November 25, 2008

Optical intrusion

I have never spent a lot of time or energy trying to cultivate an image to impress others. Quite the opposite, I have, more often than not, gone out of my way to rile others up and make them feel uneasy about slinging bullshit and telling tall tales. I guess that makes me ineligible for politics and not much better at business, but it does make me pretty good as a friend.

Friends and friendship make life just a little more livable.
Work goes more smoothly with their help, meals taste better with their conversation, a night out drinking would only be dull inebriation without shared laughter and stories.

I don't know exactly how I become friends with people. I am even more confounded as to the reasons that drive others to befriend me. This simple fact gets me to thinking about how people attract, repel, collide and sooth each other.

If for a short time or long we can walk and talk (figuratively) share a moment, a song (at this moment either David Bowie or Tom Waits) maybe an argument of opinion; then we can figure out what's wrong with the world or at least our corner of it.

It's tough to grab the world by the balls. I think there are a few folks who have tried to wrap a riata around realism and alter how we see it.

*I want to have lunch with any one of these people:

Richard Feynman
Pablo Picasso
Jim Morrison
Murakami Haruki
Carlos Santana
Issac Asimov
Stanley Kubrick
Rene Descartes
With friends like this, life would be alright or at leat erudite.


*Not an exhaustive list by any means. After all I didn't include J.D. Salinger...




15 comments:

Grant said...

I want to have lunch with Ebi-chan and her twin sister. Yakisoba with plenty of rohypnol sounds good. If you can arrange this for me, I'll go to Paris and dig up Morrison for you.

My lunch list would have included Darth Vader. He can totally kick Asimov's ass.

Mona said...

Friendship is about sharing. . When you are overwhelmed & overflowing, you want to share yourself with a friend.

Friendship is not something of the marketplace. You have no expectations, neither do you hold a grudge in friendship. Friendship is something that belongs to a temple. Its better to rise in friendship than to fall in love.

Mona said...

Misplaced. I am reading Umberto Echo . You must read him sometime.

Megan said...

That sure is an interesting list! I'd have some women on mine, though. :) :)

Anonymous said...

There are famous folks I guess I'd be interested in talking with (though, like Megan, I'd have women on the list, too), but mostly I like sitting down with people I already know and love.

Broke But Still Drinking said...

I'll go to lunch with you if you're paying. This would surely move you to the top of my friend's list.

NYD said...

Grant~ Ebi-chan Is the lunch and her sister is the icing on the cake.

Mona~ As allways an erudite reply. Which book are you reading We can probably discuss it.

Megan~ I thought about puttting a couple of gals there, but that wouldn't work for me. It's difficult to be friends with someone when you are sitting across the table imagining a variety of salicious acts; some of them illegal.

Citizen~ I just mentioned some famous folk, because they are easier to identify with than complete strangers. And who wants to foot the bill for someone you don't even know???


BBSD~ Come on over ! I'm sporty enough th buy us a couple beers and toss a hamburger down the hatch.

puerileuwaite said...

Scary Monster talked me into befriending you. He said there was money in it for me if I did. Then he disappeared. Maybe that was his point all along. Perhaps some friendships should not be based on financial necessity.

Serena said...

Love your list of luncheon companions. And your take on friends.

czar said...

Great post. Have you seen the Jim Morrison FSU promo?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meMiC1g_kZI

Mona said...

Nyd, Its called The Name of the Rose. Set in year 1327 , Italian abbey, its an amazing chronicle about theological middle age. It deals with Semiotics, deciphering coded manuscripts & symbols. Very forceful & witty!

NYD said...

Pug~ Scary promised a lot of things, but once he did his 365th post all bets were off. Now I get to clean up his mess.

S.J. The list was heavily edited.
Friends...I could use a few more IRL.

Czar~ That was an awesome link. I couldn't believe it was Jim. it was so square...so ...suburban.

Mona~ Yes. The book thsat brought hin fame. Of course it would be about seminotice. He is a professor of the subject and discusses it in other works. When you are finished please read Focoult('s Pendulum. I found that story far easier to understand because there was less religious discussion and terminology. An erudite prelude to the "Da Vinci Code"

lime said...

put picasso on my list too, and i'd also add helen keller and annie sullivan.

what is life without friends indeed...i was reminded just yesterday....

The Java Junkie said...

I think your list is wonderful...not a soul on there I wouldn't love to lunch with. I'd include John Lennon, e.e. cummings, Georgia O'Keefe and Groucho Marx. (But not the piano. He's been drinking, and he's your friend not mine. :)

Life without friends...? Well, that would simply stink to high heavens.

Jenny said...

Life without friends?

I don't even want to think about it. :-)

As Java said, this is a great list and I'd love to break bread with all of them too. I'm going to work on my own list....

(happy Thanksgiving!)