a fellow writer worn about the feet helped to keep a Cambridge student moving. I can’t claim credit for everything.
I know it’s very silly of me to say so, but I’m relieved the socks came with me to Luceti. They’re excellent thick socks for pacing back and forth across the living room floor on cold, uneventful days, which describes most days here. Without the love and care knitted up in them, perhaps I’d have long since gone mad from sitting idle when there’s a terrible war going on at home and tyranny is about to win it. Thank God for my Aunt Virginia’s socks, which encourage one to pace and to think and not to drive oneself to lunacy sitting on the chaise and staring at the blank wall. Would that everyone had such a gift as a pair of good socks.
Since I already have everything I could possibly need, I only request two luxuries for this day commemorating my greatest accomplishment:
1. Something meaningful to do.
2. Someone to live with.
Any help in these matters would be met with utmost gratitude.
-Julian H. Bell
“Don’t take the socks off, Julian,” she said. “Not under any circumstances.” It’s a good pair of socks, too. I’ve had to have them darned numerous times, but perhaps the goodwill of a fellow writer worn about the feet helped to keep a Cambridge student moving. I can’t claim credit for everything.
I know it’s very silly of me to say so, but I’m relieved the socks came with me to Luceti. They’re excellent thick socks for pacing back and forth across the living room floor on cold, uneventful days, which describes most days here. Without the love and care knitted up in them, perhaps I’d have long since gone mad from sitting idle when there’s a terrible war going on at home and tyranny is about to win it. Thank God for my Aunt Virginia’s socks, which encourage one to pace and to think and not to drive oneself to lunacy sitting on the chaise and staring at the blank wall. Would that everyone had such a gift as a pair of good socks.
Since I already have everything I could possibly need, I only request two luxuries for this day commemorating my greatest accomplishment:
1. Something meaningful to do.
2. Someone to live with.
Any help in these matters would be met with utmost gratitude.
-Julian H. Bell
