Monday, February 16, 2009

What If: I couldn't describe you

What if there were no words, no descriptors or modifiers, that captured how I felt. What if I met you, and you were like nothing else in this world?

In "I was trying to describe you to someone," by Richard Brautigan, the speaker met someone of no other persona. For every other stranger he located a twin or duplicate, but this one woman was unique beyond words. His resulting attempt to describe her was recreating the feeling he felt when he watched a movie about farmers receiving electricity. What if I got that feeling? Such strong emotion that words were'nt adequate; nothing short of recreating a feeling was. Would I have the courage to maintain a conversation lasting over 5minutes? If such a person existed, I would be scared. I would not want to anger or bother them, that I would avoid talking to them in the first place. My feelings would be captulated in one mess of confusion, never knowing what I thought or felt. I would have to run back to my college friend and enlist her help. Why, I can't quite describe him... he just reminds me of when... She would listen as I rambled in circles. Always talkative, surely I would find some coherent phrases that would describe him? But what if...

If I was speechless, at a loss for words, I would find an alternative. I would name every scene associated with the feeling I felt. And hopefully, I would be getting a call later.

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