“Afloat” Image. Ceres Gallery. New York. Solo Show.
Since my sinus surgery, I have been eating a lot of Chinese food. The other day, I opened my fortune cookie. I noticed, that at this particular restaurant, the fortunes are so positive! “The Best Mirror Is Often A Good Friend”, “You Have The Makings Of A Winner.”
Other restaurants, not so. This one restaurant gave out cookies that were a little too personal. Positive, but personal. “The Love Of Your Life Is Sitting Next To You”, “You Are Soon Going To Change Your Line Of Work”, “You Will Be Invited To A Small Gathering With Lots Of Spicy Conversation.” Hey, not so close, Buddy!
It had me thinking. What if the fortunes were not only not positive, but downright menacing? Like, “The Man Across From You Is Really A Murderer” or (And you have to get into this: You have to picture yourself opening that cellophane wrapper with some difficulty, and with some degree of expectation, breaking the cookie and smoothing flat the small piece of paper, then struggling to read it), ”Be Careful Around The Next Curve.”
What would you think? I know my wallet has a fortune and its date on it next to every photograph. Fully expecting that the fortune is apt.
If I read “Your Next Business Move Will Be A Serious Mistake” or “Your Sister Is Going To Die In A Mining Accident”, my life would be full of angst and dread!
Let’s open the one that says, “Simplicity Of Character Is The Natural Result Of Profound Thought.”
Hollis Hildebrand-Mills 
Nice reflection Hollis! That really is my goal in life to live simply, leave minimal negative impact on the earth and those around me, and to be content with my life as it is. Today’s piece is eye-catching too. What looks like a cluster of grapes is really a cluster of…brussel sprouts? Your work always startles in the best possible way. The condensed, populous scene of house stacked upon house with the cluster of sprouts super-imposed over it and dominating the center begs some questions about our cultural values and expectations. Can we be content to feed on the simple things life offers or will we always be begging for more with appetites that cannot be satisfied? Good stuff!
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Thanks, those are really good points. I think people tend to want “things” outside themselves to make up for what is lacking inside. Easy to say. And I don’t know if it is true. I know I like new things.
But I do know that we are happiest when we have one thing that makes us happy. More than the one thing…if we accumulate more of the same thing that made us happy in the first place, we devalue the one thing, in fact give it up altogether…..I read that in a book recently.
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What you wrote in your second paragraph connects deeply with how I feel too. In a way we seek to fill the existential vacuum present in our souls with stuff and we should be seeking those things that make us feel whole and help us maintain our peace.
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Yes 🙂
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I tell you what, Hollis – it would be great fun making up statements to put in fortune cookies. I was a bit disturbed by your collage today. Sprouts are my nemesis.
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You could make up some sprout based statements. That could be disturbing to find in your fortune cookie.
Actually I was reflecting today that I find the colour orange slightly disturbing. That shade of orange is fire, desert, sand, devastation, famine. I do like sprouts. They are Christmas. But I am not sure what to make about the orange.
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How about fire!?
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I would love to make up fortune cookie statements with you. We could actually print them and put them in the cookies. How much fun! I don’t know if it’s the scary-looking bunch of sprouts in my collage or if it’s that you gag at them on your plate? I like Denise’s idea of blending in statements of mining accidents and murderers with statements about sprouts! (You notice spell-check can’t spell Brussell Sprouts either, so I will spell them as I please)
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I like “Leach your bitterness into the simmering waters”. Or “eat up your greens, they are good for you.” Not so mysterious, but you can’t fault the good intentions. Also I’d like to see someone’s face when they got that after dinner.
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Hahaha! Those are great! Or how about “The bitterness of sprouts will match the bitterness of times ahead!” Or sprouts have power and magic in them…get over it!”
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Are those brussel sprouts, Hollis? Very interesting. I’ve never gotten a fortune that was doom and gloom, most of mine don’t make the slightest sense. I suppose they’re meant to be more of a philosophical statement.
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Yes! They do look scary, about to descend on the town.
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