brevity is the soul of w;t

No, that isn't a typo.
The play follows the last few months in the life of a professor of English literature, dying of ovarian cancer. She has given her body to science, while living. That is to say, she has agreed to undergo radical chemotherapy for eight months, knowing the treatment will not cure her, but agreeing to allow the doctors to use her as a test case for their research.
Thank God she had a nurse with both a conscience and a heart.
It's important to note, at this point, that the bedside manner of physicians has undergone a major overhaul since the early 1990's, when this play was written.
It's also of importance to note that the doctors are not the only ones dwelling in ivory towers, with limited exposure to the real world. The author, Margaret Edson, probably modeled the lead character after herself, as far as educational background is concerned. Both women, the real one and the fictional one, went straight from high school to college to graduate school and then into university as a teacher. Pardon me; I meant to say "Professor".
(smile)
Believe me, that distinction matters to many of those who have lived in the halls of academia their entire lives.
That's where the snobbery towards the bard comes into play. After all, Shakespeare wrote in the words of his day, the everyday language of the working man. "Hamlet" is chock full of lines which have lived on into usage still, such as my title quote. The same is also true of many of his other plays, too. I can recall being surprised when reading "Macbeth" at the number of lines I already knew!
I'm also familiar with the works of John Donne, a late sixteenth- and early seventeenth-century poet who struggled mightily with his own religious beliefs, raised Catholic but converted to Anglican to avoid death. Hence, his poems reek of suffering and pain and loss - and an interesting use of punctuation to alter perception. Later studiers of his works described him as the founder of "metaphysical poetry".
I would have liked to know his take on that.
His "Holy Sonnets", written after the death of his wife (during the birth of their twelfth child), are at the heart of "W;t". The lead character has studied his works for more than half of her life, teaching them for the last three decades.
I have to wonder about the purposeful use of a semicolon instead of the letter "i" in the play's title.
Did it represent the loss of the individual to the disease?
Does it reflect the impersonal use of the patient as an item to be studied?
Was it meant to remind us of the temporary nature of being an "I"?
Or are we to remember its cousin, the dash, and the usage of that small item to document the length of a life?
I'm going to close with a poem, written by Linda Ellis, in 1996. I've read it several times in emails, but never did it bear more meaning than to me than now.

​The Dash
by Linda Ellis copyright 1996


​I read of a man who stood to speak
at the funeral of a friend.
He referred to the dates on the tombstone
from the beginning…to the end.

He noted that first came the date of birth
and spoke the following date with tears,
but he said what mattered most of all
was the dash between those years.

For that dash represents all the time
that they spent alive on earth.
And now only those who loved them
know what that little line is worth.

For it matters not, how much we own,
the cars…the house…the cash.
What matters is how we live and love
and how we spend our dash.

So, think about this long and hard.
Are there things you’d like to change?
For you never know how much time is left
that can still be rearranged.

If we could just slow down enough
to consider what’s true and real
and always try to understand
​the way other people feel.

And be less quick to anger
and show appreciation more
and love the people in our lives
like we’ve never loved before.

If we treat each other with respect
and more often wear a smile,
remembering that this special dash
might only last a little while.

​So, when your eulogy is being read,
with your life’s actions to rehash…
would you be proud of the things they say
about how you spent YOUR dash?


​Copyright 1996 Linda Ellis
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

www.Linda-Ellis.com
- See more at: http://lindaellis.typepad.com/my_weblog/2007/11/the-dash.html#sthash.Ir1pAGCU.dpuf

ain't she a peach?

Let me start off with this: Today has been an excellent day.

Sure, it began (for me) as 57 degrees Fahrenheit at 10 AM, which is definitely not a preferred temperature in my book.
Top that off with a nearly empty refrigerator, as I have yet to go to the grocery store. No milk, no English muffins or bread, no Sweet Thing.
So, I called up my middle brother.
'Want to go to breakfast at IHOP with me?'
He replies, "Sure, but give me fifteen minutes. I was just taking a beer over to my girlfriend. She's all down about having lost her job."
'Okay, that'll work for me.'
Then he says, "Well, if I do that, I won't have time to get any trim this morning."
'You know what? We don't have to do this today, Ronnie. We'll get together for brunch some other time.'
He gratefully agreed and was gone.

Brunch still sounded like a good idea to me.
I checked the Galley menu: Garlic Orange Chili Shrimp Stir Fry. omG! One of my favorites! And Sloppy Joes, too! Yum!
So, off I went to the southside to dine!
And it was soooo good!
I even ran into one of my favorite former students (Hi, Janet!) and a couple others that I like, too. (Shout out to Jonathan and Jasmine and Jacob!)
I even stopped by the Fine Arts building to obtain a ticket for the next Masquers' production, "The Pillowman". A scary tale for a Tuesday evening, but I think I'll be up for it. Plus, with my Faculty ID, it's free!

I paused for a moment to smell the warm roses in the sunlight.

Afterward, I decided to go give blood. It's been 56 days, plus a couple.
Amazingly, the donor center was busy! Very good!
That meant the whole process took a little longer than I had planned, but that's okay. As I told Natasha, after her third apology to me for the wait, 'Hey, I have no problem waiting a little while when y'all have so many willing donors here. That's a very good problem to have!'
After about 90 minutes total, I was completely done and out the door.
Good!
I'll be able to give again just before Christmas.

Next on my checklist: go early vote!
I was a little dismayed when I pulled into the parking lot and saw how many cars were there. Prepared for a wait, I proceeded ahead anyway... and was pleasantly surprised at how few people were actually in line!
Alrighty then!
I performed my civic duty, graciously received my "Georgia peach" sticker, and went off to accomplish the next item on my checklist.
Downtown I headed!
It's time for the 17th Savannah Film Festival! Time to purchase my Savannah Pass, for magical admittance to all of the daytime films, documentaries, and shorts. Oh, yeah!
True, they did raise the price 50% this year. FIFTY PERCENT.
Ouch.
But, I had been gifted the money, so I paid.
I've even already marked some collections to be sure to hit!
And I'll even have a little money to pay for parking on those weekdays downtown.
Good!

Then back to home! Throw the mail in the house! Turn on the porch light!
Zip back downtown to meet the bfe for dinner!
And I surprised him by being a little early - good!
We dined on ceviche (both) and steak tacos (him) and chorizo fajitas on rice - very good!
We ate at a leisurely pace, taking our time, chatting and laughing and soaking up each other's company for the next two hours - best of all!
Then, time came to jet over to the Muse Arts Warehouse for an offering from the Psychotronic Film Society. The Found Footage Festival was celebrating its tenth anniversary of dredging through VHS dreck for highlights and we were there to enjoy the frivolities!
After all, for Christmas of 2012, I had given the bfe two volumes of their work, after seeing the show in 2012. (I had also given two other works of theirs to my nephew, Michael.)
We bought tickets for the raffle and guess what? I won! It's a DVD of the stop-motion animation works of Bruce Bickford, a collaborator with Frank Zappa. I look forward to watching it with the bfe some future evening!

Nick and Joe were quite entertaining tonight as they presented their most recently garnered video clips in Volume 7. Some bad music from a preacher, some crazy facial exercises, Swedish sex instruction for the blind, "how to" do cybersex ... you get the picture? Pretty crazy stuff, captured by viewing hours and hours of bad video.
Then they bounced back to two guys from their first year of the Found Footage Festival. John and Johnny were two salesguys hawking everything from sunglasses and jewelry to ladies' clothing on cable television. Entertaining? You bet!
Then Nick and Joe decided it would be really cool to track these two guys down and reunite them for a trip back through time. Major coolness, right?
So, that's what they did. And John and Johnny, now middle-aged gents, agreed to reprise some of those old sales pitches they'd done for the shopping network. And to allow Nick and Joe to tape the scenes for this latest video. Cool! What good sports they were!
Then Joe told us how the evening progressed from there.
They all went out to hoist a few brews to celebrate the completion of the mission. Then the four guys had a few more beers, as the night wore on.
Then Johnny, being the most ribald of the group, grabbed the ketchup bottle and said, "Hey! Want to see me turn this into some fruit?" At which point he turns his back, then whips back around with the bottle at his crotch and says, "Ain't she a peach?"

I laughed!
I was the only one who did.
Joe said I was the only one who had ever laughed at that story.
Honestly?
I have a middle brother who does stuff like that all the time - and he has done so for almost twenty years.
I guess other folks must lead pretty sheltered lives.

The bfe didn't get up and move, so that's a good thing.
The librarian, sitting to the other side of me, stayed put, too.
Friends.
Today was definitely an excellent day.

it's MORE than okay to be Takei!

That's the message in "To Be Takei", the last of three films screened as part of the mini Human Rights Watch Film Festival. Many thanks to Jim Reed, of the Psychotronic Film Society of Savannah, and to Muse Arts Warehouse, for sharing this with me - and others! - on this sweltering August day and evening!!!
Oh, and thanks for not making me feel like a fool for pronouncing the man's name wrong all these years.
That would be George Tah-KAY, not Tah-KIGH.
That's okay, the man has a great sense of humor and I'm sure he, himself, would be the first to forgive me. He would probably pronounce my name correctly.
(smile)
I was definitely in the right place tonight!
If you get the opportunity, please do see this documentary.
This one'll give you a new attitude.
In fact, I'll write this on the list of "life-changing" films the bfe wanted.

It's okay to be Takei because...
... a positive attitude through hard times will keep the bitter edge from taking over your mental outlook.
... you can still love and respect your parents, foibles and all, even long after they've died.
... true love should not be hidden from the world and deserves your best efforts.
... getting older doesn't mean you're dead yet and should just fade away.
... a sense of humor will help soften criticisms, loosen others' attitudes, and open minds to new ideas.
... it's never too late to start standing up for better treatment of yourself and other people, no matter how old the injustice.
... it's especially never too late to stand up for the rights of children and youth, here and now.
... it isn't a "lifestyle", it's an orientation. (Spoken by a Japanese-American with a definite tone in his voice, there seems to be an implied pun, doesn't there?)

My little sister Sue is so fortunate. She lives in San Diego, home of the production of his musical play, "Allegiance". So, she would have been able to attend its World Premiere in 2012. Maybe she would like to accompany me to see it on Broadway when it opens??

well, i can't chain him, can i

"I brought you into this world and I can take you out."
Uttered by Bill Cosby, the line is hilarious! After all, he's recounting a conversation with his son, probably teen-aged, during a moment of extreme boorishness on the son's part. However, we all know it would be a cold day in July before he would ever ACT on that threat. That means, of course, that the boy's life is safe in his father's hands. Right? As long as he's in the Northern hemisphere, that is.
Now, consider a case of a parolee, just released from prison. In the movie, we're not told why he was incarcerated; that's not the point. Suffice it to say that's he's been gone at least two decades and the small boy he left on the other side of the bars is now a grown man.
But... in the father's mind, the mental image of his son is frozen at that young age, that preschool innocence shining from his face. The picture of the boy is front and center in the dad's memories. Time stood still for that aspect of the man's life.
Now, consider that the very day the father is released on parole, he is informed that his son is dead, killed while burgling an occupied home. Moreover, on the day of his release, the son is being buried. The father never actually sees the son's body, so the mental image he carries is preserved, carrying over into a need for vengeance against the homeowner who killed the son.
Things get complicated, though. The father becomes aware that the man buried was not his little boy, but some random guy. His son, his all grown up son, has mob affiliations and has been whisked into witness protection until his testimony against the mobsters.
The father wants to see his son, wants to have a new image of the boy who grew up without him. Only this image is nightmare fuel. The man he sees is a serial killer of young girls, a brutal animal who is the star of many snuff films.
And the father makes a hard decision, but the right one. The son must be put down, as he cannot be chained.
Great story.
If you get a chance, see "Cold In July". The ending is exactly right.

the other "A" month

That's what I said last night.
He had asked when school was to resume and I had said "April 18."
"Oh? Are you not teaching until the spring?"
"No, I meant August. The other 'A' month."

Yeah, that was a conversation stopper.
But he did offer me a Mentos.
It was like being in a "boy meets girl" commercial.
(smile.)
'Cept we were at "Odd Lot: The Musical" at Muse Arts.
I had thought he had gone last night, so I was pleasantly surprised to find him there.
Waving at me from the top row.
That was definitely a very pleasant surprise!
And I went straight up and received a hug - very nice!
Then I sat down beside him, there on the top row.

You never sit on the top row.

True 'dat. But I did last night!

Please tell me you aren't fixing to be crazy again...

Well, I can't promise that. I've been attracted to him ever since I first saw him. He has very caring eyes. And a gorgeous silver streak near his temple. I really wish I could convince my hair to do that...

You need to calm down, g'friend. Don't be putting moves out there and scaring folks.

Again, I can't promise that. You know how I am - full-TILT boogie or not at all! Rather, those are the two paces I most favor, though I did try to travel at a more reasonable speed two years ago.

Please to be careful, okay? What was that quote that you were taken with in "Belle"? Didn't you type it into your phone for later viewing?

"The world is a devastating place. You must learn to protect your emotions if you are to keep matters of law and love from devastating you." Lord Mansfield was talking to John Davinier, would-be suitor of Belle.
I still think that is a remarkable piece of advice.
However, it is a bit isolationist, isn't it? And the young suitor declined to take that advice and did end up victorious, winning the heart of said fair lady.
Of course, he didn't so so alone. She was pretty well set on winning his heart, too.
I think the man with the caring eyes has a fondness for me.
This isn't the first time he has made sure to attract my attention and given me a hug.
This is the first time we have sat together, though. We kept glancing at each other during the show, as we both vocally - and frequently - responded to the frivolity onstage, even when others were not dpoing so.
At one point during the second act, my right foot touched his left foot... and we both left them like that for several minutes, even moving the touch up to our calves.
I know, I sound like a school-girl, right?
I'm a school teacher, and I am a girl-type of person.
Yeah, time for me to go and give this a rest.

Later, dear. Do be careful. That way be dragons, you know.

Well, if those dragons are Night Furys, than count me in...
He likes dragons, too.

bountiful mothers, hallelujah, girls!

Friday, as I mentioned before, started with me in the company of an important mother in my life. (Her loving husband was also there, but this is not about him.) My eldest niece may not have borne children yet, but she has been providing a loving home, loving words, and loving arms to others' children, as a foster mom senza eguali.
Yes, Mama has been on my mind lately. How could she not be, with the constant barrage of commercials berating all to spend money on their mothers? This is my fourteenth Mother's Day without her, so the pleas on the airwaves don't crush me as they once did. Mostly, I don't listen to the radio at this time and I don't watch those ads.

Well, I found that afternoon that I was on Mama's mind, too.
After catching up with my grocery shopping, as I was walking through the parking lot, a coppery coin caught my eye.
A penny!
The bagboy didn't know quite what to make of my stopping to pick it up, nor did he understand about pennies from loved ones in heaven. That's okay, I know the importance of the message, my dear Mother!
(Trust me, I will discuss that another time. I had truly thought I already had... but a search revealed I have not.)
So, I was just chilling out after buying a ridiculous amount of groceries. I was watching "Psych" and leafing through the entertainment newspaper to see what was going on, what time things would be starting.
Suddenly, I realized the choice had been made for me. Dinner needed to be eaten before I went anywhere and, as time was already nearing 7 PM, that meant "The Trip To Bountiful" would be my evening's fare. Cool beans! I would plan on attending "The Hallelujah Girls", down on Tybee, on Sunday afternoon. What a lovely way to bookend my Mother's Day weekend!
And so it has been.

"The Trip To Bountiful" placed me in the midst of mothers of all ages. Some women of my age, or thereabouts, were there with their moms. Women of several ages were sitting with their daughters and sons, The play itself was about the relationship of an aged mother and her not-so-young son and his wife. They had moved to town two decades earlier, in search of work, and were living on top of each other in a tiny apartment. The mother wanted to return to her home of long ago, in a tiny town called Bountiful which had been settled by her grandparents. Just to breathe that air, one more time, would bring her some peace!

We hear of several of her botched attempts to flee the nagging wife of her henpecked son.
This time, though, is going to be different!
And it is.
She finds the bus doesn't go to that tiny town anymore, because no businesses are there. She is told by the stationmaster that her best friend, the last resident of the town, has just been buried that very day. She ends up with a sympathetic sheriff who gives her a ride to the old homestead... or, rather, to what is left of it. Still, with the "kiss of the sun for pardon and the song of the birds for mirth", her heart no longer felt so heavy and stifled. Peace of mind was attained at last.
(The quote there is from an embroidery sampler that my mother had done and I had grown up seeing on the wall in the hall. I wish I knew where that piece of her art is.)
It was opening night, so there was champagne and tiny pastry shells of chicken salad and slices of roast beef curled up on thin crusty bread with horseradish sauce! There were tiny desserts, too, on silver trays that wove in and out of the crowd. I lingered and visited with some of the mothers, including one who had finally returned from Greece. nice!
This morning, my first niece came by with the little boy she is fostering. They were going to the Mighty Eighth Museum and wondered would I like to go?

Not this time, my dears!
"The Hallelujah Girls" were singing their siren song and luring me to the beach!
As soon as I saw that Bill Cooper was in the play, I knew it would be a good one! Also, the Tybee Performing Arts Center does quite nicely, thank you so very much, at presenting a slate of comedies, rather than the more serious works chosen by other troupes.
Thank God!
This comedy was divine, too!
The story revolved around the death of a beloved friend, one who had always put off doing something she really wanted to do... and now it was too late for her, but not for her four girlfriends.
Nosirreebob!
Only one of the women seemed to be a mother and she had a son who was grown but preferred mooching off her - then he moved in his girlfriend, too! Yeah, another one of those guys.
The friendship of these women was fabulous to behold! Though men came and went (one had married three times, with her husbands dying due to stupidity each time), they were there to lend a hand, mothering each other. And these were all older women, too! Very nice!
The theatre was pretty full of older women, too. You know, over-thirty. I am sure several of them are mothers, too. Some of them have already lost their mothers to death's embrace, as I have, and seeing older women in positive, strong roles was of great comfort.
Especially on this day of celebration of mothers.

touch me touch me touch me touch me!

The Rocky Horror Picture Show song is totally appropriate!
I was in SUCH a great frame of mind today! My mood ring would have glowed warm purple for mellow and loved. Truly!

And I have figured out why, too.
Touch.
I scored major touch from all kinds of sources today! It's been pure magic, the transformation of a physical sensation to a balm for my mental, emotional, and spiritual self!

How did it begin?
I met my stepmom for lunch and a movie, something we haven't done in far too long. Schedule conflicts, what with my Fridays being consumed either by meetings or special make-up tests for students. In other words, lots of special favors for others, none for me. Boo hiss!
So this was an especially nice way to celebrate my first day of Spring Break! Oh, yeah! Hugs, first, then a leisurely lunch at what has become our favorite twice-named restaurant. The manager even brought us a free sampler of their new treats: fried mushrooms for her and fried pickle chips for me. Yum!!! Nice and crispy and zingy pickles!
Then off to the movies! She even got an extra dollar off because it was Senior Monday. Nice! We got the popcorn & soda special, too (and a free refill on the large tub before we left, of course!) and had a good time laughing at the movie.
I may have enjoyed "Identity Thief" more than she did, as it had the expected harsh language in it, and a bit more than she liked. Still, we totally enjoyed being with each other and ended our day together with more hugs before going in our opposite directions.
I went home, put away the popcorn, and checked facebook. Oh, yeah! The indomitable JinHi had received a clean-of-cancer decree by her doctor! The evil marshmallow was gone and had left naught behind!!! Woohoo!!! A quick call then to my house-mate. Had he heard the news? Nope, not yet. Yeah! Definitely a night-brightener for both of us!
Then north I headed to downtown for some improv to add more laughter to my life. Great idea! Hugs for the loving husband of the indomitable JihHi! Hugs from friends there when I entered! Hugs from friends there when I exited almost wo hours later! Hugs, hugs, hugs!!!
Then to the Liquor Posse for a bit of camaraderie around a team trivia table. Nice! Some of the Philo Cafe crowd were there, too, adding to the merriment. I can't recall if our team won or lost, but we sure had fun trying! Then hugs before we all dispersed into the night.
Wow! What a fabulous day!

sweets for the sweet

Today, I shared more of the delectables purchased on Friday! These are three of the chocolate-clad, pecan-drizzled, toffees, made with that fabulous sourwood honey- smoky, tangy, anchoring the sweet to this realm. Fabulous, I do declare!
I had purchased a small bag of these treats, taste unknown, but knowing my love of caramels in all of their incarnations. I treated myself to one as a post-brunch dessert on Sunday, after dining sumptuously on a bratwurst and leftover kale from the night before. The toffee hit just the right note, singing a delicious melody to my eager palate. MmmmMmmmmMmmmmmmmm!
I celebrated my first day of Spring Break by having lunch and a movie with my step-mom in Bluffton. Before leaving home, I placed three of the toffees into this little plastic Chocolat sleeve, especially for her, to share the goodness with another who would truly appreciate the quality and nuances of the tastes. I waited until our time together was nearing its close, so she would have a treat to enjoy when she returned to Beaufort and got settled in for the evening. A sweet before-bed "hug" to remind her that I love her.
Later that evening, after the first part of the ODDitions at Muse Arts had successfully hit my laugh button for two hours, I headed over to the Crystal Beer Parlor where the Liquor Posse was holding court. Monday is team trivia night and the LP, in various configurations, can be found there reliably, usually winning. This night, some folks from Philo Cafe were there, as were some from Drinking Liberally, but to no avail. The team was losing. Losing badly, too. But the contestants were still in a wonderfully happy mood! Definitely a good place to be for the tail end of my evening!
Sometimes, even my scant knowledge of Trivia lends an occasional correct answer, generally in the sphere of the sciences, but tonight I was of help on the movie trivia. The question was a bonus question with ten parts. I helped on three of the questions of linking movie stars to the movies for which they received Oscar nominations. Not enough of a help, but we had fun together in the attempt. I need to make sure I do this more often!
A woman was there celebrating her birthday, which is actually March 17th. That's right, Saint Patrick's Day. She had decided that she should celebrate HER special day ahead of time, to make sure it didn't get lost in the backwash of green flowing over this town next weekend. Good idea! At the end of the party, she had extra green armbands and was generously passing them out to folks in the Parlor. How very nice! These elastic bands sported little filigree shamrocks chasing each other along the expanse of green. Even nicer! We each received one, and one of the folks gave me theirs for my house-mate. What a pleasant surprise for the peace guy!
What a wonderful day for me!
And tomorrow I shall feed stale popcorn to ducks and geese and gulls!

I could have talked, talked, TALKED all night!

(You have to sing it, to the tune of "I Could Have Danced All Night".)

Last night, I went to a play at Muse Arts with my new physicist friend.
For the past few months, I've been trying to get to know him better by getting him more involved in the things I like, such as No Kidding!. We had already gone to three of those events, in March and April (dinners at Crystal Beer Parlor and Toucan Cafe, high tea at The Gryphon Tea Room). Honestly, I think I was trying to let him meet some folks who were not employed at Armstrong, maybe find a new girlfriend along the way.
During our frequent talks in his office or mine, between outings, I had picked up on his liking of finer culture and had suggested earlier in the week that he might be interested in seeing this Jean-Paul Sartre play, "No Exit". He had agreed and so we had gone, with me picking him up for the trip across town and down Louisville Road.
We sat in the very front row and were able to watch ourselves watching the play, thanks to the video monitors. Rather a different experience, one which really accentuated the voyeuristic bent of the play. Afterward, we stood in the parking lot, decompressing and talking... and talking... and talking... as the other audience members and the actors and the staff of Muse all eventually left, while we stood in the grass, looking at the size of the full moon with our thumbnails and talking.
I didn't want it to stop. That moment in the moonlight, talking to him - I didn't want it to stop.
As my car became the last one parked, I said, "I am having so much fun talking to you! Can we go somewhere and keep doing this?" And, to my surpise and delight, he enthusiastically agreed! To the IHOP? Waffle House? The Diner? No, we weren't hungry - except for words - so off to the beach we went!
And the talking went on and on, as we drove out there, as we walked and stood and sat on the pier. While the waves rolled beneath us and the full moon beamed and the jellyfish lightning jumped horizontally from cloud to cloud before our eyes. Talked and talked for hours, until we were both so very thirsty but reluctant to leave the pier, reluctant to lose the magical spell cast by the moon and the surf and the charged air.
But we relented to our thirst and found a nearby bar still open and sat knee to knee on the barstools, talking with faces so close, so close... I thought several times that we might kiss and then I was afraid we would not... then it was closing time and the generous barkeep ushered us back out into the moonlight.
I drove him home, with both of us talking still, not wanting the night to end, so tired I could hardly keep my eyes open.
Then we hugged good night and I came home.
Oh, my.
What an incredible night.
Now I hope he doesn't find a new girlfriend.

decade-anniversary of horror

My dearest cousin sent me a PowerPoint file today, titled "World Trade Center." The following is my reply to her.

"I couldn't bear to watch it. I am surrounded by invitations to 10-year anniversary events for the horror of Sept 11, 2001. I despise hearing it trivialized as 9/11, some catchphrase coined by the media. I remember well where I was when I heard the news: I was at work, having a normal morning, when one of the guys called to tell me the news. The next thing I knew, the word was all over the radio, the airwaves, all around. The tv kept showing the horror over and over that evening, so I left it off. I simply could not keep those images from my mind and crying, yet I was surrounded by media cashing in on the bad news.

I tried to concentrate on the outpouring of love from THE WORLD during that time. So much heartbreak being soothed by those who did not live in the USA, so many words of concern and hope for a better tomorrow, so much reassurance that we were not alone in this distress and terrible loss of life.

THAT is what I would dwell upon, NOT the evil wreaked by twisted minds."

That said, I may attend one of the events tomorrow. The film is titled "Rebirth" and features five stories of lives forever changed. Brought here by the Psychotronic Film Society, for a one-day-only showing at a favorite venue run by folks I love and trust, and attending with friends I consider family, I tentatively intend to attend the early showing. Should the film prove to be too much for me, I'll leave and flee to the beach, to allow the sound of the waves and the embrace of the sun and the kiss of the sea breeze to comfort and restore my soul.
Actually, I shall PLAN to go to the beach afterward. As a favorite quote by Isak Dinesen reminds me, "The cure for anything is saltwater - sweat, tears, or the sea."

serendipity

Serendipity is defined as "the act of making desirable discoveries by accident" at dictionary.reference.com, one of my favorite websites. A word not in existence until 1754, the man credited with first use defines it as "discoveries, by accident and sagacity, of things ... not in quest of". One of the best examples would be Alexander Fleming's research of bacterial growth and finding a contaminant that had ruined one of his samples - a contaminant that would become penicillin.
As told elsewhere, Alexander Fleming's start into bacteriological medicine came from an unlikely string of events. After playing water polo with his brothers and Scots during the Boer War, he returned to England to an inheritance and no particular goals. Based on good test results, a brother's advice, and a chance water polo game, he selected St. Mary's Hospital, in London, as the medical school to attend. After graduation as a surgeon, Fleming decided to forgo a surgical career and stay on at St. Mary's, to work in the Inoculation Service. WHY? Because the captain of the rifle club wanted Fleming on his team. So, Fleming was doing postdoctoral research in a field not his major, at a place first chosen for its water polo team and then selected for its rifle club. And today, because he was in the right place, and he took notice and PUBLISHED the scientific problem he had witnessed, we have penicillin. Serendipity!
My love of theatre, as a participant both on and off the stage, are part and parcel of my love of teaching. I knew before my days in the Navy that I enjoyed being on the other side a classroom desk, shy as I was. During my senior year, I volunteered to be a teacher's assistant to two sophomore English classes, as that was preferable to taking two study halls. (I had completed all my course requirements except senior English, but was required to be on campus for half a day; hence, I was enrolled in senior English, two study halls, and senior Spanish.)
That teaching experience led me to work at the now-defunct Savannah Science Museum, where I did odd jobs which included being the snake handler and voice-altering storyteller for children's parties there. That choice of employment my senior year was also a direct result of the love of science nurtured in me by participation in the STERI program (Student-Teacher Environmental Research Interaction) my junior year. This program had included trips to the marshes, to the beach, and on shrimp boats to study the variety of life in those environments.
While working at the Science Museum, I was introduced to what life would be both as a sailor and working with electronics by the maintenence technician. Fun! Biology, physiology (we had a walk-in model of the human heart!), physics, chemistry, history - what a place for young minds!

it's a ... PLAY FESTIVAL!!!

This year, I'm commemorating my birth month by giving something back to the community. Specifically, I'm supporting the creative spirit in this lovely city near the sea. I do adore Shakespeare and the very thought of helping to bring new life to his works is - is - mindbogglingly exciting! I am so excited about June 10th and 11th!!!

trapped in kelly's closet!

Wow! Thanks to Jim Reed and his glorious Psychotronic Film Society's Film Festival, I have enjoyed a new musical!!! Seriously, I adore musicals and R. Kelly's "Trapped In The Closet", which I had not even HEARD OF until this week, is fabulous! Originally released in two parts, the first twelve chapters in 2005, followed in 2007 by another ten chapters, the film festival brought the combined version to the big screen at Muse Arts Warehouse tonight.
Sure, it was campy, but no more so than any soap opera on television now or in the past. I suspect R. Kelly is a BIG soap opera addict, much like my bird and Chris Rock's dad and who knows how many straight men. That's right, I said it: STRAIGHT MEN. Hell, I'm talking straight BLACK men. Who knew? And R. Kelly positively revels in it, with trite dialogue, a narrator who tells us way too much trivial stuff ("and now she's wiping her nose"), and characters in and out of bed in a dizzying series of affairs. Hilarious!! Smart, too, demanding that you pay attention or run the risk of not knowing who's zoomin' who... and THAT would be a shame!
Mind you, I'm terribly keen on "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog", another modern musical. I am so very keen on that musical that I purchased three - yes! three!!! - copies when it first emerged on dvd. You see, it was released on the world wide web, one episode at a time, keeping its fans glued to their computers in anticipation of the finale!!! Well, maybe not quite so dramatic, but pretty darn close. So, I can now easily watch it whenever, and I gave a copy to one of my nephews for Christmas two years ago and he LOVED it, and I have one more which will be bestowed to another nephew for his birthday. Oh, yes!