Parked amid the snow
London, ON, January 2009
It's been a crazy week, and even though it's supposedly the weekend, the fun continues. My wife's been home sick all week*, and work has been simply insane. I can't complain, though: when you're your own boss, you thank your lucky stars when the phone continues to ring. I'll catch up on my sleep sometime in the future.
When things get busy, I often like to meander through my archives in search of words and images that bring me peace. I took this one from, of all places, the underground food court of the hated mall known as Masonville Place. It has an angled, reflective ceiling - oh so 70s/80s - that makes shooting from the inside out an interesting experience. That I got to freak out the quartet of blue-haired ladies eating a midmorning salad on their semi-clean food court table was an added bonus.
Your turn: The irony of calling a suburban mall that has no sense of place a "place" isn't lost on me. Why do I malign these crossroads of humanity so? Am I being unfair?
About this photo: The blizzard howling outside made me glad I was inside, even if I was surrounded my mindless retail zombies from suburbia. This image supports our latest Thematic Photographic theme, winter. Please click here to join in.
*Thank you all for your words of encouragement through comments here, Twitter, Facebook and IM - they're much appreciated. Doc says it's the flu, so we're hoping the weekend will give her a chance to finally turn the corner and get better.
Please give Morah Mommy my sympathies and hope for her return to good health!!
ReplyDeleteEven places without an obvious places can still mean something to people, I think. We have a drive to seek out others and those horrible malls are a manifestation of that in a society that makes it difficult to meet up easily.
ReplyDeleteBring back the Agora, bring back the front porch, bring back the community hall... Even with virtual versions of these things, we need real places to meet, greet and interact.
I admit that i go "to the mall' sometimes just to feel the wash of humanity. They're not all drones, they're searching too, it's just not always obvious, IMHO.
C.
Commiserations to the flu sufferer and her nurse! Great photo though, rather apt as you seem a trifle frazzled and disjointed yourself at present...
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ReplyDeleteCarmi, my cursor just started typing everything backwards! I close down and rebooted, so far so good. I feel like your photo, kind of eerily undone. Netchick is calling.
ReplyDeleteThe mirror you see
ReplyDeleteA reflection of your soul
Do not look too close
Hi ! Coo !
I do hope Mrs. Carmi is feeling better after some rest.
ReplyDeleteNo, I don't think you're being unfair
I hate malls. I miss the small neighborhood stores - their friendly and helpful owners who actually tried to accomodate their customers, and where regulars would stop and chat with one another. No hurry, no stress, no parking problems.
You won't have to justify any kind of vilification of malls to me. I can't stand 'em. It takes a real can't-find-it-anywhere-else situation to get me into one of 'em. But in this case, it did offer up a good photo, so maybe there's some small value in them once in a while.
ReplyDeleteHope Debbie's back on her feet soon. Flu is a miserable bug to get no matter who you are or what you have going on.
Like I said, this week's theme is good to me.
Thematic Photographic 38: "Winter" v.4.0 "No, I Didn't Make Him Stay Out There"
Malls are awlful! Old mom & pop stores are the best, and sadly, they're being taken over by Wal-Mart and chain stores.
ReplyDeleteHope your wife feels better soon. NetChick made me do this..
ReplyDeleteDorothy from grammology
grammology.com
I am struck by the disjointedness of the view through the glass.
ReplyDeleteHow many of us view life that same way?
how is it that the hair turns blue? and why is that not ok with us, who have children with purple hair?
ReplyDeleteam I right or wrong, attributing the words "blue haired ladies" to Neil Young.
I need coffee