Aventure

[hobgoblinn]

Seems like I should post something in honor of the day. Here's a reflection on a section of The Queste del Saint Graal, a 13th Century Arthurian Romance. There's a really good Penguin paperback translation for those of us who never got around to learning Medieval French entitled The Quest of the Holy Grail.

In the story, Sir Hector and Sir Gawain meet up about halfway through the tale, and immediately begin to lament that they haven't been having the usual number of "aventures." Sir Gawain even goes so far as to say that:

'...it is not for want of journeying through foreign parts and far-flung lands and riding day and night. For I swear to you, as you are my companion, that in the course of merely going my way, and no other measure taken, I have slain more than ten knights already, the worst of whom was more than adequate, and still have met no adventure.'

Hector crossed himself in amazement.


Well, it doesn't sound like it's been completely snoozeville, does it? But what our intrepid Knights find out from a conveniently situated Holy Man they run across, is that they Haven't Been Looking at things correctly. Here's the translator's note about the meaning of "aventure":

In a general way the adventure represents the random, the gratuitous, the unpredictable element in life; often it is the challenge which causes a man to measure himself against standards more than human, to gamble life for honour or both for love. To this the author of the Quest adds a further dimension. For him, the adventure is above all God working and manifesting Himself in the physical world. To accept an adventure is to accept an encounter with a force which is in the proper sense of the word supernatural, an encounter which is always perilous for the sinner or the man of little faith and much presumption.... Gawain's failure to meet with any adventure springs from his spiritual blindness, his inability to discern the divine element in human life.

So on this almost Easter (for Western Christians), I wish for all of us the gift of Right Seeing, of being open to wonder and magic and joy. Not everyone on this list subscribes to the same beliefs about higher powers, I know. I don't think that matters. The Grail author hit upon a profound truth, I think, no matter what we believe. That no matter what happens to us in life, it's our openness to being moved to wonder or awe that transforms the day to day drudgery into something-- Else. Something cool. Something that takes our breath away wondering why we never saw it before. Something that makes us grin for no reason at all.

There's none so blind as those who will not see.

So. Look.

Comments

[usedtobeljs]

Lovely thoughts -- thank you for shaping them.

[hobgoblinn.livejournal.com]

Thanks, Lady.

[gileswench.livejournal.com]

Those are some interesting and profound thoughts. It reminds me of a Monty Python routine about an accountant who led an incredibly boring life. You watched as he walked with his head down, never looking to either side. His wife was hiding two men in the same room when she sent him off to work, his next door neighbor was killed by a native spearman, the girl he bought his newspaper from was naked, Frankenstein's monster was killing everyone behind him in the bus queu, the bus wound up in the middle of a bloody revolution, at the office one of his co-workers had hanged himself and two others were having sex on a desk...and yet when he got to his own office, he glanced around furtively and then pulled out a Superman comic book because he wanted something exciting in his life.

It's amazing what we don't see when we fail to look.

[hobgoblinn.livejournal.com]

I need to lay my hands on some more Monty Python-- I introduced a rather different Holy Grail to the Wee Hob this summer, but that's been all so far. Thanks for the reminder of a funny sketch.

[gileswench.livejournal.com]

If you're ever in my neck of the woods, we would definitely share some Python and pie. Both are wonderful things that should be enjoyed on a regular basis. Just don't ask me to eat while watching the Upper Class Twit of the Year Awards. That's the one that pretty much always ends with me rolling about on the floor, helpless with mirth.

[hobgoblinn.livejournal.com]

I go to lunch a lot with a guy who Always has in in tears from laughter by the end-- I mean snorting coke out your nose, ribs aching, unable to breathe properly laughing. Sadly, he just accepted a new job (rats? sinking ship? ring any bells?) so we'll be deprived of his morale boosting commentary in another week.

And likewise, if you're ever in My neck of the woods, we will share something wonderful. Besides Cincinnati chili (cinnamon? you're kidding, right?). Bleargh. But yes. Pie, certainly.

hugs.

[gileswench.livejournal.com]

If I'm out your way, we'll definitely share something good...and that means no freaking Skyline Chili!

We actually have a can on display on a windowsill...right next to the can of vegetarian haggis we smuggled back from London. We had to promise the customs guy on pain of death that we would never, ever open that can.

My beloved likes to explain about Skyline chili to our friends who have never heard of it. Goodness knows we found it scary when we found out what it was.

[hobgoblinn.livejournal.com]

Oh man. Think about being a Native Texan, pregnant, morning sick, craving the real stuff, and thinking how cool it was we moved right down teh street from a chili establishment.....

Scary does not begin to cover it. Having it explained as I'm vainly attempting to wash the taste out of my mouth, I Still didn't believe it.

Can't abide even the smell to this day.

[nemaihne.livejournal.com]

Hey now. Don't be picking on Skyline. Millions of people have had it if they've ever eaten Greek spaghetti in any other part of the world besides southern Ohio. And nothing tastes better after shutting down a bar- they used to always stay open 'til 3 just to catch that business. ;)

[hobgoblinn.livejournal.com]

Is this where I point out one would have to be drunk to eat it?

No, I know it's Greek, and Greek is generally of the good. Just not chili.

*will now stop dissing your hometown delicacy, but advise wenchie to Never open that can.....*

[nemaihne.livejournal.com]

Great post. These people remind me of the opposite of drama queens. They do all this great stuff then when you ask them about it, they're all like; "Well, I didn't really do anything last week..."