Maybe it’s leftover PTSD from 2016, but I’m surprisingly reluctant to look at any news until tomorrow morning.
It gives me extra motivation to get to bed early — with my book — making it the perfect night for this meme.
Election? What election?
Finally, a do-nothing day
Yes, it was a day of doing as close to nothing as we’ve done in a very long time.
I did manage to fix simple meals and do dishes. But other than that?
Well, I checked a few emails. I put away some clothes. I read my book. I replied to a few texts. We watched a movie. I read my book. I tried to write a thoughtful blog (but gave up). I subscribed to PBS. We watched an hour-long TV show. We watched a half-hour TV show.
And now I think I’ll go read my book in bed. 😊
The Exorcist: Blue Saints memories
The other day I realized — out of the blue — that it was fifty years ago this past July when I visited Europe for the first time. The realization gave me pause, perhaps because — despite the passage of so many years — my seventeen year old self suddenly felt very present.
I considered writing about it. I even looked for, but couldn’t find, my photos of the Blue Saints tour, when we spent five weeks traveling and performing in five European countries. But other things came up and I forgot about it.
But then I saw that the movie, “The Exorcist,” premiered fifty years ago today, and more memories came flooding back…
The twenty-five members of the jazz band I was in ranged in age from sixteen to twenty-one or so. I was one of only five girls with the band: two instrumentalists, two singers, and someone in charge of wardrobe.
So, we’re driving first through Belgium, then France, Switzerland, Germany, and Denmark. And at a certain point I notice that Jack Sanford, one of my fellow saxophonists, instead of gazing at the passing scenery has his nose stuck in a book. For hours on end!
I finally ask him what he’s reading that is so gripping and it’s something called “The Exorcist.”
Fast forward to our return to California, when I get hold of a copy of the book and start reading it. Of course, I couldn’t put it down and read into the wee hours of the night. At which point I couldn’t close my eyes to sleep because I was so freaked out.
I finally got to sleep around dawn, waking up later in the morning determined that no matter what I wouldn’t read the book past 3:00 in the afternoon. If I hadn’t finished it by then, too bad, it would have to wait until the next day. Needless to say I was finished by 3:00.
When the movie came out, there was absolutely No. Way. I was going to subject myself to an audio/visual, live action representation of what I had read in that book.
Fifty years later, I’m grateful to say that I don’t actually remember the book in my own mind. Reading the article about the movie I can relate to some of the references, but only in an extremely vague and neutral way.
* By the way, the photos are from a band trip to Washington D.C., I believe the same year as our trip to Europe. In the second photo I’m avoiding the camera while sitting next to Grant Geissman, who went on to have an exceptional career — starting with the Stan Kenton Big Band, then recording with Chuck Mangione (in fact, Grant is the guitarist on the famous “Feels So Good” solo; listen below); and he just went on from there. It’s fun to be able to say “I knew him when!”
The ONE Thing
I was turned on to the book, “The ONE Thing,” by my friend and fellow music ministry team member, Jeannie.
The funny thing is that she thought I had originally told her about it! We still don’t know where she first heard about it, but I’m evidently supposed to pursue the lead.
Why do I say that? Well, because I actually started reading it yesterday and today, and so far I’m finding it powerful enough to be slightly depressing.
But then this appeared when I opened a new tab tonight:
At first I thought, “Nah…it’s probably not really related.” But then I saw this testimonial:
“….to work on just One Thing…”
So, okay — I’m listening! I’m going to keep reading and — as soon as possible — figure out what’s my ONE thing.
My friend wrote a book!
How cool is this?!?
Congratulations to Manisha, who’s been a dear friend ever since we both were newly arrived in the Ananda Palo Alto community back in the late 90’s.
I can’t wait to read it (there are two copies because one’s for Dad).
Eating without thinking
One of my “homework” assignments this week has been to read a little book by Thich Nhat Hanh, called “How to Eat”. It’s small but powerful.
I was particularly struck by this chapter:
When we eat we usually think. We can enjoy our eating a lot more if we practice not thinking when we eat. We can just be aware of the food. Sometimes we eat and we’re not aware that we’re eating. Our mind isn’t there. When our mind isn’t present, we look but we don’t see, we listen but we don’t hear, we eat but we don’t know the flavor of the food. This is a state of forgetfulness, the lack of mindfulness. To be truly present we have to stop our thinking. This is the secret of success.
There’s much food for thought is this little book.