Hermetic laments

Some things will remain eternally mysterious to me: one of them is that, although I am really doing my very best to lead a secluded, almost hermit-like life, there are still times when I am suddenly pestered by various people who want to invite me to their parties and vernissages and finissages and shows and monkey-training sessions.

These last days were and are and will be of this sort again: first one of my friends (for reasons of decency I only have two, anyway- one female and one male) who is an opera singer had some performance…well- soit! But just the next day- just when I thought to have done enough for mankind and wanted to read some edifying tome, a relative drags me away to her vernissage. Fortunately it at least took place in the crypt of the venerable Peterskirche (St. Peter’s Church in Vienna) which gave it a certain cachet.

But the deathblow I received when an acquaintance from Japan (he has inherited- stupid of stupid things- an elevator kaisha (company), announced that he would want to come here to Vienna to participate in some City- Marathon. This à la bonne heure- he can do what he feels like but then, afterwards, he also wants me to introduce him to some of the Viennese shoemakers and tailors and go shopping with him for vintage wrist-watches! I’m already getting tired and exhausted by only writing it down, here. Since I also don’t have a car anymore (cars are too ugly!) he will rent one so that we can go over country to look at some castles and old churches- something I also do enjoy myself; but having people around is sometimes so taxing. One can easily lose ones meditative mood when viewing Late-Gothic altar-pieces in the Salzkammergut or dreamily walking among the ruins of some old keep in Piedmont, if one has to perpetually talk or explain things to someone- as nice and generous as they may be.