Remember Kaleidoscopes? Did you have one? We went to the most amazing place today. There is a Kaleidoscope Store in Mt. Tremper NY (which is in between Woodstock and Kingston). You can look through them all!! They have Kaleidoscopes worth several thousand dollars and some that cost $2. The very nice woman working in the store was telling us about how they were made, the artist, whether there were 2 mirrors or 3. Honestly, I don’t really care how they were made because when I look into one, I am lost in its’ shifting colors and patterns and glitter and lights. And it is Magic, Pure Magic. In the old days, a kaleidoscope made a little noise when you turned it as all the pretty little colored things fell into a new position. Today, many of them are filled with a gelatinous substance which causes the pretty colored to always be in continuous motion. I like those best because I get lost , truly lost in the looking. I have a small one at home. It was a gift I had given my Mom to thank her for showing me the, sweet, simple beauty in our everyday world. When she passed away, I brought that kaleidoscope home with me.
They have the biggest one in the world too but we did not see that one today. It is in a barn silo. I have seen it before and was, frankly, not impressed. It’s big, I’ll give you that, but there is something so personal about looking through the eye of a Kaleidoscope that is lost in a bigger venue. Have you ever looked in one, saw the most beautiful color pattern and tried to share it with someone? Doesn’t happen. Because it changes as you move it. Oh, the person sees something very beautiful but not what you saw. Kind of like everything in life. We see through our own eyes and our perceptions are our own. That is why it is so important to share ideas. Not because we will see things the same way as each other but because we will see things that we never saw before.
I think that I would like to collect Kaleidoscopes. I have never collected anything (except maybe shoes and that’s not the same thing). I have my Mom’s to start me off. I saw one today that could be my next addition but it cost $300 and it will truly need to be a celebration to rationalize that one! But I can see myself, once a year going to the Kaleidoscope Store to pick out one, just one, every year. What a collection to share with you. For you to find magic when you come to visit me, for you to slow down for a few moments and experience magic in the sweet, simple, beauty of our everyday world.
What do you collect to show others, make you smile, to help you remember?
Collection by definition is the gathering of things, a quantity of anything together in mass assemblage, or quite simply an accumulation.
ReplyDeleteI can’t help but think of George Carlin’s parody on how our “stuff” dictates our worries and need for more space, in that context a quest for minimalism rings true. However, I find I am surrounded by collections throughout my home(a marked wall noting the height/growth of my children over the years) not necessarily grand objects of fine art, but more so like a collection found in a time capsule, a tapestry of treasures that nonetheless are priceless, even if only to me… my remembrances of life.
According to my children I collect material, patterns and notions, I try to deny it but they are right. I love to sew and the colors of material and notions are my Kaleidoscope of life. The final product is my high the feeling I got when I was little looking thru a kaleidoscope. You feel such awe when you see the various colors and designs the kaleidoscope makes. This is how I feel when I have finished sewing an item awe that I made this with my own two hands. In April I am going to pass on my love of sewing (I pray) to my 6 yr old granddaughter who asked me to teach her how to sew. I made a trip to JoAnn's to buy a simple pattern for her to make. I chose a straight A-line skirt and an apron. I am looking forward to teaching her and hopefully seeing the joy on her face just like her grandmother has when she sews.
ReplyDeleteCheck out the lyrics to the song "Step Inside this House". It's written by Guy Clark, performed by my all time favorite, Lyle Lovett. Listen to it on Youtube. I think you will like it too.
ReplyDeleteI, too,have a kaleidoscope. A cardboard, childrens' toy. It fascinates me. I also love glass marbles, all different and in a glass with the sun shining through it. I think it's the colors and the ever-changing abstract art. It relaxes and excites me at the same time. Calming and invigorating...no rules!
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