Thursday, June 12, 2008

The familiar...

Do you ever pass by something so often in your environment that you don't even see it any more? That's what happened to me with this chalkware half doll on my vanity. I was going to dust other day and saw her sitting there so prettily. She was gift from a friend a few years ago. Her skirt is starting to "melt" but she is otherwise perpetually young and winsome. It was like I had never seen her before even though she has been in that spot for years.

Look around. Do you look at things that things you no longer "see?"

"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes."

That is one of my favorite Proustian quotes. I seldom mention this to anyone but I have been collecting books about or by Marcel Proust for over 30 years. In my early years, I underlined and noted hundreds of Proustian quotes in my own books. One could say they are now "annotated." This was the very first quote I fell in love with.

Enjoy your day. What will you see in your familiar landscape?

2 comments:

Lena said...

One of things that I try to do is rotate my things seasonally, so that I do see them with new eyes, each time that I unpack them. That's another reason that I enjoy rearranging rooms too. What a difference it makes to do that from time to time.

Your doll is lovely!

Anonymous said...

I looked at things with new eyes recently when I looked at the dining room and garden through the mantle mirror. I was amazed at how different things were and I noticed things I wouldn't normally. Definately recommend the fresh perspective.

Just popped my head in to say hi. I'm on Eileen's Summer Stash Challenge too.