Loggerheads

image by jillian tamaki

I tell you, if every issue of the New Yorker had a piece in it written by David Sedaris, the world would be a much better place. And there wouldn't be a stack of back issues haunting my desk. This afternoon, I read the most delightful, insightful, and humorous piece called Loggerheads that appeared in last week's New Yorker. Unfortunately, the magazine doesn't post it's printed content for free on the web, so you'll either have to buy the article here or hunt down the issue. It will be worth your while.

Some words that spoke to me:

"On Maui, on November, Hugh and I went swimming, and turned to find a gigantic sea turtle coming up between us. As gentle as a cow she was, and with a cow's dopey, almost lovesick expression on her face. That, to me, was worth the entire trip, worth my entire life, practically. For to witness majesty, to find yourself literally touched by it--isn't that what we've all been waiting for?"

and

"Looking back, you'd think that someone would have said something--sea turtles, for God's sakes!--but maybe they weren't endangered yet. Animal cruelty hadn't been invented, either. The thought that a non-human being had physical feelings, let along the wherewithal to lose hope, was outlandish and alien, like thinking paper had relatives."

Reminds me of my lovesickness for whales.