He existed a step or two to one side of the common world, largely out of sight, a shadow, all but invisible. Whatever he owned, either he could hoist it on his back and lug it along or he could walk away from it. Anonymity was the thing he loved most about the city, being a part of it and apart from it at the same time.
Interpretation
The quote reflects the desire for anonymity and detachment from societal expectations.
In this quote, James Sallis describes a person who navigates through life on the fringes of society, embracing both connection and separation. This individual finds freedom in anonymity, valuing the ability to exist without the burdens of ownership and societal visibility. The juxtaposition of being part of the city yet apart from it highlights a unique perspective on life, where one can appreciate the surroundings while remaining distanced from the pressures they might entail.
In practice
In a discussion about modern city living, this quote can highlight the contrasts of urban anonymity.
Mostly what you lose with time, in memory, is the specificity of things, their exact sequence. It all runs together, becomes a watery soup. Portmanteau days, imploded years. Like a bad actor, memory always goes for effect, abjuring motivation, consistency, good sense.
The name Yunupingu means 'rock - rock that stands against time'. The name Yunupingu belonged to my grandad, like he was a hero in his time. It was passed down through the generations to my Father. It's a name that makes us understand who we are, where we're coming from and what our connections are to mother earth and the universe.
In our native terms, the ironic style is often compounded with the sardonic and the hard-boiled; even the effortlessly superior. But irony originates in the glance and the shrug of the loser, the outsider, the despised minority. It is a nuance that comes most effortlessly to the oppressed.
There are no separate systems. The world is a continuum. Where to draw a boundary around a system depends on the purpose of the discussion.
If church prelates, past or present, had even an inkling of physiology they'd realize that what they term this inner ugliness creates and nourishes the hearing ear, the seeing eye, the active mind, and energetic body of man and woman, in the same way that dirt and dung at the roots give the plant its delicate leaves and the full-blown rose.
I answer, because I live among men and not among angels.
All men would be tyrants if they could.
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