Cratylus

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Full disclosure:  not my photo!  Click it and it will take you to its source...



 The other day I made a winning Greek salad.   A delightful side dish, refreshing and satisfying with its crunchy cucumber, its contrast against the feta cheese, olives, and a brightly ripe tomato. It got me thinking about Greece, modern and ancient, and the texts I studied long ago, penned by Plato.

Since then, the philosopher known as Cratylus has fascinated me.   A man so moved by the inability of language to communicate that he stopped talking completely.  To me, it seems, trying to communicate by gestures alone might prove even more frustrating.  But what silenced him?  A companion who just didn't get it?   Continuous rejections by editors and publishers?  The agora?  Or his own inchoate, inarticulate self, with its inability to live up to his own expectations?

I dunno.  But here's a recipe for you to chew on:

Peel a firm cucumber, then slice and quarter.  Dice a ripe tomato or two, depending upon your preference.  Add a tablespoon or two of pitted kalamata olives (you might even slice or halve them) a handful of diced or crumbled feta cheese.  Drizzle olive oil sunkissed from the Mediterranean, and scatter coarse salt to taste.  Mix gently, and enjoy in companionable silence.