Tuesday, June 29, 2010

if it hits you wrong don't take no offense





i just went for a walk on one of the prettiest country roads in my town.   there used to be homes all along here but it's a floodplain so they were torn down at some point.  i can't remember when. 

 i would love to take large sheets and hang them where the houses used to be and project images of the houses on them and have everyone in town walk along the road together in the dark to experience it.  someday, maybe. 

have i mentioned that we only have one traffic light here and it's a flashing yellow?   and did i mention i got a tick on me on my walk?  ticks suck.

as i was walking i was thinking a little bit about a passage from the grapes of wrath.  it's long but i think i'm going to copy it here for you. 

"...Anyways, I'll tell you one more thing I thought out; an' from a preacher it's the most unreligious thing, and I can't be a preacher no more because I thought it an' I believe it."
"What's that?" Joad asked.
Casey looked slyly at him.  "If it hits you wrong, don't take no offense at it, will you?"
"I don't take no offense 'cept a bust in the nose," said Joad.  "What did you figger?"
"I figgered about the Holy Sperit and the Jesus road.  I figgered, "Why do we got to hang it on God and Jesus?  'Maybe, I figgered, 'maybe it's all men and all women we love; maybe that's the Holy Sperit -the human sperit- the whole she-bang.  Maybe all men got one big soul ever'body's a part of.'  Now I sat there thinkin' it, an' all of a suddent -I knew it.  I knew it so deep down that it was true, and I still know it."

9 comments:

Mandy Behrens said...

LOVE those photos...that quote. We're thinking along the same lines...I decided a while back that my first set of oil paintings will focus on the plight of the dust bowl families. I just finished re-reading The Grapes of Wrath and I can't get my images onto canvas fast enough. Thanks for sharing your experience. Cheers, Mandy

Melissa de la Fuente said...

I love that quote so very much....sorry you got a tick & your sheet installation idea sounds awesome....you are very cool, ya know?
xo
Melis

erin said...

so much love for this post. every. bit.

We Blog Artists said...

what an awesome passage...
hey...looks like you're in the MIDDLE of the countryside!...beautiful.
We used to care for a dog in Spain which ALWAYS got ticks on it.
they do SUCK! (literally)

HUGS
Char

Melissa said...

Thanks for sharing pictures and that quote - so perfect. I couldn't agree more!

freefalling said...

We have TWO traffic lights.

Kim said...

I would just like to get into your brain and look around...it must have the most interesting convolutions in it! Soo very interesting and I think I understand it...that's what I'm tryin' ta say!

The homesteadingcottage said...

I just became a new follower and look forward to coming back for future posts (:

The photos were lovely!

Michele
XOXO

Jane Flanagan said...

an amazing post. beautiful.