I may not be many things but one thing I know I am and always will be is
NOT LIKE EVERYONE ELSE!
I didn't follow the traditional path to college right out of high school. Frankly, I was sick and tired of reading assignments and writing a report on this, that and th' other thing...and I was quite sure that going to college meant at least four more years of doing just that!
Enough! I just wanted a break!
If I'd been smarter, I couldawouldashoulda, like many of my peers, taken off to see the world. Or at least to Europe with a rail pass and a list of hostels in my backpack.
Instead, I took two jobs and worked hard, setting my sights on the other coast. Eventually, I packed my car and travelled west to find my utopia. I did (Oregon) and the rest is, as they say, herstory.
But my life and work has never been "traditional" which I credit or blame on being an artist.
Some may say to be talented and gifted is a great blessing. Very true, but it also brings with it hard-to-define intangibles and harder to live with, financial in$ecurity.
I often wonder if I hadn't been born an artist, what kind of work would I do? It's not that I didn't want to go to college, I wanted to go on to art school which my very pragmatic parents wouldn't help me do. They wanted me to go to our local community college to get a liberal arts degree.
Huh? At the time, I didn't even know what that meant? Besides I had better things to do, like move out west!
I created the kind of life I'd hoped for with one tiny (read: HUGE) exception: financial security...but that comes with the territory...of being an artist living in Oregon.
Maybe a liberal arts degree would've been handy, after all.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Ch-Ch-Changes
We often hear that people can't or don't change: attitudes, habits, opinions. For the longest time, I agreed with this assessment...until both my mate and I went through great changes.
Fundamentally, I am still the same person--my likes and dislikes--but in the greater scheme of life, I'm not!
No longer do I care to entertain a cadre of friends or to sit and talk at length--with anyone. In fact, no matter where, I prefer silence.
No idle chatter, please! Or drama! Save it fo' yo' mama! Friends Forever? NOT!
Some were just too draining or needy. I simply outgrew them.
As one (former) friend used to say, "It's called pruning the dead wood".
Chop-chop!
Change comes to many of us in such subtle increments that it's difficult to see the seismic activity happening below the surface.
We tend to believe that all or any change sucks...but in reality, it can bring about the best outcomes even if, at the time, we can't see how or why.
For better or worse, change equals growth.
Save for a handful of loved ones, no longer do I care what other people think--the greatest gift for surviving all the ch-ch-changes!
Fundamentally, I am still the same person--my likes and dislikes--but in the greater scheme of life, I'm not!
No longer do I care to entertain a cadre of friends or to sit and talk at length--with anyone. In fact, no matter where, I prefer silence.
No idle chatter, please! Or drama! Save it fo' yo' mama! Friends Forever? NOT!
Some were just too draining or needy. I simply outgrew them.
As one (former) friend used to say, "It's called pruning the dead wood".
Chop-chop!
Change comes to many of us in such subtle increments that it's difficult to see the seismic activity happening below the surface.
We tend to believe that all or any change sucks...but in reality, it can bring about the best outcomes even if, at the time, we can't see how or why.
For better or worse, change equals growth.
Save for a handful of loved ones, no longer do I care what other people think--the greatest gift for surviving all the ch-ch-changes!
Monday, September 15, 2008
No Fun
As a member of the human race, I have often wondered, "What's it all about, Alfie?"
Well, it only took a little over a half a century to figure out, but by cracky, I think I've got it:
One
Word.
Hormones!
That's right. "It" is all about hormones! Plain and simply, hormones rule our moods, our hunger, our libido, all our needs, wants, urges and desires.
There's a hormone to alert our hunger and another to suggest we are satiated; a hormone that surges when we're all fired up and another to signal a need for sleep.
One hormone dictates our internal clock and another wakes us up.
If I'd only known the answer, long ago, to this age-old question, I may have used intellect over impulse...and perhaps saved myself a lot of grief.
But I also would've missed a lot of fun.
So, the question begs, "Can we fight our hormones?"
Why yes, I believe that's called restraint...but then,
hhhmmm...
...that's no fun!
Well, it only took a little over a half a century to figure out, but by cracky, I think I've got it:
One
Word.
Hormones!
That's right. "It" is all about hormones! Plain and simply, hormones rule our moods, our hunger, our libido, all our needs, wants, urges and desires.
There's a hormone to alert our hunger and another to suggest we are satiated; a hormone that surges when we're all fired up and another to signal a need for sleep.
One hormone dictates our internal clock and another wakes us up.
If I'd only known the answer, long ago, to this age-old question, I may have used intellect over impulse...and perhaps saved myself a lot of grief.
But I also would've missed a lot of fun.
So, the question begs, "Can we fight our hormones?"
Why yes, I believe that's called restraint...but then,
hhhmmm...
...that's no fun!
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Sign of the Times
I saw a tee-shirt today that immediately brought a grimace to my face which I could not hold back. On an extra-large-sized, white man it read:
Christian
Conservative
Hetrosexual
Pro-Gun
American
Any Questions?
Ahhhhh, Yeah!!
Er, Noooooo!!!!
I didn't know what to think!!
It's one thing to be all those things.
But quite another, much bigger, weirder thing to advertise it.
I mean, To ADVERTISE IT across your big, beer gut!
That would be like me donning a shirt that read
Quirky
Pro-Choice
Liberal
American
Artist.
Any Questions?
I'd prefer to shorten it to just...
Artist.
Any Questions?
Usually, not.
Christian
Conservative
Hetrosexual
Pro-Gun
American
Any Questions?
Ahhhhh, Yeah!!
Er, Noooooo!!!!
I didn't know what to think!!
It's one thing to be all those things.
But quite another, much bigger, weirder thing to advertise it.
I mean, To ADVERTISE IT across your big, beer gut!
That would be like me donning a shirt that read
Quirky
Pro-Choice
Liberal
American
Artist.
Any Questions?
I'd prefer to shorten it to just...
Artist.
Any Questions?
Usually, not.
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Can You Top Thi$?
Recently, I read about a woman in Kansas who got tired of dealing with the ubiquitous tumbleweeds in her area. So, as a joke, she set up a website called prairie tumbleweed farm.
Who knew there was an actual need for the weeds??
She started getting orders from all over the country; someone was having a western-themed wedding; click. Other orders came from Hollywood where her tumbleweeds have graced countless TV shows, [click] print ads and department store displays.
Click, click!
But her proudest moment came from NASA whose researchers used her light-as-air plants as a model for the Mars Tumbleweed rover. Ca-ching, Ca-ching!
Talk about making lemonade outta lemons! Her annual income from tumbleweeds: $40K.
Now that's what I call resourceful!
Who knew there was an actual need for the weeds??
She started getting orders from all over the country; someone was having a western-themed wedding; click. Other orders came from Hollywood where her tumbleweeds have graced countless TV shows, [click] print ads and department store displays.
Click, click!
But her proudest moment came from NASA whose researchers used her light-as-air plants as a model for the Mars Tumbleweed rover. Ca-ching, Ca-ching!
Talk about making lemonade outta lemons! Her annual income from tumbleweeds: $40K.
Now that's what I call resourceful!
Friday, September 5, 2008
Just Do It!
I know this may sound a tad callous...
(but then, haven't you come to expect this from me and aren't you just a little bit intrigued???)
With all due respect to people who live in the Gulf states & surrounding areas, including all the islands, 'Stop wondering why this (hurricanes) keeps "happening to us"...'
It reminds me of Sam Kinnison's famous joke:
"The reason why Ethiopians are dying of starvation is because "You live in a f%$#@in! desert!!!"
Duuuuh!
So, too, if one doesn't want to deal with hurricanes, move away from flood plains and historically hard-hit areas. Yes, there are other natural disasters to contend with all over the country, but with relative ease, one can state unequivocally, that hurricanes will happen again and again...and again.
Just as the crime, violence and racial tension of Detroit, MI--not to mention, extreme weather--caused me to relocate, so, too, people who are tired of their current living situation can simply change residence!
After all, this is America, where we are freeee to move about the country!
So, to those who need to heed: "Get your groove on...
and move on."
(but then, haven't you come to expect this from me and aren't you just a little bit intrigued???)
With all due respect to people who live in the Gulf states & surrounding areas, including all the islands, 'Stop wondering why this (hurricanes) keeps "happening to us"...'
It reminds me of Sam Kinnison's famous joke:
"The reason why Ethiopians are dying of starvation is because "You live in a f%$#@in! desert!!!"
Duuuuh!
So, too, if one doesn't want to deal with hurricanes, move away from flood plains and historically hard-hit areas. Yes, there are other natural disasters to contend with all over the country, but with relative ease, one can state unequivocally, that hurricanes will happen again and again...and again.
Just as the crime, violence and racial tension of Detroit, MI--not to mention, extreme weather--caused me to relocate, so, too, people who are tired of their current living situation can simply change residence!
After all, this is America, where we are freeee to move about the country!
So, to those who need to heed: "Get your groove on...
and move on."
Thursday, September 4, 2008
The Other "L" Word
I remember well the anticipation of relocating to Oregon was as exciting as the actual move. I loved that Oregon was like a well-kept secret, open only to insiders who "get it": that this is a very special place unlike other states.
How else to explain Oregon's trailblazing ways! Twas the first to require a bottle deposit; 300 miles of beaches, all open to the public; one of only two states with no sales tax; the only one with free health care for its poorest; medical marijuana; assisted-suicide and so on.
I had assumed the whole state of Oregon was progressive. After all, it had always been well-known for being liberal. This, I considered a good thing.
Then I moved here and learned differently; how wrong I was! Perhaps it was political naivete`. To believe that all of Oregon was as progressive as Portland couldn't have been further from the truth: that being, like most states, Oregon has many rural regions populated with staunchly-conservative, gun-toting rednecks.
I can't remember the exact moment I found out but I do remember being dumbfounded. Turns out, it's mostly metropolitan areas along the I-5 corridor that are, so-called, liberal.
The root word, 'liber'--and literal definition--means "free and broad-minded"~~two adjectives I proudly call myself. It's also why I love living where there's a cultural awareness of its true meaning.
Oregon may be just as conservative as other states but fortunately, when it comes to legislative acts, it is those who call themselves "open-minded" who usually prevail.
How else to explain Oregon's trailblazing ways! Twas the first to require a bottle deposit; 300 miles of beaches, all open to the public; one of only two states with no sales tax; the only one with free health care for its poorest; medical marijuana; assisted-suicide and so on.
I had assumed the whole state of Oregon was progressive. After all, it had always been well-known for being liberal. This, I considered a good thing.
Then I moved here and learned differently; how wrong I was! Perhaps it was political naivete`. To believe that all of Oregon was as progressive as Portland couldn't have been further from the truth: that being, like most states, Oregon has many rural regions populated with staunchly-conservative, gun-toting rednecks.
I can't remember the exact moment I found out but I do remember being dumbfounded. Turns out, it's mostly metropolitan areas along the I-5 corridor that are, so-called, liberal.
The root word, 'liber'--and literal definition--means "free and broad-minded"~~two adjectives I proudly call myself. It's also why I love living where there's a cultural awareness of its true meaning.
Oregon may be just as conservative as other states but fortunately, when it comes to legislative acts, it is those who call themselves "open-minded" who usually prevail.
Monday, September 1, 2008
Make Do
Try as I might to imagine being raised by "artists", the concept escapes me. Instead, my parents were very conservative pragmatists. Having lived through the Great Depression, they were the original recyclers.
"Waste not, want not."
My mom taught me to "make do". That is, if I wanted something new that wasn't a necessity, she encouraged me to find a substitute. I resented "making do".
But all those years of going without produced the best outcome. Having $aved and $quirreled away as much as possible throughout their lives, my parents enjoyed a very comfortable retirement. Furthermore, their nest egg included a nice inheritance for each of their five children.
Fast forward to the Clinton years in office. Interest rates were so low and houses for sale so plentiful, that it seemed like the right time to gift us with the inheritance we'd eventually receive. My very pragmatic parents wanted to make sure their offspring had a place to call their own.
Mission accomplished!
Nowadays, when I look back at the silly things I wanted--but didn't get--as a kid (Can you say "Go-Go boots"?), I'm grateful for being raised by pragmatists instead of artists who may have indulged my every whim.
Years later while teaching, one of my [adult] students pointed out to me (after class) that having learned to "make do" throughout life probably contributed to my creativity and resourcefulness.
Hhhmmm, good point! And I thought I was teaching them!
"Waste not, want not."
My mom taught me to "make do". That is, if I wanted something new that wasn't a necessity, she encouraged me to find a substitute. I resented "making do".
But all those years of going without produced the best outcome. Having $aved and $quirreled away as much as possible throughout their lives, my parents enjoyed a very comfortable retirement. Furthermore, their nest egg included a nice inheritance for each of their five children.
Fast forward to the Clinton years in office. Interest rates were so low and houses for sale so plentiful, that it seemed like the right time to gift us with the inheritance we'd eventually receive. My very pragmatic parents wanted to make sure their offspring had a place to call their own.
Mission accomplished!
Nowadays, when I look back at the silly things I wanted--but didn't get--as a kid (Can you say "Go-Go boots"?), I'm grateful for being raised by pragmatists instead of artists who may have indulged my every whim.
Years later while teaching, one of my [adult] students pointed out to me (after class) that having learned to "make do" throughout life probably contributed to my creativity and resourcefulness.
Hhhmmm, good point! And I thought I was teaching them!
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