Buying a book on a sunny day in a dusty shop
My first visit to Hinton -- (written April 27, 2006)
We're not one nation -- not one notion either. We're a bunch of little nations filled with notions, all trying to gain footing, all trying to keep from being swallowed by the great white whale.
And if we’re under one God, which God are we under? Cernunnos? Odin? Pan? -- that would be interesting. And where is Goddess in all of that. "God" doesn't cover both genders any more than "Man" means woman.
Sometimes I entertain the idea that change had come and this silly argument between religions is over and that our beliefs are accepted by each other.
Recently, we were in a small town to visit, walking around, getting acquainted. There were God signs everywhere -- ten commandments on the door of the town's only grocery store/cafe -- tiny place on a corner, rather brusque fellow running it -- nice enough when spoken to kindly. Bible bookstore at the top of hill -- other books are hidden among the antiques in a little store down below.
I had time to spend. I thought what if I do this thing where I exchange the word Pagan for the word Christian everywhere I see it -- exchange Odin, Thor, Frigga or the Norns every time I see the word, God.
That turned out interesting. Instead of the ten commandments, the door read: "An it harm none, do as ye willl." Other transmuted signs: "Please donate your old instruments to the children at Pagan camp" --- "First Pagan church of Cernnunos" -- "Have you thanked Freyr today?" "This is the day that the Norns have spun" -- "Freya loves you" -- "Keep Dagha in your heart" -- "As for me and my house, we will serve Odin" --
That took a bit of time, walking around changing signs until amusement hit. Because it is funny -- except it isn't.
I went into every store in town that was still a store instead of a storefront -- all five of them -- three antique stores, one market/cafe, and one drugstore. Ok. I didn't go in all the stores -- I forgot to go in the Goddess is Love bookstore at the top of the hill. And a thrift store called "Once lost, now found" was closed, thank Bridgid.
I bought a paperback copy of The Heart is a Lonely Hunter from a box of books in a terrific antique store where the cool fellow (who completely left me alone so I could sense the place) held the book like a treasure, which all books are, and said, "now that's fun, huh? buying a book on a sunny day in a dusty shop”. Only the shop wasn't dusty -- it was well kept and beautiful. And it had books for a dollar.
I bought a small coke (47c) at the drug store and sat on the tailgate of our truck in the sun and began reading my book.
"In the town there were two mutes and they were always together."
Do you love first lines? I love first lines. And the symbolism of this one didn’t escape me. There are many mutes among us, not free to speak their truth. We are one book of many lines... one spirit under many words... why "under" ? Why did they put it that way. File us under God. (Isn't God supposed to be in?)
Understand, Underwrite, Undermine, Under the bed, Under Water, Under orders, Undertake, Underwear—Under cover. And that’s it, we’re mostly under cover. Pagans and Heathens look a little different sometimes, and we certainly look at the world differently. Sometimes we venture out and stand up and are counted. But mostly, those of us in small towns where another religion splashes its signs in all directions, we tend to slip our pentacles under our shirts and keep our religion to ourselves.
"And when at last he was inside again, he composed himself soberly to await the morning sun."
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