In Plato's symposium Aristophenes suggests that human beings were originally made of four arms, four legs, and a single head made of two faces. The king of the greek gods, Zeus, was afraid of these powerful creatures and so he cut them in half leaving them to search for the rest of their life for their severed pair.
Today, we take a more mystical approach to the meaning of soul mate, but we are still searching just the same. Every once in a while I will read something in the engagements section of The New York Times {a guilty pleasure of mine as I ride the train home after work on Sundays} or in a magazine that makes me think this person found their twin soul.
I started following The Sartorialist in 2008 right around the time that New York Magazine wrote an article titled PopCouture, which discussed the rise of street bloggers. It profiled Scott Schuman (the man behind the Sartorialist) and also lead me to another street style photographer that I instantly fell in love with, Garance Doré. The article compares the two, who at the time were just professional acquaintances
Photographic style aside, the two both shared an eye for the beauty that lies with in the everyday person; they often even shot the same people. And now, in 2010, they're dating!
All this time Scott Schuman was doing something that he loved. It just so happened that there was someone walking around, on another continent, speaking another language, doing the same thing. Although Schuman rarely references his romantic relationship with Ms. Doré on Valentine's day he posted
They have a relationship of mutual admiration, shared passion, and love.
If Aristophenes is correct it's a shame that Zeus left us with no knowledge of who our soulmate is, or if they even exist. The only clue we have is the inexplicable way we miss someone we haven't met yet.
When I get doubtful I imagine Garance Doré and Scott Schuman, and the impeccably dressed, dual camera wielding, franco-american creature that they must have come from. Then I think about the moment when they met each other, felt the tug on their heart strings, and somewhere, in the distant memory of their primordial monster, thought 'oh. It's you."
Today, we take a more mystical approach to the meaning of soul mate, but we are still searching just the same. Every once in a while I will read something in the engagements section of The New York Times {a guilty pleasure of mine as I ride the train home after work on Sundays} or in a magazine that makes me think this person found their twin soul.
I started following The Sartorialist in 2008 right around the time that New York Magazine wrote an article titled PopCouture, which discussed the rise of street bloggers. It profiled Scott Schuman (the man behind the Sartorialist) and also lead me to another street style photographer that I instantly fell in love with, Garance Doré. The article compares the two, who at the time were just professional acquaintances
"While Schuman’s camera is curious, Doré’s is smitten. Her figures glow under her attention. They’re nearly aflame."
Photographic style aside, the two both shared an eye for the beauty that lies with in the everyday person; they often even shot the same people. And now, in 2010, they're dating!
All this time Scott Schuman was doing something that he loved. It just so happened that there was someone walking around, on another continent, speaking another language, doing the same thing. Although Schuman rarely references his romantic relationship with Ms. Doré on Valentine's day he posted
"I'll be honest, my biggest obsession in life right now is not better shoes, more suits or a bigger career but, to simply be a more graceful man for my graceful woman."
They have a relationship of mutual admiration, shared passion, and love.
If Aristophenes is correct it's a shame that Zeus left us with no knowledge of who our soulmate is, or if they even exist. The only clue we have is the inexplicable way we miss someone we haven't met yet.
When I get doubtful I imagine Garance Doré and Scott Schuman, and the impeccably dressed, dual camera wielding, franco-american creature that they must have come from. Then I think about the moment when they met each other, felt the tug on their heart strings, and somewhere, in the distant memory of their primordial monster, thought 'oh. It's you."
oh sam. you've done it again. my heart just fell out of my chest while reading this. i can't wait til i feel that connection, with someone i never knew existed but always longed for. how beautiful. it is scary to be on the side of wandering still though, wondering when they will casually and unknowingly waltz into your life and make you realize what you had always been searching for (even when you didn't know you were searching at all).
ReplyDeleteWow,,,,, what an absolutely beautiful post!!!! XO
ReplyDeleteSo wonderful, Sam. What a magical story and the way you told it: beautiful. Just beautiful. Makes me believe in love and soulmates all over again.
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