Crossed Wires

You know how in high school English class you had to write convoluted papers about "the symbolism" of great literature? That really used to piss me off. I say "the symbolism" in quotes like that because it always struck me as extremely subjective. Has this interpretation of the book been ok'd by the author? Did Nathaniel Hawthorne send out a mimeograph to accompany his manuscript of The Scarlet Letter, entitled, "The Meaning of My Novel, For Your Easy Interpretation"? I'm skeptical. It just always struck me as ridiculous that my English teacher could simultaneously 1) ask us to pull from our asses some interpretation of this story other than its actual plot and then 2) grade our interpretations, as if something pulled from one student's ass was more worthwhile and accurate as an interpretation than something pulled from the ass of another. Awesome, now I have this weird image of all of my former classmates, bent over and bare-assed. All I'm saying is, either let us interpret the story literally, or let us go crazy with wild speculation, but don't try to cling to some middle ground wherein we are "creative" and then graded on it. Of course, now I am a grown-up and have been brainwashed into understanding that when the majority of literary scholars agree on an interpretation, that becomes the "true" interpretation of the work, and everyone else gets to go suck it. History works in a similar fashion.

I'm already a full paragraph into this and I can't remember my point.

Oh right! Symbolism! Anyway, in some stories, a rose symbolizes romance, in others it means youth, in others it's umm... expensive perfume. Each story has it's own unique and often complicated symbolism, much like religions and nations and cultures do. But I also kind of believe that individuals also have their own personal symbolism, which develops over the course of their lifetime based on their experiences. I think that this generally plays out in our dreams (if we remember them). Some people have a lot of the same dreams, like where you're losing your teeth, or you have an exam in a class you never went to, or you show up to school and realize you forgot to wear deodorant and a bra. (Wait, was that last one just me?) But there are other things that are significant to you and you alone. For example, in my mind, the month of October conjures up a complex mix of feelings of excitement, fear, and romance. A certain brand of vodka is isolation, anxiety, heavy responsibility. Facebook is a reminder of secrets and hurt feelings. I swear I'm not trying to think of only depressing ones, but that's all that's coming to mind right now. My point is that everyone's mind is wired slightly differently. If, in your childhood, you took a vacation to Orlando, Florida shortly before your parents divorced, that's probably what Orlando will always mean to you. If you grew up in Orlando (although, does anyone grow up in Orlando, or is it one of those places people only work in or visit?), it will probably have a much happier meaning for you.

All of this is my roundabout way of saying that I'm kind of fascinated by the unique way things are, for whatever reason, linked together in my mind. For example, when I hear the name "Oscar Wilde," I see the face of Gene Wilder, particularly as Willy Wonka. So, if you quote Oscar Wilde to me, just know that in my head, those words are said by Gene Wilder in a purple top hat. I've always gotten U2 and Oasis confused. If I tell you a song is by one band, it's probably actually by the other. For some reason, I'm convinced that I've been inside this one elementary school near my house, that my mother claims I've never been to. I'm sure that other people have these weird things, where if they think of one thing, their mind automatically offers up some other thing, like salt and pepper. Do you have anything like that? Feel free to blow my mind with it in the comments.