Looks Good On the Wall

5^th April 2012

Dear Cassi,

As early as I can remember my room had these curtains made of wood and string. They had the colors of autumn and I think they came with the house. Much of the fittings of my home were original during most of my life.

       

As children often do, we had picked these curtains to shreds and made god’s eyes out of the bits. I imagine you have never heard of these bits of yard and wood as they are a product of folklore from the Huichol tribe of northern Mexico.

       

The god’s eye is made of two or more sticks and woven normally with yarn. It is symbolic of knowing that which cannot be known and seeing that which cannot be seen. The eyes were traditionally woven for a child by their father and a central eye is woven at birth then one eye is added every year until the child turns five.

       

The four points made by the sticks are believed to symbolize earth, wind, water, and fire. Why few know and the origin of the eyes in so old much has been forgotten.

       

I imagine these were just something to have children do in day camp for us. I had to look them up to know where they came from. I think the odd bits of bric-a-brac that make up our young lives should be better laid out for us. I would have much preferred to know why those things existed when I made them as a child.

       

Then, it is funny that I never saved any of my god’s eyes with as many as I have made. What happened to them all I can’t say. Perhaps they found their way into the trash. What happens to all the bits we make as children? How did the magic drain from our lives and fall into this dull world?

Keep the joy alive, little sister

Richard Leland Neal