My coming was foretold

[asakiyume]

On Friday at the jail I was noticing how much they announce you're coming--each stage of the way. "Central control, one volunteer up to you," says the guy at the main desk, and then "One volunteer in the sally port," says the guy at central control," and then "Programs, one volunteer in the elevator," and so on. It made me feel, yesterday, like the fulfillment of a very short-term prophecy.

And speaking of sally ports, did you know--I did not, until I Google-searched the word just now--that although the relevant definition in this instance is "a secure entryway (as at a prison) that consists of a series of doors or gates," the first definition is "a gate or passage in a fortified place for use by troops making a sortie," and that if you look up images you will find lots of castles? Yes indeed. Whereas, the sally port at the jail has always made me think of a space station's airlock. One heavy metal door opens, you go in, it shuts, and you're in a tiny room. Then the heavy metal door on the other side opens, and you're inside the jail proper.

(Not only was my coming foretold, but I have an invisible ultraviolet stamp on my hand. I don't know what it says because I can't see it. It's like a stamp admitting you to a club, only really it's to let you **leave** the club, because most people can't. Hotel California and all that.)

And speaking of prophecies, I was talking to one woman about a book she was reading, and as she described the action and the main character's situation, I realized it was a retelling of the Iliad from Cassandra's point of view. It was Firebrand by Marion Zimmer Bradley. So that was really fun and cool. I have not actually ever read any Marion Zimmer Bradley, but maybe I'll read that one, because she's going to write an essay on it. It's long though, wow. Maybe I'll just dip in here and there.

Comments

[xjenavivex.livejournal.com]

Your magical jouney continues, now with prophecy.

[wuweibaby.livejournal.com]

Open pod bay doors please, HAL


First thing that came to mind ;)

[sartorias.livejournal.com]

I recognize that hand!

I'd always assumed that sally was from French, but actually Latin. (Well, that's underneath French, so to speak)

[queenoftheskies.livejournal.com]

They give you an ultraviolet stamp at Disneyland, too, if you want to get back into the Park on the same day. They have a special lamp that you hold your hand under to see it/so they can see it.

How neat that one woman was reading something that might interest you.

[oiktirmos.livejournal.com]

The ultimate sally port.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWEvp217Tzw&feature=youtu.be&t=18s

[syomsong.livejournal.com]

all these gates remind me of Dante... :)

[judo100.livejournal.com]

Is that where the phrase "sally forth" comes from?

[khiemtran.livejournal.com]

You coming is foretold, but it's interesting that the prophecy is expected to be fulfilled. When the door opens and you show up, everyone is content - it's when you don't appear that the system starts to worry.

prisons

[desmond coutinho (from livejournal.com)]

I think I read this one in a John Grisham book I think it was the Confession. Either that or Sr Prejean's Dead Man Walking which is a lot better than the film. In the sense that it was thoughtful well balanced thoroughly researched whereas the film had two really good actors in it. I have been sending Irom Sharmila Chanu death row books lately just happens. We might be in the middle of a row or she might be giving me the silent treatment or they have gone back to heavily censoring her mail or none of the above. But they mention the ultraviolet thing and for the last bit to the actual death row section you had to put your keys in a bucket which then got hoisted up. According to Grisham I think. Anyway she should have had a hearing last week but I am guessing no judge really wants to be associated with her case coz the police will decide everything and it kinda gets embarrassing for self important people to confront their complete irrelevance. But she may be sent to delhi next week and now is a good time. the delhi students are revolting.

[c-maxx.livejournal.com]

MZB did write some AMAZING books! other issues notwithstanding (so you may not be blindsided). I used to be a total devotee... [still am, if not read recently]

Weren't sally ports also used to contain and examine visitors? "Mmm, this one is a little smelly, shall we make them wash?"

You never read Polack's Langue[dot]doc 1305? I seem to have been one of few US orderers, got an autographed copy...

As to your subject, isn't that where we met???
Do you remember?

[pdlloyd.livejournal.com]

I love the way you connected the announcements at the prison to prophecy. The Firebrand, iirc, is very much about prophecy, but also about how no one really wants prophecy, or prophets, because the truth can be, well, inconvenient and scary. I used to read a lot of MZB. I hope you will enjoy reading her work, if you decide to try it. Although it may seem, on the surface, to be simple fantasy, I found her work often stirred strong feelings in me.