When I started this website way back in 2003, I wanted it to be something different from everything else that was online. It was supposed to be a repository of my creative work, and a little corner of the internet that celebrated beauty, in all its myriad forms. As the years passed, and social media took over, I kept to my original intent. That became easier as most of the surrounding internet clutter was turning more and more vapid, dumbed down by a culture that no longer bothered to proofread, that didn’t value words, that feasted on emojis and memes, never wanting for something that might take time to digest and appreciate. Our technological leaps and bounds brought us speed and connection, and no one bothered to wonder at what cost, to slow it all down and pause, just for a moment, on how fast too fast might be.
For the most part, the key to the longevity of this site has been in keeping things light and frivolous, even when the world turns dark and serious, as it has done more and more often these past few years. Yesterday, for instance, as referenced in this morning’s recap, there were worldly events going on that went against the silly post I’d planned – which was going to be a second celebration of our first night out in years, showcasing a pink velvet jacket and jewel-encrusted necklace – but that felt off-tone and out of taste.
The world has been awful before – and it will be again. That’s why this site always goes dark on 9/11. When you’ve lived through that, or something like a worldwide pandemic, you add it to the days you remember, and you seek out intervening moments of beauty to act as a balm upon the hurt. It can never really heal or erase the pain, it just makes life a little more bearable.
I’ve always wanted this site to be a glimpse into that kind of beauty, or a little wink of whimsical enjoyment, but sometimes life steps in and demands a more sobering assessment. This post, a pause filled with greenhouse cyclamen and the quiet contemplation of a Monday afternoon, is my way of honoring the difficult days behind and ahead of us.
I’ll put that velvet jacket on again one day soon, and get back up to the business of being fabulously frivolous, but for now all I have is a few flowers.
