Fragments of Kodachrome: "The Greens of Summer"

"Most people are other people."

This is just one of the many enigmatic statements made by Oscar Wilde. But unlike some of his other witticisms, Wilde actually goes on to explain this one: "Most people are other people" because "their thoughts are someone else's opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation."

But this isn't a bad thing, is it? In talking with my partner today, I was struck by how sure some people are of the people who have influenced them, or those people after whom they have consciously chosen to pattern themselves. These people have sought out mentors to follow, public figures to emulate, right down to details of dress and drink. A fabulous idea--to imitate those whom you admire.

Hours after this morning conversation with my SO on his influences--on "his ancestors, not his relatives" (Ellison)--I came across the above Wilde quotation in Amartya Sen's study, Identity and Violence. Quoting Wilde, Sen opens his work by suggesting that "many of the conflicts and barbarities in the world are sustained through the illusion of a unique and choiceless identity":

"The art of constructing hatred takes the form of invoking the magical power of some allegedly predominant identity that drowns other affiliations, and in a conveniently bellicose form can also overpower any human sympathy or natural kindness that we may normally have. The result can be homespun elemental violence, or globally artful violence and terrorism" (xv).

The way out of this hatred and violence? For Sen, "the prospects of peace in the contemporary world may well lie in the recognition of the plurality of our affiliations [...], rather than making [ourselves] into inmates rigidly incarcerated in little containers. What we need, above all, is a clear-headed understanding of the importance of the freedom that we can have in determining our priorities"--and our identities (xvii).

For peace and tolerance to exist, we must let go of the unified self--of the demand that each of us attains and maintains a knowable, unchangeable identity. We must open ourselves up to all sorts of possibilities. Like my SO, we must have the freedom, the desire, the support, the encouragement, *and the knowledge* that we can model ourselves after any one we choose--and that we can (and should) choose many models, sometimes even contradictory ones. We must not force people into categories and cubbyholes. For, as Sen reminds us, "with suitable instigation, a fostered sense of identity with one group of people can be made into a powerful weapon to brutalize another" (xv).

Obviously, beginning a blog of my creative life is far from as serious an endeavour and a study of Sen's. But in introducing myself to the blog community, I want to announce and be aware of allowing myself to be many identities at once, and to be aware of keeping myself open to all sorts of identities from others. I do not want to close down opportunities and affiliations, but to foster them with all types of bloggers. For this is what makes the knitting/crafting/blogging community one that I wanted to join for so long: its diversity and its openness. We really don't see much tolerance in action these days, nor do we see people actively trying to connect with others in order to make this a better communal world. So I chose finally to join in with my own blog because, after watching for so long, I continued daily to be awed by the real community of diverse identities that has been welcomed, nurtured, and maintained here.

To close then this introductory post, I end with one last thought: Today, I was struck by the realization that, unlike my SO, I would be hard-pressed to list assuredly those who have influenced me (for the good) and those whom I have chosen to imitate out of admiration. I think this might be a problem... To rectify that problem, I want to list here and openly acknowledge those bloggers whom I have watched and admired from afar for a long time, and to note that I have decided to blog mainly because of the inspiration, encouragement, support and comfort you all have silently provided me. Because there are so many (and because this post has already been so *freakin'* long!), I begin today with just a few. Others will be listed and thanked in the coming days.

So to begin, I want to thank and name these bloggers as inspiration:


a bird in the hand
amelia raitte
crazy aunt purl
dogsstealyarn
domesticat
figandplum
grumperina
kerrie's placee
marnie talks
mindofwinter (whom I've been missing)
needles on fire
see eunny knit
sixandahalf stitches
streetsandyos
strikker
the brown sheep
wee wonderfuls (& thrift craft)
whispering pine
wish jar journal
yaiAnn knits
yarnstorm


And to those who have already welcomed me to the knitting/crafting community--spiderwomanknits; amanda cathleen (mistressstashenhancer); and reagan (knitwhit), all from blogspirit--thanks for your kind words.

Now I'll leave you with the same question: what other people are you?