Arcadia

I just have time to do a smallish post, almost a tweet’s worth. I was following trails of information on the internet, seeing where my attention takes me, when I can across the vision of Arcadia. The term Arcadia or Ἀρκαδία derives from the Greek province and was used by renaissance thinkers as an almost utopian ideal; one of simple pastoral pleasure.

                                     The Arcadian or Pastoral State by Thomas Cole 1836.

It has many parallels with the Biblical Eden and although you can believe in it, you can never attain it. It is an idea that has been around under various guises since the times of ancient Greece, when it was believed that the god Pan lived and frolicked there. It may even have been the inspiration behind the Biblical Eden. It had a profound effect upon me because in a way isn’t everyone seeking the paradise that they will never attain. Despite a part of us knowing that it is unattainable, we still keep hoping. It is what keeps us going in our darkest hour. Aspies too need our dreams.