Hard Bonus: Quote or use a line by poet Billy Collins Easy Bonus: Mention your favorite author
A Touch of Home
While it’s nice to have an extended weekend & something to celebrate, we ought to remember who & what we are celebrating, or History Repeats. It’s not just in the way of events, or recurring mistakes as a society. Often, trauma survivors will use automated responses to keep continuing the cycle. While people often break the generational curses, the types of relationships often keep repeating for themselves.
In the creative arts – whether it’s drawing/painting, music, writing, theater, crafting, etc… expression often is life-saving. It helps soothe & repair our own souls, and can share them with others, and speaks volumes, even when words cannot express them. It’s the feeling, like an instinct, where deep connections exist.
I imagined the atmosphere would be clear,
shot with pristine light,
not this sulphurous haze,
the air ionized as before a thunderstorm.
Writing Writing In the Afterlife
by Billy Collins
Lee Child says it best, about his military action books, which can be applied to your own cause, whether it’s your career, advocacy, or any other gig – “You mustn’t fall in love with your own hero.” That’s when the corruption begins.
Happy Memorial Day, in remembrance of those who have served & passed on.
Last Sunday was Mother’s Day. Yesterday, I met up with an old friend that I hadn’t seen in about 30+ years. Next weekend is Memorial Day. It gets easy to Reminisce as we get older, especially when we aren’t as spry & energetic as we were when we were young. We have more time to think about things because we don’t do as much.
As a child, having tons of fresh fruit, I couldn’t wrap my head around eating cooked fruit… The preserves that were available at the time were just, um… no. Just, no. Coming to live with my grandparents, who would pick enough strawberries to make freezer jam to last close to a year, I remember being afraid of it… My Grandma would always gently tell me, “Always be an explorer. You’ll never know what you like until you try it”. It took a year, but I finally tried it & ended up loving it. Now I can’t do any store-bought preserves since the cooking process changes the flavor, even when they are premium brands. I remember thinking the same about banana bread & apple pie. I learned well, ‘don’t knock it ’til you try it’ and applied that to other things as well. I didn’t get to go to a theme park until I was in my teen years, I want to say about 13 or 14. The roller coasters looked scary but interesting. I just knew I wasn’t interested in the whirly rides that come with the carnivals every year locally. So I start with the Eagle, which I think is one of the biggest & oldest wooden roller coasters around & liked it. Then I went to the other ones that were available, and while the water rides are refreshing as a break from the twist & turns, loop to loop, corkscrews, etc. they ended up being my favorite. I’d go on to talk about the things that I tried & liked, disliked & so-so, this would be a small book. Life is interesting. I’m hoping to go to the theme park with the friend I met up with yesterday to be a coaster-junky for a day.
I think every country has its own versions of parades, but I remember going to the 4th of July parades here (even during summers we were just visiting) and the different bands they had back then were just amazing… It seemed like every 4th or 5th act was a musical group of some sort or another. I stated back then, I think maybe in 77 that I was going to not only be in the parade, but I was going to be in the marching band. Everyone laughed, but I got the last one when I not only took up the clarinet in elementary school but joined the local marching band in Jr. High and stayed with it for 5 years. It was fun to go to the various competitions around the state, as well as one big trip out of state, and of course, there was the fun of catching lightning bugs in a jar to have our own little lantern to carry around.
My marching days are long gone… but that doesn’t mean my parade days are over! Yes, I still play in two groups. The Parkside Community Band just wrapped up not long ago until September. I’m also in the Racine Concert Band and will be able to play on the float during the parade. The RCB has a show coming up in conjunction with J.I. Case High School. No cash at the door, but tickets will be available via the Ticket Spicket App (click to go straight there). A QR code will be available at the school for those who don’t have a ticket & staff will be available to help those who need assistance. Hope to see you there!
Who: Case High School band & RCB
What: 2 bands, one concert
When: Thursday, May 25, 2023 at 7pm
Where: J.I. Case High School
How: $5.00/adults & $4.00/students
Why: Something to do, somewhere to go, people to see
Many people have someone they see as An Inspirational Person. I don’t know how many of us get told we’re one, and the few times I’ve heard it, I always wonder how that happened… Mine is my Aunt Judy, who is always humble because, to her, she’s just her. We don’t have to be exceptional, or great, just “Be good” to the best of our ability.
My sweet Aunt Judy
Fairy godmother always
Guardian savior
Keep moving forward when everything is wrong… Even if it’s snail’s pace. Go after that “thing”. Even if you try, fail, regroup, & take a different approach, someone else watching will be inspired. Don’t listen to the haters, they’re either wanting you to fail or jealous that they don’t have the gumption that you do. While I wish I could be more like my aunt, there is only one her, just like there’s only one me & one you. Do you the best you can, your supporters are the ones to keep you going, and you might be surprised, someone else will make you their Aunt Judy.
Easy Bonus: Reference one of the 7 wonders of the world (modern or ancient)
Earth turning to Mars
There was a lot going on before the pandemic, which seemed to exaggerate some of the issues... It's not easy Staying Positive in a Negative World, especially with extra things going on... The insanity is still flying, the madness still tossing around, and stagnation abounds... Yet here we are, with hope, as we feel defeated, we still seem to find our inner strength somehow.
I'm on a sentimental journey into sight and sound Of no return and no looking back or down A conscientious objector to the war that's in my mind I'm leaving in the lurch and I'm taking back what's mine
Credit - Greenday: Castaway - "Warning" album 2000
For those of you who are struggling - may your pains ease, dreams realized, and please don't shut people out like The Great Wall of China, be more like The Lighthouse of Alexandria, and stand the test of time, even if you feel like you're being stubborn.
Life is crazy. On the professional front, I feel like I’m always Hung Out to Dry. I get the interviews, but always get passed up or get offered something I totally didn’t apply for (this has been going on for 35 years, so unless you’re going to look at my resume & find someone you know who is willing to hire me, chances are, anything you suggest has already been done, or the suggestion is beyond my reach & need resources to get there). But, it’s also time to let go of stuff that isn’t benefitting. We have a situation where we are helped a little bit financially yet is hindering the same amount (or more) in other ways, so we’re getting rid of that. Period. Even if struggling, not everything is about money. Time is often worth more than that, and I’m not playing the game of being stuck just because it might be an issue. It’s time to double down, make things happen (even if they’re messy at first), to smooth out the time later to go forward. Maybe if my backyard garden does even half of what I’d like it to, I’ll be able to make something of it. Even if I don’t, the savings will be worth it, so I’ll be able to drink a margarita then. Sometimes you have to invest in yourself & family, even if there is a risk. You are the most important person in your life.
Hard Bonus: Incorporate a lyric from the singer Dido
Easy Bonus: Mention a superpower or special talent
Oasis of Love
Just skip these holidays such as Valentine’s & Sweetest Days, where it’s still cold & the chill is in the air. It’s the warmer weather when Love Is In The Air! Canopies are nice, it could be the trees, candles are sweet but it’s the sunshine that kisses our skin. A hot date in a pick up truck near a body of water would work just fine for me!
Some people say it’s time for “getting railed in a sundress” season, but there’s more to life than that… Even Dido says in The Last Summer album (2020) “Look up!” During the time of the shutdown, this was something needed for inspiration, to keep going, etc.
Look up! Don’t miss a dream Look up! Don’t miss a thing
As a musician who plays clarinet & tenor sax, I’m also outwardly at ease at public speaking, which are special talents, I actually don’t like a ton of attention on me, which is why I tend to stay away from major solos where I’d take the spotlight or asked to stand for recognition after playing the piece. I think it’s strange, because I enjoy playing for crowds. But in thinking of these issues I have, why can’t I have some kind of cool superpower like accelerated healing? Having a heightened sense of smell & having a cast iron stomach can be a blessing and a curse simultaneously. Everyone has a special talent. Go harvest it!
Hard Bonus: Incorporate a line or lyric from “The Lion King” movie or musical
Easy Bonus: Include a pile of bills
Beach it
It seems like life is full of Promises, Promises from all sides, the good, bad & ugly. Whether it’s the potentials of life (and never meeting any of it), constantly being down on luck somehow (not just financially), and the pandemic seemed to make things worse (like always being 2nd best).
The pile of bills are stacking up, yet here we are… sometimes you just have to say Hakuna Matata!
I remember when I was in the Lighthouse Brigade Marching Band… We’d literally spend hours working on our field shows, and sometimes certain sections would need to be worked on more than others, so the rest of us would be told to “beach it”, meaning sit down, take a rest, whatever… it always cracked me up because we were at a practice football field at my high school, at least a couple miles from the actual beaches of Lake Michigan… those were the days where it literally was a problem-free philosophy… Nose to the grind, work hard, play our music, and when we hit the show field, literally nothing else mattered. We all belonged there.
***p.s.*** To participate in blogophilia, check in each Sunday to either Facebook or the blog topic parameters. You don’t have to have a blog page to write, you can do it from your Google Drive, Facebook post, etc. And, you can take it any direction… short story, poem, humor, however way you want to use the topic & prompts.
