On Old Shawls and Wabi-Sabi

Illustration of Owl by Ernest Shepard

“Kanga was down below trying the things on, and calling out to Owl, ‘You won’t want this dirty old dish-cloth any more, will you, and what about this carpet, it’s all in holes,’ and Owl was calling back indignantly, ‘Of course I do! It’s just a question of arranging furniture properly, and it isn’t a dish-cloth, it’s my shawl.’”

Recent days have found me reading Benjamin Hoff’s The Te of Piglet. While quite a lovely book in countless ways, I do have one other point of interest to raise here (admittedly a rambling, but nonetheless worthwhile, I think).

Towards the end of the book, the above scene from the Pooh tales is recounted, this is to say, the scene where Owl is moving his belongings from one home to another. Hoff notes that Owl and the state of his dwelling place and belongings are perhaps analogous to the dilapidation of modern society.

I derived from the story something different than this. To the contrary, I was decidedly delighted and captivated by the quip. Why? Perhaps it is simply because I find the image of Owl in a tattered shawl to be an endearing one. But perhaps it is because this one little statement, “it isn’t a dish-cloth, it’s my shawl” evokes what to me is a very Taoist ideal: wabi-sabi, which is variably defined as something along the lines of “the beauty inherent in imperfection.”

Who is to say a shabby, shaggy shawl isn’t even more desirable than one that is still crisp and new? After all, its holes are reflective of its wear and usefulness through the days and years of one’s life. Oftentimes, articles of clothing become even softer with wear. Why turn in the old and threadbare’s trustiness for something new, so long as it still serves its purpose well enough? Furthermore, why not acknowledge that we often recognize a sweet charm anyway in that which has been an earnest part of days gone by?

So may such standards be swept away once again by the delight of tattered dish-cloth shawls.

Image obtained from https://alteredbits.wordpress.com/2013/06/09/blog-hop-and-book-review-give-away-wabi-sabi-art-workshop-by-serena-barton/

For Emily

The beginning...

On the eve of yet more miles between us, I ponder this matter: that not all are so lucky to have a friend who will love them in spite of every flaw, listen to them as if they have just spoken the finest words the world has heard, and most importantly, remind them in the midst of difficulty that there is still good in the world, for you, my friend, are the unfailing good.

How funny it is to think about, that we have now been known to one another for more than eighteen years. My whole life, you have been the person who I have looked to for enduring understanding, patience, and compassion. Your intellect and curiosity have brought me to crave and seek the unknown, and your inherent goodness has proven to be both my refuge and a never ending lesson, the ultimate lesson that is, one which has demonstrated that though we can be many things in this world, perhaps most important is to be someone who cares for all others.

Alas, your adventure awaits you, and more days, more years, will soon come and go. But for my part, I will always be here to lend an ear and all my care. Finally, my dear friend, thank you for showing me what it means for two souls to exist in such harmony. 

The world awaits you as it always has, and more than anything, please remember what I know to be true: that you will continue to change the world for the better, simply by living in accordance with your matchless nature.

"Friends... they cherish one another's hopes. They are kind to one another's dreams." ~Henry David Thoreau

... and there is no end.