Tuesday, 20 November 2007

Same face... different name OR why has this blog changed its name?

When I was born, my parent's named me after my father, Alexander. However, subject perhaps to the same chronic indecision that sometimes paralyses their son, they changed my name after three days to Andrew. This confused my elder sister who on being told that this was now baby Andrew, plaintively inquired: "But what happened to baby Alexander?!"

As was the case with my nascent self, only the name has changed: I still reserve this space for experiences, memories and impressions that, otherwise, would be ill-formed... if not irrevocably erased from consciousness all together.

So why the pearl factory?

One will no doubt be familiar with the process whereby an oyster forms a pearl: a tiny foreign body enters the oyster's mouth, irritating it to such an extent that it is prompted to secrete layers of a crystalline substance called 'nacre' in order to render it more acceptable. With time, the layers of nacre build up forming one of nature's most wondrous and valuable prizes.

In the beginning there is this niggling irritation, the sense of being subject to an impression.

Next there is the attempt to come to terms with it by rolling it around, transforming it eventually into...

...something not just benign; but beautiful.

Welcome to the pearl factory.

2 comments:

Maria said...

Amazing!!!

Anonymous said...

I'll buy that for a dollar. Stelios