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Find Fine Art

I think of Tchaikofsky’s ” The Nutcracker Suite” or Swan Lake” I envision Monet, Renior, and Dali…. but no one hold me in a trance like William “Smokey” Robinson. His contributions from “My Girl” to “Oooh Baby Baby”, some 605 songs, speak of love in a way only a poet could describe and only a romantic could understand. Whatever draws your attention make sure you hold it dear; for life without Art is a life without beauty, life without meaning.

I think of how the children suffer in an era where fine arts programs are considered an option.  Art is as necessary and important as the giant three of old; reading, writing, and mathematics. We look for ways to trim the fat off a budget, but do we really take into account of what we are loosing when it is all said and done.

Taking fine arts as an expendable item will result in virtual disaster. At best we can have a society of efficient, dull,  mundane, mechanical  beings ( the conformists) The worse will breed individuals(the rule-breakers) who have too much time to figure out  things that will excite them and that doesn’t necessarily mean they will be good things. We all know the story of “Idle hands”.

Some thirty seven years ago there was a radio station in Los Angeles called  KJOI ; now no self respecting pre-teen of that era would openly admit to listening to such a station, for it was exactly what you might imagine Easy Listening. When we had soul music stations KGFJ and KDAY what was I thinking about? Well maybe the more mature ear can appreciate one of my favorites, Percy Faith’s Instrumental Version of “Midnite At The Oasis”. During a tumultuous time in my life that soft song brought me a calming much needed slumber.  I was well into adulthood before I knew the name of that song or that it even had words. The name Maria Muldar was as foreign to me as the language of the then Soviet Union. I began to equate it with something good was on the horizon.

However, the way I see it pertaining to us is like this; amiss our routine and responsible duties there has to be a place of expression and individuality, where beautiful and unique connect. It is important for the young impressionable minds of school aged children, and it is needed by the seasoned adult who may find themselves too busy to appreciate how it can alter our days.

Aren’t They Grand?

I met her on June 21,2010 at 11:08 a.m. in Atlanta, Georgia. I was told this would be a magnificent experience. I was told that she would change my life like no one else I had even met. Instead of scoffing in disbelief, I gave a smile and generally a polite nod of acknowledgment. All the while thinking,” Okay, aren’t we overstating this just a tad…?” However, I have to say what I was told and the actual event itself..well word cannot express.

I am a people watcher by nature; I grew up in Southern California where famous, beautiful people are everywhere. If you allow yourself to be “star-struck” you are in for some very long, interrupted days. Besides, they are just people.

I remember walking through the door and my focus went straight to her. It seemed as thought SHE was illuminating the room. It hit me immediately, I covered my mouth and smiled. There was a quiet excitement going on within. I was subdued and overwhelmed simultaneously. I walked toward her and stopped. My son smiled and said something, I cannot recall his words I was too busy looking at her. He motioned for me to hold her, and I started to take her then I said give her to your Dad I need pictures, but I didn’t take pictures . I let my husband hold her first because I wasn’t able to touch her right then and there at that moment. All I could do was look on at her and say, ” Oh, just look at YOU” over and over. The first picture I took of her was with her grandfather and Uncle Jay. I knew at that moment it did not matter who was there first, who took the first photo, etc. what mattered was her.

Unable to speak but of only that experience, I am going to say I believe that it will be equally wonderful for each subsequent grandchild’s birth. I know the love I feel will be as indescribable and overwhelming as it was with my first one’s arrival. I believe that they are all magnificent. All the signs and indicators point to this. My friends, colleagues, associates and passing strangers; I see them with these special little folks they all have these silly smiles, or speak in funny voices as they  stumble and struggle to do things they wouldn’t normally do if it weren’t for the babies.

So now we, my contemporaries and I, share this another milestone of life. We venture into the land of “grand-parenthood” and I must say, it is GRAND!

I’m With Stupid

Ah the catchy tee shirt slogans of the 70’s. Some genius came up with the idea of telling other people what was on our minds without having to be bold and/or brave enough to actually vocalize it. Furthermore,  if it was offensive you had the built in excuse, it’s just a tee shirt don’t take things so seriously.

“I’m with stupid” holds a special place with me. I consider myself a relatively intelligent person, yet the reason I  feel the way I do about this particular slogan is that I have, on more than one occasion, felt as though the arrow in that slogan should be pointing to me. Somehow, somewhere along the road life has taken me on, I thought I would be making better decisions. I thought I would be wiser than in my youth and while this is all arguable so, I am still wondering why I am still able to manage doing stupid things. Is it that we somehow mistake the fact we have passed a certain chronological phase it places us in a higher intelligence level? The phase does pass  though; people do stop saying, ” They are much to old for that type of behavior”. Now they just think it.

Just as we relate death and age, it takes us a lifetime to realize that age and death have very little to with one another.  A young person dies and the first thing we note is, “______ was so young.”As a side note we never say” It was horribly insensitive of his lungs to give out after filling with water, didn’t they know he was only 14 years old. ” Perhaps this just illustrates that we really do not become smarter/ wiser with age.

Over the years there have been countless films, books, and screenplays about having the magical power to go back in time to re-do this or alter the course of that. I must admit I enjoyed these pieces of entertainment. I did exactly what the writers wanted. I said, “I wonder what I would do if given that opportunity again”. I question my readers, does this ever happen to you? Do you ever wish for that opportunity? Funny thing happened to me very recently though I asked myself, “What if this was the case, what if you were able to go back and get that “do over” with the awareness of what was to come and you ended up doing the exact same things?” It feels like The Twilight Zone to me. Therefore, pardon me while I escort “stupid” to another place.

Feels Good, To Feel Good

How many times can you watch a feel good movie? A movie that restores, if only for a couple of hours your faith in the human spirit.  the magical silver screen lets us escape to the romantic places that may not a part of our real everyday lives. It doesn’t matter if it is a true story like “The Blind Side” or  fiction like “The Karate Kid”.  Sometimes it’s the love story- comically growing up,”Can‘t Buy Me Love”; the love story- eternally serious “Wuthering Heights”; or the love story- self revealing and self discovering, “Something New”. Ordinary folk doing something extraordinary, overcoming life’s obstacles. Love that is conquering and triumphant.  These stories always make my heart skip a beat or two and that is great, because at my age it could easily be a health problem.

Our realities make the brief visits to happy places,  longed for and very welcomed. We are such a busy group that we do not take time out to, in fact smell the roses. Come on back with me to a Saturday around noon and the corny theme song to a made up rock and roll group began to play, announcing to all “here they come”. The guys were not more than cartoon characters themselves, doing silly things and getting into trouble, but alas there was always a happy ending. As time went on we got a glimpse of real life musicians who looked more like us, but they were ironically cartoons. We would later find out their existence was far, far away from the happiness and freedom of the cartoon lives portrayed on the television.

Saturdays still means escape to us. The beginning of OUR weekend. The part of the week where we don’t have to do anything that we don’t want to. We can sleep in late, because we made the schedule and we say what is on time. We don’t have any classes, so we don’t have to make sure homework was done the night before. We don’t even have to get dressed. This part of the week is ours to design and shape the way we want it to be.

It is short lived though. We sometimes feel sad, anxious, frustrated before it begins. Why can’t we have more time with our beloved weekend.

Here is a parting thought. Smile with me as we revisit the very first time you fell in love; mind you this is the love that only happens once in your life, because never again will you have the innocent heart required for this particular feeling of love. Loving someone and being in love are two very different experiences. Remember, if he or she went to school with you, you couldn’t wait to get to school to see that wonderful, special, incredibly good-looking being. The mere thought of them made your heart feel funny; be it skipping a beat or racing, it wasn’t acting or feeling normal. This fabulous unproductive time in your life, had you peeking from behind an obstacle or staring aimlessly into space. My theory is, though wonderful tributes of song and literature have been borne of this experience, it is not while the individuals were in the grasp of the experience. I can’t imagine how they could do anything, but be captivated by the source of their affection. It feels like an eternity and a heartbeat simultaneously. SLAP! In your life outside of being in love; not sleeping, not eating, thinking of only one thing would make you a physical and mental wreck. Another SLAP back to the feel good place. I have to end this on happy.  Search and figure out a way to carry that springtime, take-your-breathe-away feeling with you, at least for a little while everyday.