I tuck my chin in towards my chest and squint against the dust swirling around me. The Mistral winds have arrived out of nowhere. They sneak and slide, having all but pushed Summer, that swanning girl, out the door. Instinctively, I reach up and pull my scarf tighter around my ears.
It is my old Hermes scarf, my favorite that has travelled with me all over the world. Objects come into our lives, some disappear mysteriously, others stay. I try not to be too attached but there are pieces that give comfort. They tell me of who I once was and remind me of where I am now.
No one wanted this particular scarf, bought on ebay for 50 Euros. Already, it was trouée, a whole in one corner and touched by a slight ink stain. It was exactly what I was searching. Something I could wear hard without the guilt of ruination. Nothing precious and yet appreciated. A little glamour, linking back to another life before of glorious Manhattan to carry into the desert of the unknown.
I held it over my mouth during a sandstorm in Mali. Covered my head with it in Samarkand, folded the worn parts under to look chic in Udaipur. And in one of my favorite moments des mes voyages, I wrapped it over my hat with a firm bow under my chin while crossing the Serengeti, clinging to my sweetheart on the top of a barreling truck, exposed to the wind. Smiling so hard it hurt from the excitement of being.
The Mistral carries a different tune but flaps my scarf with the same song. The dogs run out ahead along the quay of the Rhone and I follow quietly in my quiet life. So soundless with nothing but the howl of the wind that I could wonder if I really did have those adventures or only dreamed them. My hand reaches up instinctively again to be sure, to secure this object, now frayed, luxury lost but memory-filled. A talisman.
PS. Thank you to all who responded so honestly and thoughtfully regarding my previous post.
I have a very exciting follow-up to it, coming soon…
PPS. – Thank you for all of your amazing responses! We are out of town and I will respond correctly next week…
Hi Heather,
Search and you shall find.
"It is my old Hermes scarf, my favorite that has travelled with me all over the world" and "The Mistral carries a different tune but flaps my scarf with the same song", "my hand reaches up instinctively again to be sure…" are the poetic renderings of "my quiet life." It could not be a quiet life. Is it?
And " it is a carré, not a foulard". I love that fine touch. And it was there in the mountain and the royal pair.
Best regards,
edgar
It's not the scarf or his value, I guess, it's all your memories they have settled in over many years .Weeks ago you wrote about parfume. Isn't it similar? A certain scent bring back a certain moment. As long you can feel these you are alive.
Even your scarf has a patina :); a very beautiful one.
We have an old butter dish, made from recycled green beer bottle glass during the Great Depression, which one of my sisters-in-law gave to me. As she handed it to me, she said "It has a chip in it, and I know that won't bother you one iota, but it means we can't sell it in the shop, because other people don't see the beauty in it if it has a chip."
We use it everyday – it sits on the kitchen counter and gets a lot of love (we like butter!). And she was quite right, I love it even more because it has a chip in it…just like people, it's the flaws that makes us interesting.
Your scarf is absolutely beautiful, and I can understand how it means so much more, with all the memories, than just a bolt of silk.
A very wonderful piece of writing and living.
Heather, I so love to read your writing. Your thoughts invariably engage and challenge me fully, and your expressions of them are so creative, so evocative…unparalleled. (Today, for just one example, "Objects come into our lives, some disappear mysteriously, others stay. I try not to be too attached but there are pieces that give comfort. They tell me of who I once was and remind me of where I am now." I revisit my attachment to such objects, realizing much more about the purpose it serves.) Amidst stories of and comments about your current life, consider inserting tales of your past travels…your references to them are so enticing! Savoring today's gift and looking forward to more as always, Leslie in Portland, Oregon
That was just so beautiful that I got shivers down my spines. Like you, that scarf has had some adventures. I hope that you will both have many more.
I think you have mentioned this scarf before!What a friend and accessory it has become!Really only 50 Euro's………..what a buy.
I decided about a year or two ago I would like one, but until now nothing!I haunt the consignment shops but none of what they have speaks to me!I want flowers………..roses I think!Hard to find when you have your mind set on something!I am in no need of scarves………..so maybe thats why!!!
Nope! They mean that they have been well-loved! Funnily enough, I have two foulards that my Honey gave me that are insaaaaanely gorgeous, they really are! And yet, I don't dare to take them out of their orange coffins often enough…sigh. We live and learn…
Peasant? Bwahaaahhaaahaaa. Whew. That was a knee slapper. Thank you, I needed that. 🙂
And I forget sometimes that fine writers read the actual writing for writing. Judith does too. It makes me mighty happy when it pleases and I don't take for granted your encouragement, Bright Star one you.