Elevators represent a different way of moving through space, so it seems appropriate that Rachel would find herself transported by one to a reality outside of what we call ordinary time or chronos. That first scene in Zabar’s came out of a place outside of time. I can’t explain it, but it works.
When I look back on the trajectory of my own life, I see several “out of time” phases, mostly having to do with my vocation, parenting, and health. It seems I started at the places where many women end and have been progressing toward youth and the increasingly passionate pursuit of new dreams at the end. It just proves that God can do anything He wants with a person’s life.
Here’s a room not unlike the Virtual Life conference room where it all happens: power plays, put downs, manipulations, and strange but expedient alliances. Every blink of an eye is captured by the ubiquitous security systems installed by Mrs. Priestly. She has control issues.
I’ve probably met in hundreds of conference rooms like these over the years and I can tell you, the more senior the people, the more fascinating the behavior. The dominance hierarchy is alive and well.
Speaking of Mrs. Priestly, I think this woman embodies Veronica’s aura. What do you think? Here’s another picture of someone who embodies Priestly’s style.
And I swear, it didn’t occur to me that I’d fashioned a main character after Meryl Streep’s character in The Devil Wears Prada until I’d finished The Clock. That sneaky subconscious is always working, isn’t she?
This is the actual teahouse where Amir poured his heart out to Rachel. It was an important moment of connection and the formation of a critical alliance. I imagine Rachel having frequent occasions to meet someone for coffee or tea or lunch, beforehand bolstering her energy with a little silence and solitude. You know … just to be sure she would see the actual person sitting in front of her, and hear what they were actually saying. Evaluating their character. Deciding if they were trustworthy.
It takes great mental energy to do that, and when you’re an introvert like she is, you have to start with a full tank.
What exactly does infinity look like? I have a picture in my head, but it seems to go on and on. I’ve been fascinated with the eternal since … oh, I don’t know … eternity? It’s in each one of us. Some of us experience moments of acute awareness.
I once read a book by Richard Rohr where he refers to something called Deep Time. It’s something between eternity and the temporal. At least that was my take on it at the time. It resonated with me. When I look back on the generations of my ancestors dating back to the 300’s (yes, I actually can trace some ancestors back that far), I realize there’s a big and long extending story being told as life in this world unfolds.
Each of us is a part of Deep Time, bringing forward from those before us and leaving behind for those after us. And I’m not talking about the environment. I’m talking about spiritual realities.
And what about all of those clock stopping meetings? Seriously, have you ever experienced a departure from the normal schedule of life and found a new reality as a result? I have.
As I mentioned before, my subconscious is slowing revealing to me where some of these ideas are coming from. The other day I remembered that one of my favorite TV shows was The Man From Uncle and I had a major crush on Robert Vaughn. A well dressed spy. Uh huh. Rachel Vaughn … Robert Vaughn. Hmm.
Finally, I think it bears some imagining what Grayson’s Tribeca apartment might look like. This one caught my eye.
