Saturday, March 28, 2009
Eternal Verities and Popcorn Trees
The luxury of these times - afforded by the sheer fact that I am not a full-time member of our Acting Company, but rather a sort of "visiting artist" doing one show a year at this point , amidst my busy Outrach schedule-(this summer it's a sequel to FIRST BAPTIST OF IVY GAP called SHOWTIME AT FIRST BAPTIST, by the lovely Ron Osborne)...anyway, back to the luxury of these times: to be able to sit with my dearest husband in this spacious and comfortable living room of our rented home here in Virginia and look out the large picture window into the lovely front yard: the amazing treasure of trees (a flowering cherry, a crabapple, a weeping cherry and a redbud - all in one rather compact yard)...and two of them are freshly budding, like two young girls on the verge...freshly and enticingly bursting forth with fluffy white and sweetly pink-white blossoms, so that their limbs do indeed look like they are covered in kernels of freshly popped corn! Wandering among those blossoming limbs are the luminescent limbs and spiny fingers of a darker pink weeping cherry, so the "popcorn" is infused with vague images of lacy strings of shiny bark fuzzed in soon-to-bloom pink flowers....and the copper birdfeeder hangs from that profusion.
The Avian Café has early-opened its doors and the seed is going at a rapid rate...Springtime is the most extravagant gift of all in my life right now...and as I walked the dogs early this morning, I was thankful for it. Because it is an eternal truth: we like to re-new our lives whenever we possibly can...wash off the dirt of yesterday and re-approach the world with a shiny expectant and hopeful face. That's what this morning felt like. That's why we drink coffee!!
The Big Read of 2009 is over and done....last evening was the final event: Teen Poetry Night at Zazzy'Z: students poetic responses to reading THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER...and we received almost 30 new poems from gifted students...and 6 pieces of book cover art as part of a Big Read Art Contest...almost 60 people stuffed into Zazzy"Z small coffee space and it was a rapt, respectful and warm audience made up of teens, parents, teachers and local poets, and I must say, it was impressive. Another eternal truth: as much as people wish to be heard? As many wish to listen. And that is a reassuring thing.
Sometimes, drowning in times when it feels like no one is listening? It's good to be reminded that there are people who hear and want to. Last night was that for me: another reminder. In fact, if I were to summarize the entire Big Read experience of the last 6 months of planning and executing those plans. I'd say it was the mindfulness of it all: the remind-fulness that people do care, that they do hear, that they do read, that they do wish to gather and experience life with others....and not just by buying tickets to see someting or watching TV over shared bowls of popcorn with family (all good things)......but by being in rooms where conversation can happen with strangers, and where lightbulbs go off above peoples' heads as real ideas are shared! Last night, those figurative lightbulbs were turned on all over that packed and crowded room. What a pleasure...and this was afforded us all by the efforts of 27 teenagers who had the courage to write abut what they felt! Bravo to them all. And thank you.
The Avian Café has early-opened its doors and the seed is going at a rapid rate...Springtime is the most extravagant gift of all in my life right now...and as I walked the dogs early this morning, I was thankful for it. Because it is an eternal truth: we like to re-new our lives whenever we possibly can...wash off the dirt of yesterday and re-approach the world with a shiny expectant and hopeful face. That's what this morning felt like. That's why we drink coffee!!
The Big Read of 2009 is over and done....last evening was the final event: Teen Poetry Night at Zazzy'Z: students poetic responses to reading THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER...and we received almost 30 new poems from gifted students...and 6 pieces of book cover art as part of a Big Read Art Contest...almost 60 people stuffed into Zazzy"Z small coffee space and it was a rapt, respectful and warm audience made up of teens, parents, teachers and local poets, and I must say, it was impressive. Another eternal truth: as much as people wish to be heard? As many wish to listen. And that is a reassuring thing.
Sometimes, drowning in times when it feels like no one is listening? It's good to be reminded that there are people who hear and want to. Last night was that for me: another reminder. In fact, if I were to summarize the entire Big Read experience of the last 6 months of planning and executing those plans. I'd say it was the mindfulness of it all: the remind-fulness that people do care, that they do hear, that they do read, that they do wish to gather and experience life with others....and not just by buying tickets to see someting or watching TV over shared bowls of popcorn with family (all good things)......but by being in rooms where conversation can happen with strangers, and where lightbulbs go off above peoples' heads as real ideas are shared! Last night, those figurative lightbulbs were turned on all over that packed and crowded room. What a pleasure...and this was afforded us all by the efforts of 27 teenagers who had the courage to write abut what they felt! Bravo to them all. And thank you.
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