The Halves and Half-nots

It has been a day of three halves. A kind of mathematically impossible, yet cerebral, as well as emotional, ride.

1) I contacted an old friend yesterday who lives and works on a tropical island with what I quaintly imagine are windblown palm trees and low flying clouds and deep blue skies. (We went to school together in the chilly north.) I had written to him in order to alert him to someone else I knew, a painter, a successful one, and someone I have written about before on this site. I had just read that this painter was living and working on the island too and I thought they might benefit from each other's company. (I was also keen on finding a route to the painter for some advice.) Anyway, this morning I received a reply from my friend from school, stating that they were in fact the best of friends. They surf together. They play racquetball together. Their families know each other well. Indeed, they were all with each other only last night.

2) According to reports today, a prominent female artist has disappeared without trace in one of the major capitals of the continental mainland. She was from a third country, a large one, famous again for eliminating its opposition. Though there is no evidence of foul play, and her husband does admit his wife's disappearance remains a complete mystery, one or two experts already point to a conspiracy. They also point to the mysterious ransacking of the museum where she last exhibited, and to the many recent serious threats.

3) The 5-year-old filmmaker of this parish placed down his camera today and picked up a needle and thread. He proceeded to create a life-size figure. He made a man with hands and facial features, a bag, long octopus-like arms, knees like boils, clothes like a fashion king of grunge. He spent most of the day making this creature and while he would place it down every now and then, it was never for long. I have now just been told the aforementioned creation will be accompanying him to bed. He also wants to take him to the beautiful foothills where his grandparents live.

Diverse and ongoing.