The Summer of Meg's Cultural Revolution
My third shift coworker called out sick and nobody found coverage, so I am stuck here at work. I got here at four in the afternoon, and I have to stay until eight in the morning, then drive 50 minutes home, get a few hours of sleep, wake up at 1:30 to shower and then leave because i have to be back here at work by 3pm. Eww. So, I guess I'll write a blog post, since I'm wide awake (thank you, green tea) and have nothing to do.
So, I realized the other day that I have no cultural foundation. I haven't read any classic literature (except what they made us read in school, by force) or seen any classic movies or studied any classic art. For example: I have never read a novel by Goethe, or Dickens, or Nobokov, or James. I have never seen Casablanca. And i couldn't tell the difference between a painting by DaVinci, or Michelangelo, or Renoir. I am vaguely familiar with all of this stuff, because it's so embedded in our culture that you can't help but know the plot of Lolita or recognize the Mona Lisa, but I've never taken the time to sit down and study them. So, my twilight-zone coworker has a degree in art history or something, so she's going to spend this summer bringing in art textbooks and educating me in the classical art department. I'm going to start bringing in some opera music to play while we're at work, since both of us want to explore opera. So, we have officially titled this The Summer of Meg's Cultural Revolution.
(I know i know, "cultural enlightenment" is a more accurate descriptor, but i like how "cultural revolution" sounds, the ending sound of "cultURAL" and the start of "REVOlution", the way they kinda blend together and compliment each other. It makes my tongue happy. So we're going with revolution.)
I'm recruiting help in the following areas: Classical art, literature, music, philosophy (with a focus on ancient, because i'm taking a class on that in the fall), opera, classic "american" movies, and . . . basically anything else anyone wants to teach me. I am also recruiting people to help me with language -- I need to brush up on my meager high school Spanish, and I'd like at least a conversational grasp of French, and maybe Italian and/or German. Some people (you know who you are . . .) have already "been volunteered" for The Summer of Meg's Cultural Revolution. And i have my eye on a few more "volunteers. But, if you wanna teach me something, cool.
...So, I was filling up my car at the gas station this morning, and another car pulled in to use the pump behind me. I turn around and, lo and behold, there is a pitbull in the backseat, smiling at me! So I caught the owner's eye and motioned to the dog, and he smiled and nodded (this is the secret code of dog-lovers) and i went over and let this gorgeous dog slobber all over my face. She was so sweet and drooly and womderful! And all I could think was, dog in car at gas station? Dog in car at gas station licking my face? WHAT?!? JACKPOT!!!!
So, I realized the other day that I have no cultural foundation. I haven't read any classic literature (except what they made us read in school, by force) or seen any classic movies or studied any classic art. For example: I have never read a novel by Goethe, or Dickens, or Nobokov, or James. I have never seen Casablanca. And i couldn't tell the difference between a painting by DaVinci, or Michelangelo, or Renoir. I am vaguely familiar with all of this stuff, because it's so embedded in our culture that you can't help but know the plot of Lolita or recognize the Mona Lisa, but I've never taken the time to sit down and study them. So, my twilight-zone coworker has a degree in art history or something, so she's going to spend this summer bringing in art textbooks and educating me in the classical art department. I'm going to start bringing in some opera music to play while we're at work, since both of us want to explore opera. So, we have officially titled this The Summer of Meg's Cultural Revolution.
(I know i know, "cultural enlightenment" is a more accurate descriptor, but i like how "cultural revolution" sounds, the ending sound of "cultURAL" and the start of "REVOlution", the way they kinda blend together and compliment each other. It makes my tongue happy. So we're going with revolution.)
I'm recruiting help in the following areas: Classical art, literature, music, philosophy (with a focus on ancient, because i'm taking a class on that in the fall), opera, classic "american" movies, and . . . basically anything else anyone wants to teach me. I am also recruiting people to help me with language -- I need to brush up on my meager high school Spanish, and I'd like at least a conversational grasp of French, and maybe Italian and/or German. Some people (you know who you are . . .) have already "been volunteered" for The Summer of Meg's Cultural Revolution. And i have my eye on a few more "volunteers. But, if you wanna teach me something, cool.
...So, I was filling up my car at the gas station this morning, and another car pulled in to use the pump behind me. I turn around and, lo and behold, there is a pitbull in the backseat, smiling at me! So I caught the owner's eye and motioned to the dog, and he smiled and nodded (this is the secret code of dog-lovers) and i went over and let this gorgeous dog slobber all over my face. She was so sweet and drooly and womderful! And all I could think was, dog in car at gas station? Dog in car at gas station licking my face? WHAT?!? JACKPOT!!!!
posted by megs at
3:12 AM
3 Comments:
I love how you describe things...I can "hear" you talking almost. Does that make sense?
If you're gonna read a Goethe, ignore Faust and go for "The Sorrows of Young Werther". Known as the height of German Romanticism (an oxymoron if you ask me), it is said to have started a wave of suicides across Europe.
P.S....I wanna hear what you're learning. I could use some cultural revolutionizing myself :) Let's talk soon!
Ignore Faust NO Way that is a great play!!! Oh i think you need to read Oscar Wilde too. The perfect Husband great play. You would like it. AS for languages i can use some brush up on italian and german if you are interested. Oh and the Opera to hear is Carmen or Rigoleto MMM GOOD. If you want to end the summer with going to the opera please invite me i am opera crazy person. There is one coming up in October here in Hartford. Just let me know!!!!
Holta
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