A Reflection on Connection

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Playing with words connecting on lines,

thinking deeply and finding rhymes –

pondering traditions of hanging clothes.

Sometimes we underestimate the pros

of spending time outdoors

as our spirit is lifted and grows,

it’s always a good time to be exposed.

Why do I love words so?
Because they play a melody;
words can be happy,
joyful and magic
when you chose them right,
they can dance like a
mad-in-love couple,
or jump and skip and make it hip.
The sounds, the rhythms,
the awesome vibes,
they help us feel alive.

When I think of the word “line”, I think of ways in which we are all connected. Our bodies are connected by veins that carry blood and oxygen throughout. A phone line, an electrical line, a gas line and of course – the World Wide Web connects people through a web of lines.

Traditionally, people used to hang clothes outside on a clothesline and it was common practice. How many of you have seen your parents or grandparents hanging up clothes on a clothesline? Hanging clothes on the line can be used as a form of reflection of the day, breathing fresh air, getting exercise and saving our resources by not using a clothes dryer. Connecting with nature in any way brings us closer to ourselves and who we are in the inside. This can be a welcome break from our busy lives.

My father enjoyed taking pictures of clotheslines and my mother loved hanging clothes on the line since she was a young girl. In fact, she has such fond memories of this that she remembers singing happily during the chore as the wind was blowing and the birds were chirping. A clothesline can be a very inspirational subject, as it creates interest in form, shape, color, environment and composition. Numerous artists used the clothesline in paintings including Charles Oldenburg, Renoir and Pietro Longhi.

A clothesline offers both intrinsic and extrinsic values for us: we are dependent on wearing clothes and people assess us by the clothes we are wearing. A clothesline can represent daily life as an ongoing process in which we all share responsibility.

Keep shining brightly,

Evana.