Seven Pillars Of Understanding
an exercise in looking back at the influences on a life lived, that helped shape us, within the confines of 7 specific subjects.
Hello friends,
Way back during the initial Covid times Alan Davies began a podcast talking about his ‘Seven Pillars’ with various guests. After listening to the podcast a friend of mine has asked me to reflect on these. The Seven things nominated must have meaning/some influence on your life so far... not just "it’s good". Explanation is needed. Alan talks about the seven pillars this way .
What do you value most? What influences you? What inspires you? Who shaped you as a person? Everyone needs a bank of inspiration. Everyone has loves and passions, across different aspects of life and culture. These are the things that enrich and sustain our lives. During this current climate we have increasingly realised what we treasure most – and much of it is related to art, film, music, stories, culture, sport, play, food, drink, and our most precious memories.
I’m not sure I’d have chosen the same seven influences, but I’m going with them, as asked. So here goes.
THE SEVEN PILLARS
1. Celluloid – A Scene From a Film
A favourite film, scene or even just a line of dialogue – why, when, and where seen, and why it taken on such importance.
My one liner would be ‘Nobody puts Baby in a corner.’ (Dirty Dancing) I was obsessed with that film for a while, I bought the soundtrack, practised dance moves ad infinitum in my college room. Much as Patrick Swayze was handsome, and in retrospect FAR too old to be romantically involved with a 17 year old by todays standards - Swayze played a 25 year old but was 35 at the time of filming and with older eyes I see his age more now. However, he stood up for Baby (what an awful name, even back then I was uncomfortable with it) and I admired that, it was what I wanted for myself. I didn’t see it in my life, my father was harsh on me, my brothers younger and didn’t stand up for me, it was more my job to do that for them. To see someone standing up against a pushy controlling father was amazing and thrilled my soul.
2. Play – A Sporting Event or Performance
From a child’s sports day through to a World Cup Final, from a busker on the tube to Prince at the O2 – was there an event or performance that stuck, or has continued to inspire?
So I changed this slightly, as I am not really into sports enough to have a defining moment. I do support a team, but only because it was prudent to do so, if they win the premiership is interesting but not defining. So I chose a play, as in theatre.
When I was 17/18 I went to King’s College Chapel at Cambridge University to watch the first year English students there perform The Duchess of Malfi by John Webster. Our amazing A level English teacher Mrs Griffiths took us. It wasn’t the best performance to be honest. But, my goodness, the setting was incredible. The staging up on the crossing with actors emerging from the transepts. The huge pile of bodies at the end scene near the altar. I think my love of old churches (though not the religion) was sealed there. I love the arches, the stonework, the doors and their metalwork. I want to touch so much of it. To run my fingers over the centuries old craftsmanship. I spent hours in Canterbury Cathedral as a child and this play helped cement that feeling. The majesty of the setting, the perfect play, some cute guys acting adequately - which also cemented my love for the metaphysicals.
I also saw Les Miserables for the first time around the same time. With the original London cast as well. Sat right up in the Gods, looking down on the cast, seeing the way that the stage revolved and moved in strange ways. It was ground breaking at the time. I’ve seen it another four times since.
3. Location – A Place
Could be a town, city or just a favourite park bench. What does this place mean and why? What does it evoke?
I love the outside, the wild outside. its where I feel most at peace, no manmade noise, no interference, the wilder the better. The only noise the birds, the wind, the rustle of the grass. I love to spin I feel so free.
I loved it when we lived in the Falkland Islands, the wilderness surrounding us. It is the only posting we have where I still actually have dreams about going back. Amazing beaches, rugged mountains, vast tracts of wilderness on the doorstep. And penguins, lots and lots of penguins. The sense of community was wonderful. Need some teabags? Sure I’ll swap you some cheese? It was so different and so wonderful. It made me feel at one with the world, part of the universe. I’ll let the photos speak for themselves, I took nearly 4000 in 11 months, choosing just 9 was difficult.
4. Music – An Album or Collection
As simple as that. The form of the album or LP still resonates in the world of music, but what is treasured most? What songs are related to particular moments in life?
I love vinyl. And my teenage years were full of amazing music that can still now take me back to that time and bring those feelings to the fore again. The feeling of lying on my bed playing my vinyl on my cheap old record player. Feeling the glossy cover beneath my fingertips, reading the lyrics, listening to that slight crackle my tinny speaker (yes, just the one) gave. I find the more modern way of shuffling songs different. I love listening to an album from beginning to end. Most Depeche Mode will take me back to my happy music place. I remember buying a 12” of Shake the Disease and playing one of the songs on the B side repeatedly, it just made me giggle.
It was through DM that I got into 12” singles, special editions, etc. I was amazed when I realised these things existed, and that my local rural-ish record shop carried them. I stopped collecting for a while due to kids and the finical commitment of them. I am making up for it now. The Music for the Masses album is my favourite and got me through some hard times at college. I was lucky to go see them live at the time (a post is drafted about this).
5. Literature – An Extract From a Book or Poem
A favourite book, poem, line or extract that has always influenced, resonated or means something personal.
The book that influenced me the most, especially as an angst ridden teenager was Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach, illustrated with beautiful haunting black and white photographs shot by Russell Munson. A modern fable in novella form, it is about a seagull who is trying to learn more about flying, and in doing so learnt about personal reflection, freedom, and self-realisation. Not just one line but every single line. It was eyeopening. And I loved it. For me it was a book about not being afraid of being myself, of accepting and relishing my individuality, of not giving a flying fig about other peoples opinions of me.
I often gave a copy to my brief-lived boyfriends, and also to each of my children, I found it that profound. None of them really connected with it in the same way I did though. I even wrote a poem inspired by it, and all seagulls are now known as Jonathan. I lost my original copy and as soon as I found out I bought another one.
Yesterday
Yesterday, I saw a daring
Seagull flying high.
And keenly felt the sharp wind
Rustle its shimmering feathers.
It dived,
And plummeting,
Scattered others below it.
Frenzied, the flock turned
And the new outcast
Struck happily for
Further shores, then
I sensed its freedom and its joy.
Food – A Meal
A dish that is loved to make or loved to eat, how and where it was discovered and what it means. It could be the finest taster menu at a Michelin-starred restaurant, or nan’s sausage and mash.
My go-to comfort food was either toast, baked beans stewed down to mush, a small scattering of grated cheese, and Lee and Perins Worcestershire sauce, or cheese on toast, preferably a good really strong Cheddar with marmite on. We nearly always had granary bread and its malty taste was marvellous.
Sadly, I now can’t really tolerate gluten any more so anything on toast is not happening.
7. Memento Mori – A Memory
Something that can’t be forgotten, whatever it may be – a memory that has to be shared with others. Something that defines, just brings happiness or relief when recalled.
Memento Mori - the words whispered to victorious Roman generals whilst on their victory parades to make sure they didn’t believe they were Gods. Not really a memory but ‘Remember you too will die’ or ‘Remember you must die’”. Just a touch of pedanticness there by me.
My life does have a series of what I call ‘lightbulb moments’, it is like the memory is a mini film inside my head, but I am looking from the outside. Extra strong. Not many, if any, of them are happy though. I seem to have remembered the bad stuff in those flashes. There doesn’t seem to be any memories that HAVE to be shared. I can talk about many memories in context with the conversation. I can share many good and happy memories - meeting my husband, getting married, having my kids etc and lots of small happy memories along the way, but I don’t think there is anything happy that just defines me, or brings relief when recalled. But then I always was the person that struggled with finding the happy place within me when asked. The bad memories are more the ones that defined me. That made me see the world in a different way, that brought about a change in me, or made me understand people more and be more wary. I’m obviously just not a very happy soul.
I think being an undiagnosed autist didn’t help. I remember always feeling like I must have been a changeling, or an alien, or adopted, because I never felt like I belonged. This is quite a common aspect of autistic children that aren’t supported (often because the family don’t realise they are autistic - it is not a deliberate lack of support). I was always different. You learn to stand back and always be hyperaware of the situation around you so you don’t end up doing the wrong thing. It takes the edge off happiness. But there are plenty of happy times, just none defining. Unless you count spinning atop a Yorkshire Moor.
I hope you enjoyed the seven pillars. It would be nice to think you may do one of your own and tag me in it so I can see.