Clematis Jackmanii
While I was sitting in a men’s fitting room early last week waiting for George to have 2 suits tailored, I paged through a copy of the Sunday Times Style Magazine from June 2 which I found on the coffee table. While I was initially intrigued by the cover shot of “Mrs. Prada”, I was ultimately struck by one quote attributed to a woman I had never heard of before, but who I will now, never forget. The author of the article is Andrew Solomon and the story is about Deeda Blair. The quote attributed to her is as follows:
“Deeda once told me that she studies as if she were going to live forever and lives as if she were going to die tomorrow.”
Here is the link to the article, worth reading I’d say, in case you’ve already pitched your NYT from 2 weeks ago: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2013/06/02/t-magazine/02well-blair.html?_r=0
Deeda Blair (photos courtesy NYTimes)
I instantly recognized this as a group of relatively simple words and ideas which had previously been stirring around in my head on countless occasions, but never coalesced in the correct mantra-state I sought – she nailed the phraseology of the life-long mission I crave as I had not. Bingo – and, WOW! Now, here’s a woman I can admire, on so many levels – her zeal, her passion, her commitment, her novelty, her formidability, her independence!
Unfortunately, that little phrase is where the similarities between the two of us, Deeda Blair and I, end, and yet, in an instant, I felt connected to her in some psychic sort of way. I am no doyenne of medical magistrating, matchmaking and motivating, and I am surely no social, decorating or fashion maiden of New York City. Mrs. Blair travels in the most important medical and social circles, looks elegant and sophisticated, and works on critical medical issues. I run around my back yard in a pair of old gym shorts with my camera, go to food markets and bake cakes. But with those few words, I recognized my very own mission and motto. And so, thank you to Deeda Blair and Andrew Solomon for serendipitously crystalizing my maniére å étre – and settling me this morning in the midst of some momentary angst.
My own subject matter of fascination, delight, unending curiousity and motivation, while much less earth-shattering and humanity-enhancing is none-the-less as fascinating, fulfilling and absent of boredom-producing dismay as Deeda’s chosen path, to me. Of course, the world of flowers, travel, food, photography and writing is just this little hobby of mine which has burgeoned into obsession. And so, here I sit, re-fortified by the motto of a woman I will never know.
Today, my choice of ventures included a good bit of weeding of my patio (a heinous job), some serious trimming and then I took to the camera:
My other subject of fascination today? Crumb Cake – I read about a few over the past few days and I can’t get them out of my mind.
And so, I’m not curing critical diseases, but I’m driven to study, in the manner and with the urgency of Mrs. Blair.