After thinking about it for so long (on and off for probably five years), finally being here in Seattle is a fun and strange feeling. Still not sure what to make of it all, but then I’ve really only been here a couple days at this point.
I’m staying with Jeremy, who writes Fantastic Planet. And last night I met up with Garrett (BoontDusties) and JK (dunneIV) for drinks at a local watering hole. The whole thing was pretty fun and we talked about some really weird heady shit that I no longer quite remember, over all the pitchers of Rainier (favorite beer of bears).
Anyway, there was a lot of talk of ghosts and conspiracies and general weirdness and it was really fun. At the height of the whole thing, I looked up at the tv hanging above the bar, and saw images of the infamous ossuary (bone church) in Eastern Europe called Kutna Hora. Kutna Hora, if you don’t know, is an extremely creepy church, the inside of which is decorated entirely with thousands of human bones.
Needless to say, that caught my attention right away. After that, the Travel Channel, or whatever it was, immediately zapped over to Cappadoccia in Turkey.
Cappadoccia is an area of early Christian settlement. The area has huge valleys where early Christians found it easy to hide away from religious persecution. A couple of the more ingenious hiding spots included building cave dwellings into the sides of cliffs and rock pillars, and also to build underground cities.
Maybe this doesn’t mean much to anybody else, but I’ve been a big fan of Philip K. Dick’s whole secret gray robed Christian theory for a while now. And seeing that image of early Christians gathering together against the oppression of an Empire juxtaposed over our own strange beer-induced gathering seemed oddly appropriate, although I can’t quite explain how.
Small coincidences like that have been flooding me since I got here. Though we’d never met in person before, Garrett and I had the exact same striped hat and black hooded sweatshirt on. At Jeremy’s house, he has the same blue cups as my brother. He even has a lantern hanging in his living room which is weirdly connected to a dream I had about the Holy Grail a while back.
Who knows what any of this really means, but it’s certainly catching my attention, whatever it is. It’s a really indescribable feeling being out here, and I’m glad I’ve been given the opportunity to do it. I have a feeling there are many mysteries to be unraveled here with these folks.
[PS. This now makes a total of five cool bloggers who I've met up with in real life. In addition to the above, I also met up with Professor Pan in Baltimore and Ran Prieur when we were both in Pittsburgh (plus John, but I knew him already). If you have the opportunity to meet up with other bloggers and people with the same weird interests as yourself, I heartily recommend doing it.]
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8 Comments
It is interesting that Seattle will be playing against Pittsburg in the Super Bowl.
I am reminded of a quote from Coelho’s Alchemist “He still had some doubts about the decision he had made. But he was able to understand one thing: making a decision was only the beginning of things. When someone makes a decision, he is really diving into a strong current that will carry him to places he had never dreamed of when he first made the decision.”
Hey, that’s a really great quote. I can totally relate.
Does anybody take Coelho seriously? Then I think that the ocean of meatphisics’s become really shallow. On reading the Alchemist I got impression that it’s just a candy for those who define themselves spiritual. There is no a crumb for thought in his workings, no wonder his books sell like hot pies, he obviously targets the mass market and one can only envy his commercial skills. Latin magical realism tradition in literature for example Cosares (the fourth one in bunch of Borhes, Coratzar, Marques) gives much more profound insight into spiritual workings than zillion of Coelhoes. Take for example his short stories. Sorry, if I sound too self-opinionated, just can’t help wondering why on earth people admire such “Bounty”-like, pseudo-spiritual stuff like Coelho.
I’ve never read Coelho’s work, but I found that quote very comforting and meaningful to me right now. I don’t think it is “candy for those who define themselves spiritual”, so much as it simply seems like words that are true to life, or at least my experience of it.
I liked that quote, too.
Man, I can’t wait to visit Seattle in April. I have to echo what you said about meeting fellow bloggers in real life; the times I’ve done it have been wild successes.
Congratulations on getting to Seattle, and best wishes on getting settled in ….
I liked the Coelho quote also; speaks to me a bit right now too.
You guys are too much. Seattle is what it is and where it is. It’s awesome don’t get me wrong. But it is only what it is. I look at it as a beautiful place I can step off the new world and into some sort of an international abyss (the Pacific in a sailboat) should the desire arise. It’s also very cloudy and rainy.
And Tim, was that you I saw in the Seahawk’s jersey today? Damn you’re a quick convert.
Just want to chime in and say it was a pleasure meeting you, too. I hope Seattle suits you well. In my experience there, it’s reminded me of a bigger Baltimore — funky, dark-edged, and perched on an ocean — only with more hippies and less sunlight. I’ll definitely let you know the next time I visit.
And all those coincidences on the TV? Just more confirmation we’re living in the Black Iron Prison.
The empire never ended, alas.
Peace out!
PP