My pastor says being a hermit is weird.
I can live with that.
I’ve always wanted to be a hermit. For me there is no greater joy then hiding in my cave/apartment for as many days in a row as I can and being alone with my thoughts. It doesn’t happen anywhere near close to enough.
At my day job, I sit at a purple plank (yes, a purple plank) smack dab in the center of the single story building --- right in the crossroads of building traffic. Liken it to having your desk in the middle of the freeway in your city. Not exactly ideal digs for a hermit (or anybody else who wants to be productive, for that matter).
So, in a moment of frustration I asked myself, “I wonder if anybody ever advertises hermit jobs?” Before I had time to complete the thought, I did what any red-blooded gal would do. I googled. Believe it or not, I found a dream job! Alas, I found it several months too late.
The advertisement read:
“Hermit Wanted For ‘Ivory Tower’”
Read the article for yourself here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/manchester/content/articles/2009/01/07/070109_hermit_museum_feature.shtml
So let me get this straight. The folks at Manchester Museum want to bring in a hermit to live….
For eight straight weeks…
In complete isolation…
In a tower.
Happy sigh….
Their objective is a twist on having an artist in residence. Right before their hermit residency begins, they will have access to all the museum’s works. Then, they get to ruminate for two months, thinking deep thoughts and produce a piece of art to see what they have to show for it at the end of the two months.
Now why doesn’t an American museum do this? I’d love for say, the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City to do a hermit residency where I stay in an isolated backroom for two months and ponder cowboys and the world and produce an artistic expression of that time spent.
Yeah, I know. Not realistic. I couldn’t afford my hermit fantasy. How would I survive financially those two months? Who would take care of my dog? Would I have a job (stressful as it is) to come back to?
But it’s nice to think about what it might be like to actually be granted time to think for a change.
I shall have to do a follow up Google and see what the results of this hermit experiment were.
In the meantime, I will escape in the only way I know how. A way that costs me nothing but the price of the paper or the electricity to run to the computer; a way that will help utilize whatever few thinking moments I have --- writing fiction. 8-)
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2 comments:
What a beautiful picture of the snow and cactus. And good thoughts. I don't think we Americans spend enough alone time especially with the Lord. If Jesus had to to do it, how much more do we. And even when we are alone - the TV or radio are going. Hmmm, that does sound like fun - 8 weeks locked up with all that creativity.
this was a thought-provoking post in so many ways. I prefer being alone, too. I never tire of reading, writing, drawing, thinking, praying. . . I could so rock that tower out! And speaking of cowboy art, We have a museum nearby that specializes in Remingtons and Russels. Biggest collection of western art east of the Mississippi. Corning, NY--Rockwell Museum of Western Art. Go figure! : )
Happy New Year, Brenda!
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