An Anne Epiphany

Closing the Distance between History and Today

Original image credit to Johny Goerend

My Dear Lovelians & Lifers,

I experienced an epiphany, you might say, and found it so comforting I felt spurred to share it with you.

A little background, I recently took it upon myself to re-read Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery. For those of you who don’t know the inspiration behind the creation of Dear Old World, you should know, at the very least, its name directly references this beautiful soul. These books hold a comfort and peace of mind about them I simply cannot resist, especially during the times when my own life feels so very unpredictable and chaotic. I wholly love immersing myself into the thoughts of this vibrant little girl, who belongs to a quiet world of apple blossoms, dryads, best friends, communal concerts, Octobers, and love unafraid.

It’s no secret I feel rather out of place in my world, my time more like, and much more kindred with hers. Here is where our stories meld. This afternoon, I found myself sitting outside an auto shop on a metal bench, which my tailbone did not appreciate in the slightest, waiting for my vehicle to finish its inspection. Across the shop, past the busy road, and beyond a field of tall grass, sat two old houses. Neither remotely resembled the other, aside from the fact there wasn’t a brick or wood panel about either that could be mistaken for “modern”.

I gazed first at one and then the other. Then I took in the scene as a whole and imagined what this little part of town would feel like with a dirt road, buggies, and strolling passersby. In this moment, a merging of times occurred as it finally, deeply settled on me that this world only changes in appearance. Culture changes, but people in essence do not. Anne of Green Gables may be fictional, but her world, my world, is not.

It doesn’t hold more or less wonders than it did before. It just is. People aren’t more or less capable of great good or evil than they were before. We just are. We as humans exist and go about our daily lives much like the ones who came before. Our daily lives just consist of different recreational activities, work, and hobbies. But underneath the surface, we’re still the same beings. I suppose we are very much like our Creator in the sense that our fundamental design, consisting of physical, spiritual, mental, and emotional needs, does not change from one generation to the next.

For the first time in my life, history doesn’t feel so distant nor myself such a misfit. The events that occurred are more than just stories my subconscious knows actually happened. Time fills history’s pages with ordinary people like me, you, and Anne who lived out their days in a world so extraordinarily ordinary, some of whom became fulcrums of cultural change. But as a species, we are still so very much alike.

With these thoughts, my overstimulated mind eases off the gas pedal a bit and revels in the newfound slowness of this perspective. My thinking now mostly consists of musings on how to marry this century with the ones that came before. With the relational disconnection and mental health crises occurring in modern society at the moment, what steps can I take to thrive in this world, in this time, as Anne did in hers? All times have their shortcomings, but I believe thriving is possible. I believe it with my whole heart, though I suspect it’ll take a little more courage and patience.

Stay Curious,

Olivia

P.S. I grew a strawberry! Isn’t it beautiful…

It was tasty too

P.P.S. Anybody heard of Dan Vasc? His cover of "Amazing Grace" gave me chills. Highly recommend with headphones.