Traveling Marcies

In the above drawing I consider that more women should smoke pipes. Cigarettes are too ordinary, and while cigars have a shock value, they are disturbingly phallic. A pipe is a reversal of the Ward Cleaver trope: The pipe contains notions of relaxation and thoughtfulness, albeit reserved for Ward after he comes through the door in his "Honey I'm home!" domestic bravado - taking control of the castle once again, after spending a day as a middle executive eunuch. I suppose that I'm talking about the pipe pictured above. Corn cob pipes would reverse the Tom Sawyer trope for instance; Meerschaum pipes would reverse the Sherlock Holmes trope. The effect of these reversals is at least twofold: the pipe moment is demystified; the element of play is introduced - and play in these senses: the sense of carnival mask and the sense of the sign loosening, becoming pliable.
I will miss the mighty phallic symbol that looms over the Agnes Scott campus. As I walked around the track, and Jami ran, I was always conscious of some fetishized remnant of human origins hovering over us - I kept expecting a witch doctor to walk out the door or to encounter a shaman performing arcane rites with powdered herbs.


I'll be back on August 15th. Joe's picking me up the evening of August 14th at MARTA and we're going for a drink at Twain's. I don't say that I'll be back on the 14th because it will be late, almost ten, when I get back. But any intrepid soul is invited to join us. Jami will be back in Durham and will begin work on the 15th as Duke Divinity's Director of Development. Couples do this living in two cities thing - and now we've joined their ranks.
For those praying: you could pray for us about that; for us making career transitions and geographic transitions; for my meeting with the examination committee on the 16th; and my beginning a CPE residency at Atlanta Medical Center on the 20th.
Today, this morning, finally we're heading out.
We're both glad we didn't leave yesterday: too many things to tidy up, and I have this sinus congestion. I'm feeling better this morning. Jami's feeling better. The car's loaded with belongings for her to settle in in Durham. I think that there is room for my suitcase and computer bag.
This evening we'll be dipping our toes into the Atlantic (or else first thing tomorrow). If I find a hotspot I'll be able to post some more.
Years ago I attempted to change the typical prayer for "traveling mercies" which seemed to me too much like "travailing marcies" to something more thoughtful like "perigrinating providence" or "itinerant loving kindness" - but my idea never caught on.