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At Ontario Beach Park in Rochester, New York, there is a historic carousel—a century-old merry-go-round, hand-carved by the Dentzel sons, that in recent years has been restored and freshly painted.
During the summer season, it is always filled with the young and young at heart. People love to walk the beach, picnic before a concert in the gazebo, and enjoy a ride on the merry-go-round. The music evokes memories of childhood, the challenge of catching the brass ring, and debates about which animal to ride: a stationary horse, a pulsating horse, a giraffe, camel, ostrich… . What to choose? Which animal in the menagerie would provide the ultimate joy of the moment? Which “risk” would satisfy a love of adventure? Ah yes.Today, it’s the painted lion.
I hadn’t thought about our beloved carousel for months, but reading Wayne Simsic’s edition of Thomas Merton’s writing reminded me of it—the variety of approaches, the tingle of the new, and the comfort of the familiar. Carousel … Merton?…
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