It is the 27th, technically. Thanksgiving Day, 2009 has passed.
Here are the things I am most grateful for.
-My savior
-My family
-My intelligence
-Trials so severe, so traumatic and so painful that leaving the world would have been sweet relief --I learned more than many do in a lifetime.
-Shelter and food enough to make weight gain a concern
-Modern technology and all the conveniences it brings
-Music, music, music
-The greatest and most caring friends a person could wish for
-My best friend, who has been my strength for so long.
Friday, November 27, 2009
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
A Thought.
A friend asked me why I believed a certain film would cause more damage than people realized. The film was called New Moon.
I believe one of the many reasons people suffer from poor relationships and broken marriages, is simply because of a lack of real communication skills caused in part by gathering poor examples from television dramas and full-length feature films.
So many people do not realize what damage is being done. They simply don't seem to see how detrimental it will be to their relationships, and families-current or future.
There is so much more to be said, and so much more that I ponder on which will have to wait, but my thoughts have been on how to write on this subject for much of the day.
Much more enlightenment seems to come from conversation than writing alone.
I believe one of the many reasons people suffer from poor relationships and broken marriages, is simply because of a lack of real communication skills caused in part by gathering poor examples from television dramas and full-length feature films.
So many people do not realize what damage is being done. They simply don't seem to see how detrimental it will be to their relationships, and families-current or future.
There is so much more to be said, and so much more that I ponder on which will have to wait, but my thoughts have been on how to write on this subject for much of the day.
Much more enlightenment seems to come from conversation than writing alone.
Falling
Strange how spending a few years in an undergraduate program can mold thinking.
Looking at past posts, they really reflect little of my personality and what I think about the during the course of a day.
It contains little snippets of rantings, and only the thoughts that can be revealed without letting any common passerby into my soul.
I have a friend whose work seems to make a difference to people, He travels a great deal and seems to always have meaningful and uplifting things to write about.
I find myself stuck in a music program that isn't exactly conducive to this type of work. My work takes me many places, but I don't always feel fulfilled. I don't often feel I've made a great difference in anyone's life.
The performance world can be like that I suppose. My greatest joy comes from creating something that uplifts and heals; I've fallen miserably short in the past few years. I've been concentrating too much on me; perhaps it has been in order to keep a few readers thinking I have a sense of humor.
Perhaps it's for the sake of having a place to vent when the shallow and less-important thoughts need an outlet.
Looking at past posts, they really reflect little of my personality and what I think about the during the course of a day.
It contains little snippets of rantings, and only the thoughts that can be revealed without letting any common passerby into my soul.
I have a friend whose work seems to make a difference to people, He travels a great deal and seems to always have meaningful and uplifting things to write about.
I find myself stuck in a music program that isn't exactly conducive to this type of work. My work takes me many places, but I don't always feel fulfilled. I don't often feel I've made a great difference in anyone's life.
The performance world can be like that I suppose. My greatest joy comes from creating something that uplifts and heals; I've fallen miserably short in the past few years. I've been concentrating too much on me; perhaps it has been in order to keep a few readers thinking I have a sense of humor.
Perhaps it's for the sake of having a place to vent when the shallow and less-important thoughts need an outlet.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Soundproof
I travel quite frequently and airports usually have little glass cages, complete with dedicated ventilation systems to keep a particular breed of migrating wildlife from causing mass disturbance with their habits.
I am speaking of smokers. Not that they are bad people... I have some very dear friends who smoke like chimneys and I love them just the same. That said, I do not like or condone their habits.
I work and strive to make sure I'm clean and presentable each and every day. It's is just one notch below infuriating when someone lights up, allowing their disdainful smoke to pollute my clothing, hair, and nostrils.
I relate the above wildlife with those common in Utah Valley. I am referring of course, to those accompanied by rambunctious children.
That said, I love children. I adore children! They are (hopefully) open, inquisitive, honest, loving, and innocent.
but...
Small children do NOT belong in formal performances.
It is one notch above infuriating to have hours of work, backed by years of toil and training required to perform, reduced to a cacophony of chords and crying.
Perhaps parents don't understand what work is put into the craft. Perhaps they are so used to the distracting noises they don't notice. Perhaps they are just less intelligent that most.
The problem will never simply vanish, so I propose that:
- Every new venue and performance hall constructed in the state of Utah shall include a glass confine complete with soundproof glass and dedicated ventilation and sound monitors.
- All persons accompanied by young children shall remain in said confine with their children until the conclusion of performance.
- All persons wearing unusually large skirts or overcoats may be subject to search to avoid infiltration by young persons hiding in said skirts or overcoats. Large bags may also be subject to search.
- Persons insisting on speaking during performances will be required to remain with children in the confine until they discontinue acting like children.
- Persons clapping in between movements may also be required to remain in the confine.
- Persons using cell phones in any way - excepting sound recording - shall be removed from the performance immediately.
Ok... I'm done.
Forgive me if I offend, perhaps I just don't understand...
I am speaking of smokers. Not that they are bad people... I have some very dear friends who smoke like chimneys and I love them just the same. That said, I do not like or condone their habits.
I work and strive to make sure I'm clean and presentable each and every day. It's is just one notch below infuriating when someone lights up, allowing their disdainful smoke to pollute my clothing, hair, and nostrils.
I relate the above wildlife with those common in Utah Valley. I am referring of course, to those accompanied by rambunctious children.
That said, I love children. I adore children! They are (hopefully) open, inquisitive, honest, loving, and innocent.
but...
Small children do NOT belong in formal performances.
It is one notch above infuriating to have hours of work, backed by years of toil and training required to perform, reduced to a cacophony of chords and crying.
Perhaps parents don't understand what work is put into the craft. Perhaps they are so used to the distracting noises they don't notice. Perhaps they are just less intelligent that most.
The problem will never simply vanish, so I propose that:
- Every new venue and performance hall constructed in the state of Utah shall include a glass confine complete with soundproof glass and dedicated ventilation and sound monitors.
- All persons accompanied by young children shall remain in said confine with their children until the conclusion of performance.
- All persons wearing unusually large skirts or overcoats may be subject to search to avoid infiltration by young persons hiding in said skirts or overcoats. Large bags may also be subject to search.
- Persons insisting on speaking during performances will be required to remain with children in the confine until they discontinue acting like children.
- Persons clapping in between movements may also be required to remain in the confine.
- Persons using cell phones in any way - excepting sound recording - shall be removed from the performance immediately.
Ok... I'm done.
Forgive me if I offend, perhaps I just don't understand...
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Perfect
Mistakes...
Every once in a while a series of amateur mistakes nearly kills an entire performance. So it was on Saturday evening.
The Synergy Dance Company was putting on a production, and I was the cellist-a very important part. I don't add this to brag, I simply wish to reinforce the fact that a cello in a large ensemble with only one cello is not something to be taken lightly when a three-night run of a production is concerned...
Self-forgiveness for less-than-perfect performance is something that comes rather easily to me now, but for some strange reason, this one has been a little difficult.
Perhaps the unexpected check (six times what I was expecting) has left me feeling guilty for a less than stellar performance.
Perhaps my not properly preparing for that night is what "keeps me up at night."
Oh well... time to focus this energy into a strategy that will keep this from happening again.
These things remind me not to be too hard on myself:
- Henry Ford forgot to put a reverse gear on his first automobile.
- Albert Einstein’s parents were told he might be mentally retarded.
- Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team.
and of course...
"The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing you will make one."
Elbert Hubbard (1856 - 1915)
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