A wonderful and compelling essay, Margaret. I like that you began by declaring beauty as unnecessary then ended by declaring beauty as vital. All the steps in between were not departures. Rather fascinating tidbits of Ireland as you know it. "Kick some sparks out of the floor?" Does that originate from the steel toes and heels of the dancers' shoes striking nail heads in the boards of the dance floor? I thought of the blacksmiths adding a decorative detail to an otherwise functional gate that didn't require that touch. And they did so anyway.
Now I'll fall off in another direction and I believe you'll see the connection. Pre-Columbian pottery in the western hemisphere was almost always decorated. Some simple, some complex. Such a piece sits on my desk from a construction site I once managed. The clay core, glazed then tooled, with a pointed tool to emboss the surface. Many strokes for a tiny surface. It mattered I believe. After Columbus' arrival, between theft of property, land, new diseases, and being forced into slavery, their spirits were broken. Often times, the vessel's body would turn out completely smooth, devoid of detail. The rim might receive a cursory rounding to eliminate sharp edges or to smooth the pour. I'm really agreeing with every word you said. Beauty nourishes our souls, our spirits. When our souls are depleted, beauty is what is required to restore us. Thank you ever so much for your wisdom and love of beauty.
Your mention of the gates put me in my of my beloved storied by James Herriot, who wrestled many a gate to get to his patients in the fields of Yorkshire. You have added beauty to those gates for me with your share Margaret.
Beautiful!
A wonderful and compelling essay, Margaret. I like that you began by declaring beauty as unnecessary then ended by declaring beauty as vital. All the steps in between were not departures. Rather fascinating tidbits of Ireland as you know it. "Kick some sparks out of the floor?" Does that originate from the steel toes and heels of the dancers' shoes striking nail heads in the boards of the dance floor? I thought of the blacksmiths adding a decorative detail to an otherwise functional gate that didn't require that touch. And they did so anyway.
Now I'll fall off in another direction and I believe you'll see the connection. Pre-Columbian pottery in the western hemisphere was almost always decorated. Some simple, some complex. Such a piece sits on my desk from a construction site I once managed. The clay core, glazed then tooled, with a pointed tool to emboss the surface. Many strokes for a tiny surface. It mattered I believe. After Columbus' arrival, between theft of property, land, new diseases, and being forced into slavery, their spirits were broken. Often times, the vessel's body would turn out completely smooth, devoid of detail. The rim might receive a cursory rounding to eliminate sharp edges or to smooth the pour. I'm really agreeing with every word you said. Beauty nourishes our souls, our spirits. When our souls are depleted, beauty is what is required to restore us. Thank you ever so much for your wisdom and love of beauty.
Your mention of the gates put me in my of my beloved storied by James Herriot, who wrestled many a gate to get to his patients in the fields of Yorkshire. You have added beauty to those gates for me with your share Margaret.
Thank you. 😊
Beautiful Margaret :)