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Monday, January 5, 2015

The purpose of life.


As I sat across from my husband with a platter of seafood at Portside Restaurant in Charleston, a fishing village north of us, I saw this couple hard at work digging clams for the time it took us to eat our platter. Hard work to move about in the muck with rain gear, trying to remain upright while observing the movement of bubbles at your feet. Even if they didn't fill their bucket with clams, these folks would go home pleased. Later, after they opened  a can of their favorite beer and steamed their clams, they would have feasted the end of another year with friends and family.


Their supper will be reproduced in many parts of the world, people eating what they gathered, or grew, or bought at the local store, food that their parents had used to celebrate these events,  to say goodbye to another year in a memorable way. While our imagination colors our memories with rosy colors, and warms our dreams with candied stories, these simple tasks, gathering food, surviving storms, staying warm, celebrating with rituals, these are the memories our children inherit to share with their children, and grandchildren.

Our purpose is to stay alive, as best we can.

In this way,  paraphrasing Jodorowsky, we create the soul.


14 comments:

Hilary said...

It's true that our memories might be more colourful than the actual events. I think it's probably often a good thing. Happy New Year, Rosaria.

joeh said...

Steamed clams and beer...worth staying alive for sure.

MunirGhiasuddin said...

I would have loved to grow food and send it to many parts of the world if I could. That young couple must feel very good.
Happy New Year to you and your loved ones.

Linda Myers said...

It's still about acquiring food, covering our bodies and keeping warm and dry. We just do it differently than we did 10,000 years ago.

There's something about clamming, though, that feels primitive and very, very satisfying, regardless of the catch.

Helen said...

Your message is beautiful, Rosaria .. And full of wisdom (something I have come to love about you.) Carl and I are lucky to be spending the month of January in warm, sunny Florida right on the Atlantic. Nice to have friends in 'good' places! It will be hard returning to Winter. Happy New Year to you and to Ken .. stay healthy and happy.

Maggie May said...

Obviously living in the city, we don't gather food in the way you mean.....but I suppose going to the supermarket is the next best thing. I have to go and collect it!
Loved that post.

Happy New Year.
Maggie x

yaya said...

Jack and I have blended traditions over the years and made them our own. I've noticed our grown kiddos doing the same. Hope you had a nice celebration...Happy New Year!

Grandma Yellow Hair said...

Really nice post and I love the video.
You live in the most beautiful part of our country.
Hope your well and Happy New Year!
Maggie

Unknown said...

Wow! Thank you for this,

#1Nana said...

Happy New Year! Since we've retired we have been granted the gift of time to grow our food, and in my husband's case, hunt and fish. It is satisfying tp provide for our family. We especially enjoyed sharing the growing experience in our garden with our granddaughters. Now if we could just get them to eat more vegetables!

Midlife Roadtripper said...

Happy New Year to you. I love how you write about the "rosy" memory. So true your words. Good things to remember and even more reason to keep growing them. Cheers!

Brian Miller said...

we stay alive the best we can, indeed...and we relive those memories...there is a reason they are digging it out...and they may not even know it...

kj said...

how beautifully written. what lovely and wise insight and how effectively shared.

that's a lot of well deserved compliments! :^)

sometimes, even often, i get this and i feel so grateful. i felt this way as i cooked and baked this holiday season. and don't get me started about my garden and my beloved zinnias. good reasons to be thankful, even in a current crazy world

love to you in the year ahead,
kj

ellen abbott said...

Happy New Year Rosaria. getting together with family and friends to share a meal...such an old ritual rooted in one of our biological imperatives...to stay alive and to flourish.