Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Gandhi and the orange





In Union Square I came across this statue of Gandhi in a little garden enclosed by a fence. Though there were thousands of people milling around the surrounding park, no one was inside this little enclosure. Perhaps that should have served as evidence that I oughtn't have entered. But to no avail, however. Photos were to be had.

Because how often does one encounter a statue of Gandhi holding a brightly colored orange? I don't know whether the orange was real or plastic, but it seemed to me a lovely gift to give this moral exemplar and blessed martyr of the 20th century--indeed, one of my heroes and undeniably one of the most beautiful souls of modernity. Certainly placing a hamburger in his hand would have been bad form if not just horribly offensive. Though it would have been richly ironic had the cow from which the hamburger had been churned actually once held the soul of Gandhi himself. Then there would have been a kind of poetic symmetry. Or perhaps just more Western imperial oppression. Really it's your call. In either case, oranges--plastic or otherwise--were the way to go.

12 comments:

Andy D. said...

Another true nickname:

"Mr. Innocently But Highly, Highly Offensive in Many, Many Directions at Once"

Claudia said...

I find it interesting that I took a photo in NY of a hand holding an apple and sent it to you and here you are posting a photo of a hand holding an orange. I find it both a little thrilling and a little frightening that we had this moment of photographic synergy. However, I'm pretty sure that the red hair and freckles qualify me as somebody's honky.

Andy D. said...

Claudia that's very funny!

Hey apple man, comment on this fruit synergy please. We're working the synergisms, of the fruititious organisms, in the Manhattanistical fenced areaisms, and going all photographical with it.

Claudia did you eat some dude's bagel after asking him to skate for you, too?

A.

Andy D. said...

Claudia the made up "blog word" I'm looking at here now, is made for you!!

"redstr"!!!

You're now officially, on this blog, Redstr!!

A

Mike Bailey said...

Claudia--I can't account for the synergy. That you and I share a moment of any kind of synergy, well, I'm just not worthy. I loved your comment about being somebody's honky. You honor all honkies, I think.

Andy D. said...

Isn't that an 80's song?

"She's got ta be somebody's hon-onky... she must be somebody's hon-onky, she's so-o fi-ine..." Jackson Browne?

Andy D. said...

Sorry -- "... She's so-o whi-ite...."

Claudia said...

Wow...you step away from the computer for an evening an you get a blog word (and dare I say, rap name?) as well as a theme song. Most excellent!

Elisheba said...

I am so not on board with the new blog title. And the captcha word is gonatedi, which I think might adequately express my feelings about it.

Technoprairie said...

I vote with S-S. I don't like the new name either. Go back to your roots and name it something with bees, hands, eyes, or anti-vegatable feelings.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous agrees in third person that it should be renamed again.

Anonymous is also outmerc-ed.

My blog word is the best.

Steven Taylor said...

I like the top as, as it looks like water is flowing over the statue and around the orange.