Saturday, February 01, 2014

Therapy, sport and Minnesota

Problems with uploading (or is it downloading) photographs. So no more archive or even new stuff until next week. But beautiful things are still around, even  if they are not illustrated. Today Christo Skelton, who  sorts out computer problems not only sets my lap top on the right course, but, with his company,  provides  therapy for me as well as for my machine.

Watching sport on TV is for me rather like drinking. It is best done in company. In recent years rugby though not a game I played myself as I did once football, has appealed to me much more than football. Normally I would not spend an afternoon watching either rugby or football. But this afternoon watching Italy put up bold fight against Wales  in company was a stirring experience. And a pleasure totally unexpected.

Reading about the human  brain in a detailed article in National Geographic is scary. Using an organ to learn about its own  mysteries and intricacies is too much for my frame of mind at the moment. I give up and turn to a lengthy article by the wonderful Garrison Keillor about  his family in  Minnesota.  I remember years ago being  entirely captivated by his book on  the deliciously named fictional  Minnesotan town of Lake Wobegon,where "all the women are strong, all the men are good looking and all  the children are above average". Keillor started his career as a broadcaster on Minnesota Public Radio. I know know nothing about Minnesota, not even precisely where in it is. But it strikes me as  representing the America I  would love if I loved America (and well I might love it if it were like this). In Keillor's prose meanwhile I can hear the slow, spare accents of a people who are not in hurry and are not going to hurry for anyone.

2 comments:

Rouchswalwe said...

Garrison's radio program is wonderful! It still plays here on public radio every weekend. You can see various stage shows on you tube.

Stella said...

perhaps I speak for all when I tell you we get the same good vibes from reading Joe as we get from reading Garrison.