Brief on Baby

A WILLIAM III STRIKING CLOCK WATCH MOVEMENT
THOMAS TOMPION, LONDON, NO. 42. CIRCA 1695. THE DIAL LATER


Family united round baby tonight, son T up from London, Marlie on best behaviour. I wonder if ever again in life we are the subject of such benign attention and scrutiny as in our first few weeks. That is why violence on young children seems such a peculiarly heinous crime, and why we call some crimes 'unnatural'. Maybe because the baby hardly notices us at all but moves alone against the world, somehow of the world yet not quite in it, dreaming in sensations, feeling through the nerves and skin and gut. As we do when we first wake, only just aware of time and light. Body-and-soul machines of the wind-up, wind-down universe. No wonder people thought of God as the great watchmaker. The Thomas Tompion galaxy, as vulnerable as a moment in eternity.

Brief scattered thoughts before bed. Most of the day I have been working on Satantango and university matters - except for the cup final, of course, where I was willing on Portsmouth, delighted each time Chelsea hit woodwork. Often one doesn't need the highest quality game providing there is a good story. This one ended as most of us thought it would, but in a properly narrative way.