Christmas Past

My brother and I visiting Santa at the North Pole.

Merry Christmas 2018

In a wonderful confluence of weird retail scheduling and Christmas I ended up with Christmas Eve, Christmas and December 26th off. This is probably the second (third at most) day-after I’ve not worked in the past sixteen years so I’ll not complain.

This morning I was lucky enough to catch the lessons and carols from Kings College Chapel on the radio which was just wonderful. I may not be in the religious mind but the music is incredible. What voices! That’s a fine tradition, up there with listening to Arlo do Alice’s Restaurant on Thanksgiving.

Had a lovely lasagna dinner with the family at Kate and Aaron’s house tonight and we’ll return there tomorrow morning for gifting. We enjoyed some lovely New Zealand wine – The Ned Pinot Noir – with our dinner and then tucked into desserts of bouche noel and a Jello-Raspberry-Sherbet recipe from Peg’s childhood.

We’re expecting snow tomorrow according to the weather guys so we shall see. Meanwhile, have a peaceful Christmas Eve and may the Jingle Bells Be With You!

Robert Siegel – All Things Considered

Last night I had the pleasure of listening to Terry Gross interview Robert Siegel, about to retire from years of hosting All Things Considered on NPR. Robert and I go way back, and many people can say the same I realize, but in 2015 I wrote about an experience I had with Mr. Siegel in 2003. I was on my way to my parents’ home on Christmas eve after working in the mall on Christmas Eve day. I was done and suddenly there was Robert Siegel talking about one of his favorite pieces of music, Beethoven’s 7th Symphony, the second movement, Allegretto.

As I listened I began to cry and finally I had to pull over. I described that a couple years later in a blog post and it continues to be true that I re-listen to that segment from time to time. You can read about it and listen to it here.

I thought it was fabulous that he took time to write me. Maybe he doesn’t routinely make women weep.

So listen and then listen to him talking about what it’s like to think about doing something else after doing what you love for many many years. Thank you Robert Siegel and Terry Gross!

https://www.npr.org/player/embed/572263140/572628143

The Force

What’s happiness? When a totally nerdy, pop-culture iconic movie character says the exact same thing that every freaking thing you’ve ever read or been told by someone speaking to you about writing and art.

There were more than a few times last night that I felt tears well up and that might have been the biggest. I am guilty of reciting the “there is no try” bit. And I’m able to apply that and last night’s messages to more than art-making.

And ain’t that the whole hero’s journey -and the artist’s, to keep going, to learn from everything – success and failure, and to be true to yourself.

Thanks for the reminder. I needed that.

World AIDS day 2017

We did some talking about World AIDS day today, specificially about Product RED and the impact it makes on AIDS in Africa. It was an almost cheery video. I looked behind me and all my young(er) co-workers… many at the age of those who were killed by this mysterious, emerging disease. It wiped out so many and there was no hope to offer.

I flashed back to reading that article in the NYTimes (paper edition) which announced that doctors were puzzling over this new disease which seemed to shut down the immune system and which targeted young men… I thought about my co-worker Rudy who died of AIDS, his family denying his whole life.

And I looked at these young folk, ready to do good for those affected in Africa. It’s good but I had this moment that this “problem” has been moved to somewhere far far away.

We’ve come a long way, baby?