I have finally gotten over the sniffles I've had for the last week. One side effect that I often have with a cold is that I start to sound exactly like Tallulah Bankhead. I never realized it until I was in my early 20s and my Mom said, "You sound just like Tallulah Bankhead!" She was right. I've recently watched Lifeboat again, and oh, my, yes, when I have a cold, I sound like her. Darling, bear with me, I've had one martini already.
Over the years I've had a bit of fun, but also frustration, with sounding like Tallulah. I don't like it when she shows up near a time I have to sing. I can't sing bass, Darling, I'm a SOPRANO!
I have fun when I answer the phone at the library. People always pause, like they wonder if they've dialed a VERY wrong number! Well, "Tallulah voice" is rather sexy and suggestive... Not on purpose, though.
I had an interesting week this week. First FULL week of Summer Reading, and we managed to stay caught up with the checkins! I also survived a committee meeting, and catching up with the ILLs. Found out that a coworker is leaving. and nobody told me. Guess I was out of town when it was decided. Will miss her! She's been a stalwart worker and a fellow Whovian!
I have also dealt with my fountain pens this week. I wrote a post about them, and have ordered and already received new cartridges for the Cross pens and the Waterman pens. (Waterman cartridges will fit the pens Matt made for me as well.)
Last week I sent another story off to the folks who may publish it online. Haven't heard if or when yet. Getting a little antsy, but I can wait.
I had good news this week. The lump I found under a bruise on my left breast was indeed caused by the bruise. By the time I got in for the mammogram, I could no longer find the lump, and the mammogram confirmed that nothing is there, and indeed nothing new has shown up in either breast. Good news at my age. I lost a colleague and friend a few years ago to breast cancer. Not taking ANY chances with that stuff. Ladies, always have your checkups, and if you've had cancer ALWAYS GO FOR YOUR FOLLOW UPS!! Please take every irregularity seriously and get it checked out!! Most times, like mine, it's really nothing, but it is far better to be safe than sorry!
CONTINUED ON SUNDAY NIGHT>>>
Just finished watching the Tony Awards. Always a great show, like a little Broadway sampler plate to whet your appetite for when the touring companies come to town.
Was very happy to be back at St. Paul's this morning. We've missed two Sundays in a row, one for the convention in Houston, and last week because we were both afflicted with that sinus cold. That church is a truly comforting place, so full of love, and so full of loving people. Going there always makes me feel better.
I made some more buttons today, mostly just for fun. I now have one that says "Strait Outta Compton Yup. I left in 1974" and an Opus using the "mental floss" - figured that one would be very necessary during the campaign season. Now to find a place to put them on the library lanyard...
Dear God, please take the hot flashes away. I am getting very weary of suddenly feeling as though I am going to turn into a puddle of sweat. Feels like I am burning up from the inside out. I haven't been sleeping so well lately because of them.
Some day SOON I have to clean up this office again. Things are piling up on me. It's a matter of lack of organization and storage space. (Also, too much stuff that really should be thrown away...)
So very saddened by the events in Orlando yesterday. Sad for the Islamic community that their holy month of Ramadan has been disrupted by this one idiot's act of violence, very sad for the LGBT community that now has even more fear and stress to deal with. As I posted on my Facebook page: To all my LGBT friends, you are loved. I love you for who you are, and I always will. You are supported in your struggles. Don't lose hope.
Saw a very good tweet re ISIS yesterday. ISIS is to Islam as Torquemada and the Inquisition were to Christianity.
Basically a bunch of nutcases on a violent witch hunt.Only ISIS isn't really sanctioned by any governing body of Islam. Alas, Torquemada was sanctioned by Rome.
Time to tie this one up, folks.
Remember that we are all of us related to one another on this planet. Can't avoid it, we all came from the same raw materials, we share some genetics with every other human on this ball of mud. As Captain Kirk once said on Star Trek, the only thing in the whole universe that's really ours is the rest of humanity. Please, let's learn to love each other before it's too late.
Showing posts with label humanity.. Show all posts
Showing posts with label humanity.. Show all posts
Sunday, June 12, 2016
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
There's A Crack In Everything...
A friend posted the quote from Leonard Cohen this morning. "Ring the bells that still will ring, forget your perfect offering. There's a crack in everything, that's how the light gets in."
It is one of my very favorites. It spoke to me especially right after our dog Bear died. It broke my heart. He was such a sweet boy, and had fought through so much in his 13 years on this earth, and I STILL miss him.
Today, though, it fit with my ruminations about music.
There is a true feast of music available to us today. You can search out and find something beautiful to just about any taste. My own musical horizons have been expanded by interactions with friends sharing their favorites online. To think I might not have found Post Modern Jukebox, or Pink Martini; that would have been tragic!
Where the quote comes in is in my own pondering over the recital I will sing in on Sunday. It is the holiday recital given by the voice students of Karen Smith-Pearson. We range in age and skill level all up AND down the spectrum. There are always mistakes. The mistakes aren't a problem. They are beautiful reminders that we are present in a REAL moment, hearing music made LIVE, by people who sing because they LOVE it. When you are the one making the mistakes, though, they feel awful. I especially feel a burden, because I SHOULD be able to give a near-perfect performance. I've been at this a LONG time now. As always in my life though, I just don't have the time or patience with myself to practice as much as I really NEED to. I will practice, I run over the runs in my head, my subconscious chews on the piece constantly. I even hear it in my DREAMS!
The piece I will do my best not to mutilate on Sunday evening is "Rejoice Greatly, O Daughter Of Zion" by Handel. (From The Messiah).
My worries aside, the recital will be wonderful. In this world, we tend to be far too concerned about "perfection" and not nearly concerned enough about the beauty of spontaneous humanity. Music is an expression of the soul, it is not always going to be perfect, especially not if performed with true feeling. Emotions are an important part of humanity, and are reflected in our music. Voices are as individual as we are, there should be NO SUCH THING as Autotune. It is a lie. Live performance, out in the open, exposed, on your own with just the piano, that is a scary, scary place to be if you are not the world's most confident singer. (And I most assuredly am NOT.) I would wager there are some pop sensations out there today who would not do so well in that environment as even our most timid young singer. When you sing like we do at this recital, you are putting yourself out there, warts, flat notes, forgotten lyrics and all for others to hear. In THIS crowd of fellow students, chances are that the more experienced students who sing in the same voice part have done your piece themselves. They know it intimately. They will KNOW when you screw up.
Those who hide behind Autotune and studio fixes would not like this environment. You have to be true, you have to be human, and you have to count on the charity of your fellow humans when you step up to sing at one of our recitals.
Truth is important in this life. It isn't always pretty, sometimes it's painful, but it is the only thing that will stand in the end. It has taken me a long time to figure this out, but I am now content to be who I am, to stand up and sing because I LOVE the music, and I want to share it. I also learned that when you DO step out in sincerity and truth, people respond well for the most part. They honor it, because sincerity is a beautiful thing. Truthfulness is difficult; it leaves you vulnerable. Learning to be vulnerable when you have spent a whole lifetime trying to protect yourself is very hard. A long, slow process. This has been happening for me over the last few years. Friends have noticed. I am more willing to speak up, more open and present in conversation, more willing to forgive others their faults because I have learned that others will forgive me mine. I do not have to be perfect. I just have to be myself.
There are people out there who hide their truth, and lie about themselves constantly. How much they must be hurting to live like that. Perhaps they have tried showing their real selves before, and have been badly hurt. We humans are not always so kind to one another. I know, from hiding, not really lying, just not sharing, who I am how isolating and how difficult life is under those circumstances. You miss SO much, you miss the joy to be found in sharing with others. It's easier to focus on others when they sense you are sincere, and they in turn are relaxed and sharing with you.
One of the things I loved most about Easy Street: The Hard Way, Ron Perlman's memoir, is that he tells it completely in his own voice, no trying to sound like someone he's not, no hiding behind a ghost writer, he puts it all out there.
A favorite quote from his book: "What's the point in having a hero in name only? What good is it to admire someone and not be willing to emulate them and to try to live up to the qualities that made them inspirational to you in the first place? They stood for things that were noble, spoke about the human condition. What good is it to complain about cowardice or the lack of backbone or resolve that you see in others if you're going to do the same things? Whenever I catch myself being hypocritical I chastise myself, have trouble sleeping at night."
This challenged me to be more true to myself, to live more fully into the faith I profess, to stop hiding and start living. Some may say that I am just being a "fangirl", but Mr. Perlman seems more like one of my siblings to me. I have met the man, however briefly, and I know he is the genuine article. He puts himself out there, flaws and all, and ya know what? It makes him loveable. He makes you feel at ease, because he isn't pretending. He genuinely appreciates his fans.
I guess the point of all these ruminations is this: It takes guts to really be ourselves, to step out and do the things we want to do, to stand up for what we really believe. I was timid and content to lurk in the shadows, afraid to let my flaws be seen for so many years, it has taken a lot of work to finally really join the rest of the world.
It takes courage to stand up in front of a bunch of people and sing. I have finally found that courage. It is also important to cherish those flubs, goofs and flaws that make a live performance REAL. They let you know you are HERE, living this moment, this isn't a creation made by a machine. This is REAL. This is HUMAN.
It is one of my very favorites. It spoke to me especially right after our dog Bear died. It broke my heart. He was such a sweet boy, and had fought through so much in his 13 years on this earth, and I STILL miss him.
Today, though, it fit with my ruminations about music.
There is a true feast of music available to us today. You can search out and find something beautiful to just about any taste. My own musical horizons have been expanded by interactions with friends sharing their favorites online. To think I might not have found Post Modern Jukebox, or Pink Martini; that would have been tragic!
Where the quote comes in is in my own pondering over the recital I will sing in on Sunday. It is the holiday recital given by the voice students of Karen Smith-Pearson. We range in age and skill level all up AND down the spectrum. There are always mistakes. The mistakes aren't a problem. They are beautiful reminders that we are present in a REAL moment, hearing music made LIVE, by people who sing because they LOVE it. When you are the one making the mistakes, though, they feel awful. I especially feel a burden, because I SHOULD be able to give a near-perfect performance. I've been at this a LONG time now. As always in my life though, I just don't have the time or patience with myself to practice as much as I really NEED to. I will practice, I run over the runs in my head, my subconscious chews on the piece constantly. I even hear it in my DREAMS!
The piece I will do my best not to mutilate on Sunday evening is "Rejoice Greatly, O Daughter Of Zion" by Handel. (From The Messiah).
My worries aside, the recital will be wonderful. In this world, we tend to be far too concerned about "perfection" and not nearly concerned enough about the beauty of spontaneous humanity. Music is an expression of the soul, it is not always going to be perfect, especially not if performed with true feeling. Emotions are an important part of humanity, and are reflected in our music. Voices are as individual as we are, there should be NO SUCH THING as Autotune. It is a lie. Live performance, out in the open, exposed, on your own with just the piano, that is a scary, scary place to be if you are not the world's most confident singer. (And I most assuredly am NOT.) I would wager there are some pop sensations out there today who would not do so well in that environment as even our most timid young singer. When you sing like we do at this recital, you are putting yourself out there, warts, flat notes, forgotten lyrics and all for others to hear. In THIS crowd of fellow students, chances are that the more experienced students who sing in the same voice part have done your piece themselves. They know it intimately. They will KNOW when you screw up.
Those who hide behind Autotune and studio fixes would not like this environment. You have to be true, you have to be human, and you have to count on the charity of your fellow humans when you step up to sing at one of our recitals.
Truth is important in this life. It isn't always pretty, sometimes it's painful, but it is the only thing that will stand in the end. It has taken me a long time to figure this out, but I am now content to be who I am, to stand up and sing because I LOVE the music, and I want to share it. I also learned that when you DO step out in sincerity and truth, people respond well for the most part. They honor it, because sincerity is a beautiful thing. Truthfulness is difficult; it leaves you vulnerable. Learning to be vulnerable when you have spent a whole lifetime trying to protect yourself is very hard. A long, slow process. This has been happening for me over the last few years. Friends have noticed. I am more willing to speak up, more open and present in conversation, more willing to forgive others their faults because I have learned that others will forgive me mine. I do not have to be perfect. I just have to be myself.
There are people out there who hide their truth, and lie about themselves constantly. How much they must be hurting to live like that. Perhaps they have tried showing their real selves before, and have been badly hurt. We humans are not always so kind to one another. I know, from hiding, not really lying, just not sharing, who I am how isolating and how difficult life is under those circumstances. You miss SO much, you miss the joy to be found in sharing with others. It's easier to focus on others when they sense you are sincere, and they in turn are relaxed and sharing with you.
One of the things I loved most about Easy Street: The Hard Way, Ron Perlman's memoir, is that he tells it completely in his own voice, no trying to sound like someone he's not, no hiding behind a ghost writer, he puts it all out there.
A favorite quote from his book: "What's the point in having a hero in name only? What good is it to admire someone and not be willing to emulate them and to try to live up to the qualities that made them inspirational to you in the first place? They stood for things that were noble, spoke about the human condition. What good is it to complain about cowardice or the lack of backbone or resolve that you see in others if you're going to do the same things? Whenever I catch myself being hypocritical I chastise myself, have trouble sleeping at night."
This challenged me to be more true to myself, to live more fully into the faith I profess, to stop hiding and start living. Some may say that I am just being a "fangirl", but Mr. Perlman seems more like one of my siblings to me. I have met the man, however briefly, and I know he is the genuine article. He puts himself out there, flaws and all, and ya know what? It makes him loveable. He makes you feel at ease, because he isn't pretending. He genuinely appreciates his fans.
I guess the point of all these ruminations is this: It takes guts to really be ourselves, to step out and do the things we want to do, to stand up for what we really believe. I was timid and content to lurk in the shadows, afraid to let my flaws be seen for so many years, it has taken a lot of work to finally really join the rest of the world.
It takes courage to stand up in front of a bunch of people and sing. I have finally found that courage. It is also important to cherish those flubs, goofs and flaws that make a live performance REAL. They let you know you are HERE, living this moment, this isn't a creation made by a machine. This is REAL. This is HUMAN.
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