New Life Story Seeds # 5
Wisdom, Flight, Transcendence
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Dear Friends,
Welcome to the fifth issue of New Life Story Seeds, featuring the life and times
of Antoine de Saint- Exupery, pilot, storyteller, and hero.
The thoughtful quotation and juicy questions are drawn from his timeless
fable, "The Little Prince." Also
to be found in this issue are a movie recommendation, gift ideas, and a
moderately humorous "Thanksgiving Checklist," excerpts from a
fly-on-the-wall journal entry concerning an unforgettable Thanksgiving.
(And you thought you had trouble coping with the holidays!).
Welcome to all the new subscribers who have joined us, and thanks for all the
positive feedback received. As
always, your comments and suggestions are most warmly welcomed.
Wishing you the gift of transcendent new life stories in this time of
light-through-darkness,
Ellen Moore
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In This Issue:
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A Thoughtful Quotation Juicy Questions Antoine de Saint-Exupery: Pilot, Writer,
Patriot The Little Prince Saint Ex: The Film Gift Ideas Thanksgiving Checklist
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A Thoughtful Quotation
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I raised the bucket to his lips. He
drank, his eyes closed. It was as
sweet as some special festival treat. This
water was indeed a different thing from ordinary nourishment.
Its sweetness was born of the walk under the stars, the song of the
pulley, the effort of my arms. It was good for the heart, like a present...
"The men where you live," said the little prince, "raise five
thousand roses in the same garden--and they do not find in it what they are
looking for."
"They do not find it" I replied.
"And yet what they are looking for could be found in one single rose, or in
a little water."
"Yes, that is true," I said.
And the little prince added: "But the eyes are blind. One must look with
the heart..."
Antoine de Saint-Exupery "The Little Prince"
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Juicy Questions
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What are you looking for?
What is it you really want?
How and where are you finding what you want?
What are your spiritual needs? How
are they different from your wants?
Who is responsible for fulfilling your spiritual needs?
To what extent are they satisfied?
What nourishes your heart?
What is the role of effort as you build the life of your dreams?
What do you need more of? What do
you need less of?
To what extent is the motto "Less is More" true for you?
What do you need in order to be happy and fulfilled?
When have you experienced the gift of appreciating something because you worked
hard for it?
"What is essential is invisible to the eye," said the fox to the
little prince. What is essential to
you?
How do you balance the influence of the visible and the invisible?
What do you see with your heart that your eyes cannot see?
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Antoine de Saint-Exupery: Pilot, Writer, Patriot
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It seems that no one who met Saint-Exupery ever forgot this charismatic
Frenchman. "Saint Ex" (as
he was nicknamed) has been described as enchanting, complex, troubled, ugly,
shy, sexy, quixotic, and brilliant. Above all, he was a man of contradictions: A
man of action who hated exercise, a poet who deliberately limited himself to
prose, a talented mathematician who ended up condemning "the cult of
mathematics." an unbeliever who wanted desperately to believe," an
impoverished aristocrat who made his name as a mail and military pilot, a daring
(although absentminded and undisciplined) flyer who took pride in his writing, a
man of science who believed in feelings, a writer and an intellectual who
distrusted words as the source of misunderstanding.
One of his biographers, Stacy Schiff, noted his "stunning lack of personal
ambition," and described him as "a resolute nonjoiner" who
"saw disobedience as the better part of valor." His deep, but
difficult friendships were characterized by great loyalty and petty quarreling.
He was a towering, larger-than-life personality who delighted people by
performing amazing card tricks and playing the piano by rolling an orange on the
keyboard.
In love with planes and flying all his life, Saint- Exupery became an airmail
pilot at age 26. He was one of the
pioneers in the dangerous and heroic early years of aviation.
Much of his writing describes the transcendence of flight, and the
philosophical perspective gained by flying high above the earth with the wind in
his face. He wrote of battling life- threatening storms without
instruments and in open cockpits. He
flew for hours over empty stretches of desert and was fired at by rebel desert
tribes. He survived several
near-fatal crashes, became a French fighter pilot, and was later forced into
inaction. He had tortured
relationships with his wife, Consuelo (who threw him off balance), and other
women, including the mysterious "Madame X" (who restored his
equilibrium).
Saint-Exupery and Anne Morrow Lindbergh had a profound effect on each other.
They met only once, when he visited the Lindberghs on Long Island.
It seemed that he "spoke her language" better than any person
on earth, although he spoke not a word of English and she spoke French
haltingly. Their soul-connection
was instant and deep, as if they had known each other for years.
"He told many stories of the desert, its beauty and its danger,
mysteriously linked," she wrote. "Stories
bloomed from his conversation like monstrous flowers, leaving us spellbound,
oblivious of where we were or what we were doing...
The desert obviously had Saint Exupery in thrall."
When he disappeared in 1944, Lindbergh was devastated, writing that she
had lost the one person who actually understood her work.
"Charles is earth to me the whole world, life.
Saint-Ex was not earth but he was a sun or a moon or stars which light
earth which make the world and life more beautiful.
Now the earth is unlit and it is no longer so beautiful.
I go ahead in it stumbling and without joy."
Composed primarily of letters, jottings, published and unpublished writings,
Saint Exupery's "Wartime Writings" amounts to a journal of sorts,
reflecting his state of mind during the war.
"Mud. Rain. Rheumatism
in a farmhouse. Empty evenings.
The melancholy of doubt. Anxiety
at 35,000 feet. Fear also, of
course. Everything that is demanded
of a man in order to be a man among men. And
I'm united with my fellow men, because if I separate myself from them, I'm
nothing. How I despise
spectators..."
In the posthumously published work, "The Citadel," Saint-Exupery
wrote, "One can no longer live off refrigerators, politics, bank
statements, and crossword puzzles." One can no longer live without poetry,
color, or love." The citadel Saint Exupery wished to build was a citadel of
the heart.
After a period of inaction, he returned to active duty against the protests of
everyone he knew. Torn between his
horror of war, his deep sense of duty, and his agonized love for Nazi-occupied
France, he believed he could best serve France as a flyer.
Even though the maximum age was 35, Saint Ex returned to active duty at
the age of 43. He was given
permission to fly five reconnaissance missions, actually flew eight, and failed
to return from the ninth. Already a legend when his P38 Lightning vanished in July of
1944, he disappeared into thin air just as did the Little Prince.
Rumors abounded, but neither his body nor his plane were ever found, and
no one who knew him was surprised at his death.
There was a sense of inevitability about his demise, that his death had
long been postponed, that he had been actively courting it.
Biographer Curtis Cates observed that it was not strange that he should
have died when he did, but that he managed to survive so long.
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The Little Prince
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"The Little Prince" is still the most widely translated book in the
French language. Vastly different
from Saint-Exupery's other writings, this story of wisdom and wonder is cleverly
disguised as a children's book. It's
not a book to be described, but experienced on many levels.
Part of the appeal of the book is in its charming watercolors executed by
the author. Among its many themes
are the importance of love and friendship, the ignorance of "grownups"
who do not understand the difference between "matters of importance"
and trivialities, mission, duty, and the fragility of joy.
Written in New York, the book is filled with ironic jibes at American
culture and its hurried, materialistic society.
German philosopher Martin Heidegger regarded "The Little
Prince" as one of the great existentialist books of the century. "Life
is a comedy for him who thinks, and a tragedy for him who feels," wrote
Jonathan Swift. Saint- Exupery was
both a thinker and a feeler, so he was full of both humor and sadness, as was
"The Little Prince."
Perhaps one of the most valuable interpretations of "The Little
Prince" is to apply it to your inner life. This is a book to savor.
Read it over and over. It's
bound to incite you to write, so you may want to think about stopping for
freewrites. You may find the tale sufficiently haunting to engage in some
spiritual searching of your own. Can
you see sheep through the walls of boxes? Have
you ever been stranded in your own inner desert?
Can you live with the uncertainty and tension of opposing forces?
And despite sorrow and longing, can you find laughter in the stars?
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Saint Ex--The Film
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The film "Saint Ex" may be hard to find at your local video store
unless you specify several spelling variations. Amazon says it's not available, and Barnes & Noble
doesn't even list it. It's a movie
that came and went briefly in 1997, with little popular or critical notice.
Miranda Richardson plays Consuelo, and Saint Ex is played by Bruno Ganz, who
bears a striking physical resemblance to photographs of the hero.
One particularly chilling scene is modeled after a photograph of Saint
Exupery: He stands as if nailed to a cross, wincing and holding out his arms as
he is helped into his flight suit. By
1941, his body was so stiff and sore that he lived with constant and
excruciating pain from his many injuries.
It's a film that doesn't quite know what it wants to be.
Part documentary, part narrative, part fantasy, it casts a dreamy spell
that is hard to forget. From idyllic scenes of childhood, to desert landscapes,
to night flights in open cockpits, the movie charms with its wistful tone.
Warning: Do not see this film until you have read "The Little Prince."
There are numerous attempts to "explain" the origins of the imagery of
the book. Several surrealistic scenes would be incomprehensible unless you have
read the book and seen the watercolors. There
is also a perhaps misguided attempt to speculate on the "identity" of
the little prince. The documentary
portions in which old friends of Saint Ex are interviewed are particularly
moving and poignant. Not a
five-star movie, but it is beautiful and touching.
There is much to recommend it, with its sense of wonder and longing.
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Gift Ideas
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If you don't have your own copy of "The Little Prince"
now is a perfect time to give yourself this precious gift. By all means, buy the hardbound version, as the cramped
paperback squeezes the watercolors into small black-and-white nothings.
Economize in some other area. Remember
the wisdom of the Koran: "If you have two loaves of bread, sell one to buy
hyacinths, for they will feed your soul." This is a hyacinth to be
treasured for a lifetime.
Think of soul-friends who would also love a copy. Enjoy the giving.
Some children love "The Little Prince," but by no means all.
They might be attracted by the soft colors of the author's droll
watercolors, but by the time they're old enough not to be disturbed by the deep
sadness and uncertainty at the end of the book, they're likely to think
themselves too sophisticated to read "a children's book." Consider
carefully the age and understanding of the child before you give this book.
You might want to take time to read the book together and discuss it, or
you may want to give the book as a "time capsule" for much later. Gloss over it lightly, and put it away for several years to
be opened "when."
For those who love adventure, philosophy, social commentary, flight, and
transcendence, Saint-Exupery's other books would make ideal gifts: "Night Flight",
"Flight to Arras",
"Southern Mail",
"Wind, Sand and Stars",
"The Citadel",
and "Airman's Odyssey".
The two hefty biographies are recommended only for hard-core Saint-Exupery
devotees: "Saint-Exupery" by Stacy Schiff
and "Antoine de Saint-Exupery" by Curtis Cates. Likewise, the "Wartime Writings, 1939-1944"
are
best appreciated by historians and those who want to dig deeper into the war
experience.
The artwork in "The Little Prince" may inspire you to draw and paint.
For gifts of soul and little money, consider giving paper and watercolor
sets, pastels, crayons, drawing pencils, and artists' sketchbooks.
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Thanksgiving Checklist
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Monday, 3:00 pm--Review lyrical checklist booklet from
Williams-Sonoma. Debate
advisability of attempting organized, left-brained, minute-by-minute plan for
creating a Martha-Stewart-worthy production for unforgettable Thanksgiving
memories.
Monday, 4:30 pm--Fantasize family Thanksgivings past.
Wax poetic over Great Grandmother Thomas' Haviland, Aunt Sue's crystal goblets,
antique double damask napkins and tablecloth.
Sing all three verses of "Over the River and Through the
Woods," to self. Mythologize family and family dinners in journal.
Tuesday, 4:00 pm--Listen to NPR broadcast of forensic
chemist/turned home economist advising on chemistry of roasting turkey.
Become enamored of forensic chemist/turned home economist's southern
accent reminiscent of Wm. Faulkner, Eudora Welty, and Flannery O'Connor.
A blend of erudition, Spanish moss, and Doric columns on plantation
porches. Note: Accent very impressive. Try
to imitate.
Tuesday, 4:30 pm--Become obsessed with forensic
chemist/turned home economist's secret and scientific formula for "moist,
flavorful, and deliciously bursting-with-flavor" turkey: Soak turkey
overnight in one and a half cups of salt dissolved in water. Recognize blend of
art and science as way to transform Thanksgiving into superb triumph.
Resolve to try salt-water soak and think of way to include statistical
analyses in process. Become overly- impressed with scientific studies
demonstrating that salt-soaked turkeys absorb more water.
Note: Salt- water soak a wonderful thing.
Tuesday, 5:00 pm--Check kitchen cupboard to ascertain
adequate supply of iodized salt. Mentally
review family recipes for sage dressing, sweet potato pie, and 37 other
traditional and slightly mandatory side dishes.
Tuesday, 5:30 pm--Call health food store to reserve
organically-grown, 14-pound turkey at four times normal price.
Wednesday, 10:00 am--Drive to health-food store to
stand in long line behind everyone else buying tofu turkey.
Become certain of making terrible mistake.
Wednesday, 10:30 am--Lug turkey home. From
back of
van, pick up turkey, which has rolled out of plastic bag, due to health food
store running out of paper sacks. Review
known facts about bacterial contamination.
Note: 325 degrees should kill anything.
Wednesday, 11:00 am--Rearrange refrigerator interior to
accommodate turkey, which will not fit. Consider
asking spouse for help, but remember spousal habit of regurgitating old joke
about women and spatial relationships. Throw
out wilted kale and broccoli, mop up liquefied tomatoes, remove hairy mold and
unknown objects. Note: In future,
clean refrigerator weekly.
Wednesday, 10:00 pm--Cut hands in several places on turkey
cartilage while removing giblets. Contemplate
prospect of salmonella, and other infections.
Look up domestic and foreign infestations and parasites in encyclopedia
and medical advice book. Decide not
to admit self to emergency room unless dead by morning.
Wednesday, 10:15 pm--Attempt to wrestle turkey into
salt-water solution. Try to catch
turkey as it shoots through bandaged hands.
Fail. Grapple with turkey on
floor. Rinse turkey, mop floor,
re-bandage hands. Note: Remind self of previous note about 325 degrees.
Wednesday, 10:30 pm--Consider running away to join
circus. Visualize simpler life in
small, cozy, metal bullet-shaped travel trailer filled with works of obscure
Brazilian poets and Czech essayists. Note:
Impractical at advanced age.
Wednesday, 11:59 pm--Throw self in bed in exhaustion
after having spent most of day preparing side dishes. Turn on CNN.
Put on headphones. Ignore traditional spousal litany about rotting of brain due
to pernicious influence of television while falling asleep.
Thursday, 10:00 am-Struggle up when alarm rings to
put turkey in oven. Spill
salt-water solution over entire kitchen. Mop
up same.
Thursday, 12:00 pm--Repair to living room to luxuriate
in autumn sunshine and gloat over newly-revived kitchen skills.
Enjoy first whiff of roasting turkey.
Wrap self in great-grandmother's quilt and write copiously in journal
about current domestic coup.
Thursday, 1:00 pm--Do not eat turkey--dry and salty--
inedible. Consider amusingly
erudite and blistering letter to forensic chemist/turned home economist and/or
NPR. Note: Longing for truly
unforgettable holiday fulfilled.
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© Copyright Ellen Moore, Ph.D.
1999
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