Peter, you have this remarkable gift for taking an ordinary errand—getting a key from the lock shop—and opening an entire hidden world underneath it.
By the time I reached the end, I wasn't thinking about keys anymore. I was thinking about all the invisible people whose work allows the rest of us to forget they're there.
I also laughed out loud at, "Kafka works here. Or used to." Perfect.
Thanks for the tour! Reminded of "A classic saying warns against the false image of the superhuman Zen master: 'Everyone knows the achievement that crowns the age, but no one sees the sweating hirses of antiquity'." (from A Buddha from Korea: The Zen Teachings of T'aego.) Also, the gadget reminded of a typewriter i had with thin screen above the keyboard, it was iirc a word-processor and could store a bit of whatever was typed. A hint of the vastness to come with computers.
I once recall hearing a professor say, “when you’re in the shower, keep in mind there’s an oil tanker, fracking well or coal train somewhere providing that hot water, wouldn’t hurt just to think about that.” …or something along those lines - never forgot it.
Good one. I often started a talk by pointing to the lights and the air handling ducts and describing the grid of wires and workers making it happen so that we could be in this space having this discussion.
Been to the bowels of the......numerous times and back
😂
Peter, you have this remarkable gift for taking an ordinary errand—getting a key from the lock shop—and opening an entire hidden world underneath it.
By the time I reached the end, I wasn't thinking about keys anymore. I was thinking about all the invisible people whose work allows the rest of us to forget they're there.
I also laughed out loud at, "Kafka works here. Or used to." Perfect.
Another wonderful piece.
Judith
Thanks for the tour! Reminded of "A classic saying warns against the false image of the superhuman Zen master: 'Everyone knows the achievement that crowns the age, but no one sees the sweating hirses of antiquity'." (from A Buddha from Korea: The Zen Teachings of T'aego.) Also, the gadget reminded of a typewriter i had with thin screen above the keyboard, it was iirc a word-processor and could store a bit of whatever was typed. A hint of the vastness to come with computers.
I once recall hearing a professor say, “when you’re in the shower, keep in mind there’s an oil tanker, fracking well or coal train somewhere providing that hot water, wouldn’t hurt just to think about that.” …or something along those lines - never forgot it.
Good one. I often started a talk by pointing to the lights and the air handling ducts and describing the grid of wires and workers making it happen so that we could be in this space having this discussion.