Imagination, Faith And Magic (Part Two)

Part One Here

Her name was Andi - I mean to say that is what people called her. Her real name was Agia Andromeda Arthur. Yes, triple A's...and with names like that, it might have been unbearable, if anyone had found out. But as it was (and as you likely know) full names are rarely known except among the most intimate of company and so, for that reason, most everyone knew her as Andi Arthur.

I mentioned that she came from the farm, the country, the woods. This is correct. But she grew up twice, and that is worth noting. The first time she grew up, it was among the rolling hills of Appalachia. The second time, she had chased a dream - or nightmare - and then I suppose we beg the question of who was chasing who - but anyway, she found her way to the land of her mother's ancestors, Belgium.

The Universite Libre de Bruxelles. Or, as the Americans call it, the University of Brussels. She studied history - more specifically, she studied European history. She was looking, you see, searching for something - the seen and yet hidden, the mysterious knowing. She was searching for the Arm of God.

Now that was an adventure.

Unfortunately, that is not the story we are telling anymore than was the story of Love with a Used Tire Salesmen - though I guarantee it is much more interesting. Maybe some day I will tell you the story of the Arm of God, but for now, I mention for two reasons. The first is that when one searches for anything which includes the word "God" in its nomenclature, one must be prepared for the possibility that the finding of said item may take an eternity. For if you seek what is eternal, finding it is only the beginning. And so it is for Andi - sitting in the coffee shop, napkin against her mouth.

The second reason I mention it is that, by and large, her search for the Arm of God as a university student was (as is to be expected) full of study and books and logic and reason and research and methodology and debate and argument. In otherwords, it was fought on the grounds of intellect. And therefore, it transpired within the clearly defined boundaries of intellect and amongst those who played by those rules.

But Toto, this ain't Kansas no more.

To be continued...

posted by Headless-in-GR @ 9/10/2006 04:10:00 PM