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Saturday, May 23, 2020

The Enigmatic Evolution Of Normative Statements

It is a strange title, I admit, but these are strange times. I haven't had to gas up the car in months. Still, I'll invent some reason to get out among people --matches, toilet paper, wine, prescriptions. Everything else gets delivered to the house. I would have prescriptions delivered, but declined years ago to have my life depend on our often dyslexic rural post office. Do I sound stir-crazy? I think so.

Sometimes I watch clips of road-rage and bad drivers on Youtube just to feel better about sheltering indoors. Fortunately, we have an abundance of outdoors, which Norma has been very busy with.

As you can see, the foreground object is la Tour Eiffel, so those roses are really big! I like the Eiffel Tower, and many other ingenious appointments added to Baron Haussmann's improvements to a squiggly-streeted city that could forever be controlled by cannon-fire down straight streets from a central point. No more revolutions? It is, I suppose (and I HATE this expression!) what it is. I believe it was David Hume who argued there is no coherent transition from a positive statement (what is) to a normative one (what could or should be). Uh, time for another Normaphoto:
The universe put her in my path and me in hers. Now she puts plants in my path and Normaphotos them.  Imagine a library,1968, a stunningly beautiful Norma and a suave, debonair me. I walk in, sit and notice something quietly elegant on my right. I couldn't help sneaking glances. She finally said,"What?"

I debonairly and suavely said,"Buh, hamina dut?"
This confused her so I tried again:
"I'm Geo., would you like to go out?" I knew her name was Norma because it was written neatly on her flute case --still is.

She said, "No."

I replied, "What if I persist?"

She quietly and forcefully said,"Well, then I'll have to beat-choo up."

I'd give worlds to know how that turned out.

29 comments:

  1. Normaphotos are always a delight - which no doubt is a teensy weensy fraction of the delight you get from her presence.
    If you can please send some good thoughts to Susan of I think; Therefore I Yam. She could do with them.

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    1. Thanks, EC. I'll pass your compliment on to the photographer.
      I have heard no sudden alarms re: Susan but will gladly send good thoughts, as you suggest.

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    2. Sadly her husband's cancer has ramped up another notch and found a new site to invade. He is back in hospital. And my heart goes out to her.

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  2. I truly envy the fact that you are able to get wine and toilet paper. Those two items seem to be non-existent here in rural TN. If I had them, there would be no need for prescriptions.

    Do libraries still exist? They seem to be a luxury of the ancient past - - before this inane frenzy of masks and ridiculous restrictions.

    At any rate, you've confirmed my theory that wonderful things can happen in unlikely places such as libraries. Collections of books are synonymous with romance.....and can eventually inspire eternal love.

    No one can beat up that theory.

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    1. Elephant's Child mentioned Susan from "I Think,Therefore I Yam". I haven't heard any news about her, but I hope she and her husband are all right. My positive thoughts are with them.

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    2. Days of "Wine and Toilet Paper" --wasn't that a popular Jack Lemmon, Lee Remick film in the '60s? Libraries have always accompanied civilization and reason; have undergone great calamities and invariably been rebuilt as Public Works. Now if that's not romance and love, I give up.

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    3. Dear Jon, EC sent an account of her concerns about 1/2 hour ago. Please see her reply under mine below 1st comment.

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    1. Dear Emma, I am an old man but still a young student of love. Norma still causes me to stutter suavely.

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  4. God I Love your Love Story with how you met your Beloved! The fact you can get TP is impressive... not sure about the abundance of Wine left in the Liquor Stores, which have remained Open as Essential Businesses thru The Plague... since I don't drink. But if I did partake, I'm not sure if Olive Garden still has their Wonderful Moscato and Roscato Wines that I do happen to enjoy? Now you've got me contemplating Wine... could end up with a Pandemic Craving that would justify me inventing a reason to hit an Olive Garden for Vino.

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    1. Dear Dawn, thank you! Love stories lead us through the best of life --nature articulated in concert with the human heart. My favorite is now Cabernet Sauvignon from Woodbridge Winery in nearby Lodi. It helps quarantine seem a bit more normal. This is a strange time, full of urgencies --plague, crazy weather, quakes and calamities. Every few years, California threatens to calve off into the ocean. This would leave your state with beach frontage, attendant wineries and radical politics that have run out of land. I suggest no overindulgene but a bottle in reserve.

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  5. Psst ... I think I know how it turned out ... very well indeed :D

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    1. 0_Jenny, Hamina? Don't tell anyone or everybody will try to marry me.

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  6. We've been watching (for the zillionth time) "Casablanca" tonight. As we stopped it, to be finished tomorrow, my wife said "That is such a good movie." I agreed. Your post tonight made me think of it. Again. You're a lucky man, Geo.

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    1. I agree. Thanks Bruce. I too love that film, right down to little details like Rick walking into the crowded dining room and reaching down to upright an overturned glass without even looking.

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  7. Jenny's right. I'd say things worked out verrrry well.

    I'm humbled by everyone's concern, and I appreciate it very much. As Sue said, Mike is in the hospital and his prognosis isn't good. The hardest part is not being able to be with him, but his doctors and nurses are doing everything they can to make him more comfortable, which I was no longer able to do here at home. Again, thanks for caring.

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    1. Dear Susan, I do indeed care and spoke to Norma of my concern. She said to wish you well and keep you in my thoughts --we both will.

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    2. Thanks to both of you. I appreciate it.

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    3. Tears, friend Sue. Love, cat.

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    4. Am not in Bloggerland very often as am working much these days. Stay happy and healthy, friend Geo. Love, cat.

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    5. I hope your workload doesn't severely impact your blogging. We need good minds like yours. But if, needs must, I'll look forward always to the renewed pleasure of your on-line company. Love, --Geo.

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  8. Beautiful garden and a even better story!!!!

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    1. Most kind Maddie, Thank you. I made a living gardening for over 30 years, but everything I knew (barring machinery repair), I learned from Norma.

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  9. Normal is overrated, but Norma, never! :-)

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  10. "I believe it was David Hume who argued there is no coherent transition from a positive statement (what is) to a normative one (what could or should be). "
    Wow, Geo., I am still thinking about that one! Here in the Netherlands the weather changed from hot to rainy - might be that my brain profits from that - normative --- I from "what is" to "what should be"... :-)

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    1. Dear Britta, It is wonderful to get a happy comment from you. Things are tense here and I have confined myself cautiously to "what is". Norma, however is Normative, and keeps us moving toward what "should be", like you do. I thank All Creation for people like you.

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  11. I hope she didn't have to beat you up! I love quirky love stories; I met my late husband at a New Year's Eve party. He was in a toga and I was engaged to someone else. :) I was so worried about TP that I had two handheld bidets installed. Now there is plenty of it around...for the moment!

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    1. Welcome Margaret! Rest assured, Norma didn't have to beat me up. We became friends, then gradually got closer over a couple of years. No togas were involved, but I like your story too. My compliments on solving the tp problem.

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