"Still, perhaps my journey to the south will yet bear fruit, for the stronger light and the blue sky teaches you to see, especially, or even only, if you see it all for a long time.
The north will undoubtedly seem quite new to me, and I have looked at things so much here that I have become very attached to them, so I shall feel sad for a long time."
and:
"Well, do you know what I hope for, once I allow myself to begin to hope? It is that the family will be for you what nature, the clods of earth, the grass, the yellow wheat, the peasant, are for me, in other words, that you find in your love for people something not only to work for, but to comfort and restore you when there is a need. So, I beg you not to let yourself get too exhausted by business, but to take good care of yourselves, both of you -- perhaps there will still be some good in the not too distant future."
(pages 455 and 456, from THE LETTERS OF VINCENT VAN GOGH, translated by Arnold Pomerans. This is from a letter of September 1888, written to his brother, Theo. Theo had just married Johanna.)
The Central California Coast is not a place I can live except in my dreams. On the other hand, I've lived there for most of my life in my dreams, after having left my birthplace in the San Francisco Bay Area in summer of 1973. I was 23 years old and curious about the world outside of California. Never imagined how difficult it would become to return to California, except as a visitor.
The photo above was taken during my visit to California last October. I've used it before. It remains a favorite of mine.
Many thanks for the positive responses to the glimpses of my book! I'm experiencing a situational depression and am finding it increasingly difficult to get out of bed in the morning, to make phone calls, respond to email and to comments. Posting on my blog is about all I can do right now. Thank you for your understanding.
No comments:
Post a Comment