Month: August 2020

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Another hugging saint

https://youtu.be/YLcBRmS10lQ

A video and a song, together, really knocked me for a loop earlier today. I’ve been reflecting on exactly why all day.

I believe there were four levels of impact, each one going deeper than the one before…

I was moved first of all by the reminder that touching and being touched is one of the most basic and fundamental of our human needs. That right there is powerful.

But in this time of COVID-19, when for five full months we’ve had to maintain physical distance, witnessing all those hugs generated a visceral response within me. Something was triggered and I feel like I had an internal meltdown of sorts.

Then there’s the song (video is below). For me, these three lines seem to capture its essential message:
Everyone is hurting
Everyone is searching
Everyone is looking for the truth about love

But what really rocked my world as I watched the video was this young woman’s level of trust. To stand there, blindfolded, with her arms open…ready to receive and to give. I just can’t even begin to imagine being that trusting, that open. But it touched me so deeply that I was literally weeping by the end.

I just discovered from reading the video comments that her sign says:
Free hugs
I trust you
You can trust me

“You might think, it’s just a simple hug
but in reality it is more than it appears.
It’s the purest gift that we can offer to each other,
a moment of connection, of affection, a moment of bliss.
Body against body,
no words are necessary,
connecting to our heartbeats,
we are surrendering to the magic.
A pure moment of love,
when this time becomes enough.
Who’s giving? Who’s receiving? Yes it is quite confusing.
But it doesn’t really matter.
What truly matters is that we are opening our hearts
and from being apart we suddenly become one.”
— From Laure Kypriotis

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Thank you, friends!

I’m feeling so blessed! Yesterday’s sharing of some doubts and concerns immediately resulted in an outpouring of support and encouragement from friends far and near.

Having people in one’s corner — believing in you, praying for you, knowing that all will be well with you — makes all the difference in the world.

Thank you, friends! 💗

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Seemed like a good idea at the time

“Sure, we can do a virtual choir for a hybrid in-person / live-streamed wedding!” (It’s “only” six songs.)

(What was I thinking?!? 6 songs x 16 singers = 96 video and audio tracks to edit!)

And so we find that we have — yet again — bitten off way more than we can chew, but our bridal couple is depending on us, so we’re just chewing away like mad and having faith that it will all come together in the end (probably at the absolute last minute, in the nick of time)!😂

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Under the gun…

…and facing deadlines, so I’m working later than I have in quite a while!

Just hope it doesn’t creep back into becoming a habit! Signing off now, so I’m off the computer at least before the witching hour of midnight!

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Message from my shoulder

It’s time to go on the record and admit that a part of me still believes anything wrong with my body will fix itself.

I guess it’s the downside of having been an extremely healthy person most of my life. That plus the fact that — as a freelance musician — I hardly ever had insurance, so I got in the habit of doing what I could and then trusting that things would resolve themselves. Which they mostly did.

But the truth is that I’m reaching the point in life where past actions are having some painful present-time consequences. Not to mention that some body parts are simply wearing out.

A concept that never occurred to me even once before age sixty or so.

I’m writing this as part of my process in facing up to the fact that my shoulder — which has gradually been hurting more and more for a few years now — is not going to magically revert to normal. I have to actually deal with it. Bummer.

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The power of video

I happened to stumble upon an article in blog post about creativity in advertising (no idea how I got there! 😄). It was about a Nike video and had this to say:

“The astonishing editing work is a great way to deliver the message—about the unifying power of sport, at a time when the specter of Covid still hangs heavily over all professional sports leagues’ best-laid plans; and about the pursuit of an equal playing field by athletes looking to create change.”

Needless to say, I was intrigued and promptly watched the video. Which is, indeed, awesome.

https://youtu.be/WA4dDs0T7sM

So then I explored further and watched another Nike ad that I found deeply inspiring. This quote is a statement by the video’s narrator, basketball star LaBron James:

“The whole world, we’re fighting for something bigger than a championship right now. People are struggling, and this continues to be an incredibly difficult time. For me, thinking forward to a time when we’ll be able to play again, it keeps me going. Even if basketball looks different for a while, I’m excited about the possibility of getting back in the game because I know how inspiring and powerful sports can be. I think the lessons we learn from sport can inspire us all.”

https://youtu.be/R-t8qPldklc

So, then the article referenced a Nike ad that was described as:

“this stark meditation on racism and the Black Lives Matter movement.”

And I was blown away by the simple power of its message.

My takeaway? It takes impressive amounts of talent and resources to create such incredibly potent combinations of visual imagery, music, and words. I’m just grateful that the powerful messages conveyed are ones of positivity, inclusiveness, and compassion.

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To bake or not to bake…

Are these not the most beautiful cookies you’ve ever seen?!?

For starters, shortbread is probably my favorite kind of cookie (although oatmeal raisin with walnuts comes close). But then you press colorful edible flowers on top and they’re so magnetic that I almost want to pull out the mixing bowl and preheat the oven.

Almost, but not quite.

I’m not entirely sure, but I think the last cookies I made might have been for my flute teacher at conservatory (I forget why). And that was a really, really long time ago. Yep, I’m definitely not a baker.

But it got me to thinking. As beautiful and magnetic as those cookies are, their appeal isn’t even strong enough to get me to read the recipe.

Contrast that with the uncountable hours I’ve spent on music: practicing, listening, rehearsing, studying, thinking about, talking about, planning, dreaming…

I find it fascinating how for me it’s music, but for somebody else it’s Edible Flower Pressed Shortbread Cookies.

By the way, if there are any bakers out there who want to make these cookies, I’ll gladly buy a few dozen from you. 😄