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chugglepuff — Rediscovery
Published: 2008-08-22 23:36:12 +0000 UTC; Views: 287; Favourites: 2; Downloads: 0
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Description
It wasn’t a hobby-horse found in the attic—old Acorn, that mane still swishing in imagined winds, knowing brown eyes glowing with secrets and mischief. There was no comfortable nostalgia; I never smiled sadly as I ran my fingers down smooth pine that used to carry me away, and couldn’t anymore. There was no steady sigh as I laid him in the timeless dust and retreated down the ladder to wash dishes.It wasn’t a forgotten photo album of blurred thumbs and red eyes; I didn’t flick through, identifying holidays in the Isle of Wight and the ugly brown kitchen we used to have. It didn’t slot back beside the others to be pored over and laughed at with friends.
It was a penny hiding inside the sofa when I was looking for the remote—a hand groping through the filth and touching cold copper, pulling out a soft round coin that twirled easily between my fingers, as bright as the day it was lost.
It was a walk through fields of unharvested wheat and trees with long, looping roots, and remembering just how wonderful everything is.
It was an old friend that winked when I arrived and said, “I never doubted you’d come back. Welcome home.”
It was faith, my faith, rediscovered.
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Comments: 15
I really liked this. It was simple, with a clarity and an honesty to it that's sometimes hard to find. I thought it was very well written
I like that last line as well, and I agree that it fits, it brings everything together after "Welcome home". Those can be such sweet words!
I'm glad you found your faith again
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btw - the Dali Lama has some of the most amazing thoughts I have ever read.
Emptied space as a field of compassion!!!
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This is written wonderfully.
For me it is about taking all faith together - to find understanding and connection between faiths and to comprehend the search which humans have been on for thousands of years. To have faith in our search, not in any one answer to that search. I am not questioning your faith in a Christian god, but simply musing on my own faith.
The Christian god was originally known as El or Al, much like the Muslim Allah, from the Canaanite "L," which is most likely a transliteration of "Ra" (from the Egyptians) through the Babylonian Lil (or En-lil). We know now that the sun (ra = rays/lil = light) was responsible for creating all the matter in this solar-system from nothing. I find this to be a metaphor for one aspect of God. Science and religion are no longer opposed in this respect, and yet so much of religion denies scientific advancement.
We search, we search... but really we go backward in time. That is what this piece communicated to me.
All the best,
Dick
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I just... what can I say? I love this.
Those last three little paragraphs were delightful. I take it you added the very last sentence? I think it works perfectly - everything clicks into place.
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And yes, I added the last paragraph, I'm really glad you think it fits! 
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Nice piece of 'creative non-fiction', which is what we call autobiographical and other personal types of descriptive writing with a literary style (as opposed to straight reportage).
I really like the discovery metaphors. I think they stand on their own and draw the reader in to discover what you found and how you felt.
Very wise advice from your Dad. I always liked the image of Jesus just there, walking alongside you. If you looked back on where you'd been, you'd see his sandal prints.
I had to smile about the filth in the couch, which I vacuum up all too infrequently. I find a penny or some coinage everytime I clean house (weekly) and do laundry.
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Why is there not a creative non-fiction category yet??
Thank you very much for the kind words!
And I don't think we clean our house even weekly... or maybe everyone else does it without me noticing and I'm just horribly lazy. It wouldn't surprise me...
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Shall we demand a new category from the literati in charge here?
My pleasure. You know I'm an atheist, but that has given me a healthy respect for anyone who 'takes the journey', whichever way it ends up.
I clean daily to no avail! And weekly out of self defence. I live with pigs! Four of them! And only when they want something do they help clean up their messes. Be lazy while you can. I always had to help my mom. There were six of us, my sister and I, my two brothers and my Dad. Everybody pitched in, but the girls especially. That's how it was back then. When you get your own place one day, you'll see the dirt in the grout of your bathroom tiles and realize that if you don't attend to it no one else will.
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If it wasn't for the explanation, I wouldn't have guessed it was about religion, not in a million years. But yes, it is an extended metaphor, and it's a damn good one
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Sorry for the slow response - I'm being a bit useless with these things at the moment...
Thank you for the comment, it was very helpful! I've added another paragraph to clarify it.
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is the piece generally an extended metaphor for your rediscovered faith?
awesome as always, very real imagery. I like how you started it all with feelings of sense rather than sight.
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That's what it is to me.
Thank you very much for the helpful comment!
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