Honestly! It's not an aural hallucination. The weather has been so gorgeous that I keep all my windows open to let the beautifully clean fresh Massachusetts air circulate through my apartment. While sitting on my couch watching reruns of NCIS, reading a novel or surfing the web in search of jobs (sometimes all three at the same time), I will occasionally hear the ringing of church bells from a nearby steeple and find myself smiling at the musicality of the moment.
Now as most of those who know me, I am an avowed atheist and have absolutely no use for or respect of organized religion, so the ringing of the church bells does not instill in me a sense of worship or lure me to the church like a siren singing her song. Hearing these chimes though does bring to mind visions of horse drawn carriages, elegant ladies dressed in long gowns and elbow length gloves, dapper gentlemen in top hats and tails and country dances.
Okay, okay, I know. I'm a hopeless romantic who has spent way too much time reading Jane Austen. And although I have given up any hope of finding a Fitzwilliam Darcy to share witticisms with my Elizabeth Bennet persona, I enjoy having these images in my brain on a daily basis. Living in a town as old as Newburyport (settled in 1635 and officially became a city in 1851), it is easy to imagine oneself living at a simpler time. Don't get me wrong - I love modern conveniences. I cannot envision living without indoor plumbing, electricity and my iPod Touch, but some days I like to visualize those times of old. I'm convinced that in one of my former lives, I lived in the time of Jane Austen, although I was probably a scullery maid and not the refined daughter of an English gentleman, but I can dream can't I?
For those of you who haven't understood any of the Austen references, run (don't walk) to your nearest bookstore or library and pick up a copy of Pride and Prejudice. If you're not a reader, then I recommend the Colin Firth/Jennifer Ehle version of P&P -- do NOT watch the Keira Knightley version...even the wonderful Matthew MacFadyen cannot save that bastardized version.
2 comments:
My darling I love the "random musings of a once bitter New Yorker." I miss you, but I know that you are happy. Keep writing these blogs. XOXO. P.S. In caae I forgot to mention at some time over the years - I appreciate you.
Very interesting muse. I used to get a similar nostalgic feeling when in Old City Philadelphia or Princeton NJ. I'm more nauseous than nostalgic these days.
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