Elysian Fields

Right now I am not quite myself. You see I have bronchitis and am on antibiotics which always throw me off kilter. Being inactive as I must be these days sends my mind wandering to places--some places I do not like and others where flights of fancy occur.

I was talking with a good friend today. Of course very important topics come up in such conversations. For example I simply HAD to talk about the movie, The Age of Innocence with Michelle Pfeiffer and Daniel Day Lewis. Now this movie has got to be the most boring, self important feeling movies next to Dangerous Liaisons. Yet, I was compelled to watch it after only seeing it once several years ago.

The story is very soap opera-ish and Michelle and Daniel painfully walk around being tormented about their privileged although society-controlled lives. I think I just like the movie because it is a beautiful photo essay about that period of time in New York although strictly about the wealthy class.

I pointed out that perhaps I would have liked to have lived during that time although I was sure my life would have been on the under belly of society with a job most probably plucking chickens. So we began to talk about what lives we might have liked to have lived if those lives did not have sorrows. She said she would have loved the 20's-minus the depression. I said I thought I would have loved the Gay Nineties-a backlash to the Victorian Era but my deepest fantasy would be living in old Vienna during the time of great composers draped in a magnificent gown dancing the Viennese Waltz in a marbled palace. In my fantasy, this goes on forever, much like the joys of the Grecian Elysian Fields.

Escapism is part of the human psyche from time to time, especially when one is under the weather and the aimless mind becomes aimless. For example, I had another conversation with my husband today about the meaning of life. Bless his soul he is very optimistic so his interpretation of the question described the purpose of life which to him is to love, be lucky enough to be loved and to help people that need help.

In my antibiotic state I commented what if life has no purpose at all? What if we are reincarnated for different reasons? Reason one could be we chose to come back to master a lesson (which is the usual case). Reason two could be a good life as a reward for good deeds in another life. Of course if suffering, this life could be a punishment for evil deeds of the past. Then again it could simply be that we don't know enough to leave well enough alone and to simply choose to not come back!

An undisciplined day leaves me with an undisciplined and aimless mind-from meanderings about the purpose of life to Elysian Fields. Ah, the antibiotics are making me tired again so perhaps I will withdraw and daydream about Vienna Waltzes. Even good witches have days when they only see the twisters...