from rats, to ratical, to rat haus reality
from rats, to ratical, to rat haus reality
the origin of things rat-full
or
how rats helped shine the way into a ratical world
by david "rat ratman [who can do?] ratmandu[!]" thompson ratcliffe
Sometimes people ask, "so what's with all this stuff about rats?" There is a great deal still to explore regarding the rat archetype and symbology, but for the present, here is a somewhat pedestrian explication of the rat legacy traversed by this one in the journey joined in the company of this human overcoat.
As we near completion of the current Year of the Rat, it feels appropriate to tell a story about how rat appreciation started, how the ratitor came to be, and how the organic unfolding of rat haus reality awareness manifested, first in the building of the balsa wood house itself (preceded by the rat cabin and ancestral rat haus), then in its image scribing, next as a gift-in-photo series, and now as this virtual gathering place for consciousness to further explore, expand, and extend itself.
The above is of brother Steve, Bruce, sister Patty and myself when i was 2 and-a-half. Altho Patty is mentioned only briefly in the following, it is not because she does not figure prominently in my own life but simply that the areas alluded to herein did not include as much of her direct participation as happened with Steve and to a lesser extent Bruce.
This story became much larger than i had anticipated when writing commenced in December. Originally i simply wanted to share something of the influence of rats and the role they have played in my life. But as it took more shape, i felt it wood be a benefit to also share some of the high water marks i've lived and been blessed by.
This story is dedicated to Sir Laurens van der Post who left this place after turning 90 last December. i have only recently come to be deeply nourished and affected by reading some of the many books he wrote. i offer this tale in the same spirit of what Sir Laurens has re-invigorated within, emphasizing the importance of story telling, an essential element of life that all of our ancestors engaged in.
As i write below about Bobbie Louise Hawkins, "i wood imagine what she does is what everyone knew how to likewise do more than ten thousand years ago when story telling was the means by which one learned about life and the world one lived out one's own within." Sir Laurens long life manifested and expressed this same deep understanding of the fundamental importance of story telling. We are as much nourished by stories as by food and drink. May this story offer something to others akin to all that living it has imparted within and blessed the expression of life i manifest.February 6, 1997
last day of the Year of the Rat, 1996
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I Owe You One from Frenchy and Cuban Pete, & OTHER STORIES by Bobbie Louise Hawkins.
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