Tag: life

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Redneck Bookends

We all travel in many circles in our life.  I travel in several myself, and dip my toe in a few others.  I’m golfer which is one circle.  I’m a programmer which is a work or geek circle.  I’ll let you choose.  I travel in the middle class circle, but I am probably just a few missed paychecks from not being there.  I’m an Okie.  I’m a male.  My girlfriend is Jewish.  One of the best friends I have ever had is black.  I count gay and lesbian folks among my friends.  I know folks up and down the economic scale.  I could name many more circles, but you get the idea. All of these are circles with their own set of rules and culture.

I’ve been to weddings that were sit down affairs with a full dinner, open bar and everyone dressed in tuxedos and evening gowns.  I’ve been to weddings in pastures where you had to be careful where you stepped to avoid the meadow muffins.

My daughter-in-law wanted me to attend the wedding of her brother.  The main reason was because her parents had never met any of her husband’s family.  I thought it a small kindness I could easily do with pleasure.  Besides, I was afraid her parents might be thinking my son Continue reading “Redneck Bookends”

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Kissed by Stephen Hawking

I am probably the only person on the planet who has been kissed by Stephen Hawking… in a dream.  Let me allow that to sink in for a minute, after all I am still trying to get over it myself.

In my dream I was at a house that was my parents, but not like any house they have ever lived in.  Stephen was tooling around his wheel chair.  Continue reading “Kissed by Stephen Hawking”

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Troubadours Transcending

I have this new theory about musicians like Ellis Paul, Kevin Welch, Jimmie LaFave, Pete Morton, etc.  There are tons more.  I just mention these folks because they are on my mind from seeing them concert recently or listening to their CDs.

These folks never make it super big like say a Garth Brooks or a Reba McIntyre.  I would think having that much success and fame would be as much a burden as blessing.  I’m sure the money and adulation are wonderful.  But then you have everyone wanting a piece of you, wanting something from you.  I personally would find it a huge pain to walk down the street and have folks continually coming up to me, snapping pictures etc.  But then I value my privacy.

Musicians in the first category have a relative degree of success.  They can make a living doing what they love to do.  From having talked to a few of them, I know it is love for most of them.  They get to enjoy the company of liked minded individuals.  They get to travel as much or as little as they want in the support of their craft. At least the ones I have seen have mostly been in small often intimate venues with interaction between the musicians and the audience.  Most of the musicians really seem to enjoy this.   Of course, this is from the outside looking in, but they seem to be milking the most out of essential nature of life. Many that write their own lyrics seem have an amazing insight into the human condition, the human emotional state, a certain degree of wisdom beyond the norm.

My theory is this:  They are old souls.  This is probably their last go round in the physical plane.  They are on a farewell tours of sorts.  I really cannot think of many better ways to do such a tour.

Heck of a theory for an old agnostic.

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Frances Ginsberg – A Special Lady That Will Be Missed

FrannieWhenever I picture Fran entering a room, it is this presence riding in on the wings of an aria. Perhaps it was from being on stage all those years, she just filled whatever the space was with energy and a love for life.

Her life was a lot like the operas in which she performed — a series of crests and troughs. I suppose in many ways that could describe any of our lives. Fran just lived her life on a larger stage. She had had a successful opera career on two continents, alternating between Milan and New York for the last 25 or so years. Unfortunately, that has all come to an end.

She returned to Saint Louis 3 years ago to be treated for stage 4 ovarian cancer. While she was there she reacquainted herself with many old friends, including Robin with whom she had been a close neighborhood and school friend.  Robin likes to tell the story about the time they entered a talent contest together and did not even place. Robin still feels bad to this day as she is sure she is the reason. I am thinking Fran got over it.

The treatment seemed to be a success and Fran went back to Italy for a while. She had a relapse and returned to St. Louis for more treatment. Again the cancer seemed to go into remission. She returned to New York this time, but only to have the cancer return. Continue reading “Frances Ginsberg – A Special Lady That Will Be Missed”

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The Secret to Happiness

What is the secret to happiness?  In the adult education Spanish class I am taking, we are reading the book, El Alquimista (The Alchemist) by Paulo Coelho.  The book touts itself as a fable about following your dreams.

Within this fable is a parable about a merchant sending his son off to consult the wisest of wise men on the secret to happiness.  After a long and arduous journey the young man arrives at the abode of the Wiseman.  He is sent off for two hours to tour the magnificent structure, but with a teaspoon of oil in his hand and an admonition to not spill the oil.  The young man returns to the Wiseman who asks him what he had seen. Continue reading “The Secret to Happiness”

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Why Do I Write?

Why do I write?

Good question!  I am fond of telling folks that my blog has a dedicated readership in the low single digits.  That enumeration includes me, my girlfriend’s sporadic browsings, and couple of other folks that on rare occasions pursue my ramblings. At one point I had a fantasy that some of my articles would spark other folks to comment and generate some discussions.  Like so many of my dreams and aspirations in this life that has never really materialized.  I am okay with that at this point.

I suppose I write with an audience in mind, Continue reading “Why Do I Write?”

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The Quotable Juanita

My father passed away 5 years ago February 19th. He had a massive stroke back around 1996. He basically cheated death at that time, and my mother always referred to the ensuing years as “their bonus” years. And they were.

Even though he had been in poor health for many years it is still a shock when your partner of 50 plus years dies. My mother was cast adrift in her grief for a considerable period of time. Fortunately, time is frequently the best doctor in these situations, and life does go on.

At some point when she began to feel better and get out and about, she ran into a female acquaintance. Of course, they begin to chat. It would not have been my mother otherwise. This lady begin to tell my mother how good she looked, and how much younger than her years that she appeared. I think there was a comment in there about how fresh and youthful her skin appeared. She then asked my mother who was 70 something at the time, if she had thought about getting remarried.

My mother’s remark back to her was, “It is one thing to grow old with a man; it would be quite another thing to marry an old man.”

Y’all just thought Oscar Wilde had some pithy quotes.

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Random Thought # 762,514

…yeah I know you did not ask!

A while back I was watching Monster’s Ball with a girlfriend.  The scene came on where Billy Bob Thornton is in a motel room with a local “lady” of the evening.  The act was very impersonal with the hooker acting like they were chatting over coffee. It was definitely going to be one of those cases of a mini rate for a mini stay.

The girlfriend asked me if that is how it was.  I replied that I had no idea since I had never engaged professional services for that area of my life.  And I have not.

I have since ruminated on that conversation.  If I ever got to the point where I was so horny that I thought I needed those services, it would probably be over so quickly as to make it not worth the money spent.  Plus the Scottish in me would not allow me to pay for something I could take care of myself. Please don’t tell Christine O’Donnell. She might have to place me on a Wiccan altar and have a midnight sacrifice/picnic. Cream with your coffee, Christine?

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Robin, One Hot…

We are all products of time, place and the Darwinian lottery that selects our parents. Robin is no different.  Robin’s parents were not any different.

Robin spent much of youth practicing the piano.  She loves music, but she has talked about how she sometimes longed to be outside with other kids.  Robin has natural athletic ability, but in the 50s and 60s in the St. Louis enclave of Olivette young ladies were not encouraged in this arena.  While her brothers were encouraged to participate in sports she was forgotten.

Robin is short, but very strong physically.  She helped me move a while back, and it was all I could do to keep up with her.  Continue reading “Robin, One Hot…”

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Shrek the Musical

Alright I have a couple confessions up front.  First, I would not have gone to this had not my girlfriend had season tickets to the Broadway performances at the Fabulous Fox Theatre in St. Louis.  She actually tried to sell these particular tickets, and could find no buyers.  She tells me that normally when she sells tickets to these performances they are snapped up. Shrek and Lord Farquaad

My second confession is that I only vaguely knew the story line.  I have seen maybe half of the first Shrek movie.  So if I sound a little redundant on the story line, please forgive an old man. 

Now I have another confession, I really enjoyed this Broadway musical performance of Shrek the Musical.  If I really enjoyed it, my girlfriend’s level of pleasure of this show was in another dimension. 

The Broadway production is first and foremost a first class musical.  It is next a tried and true love story. It starts out as Beauty and the Beast and ends up as Beast and the Beast.  It is also a tale about accepting Continue reading “Shrek the Musical”