Words and Magic
"Disbelief in magic can force a poor soul into believing in government and business."--Tom Robbins
Would you believe me if I told you that I could make things happen with my writing?
Don't worry, I wouldn't believe me either. But believable or not, logical or not, it's happened to me, many, many times. When I take the time to actually shape a particular need or want or hope into a fully crafted, styled piece of writing I can feel so close to me that I can hear it breathing and alive, shortly afterwards that thing just suddenly shows up in my real life.
Case in point:
Lately, I've been yearning for long-lost friends who I used to have my most intimate understandings with. In particular, I've been thinking about an old friend who, over a decade ago, was a huge part of my life--so much so that even now, I still can't hear certain songs or experience certain things without equating them with her and what we were doing together at that time.
Things happened. We both moved repeatedly all over the country, and touch was lost. I never thought I'd see her again, or ever find out what happened to her. But in the midst of everything that's been going on for me lately, I've thought about her. It made me sad, and nostalgic. And it resulted in me writing one of my favorite posts so far. It may not seem that great a post to anyone else, but for me, it had deep personal meaning, and captured just what she meant to me (and I hope I meant to her).
So I wrote that, wrote her up in a way that made her live for me again after years of her being just a ghost in my memory.
And today, she walked past me on my street.
Almost thirteen years since I last saw her, or knew anything about her. She lives in my fucking neighborhood.
(photo credit: ghost girl by jeffmclennan)
posted by Miss Syl at 9:20 PM
7 Comments:
And you're suprised by this?
As Darkneuro is so fond of quoting Freddie Mercury:
It's a kind of magic...
Robert Crumb once said that he doesn't write anything sad because if he did, he would stop getting laid. A lot of sex cartoonists have said similar.
I find that if I write a certain theme over and over, it barges into my life. It's one of those things I believe in but don't like to say out loud because I would sound crazy.
Alan Moore had some thoughts on how stories function on spells if you would be interested. It's trippy stuff.
Oh, my . . . if I discovered a former lover in my neighborhood, I would have such a flood of reactions.
It sounds like your reactions might be more positive than negative. I hope so!
spcknght: You're right. Who am I to contradict the fabulous Freddie? OR the fabulous Darkneuro?
As it happens more and more, I grow less surprised and more...what?...wondrous, I guess. The real question now is, why don't I write more things that I want or need into reality? There are about a million things I could used some help with. But I don't write them.
Aine: First off, welcome back, m'dear, in your new incarnation. I'm glad you've given up the sadder name for something more mystical and powerful. You are so much more than just DSM.
Sympathetic magic. I love that term. Thanks for teaching it to me. Now I'm reading up on it here:
http://www.themystica.com/mystica/articles/s/sympathetic_magic.html
...things having been in contact with each other continue to react upon one and another at a distant even after they have been severed or disconnected...things can physically affect each other through a space which appears to be empty.
You know, I do believe that. Although this article makes it sound like it has many sinister uses, when in fact the name makes it sound quite lovely, and when it's happened for me, that's how it feels.
Sexeteria: I think Crumb is wrong. I know a lot of graphic novelists who write sad things who I'd be happy to roll around with.
I find that if I write a certain theme over and over, it barges into my life. It's one of those things I believe in but don't like to say out loud because I would sound crazy.
That's how I feel about it, too--that last bit. But lately I've learned how much power this kind of thing, and a sister activity, "visualization," seem to have. It's kind of freaky.
I'm not a particularly religious or new agey person. I tend toward the skeptical. But you can't keep being skeptical about something that actually works. I've seen the effects in real life. Again, it's a wonder why I don't do it more, when I've seen this. But for some reason I find it difficult. Maybe I'm afraid to know what it would look like not to have any problems anymore. :)
I would absoluetly love to knwo more about that Alan Moore stuff. Please enlighten me.
Cherrie: She was never a lover of mine. Just a good, good friend at a particularly formative time in my life. For me she kind of epitomizes that time--even though clearly we've both moved on from it. I have no idea if I will be able to relate to her outside the context of it. We shall see.
For the record, I've never had a female lover.
Anyway, I have a lot of difficulty trusting lovers, but not so with friends. So in many ways, though I never thought of it this way before, my friendships have been more intimate than my romantic relationships, where I feel more anxiety and need to ensure I'm not being over-controlled or taken advantage of. So in a way, she was more important to me than a lover.
Hm. It bothers me I'm that way. Workin' on it. Maybe I should write up a piece on the perfect lover who I can actually trust and be fully intimate with in the way I am with my friends. Maybe then I'll find one. :)
I understand, Syl. I have had close female friends who were not my lovers, and those were very special relationships, too.
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