Memories, Passions, & Questions

I recently wrote something about the nature of memory as related to our life stories. My memories of watching The Brady Brunch are probably a case in point of how we remember things in the context of our ever-evolving narratives.

I remember the show being on all the time, day and night, on all channels. I don’t think I necessarily even liked the show, but I now remember it as a quintessential reflection of my childhood, at least as far as TV programs went. I also remember being drawn to Mike Brady’s drafting table, though I’m not sure this is an accurate memory either. I’m drawn to these tables now, and my fascination conjures up images of the home office at the Brady residence, with its gorgeous (notice how the feeling tone colors the memory) drafting table placed on the wall opposite the office door. The camera angle, according to my mental pictures, placed itself at the far end of the drafting table (where a wall should have been) so as to capture the moment when one of the six kids or Carol or Alice- though rarely Alice, if I remember correctly- would come through the door, interrupting Mike, who never seemed to mind.

Now, as an adult 30 or more years later, I remember loving the drafting table. Somewhere in my own foggy 12th House realm, I also have the sense of loving the beauty of the work of the architect, though I’m sure I didn’t know what an architect was, or what he (she) did, then. I’m one of those people who see beauty in order, spirituality in precision, God in geometry. Maybe it was the protractor and compass used by Mike Brady that stirred my passions. It may be, also, that those passions were never stirred back then—that my adult mind has created those perceptions based on what I have felt only long after those daily episodes of The Brady Brunch.

The drafting table: It’s sort of like my version of a baby grand piano. Some people who don’t play piano choose to put a baby grand in their living rooms as an essential part of the décor. My dream-home fantasy includes a beautiful drafting table (I found the perfect one once in a Northhampton furniture store which is no longer there) strategically placed so as to be the center of the design without calling too much attention to itself, like a well-placed tattoo. I love it as a paradigmatic artistic tool. Yet, whereas an easel might accomplish some of the same symbolism, it is the drafting table I want, leading me to believe it is more than just its representation of art and creativity. Maybe it’s the precision of the lines- drawn on the drafting table- in relationship to one another and the overall design. Or the beauty of those angles, which can easily be misspelled angels, that ultimately work together to create a home, for example. And the seeming orderliness of it all. Very different from the messy finger-painting that can take place on an easel, especially in the mind of a child. The messiness also appeals to a part of me, but the orderliness holds something a touch more sacred, for me anyway.

I’m sure I didn’t think of my dream home when I took geometry, but it’s tempting to remember those classes as though I did. I’m pretty sure the first time I ever dreamt of the art of architecture as having any relevance to me was about eight years ago when I started to watch Inside the Actor’s Studio (a program quite different from The Brady Bunch) with James Lipton’s famous show-ending questions that include, as number 8, “What profession other than yours would you like to attempt?” I have several answers to this question, but the first to come to mind is always architecture. Here are the other nine questions, for the sake of fun self-reflection and self-knowledge. It’s also fun to revisit these questions every now and again, and to witness how your answers shift, or not. My answers for today are also listed below.
1. What is your favorite word? Penultimate
2. What is your least favorite word? White-trash
3. What turns you on? Muddy, dark leather work boots & the scent of fresh sweat, preferably combined
4. What turns you off? Whining
5. What sound do you love? The voice of Eddy Vedder
6. What sound do you hate? Overly noisy restaurants, especially the clanging of dishware combined with a harsh cacophony of voices
7. What is your favorite curse word? F—k, used appropriately
8. What profession other than yours would you like to attempt? In addition to an architect, I’d like to be a professional Muse
9. What profession would you not like to do? Anything involving a 9-5 schedule
10. If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates? Thank-you.