Little things


I was just reading over the headings here and realizing how small the subject matter of this blog is and had a small observation about "Freak Snow," which is one of the headings. The importance of details is discussed. My Dinner With Andre is mentioned.

Does "freak snow" seem to be a standard expression because of "freak show"? I'm thinking "freak show" got started as an expression, because shows were really made by exhibiting people that we were once unkind enough to call freaks. Later, it snowed in, say, May, and someone said "freak snow," as a bit of a joke. A tiny joke. And it stuck, like snow. It became a standard expression. If this is the origin of the expression, then it's that kind of low grade humor that plagues magazines and catalogues. Like here's one, for a chair: "all about ease." I feel slightly ill or vaguely angry when I read that sort of play on words.

Anyway, a theme of this blog seems to be tininess, insignificance, but I especially like the tiny thing that interestingly branches out, like the one about the saucer. One of my favorite lines in my favorite movie, My Dinner With Andre, is when Wally counters Andre's long set of stories about going all over the world looking for meaning, with the statement that if we could only real look at the cigar store next door it would blow our minds. Of course, that film shows how smallness and intimacy--at least to me--are far more involving that big, active scenes (which usually bore me terribly in movies). And note what they both order for dinner: tiny little quails. And Wally drinks a tiny drink: an Amaretto.

Posted: Wed - May 12, 2004 at 03:15 PM      

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