Try your best to remember people’s first names when you meet them or talk to them on the phone. (Yes, the phone! Use it as a phone, young people.)
Then, when you say goodbye (or see them again) use the name.
If you didn’t understand or forgot their name when they first said it, it’s OK to ask them to repeat it – once.
If it’s a difficult name, most people have a trick for you. For example, I met a guy named Goker at my local convenience store. (He works there. I see him a lot.) First time I met him, he said “Goker – rhymes with joker.” Now it’s locked in my brain.
Doing this will make you more engaging, likable, caring, and friendly.
Our fellow humans are really all we have to help us get through this life “successfully.” Learn their names.
In the spirit of trying new things in this new phase of my life (aka Retired Grandma), I performed a full length solo song in a “Café Musicale” fundraiser at my church last night. It was set up like a cabaret with lots of round tables and a decorated central buffet with desserts & apps and twinkling lights and candles. There was a variety of acts, including a couple of bands, duos, trios and two other soloists (one of whom was a professional).
I sang Anthem from the 80s musical Chess. In the show it’s sung by a Soviet chess player who is thinking of defecting. When I heard it recently, it resonated with me in a new way given all that Americans are experiencing with a wannabe dictator in office. I had a fantastic professional accompanist on piano.
I think it went well. I wasn’t overly nervous and I got warm applause and some very heartfelt comments afterwards.
So, as my 60th year is about to wrap up next week, I can truthfully say I’ve already tried some new things in this new decade.
I took watercolor classes and started painting again, successfully performed a solo for a room full of people, and registered for week long Dance Camp.
Oh, and as an update on that art show (where I was disappointed that my painting was hung so high), I found out last night that it was moved and placed at eye level. The organizers apologized for where it was hung originally and said it was one of their favorite pieces in the show! It’s going to travel with the rest of the pieces to a real art museum in October.
Proof of performance. I’m not a professional singer so I’m not going to upload the video of me singing, but it’s a very moving song. You can listen to “Anthem” from the Original 1988 Broadway Cast Album here. The show was recently revived and is currently playing on Broadway.
Undoubtedly the best thing about being 60 has been spending time with my granddaughter. The second best thing has been engaging more in my foundational love of the arts. Painting, singing, dancing and writing this blog have all been so fun and important to me this past year.
As GenXers will remember the old public service announcement: You Gotta Have Art!
I try to have a “one in, one out” policy. For example, if I buy a pair of shoes, there’s probably at least one pair sitting in my closet that I never wear and can get rid of.
I like to keep things in balance and not accumulate.
How’s that for a minimalist answer?
This large pastel piece titled “Dark House” by an artist friend hangs in my family room.
I’ve registered and paid for a five-day dance retreat in Maine in August.
I’ve been hearing about “Ferry Beach” from my fellow Unitarian Universalists for decades. This mythical coastal retreat center has transformed many a life. They’ve got retreats for everything from Yoga, to Women’s Healing, to Buddhism. My church friend Ron, who leads our monthly Sacred Circle Dance, is co-leading a week-longSacred Circle Dance retreat. I brought the flyer home and stuck it on the refrigerator about a month ago.
With my husband’s knee replacement recovery taking for fucking ever, we have zero travel plans. Nothing booked. Nothing to look forward to. And I have noidea when or what type of travel he’s going to be up for.
This led me to Dance Camp. I tried to convince my two friends from high school that I rarely get to see to join me there, but so far, no dice.
So…I went ahead and registeredfor five nights by myself in the mythical UU retreat center. Dancing 5 hours a day with strangers, could be a terrible idea. I mean, I like our monthly dance, but this is going to be waaaay more than that. There’s a chance I might hate it and bail out after a night or two.
In any case, I’ll have finally experienced Ferry Beach.
I was lucky to visit the two most iconic US national parks over the last few years—Grand Canyon and Yellowstone.
I’m now realizing that trying to paint landscapes based on any of those photos is just going to be frustrating. Those views are just too beautiful to be rendered by an amateur painter. I should just be happy I got so many great photos with my cell phone. My pics take me back to the actual feeling of awe.
I want to try another landscape at some point, but need to try something more humble.
Really not happy with this. I’ll keep it out as a way of hopefully learning from it.
This area is called “Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone” in Yellowstone National Park.
I have been patiently waiting for a magnolia blossom to fall off my neighbor’s tree. Yesterday, it happened. I found a blossom in the grass on my walk and brought it home.
It lasted about a day in a small dish of water.
On Day 2, I attempted a technique that was demonstrated in my watercolors class, but it didn’t really work. The idea is to press flowers and leaves into wet paint and get an interesting effect. You can also paint the veiny side of a leaf and press that onto white paper.
The image was not really recognizable as a flower after I pulled it off the wet paint. I ended up painting in some petals.
The “Stronger Together: Art for Democracy” opening was last night and it was disappointing. My painting had the worst placement of all. It was at the very end, in a dark area, and up so high you’d have to be like 7 feet tall to look directly at it. It was definitely not the Bucket List experience I was thinking it might be.
I’m 5’8” (and wearing heels) and that’s my painting above my head.
The piece that won was made on a computer with Canva. The person who made it said it was her first time using Canva.
This poster got first place and a $500 prize.
The best part of the event was the lovely centerpiece.
A lot of effort went into creating this exhibit, so I shouldn’t complain.
But hey, it’s my blog and I’ll complain if I want to. 😉
I’m struggling with the idea of painting “loose” vs control. The teacher I have now at the community arts center (Sandra) is all about getting all your colors down early. A “color story” she calls it. She doesn’t care if they all bleed into each other. I think I need to paint bigger in her class to get the most out of it. This one is only 5×7 inches. If you paint loose and small with watercolors, there’s a decent chance you just get a mess.
For the second time, I participated in a creative arts workshop led by Niela Miller—a 91-year old force of nature who is also a member of my church. The workshop is held monthly on Zoom. We were given a prompt to find a song lyric (1-2 lines) that moved us, write it in a fanciful way, and then illustrate it. I went with one of my favorite songs by Pat Humphries of Emma’s Revolution: Swimming to the Other Side. I once heard Pat say that this song tends to come to people when they need it most.
Chorus: We are living ‘neath the great big dipper We are washed by the very same rain We are swimming in this stream together Some in power and some in pain We can worship this ground we walk on Cherishing the beings that we live beside Loving spirits will live forever We’re all swimming to the other side
I am alone and I am searching Hungering for answers in my time I am balanced at the brink of wisdom I’m impatient to receive a sign I move forward with my senses open Imperfection, it be my crime In humility I will listen We’re all swimming to the other side
Chorus
On this journey through thoughts and feelings Binding intuition, my head, my heart I am gathering the tools together I’m preparing to do my part All of those who have come before me Band together and be my guide Loving lessons that I will follow We’re all swimming to the other side
Chorus
When we get there, we’ll discover All of the gifts we’ve been given to share Have been with us since life’s beginning And we never noticed they were there We can balance at the brink of wisdom Never recognizing that we’ve arrived Loving spirits will live together We’re all swimming to the other side
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