Pete Seeger

I was inspired by lots of folks in the late 50s and early 60s.  Among them was Pete Seeger.  His words helped me to keep on even when things were very scary.  He died a couple of days ago at age 94.  Accolades have poured in.  Everybody seems to love him.

But back then not so much.  He was seen as a dangerous person.  A subversive.  His was a leading voice for social justice.

If I had a hammer....I'd hammer out freedom and justice all over this land...I'd hammer out love between my brothers and my sisters all over this land. 

His career was derailed in the early fifties when a book listed his group, the Weavers, as communists. He refused to name names before the House Un-American Activities Committee. He did what nobody else did at that time.  He didn't plead the Fifth Amendment.  He pleaded the First Amendment.  Freedom of speech.

He was blacklisted for years but kept on keeping on.  

To everything Turn, Turn, Turn
There is a season Turn, Turn, Turn
And a time for every purpose under heaven.

Pete Seeger, some say almost single handily, cleaned up the Hudson River.

He was a big war protester.

Where have all the soldiers gone?
Gone to grave yards everyone,
When will we ever learn?

Pete Seeger was concerned about urban blight.

Little boxes on the hillside
Little boxes made of ticky tacky
Little boxes 
Little boxes
Little boxes all the same.

Pete Seeger helped Martin Luther King, Jr. choose one of the greatest protest songs ever,

We shall overcome some day.

The truth is Pete Seeger suffered hatred from lots of folks over his long 94 years.  But he is a hero to many others, like Bruce Springsteen - and me.


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Making a Living

The Drowsy Chaperon - UCF

Dave and I have tickets for the University of Central Florida's Theater season.  Never heard of UCF? It's the second largest university in the US of A.  And they have an excellent theater program.  The photo is from last season's "The Drowsy Chaperon."  I'd seen the Broadway version and this one was just as entertaining.    Last Friday we saw "Leveling Up" and next month we'll see "The Music Man."

Many of these young entertainers have already racked up excellent credentials.  Most of them should have no problems finding work.  Our world class theme parks, Disney, Universal, SeaWorld and so on, are always on the lookout for new entertainers.

But here's the thing:  The vast majority of actors and entertainers of all sorts don't make enough money to live on.  The Orlando Sentinel ran an article yesterday listing the highest and lowest paying jobs, the first year out of college, for Florida public university graduates with bachelor's degrees.

The lowest - Drama and dramatic/theater arts at $19,548

The highest - Fire science (whatever that is) at $69,756

Here are the other lowest and highest paying jobs.  Some of them surprise me.

Lowest
Russian language and literature               $19,700
Botany/plant biology                               $20,040
Entomology                                             $20,660
Physics, general                                       $20,704
Anthropology                                          $20,898

Highest

Nuclear engineering                                $67,842

Nursing/registered nurse                         $60,220

Electrical and electronics-engineering    $59,300

So what's the take away?  Last night the Grammys made us think that all entertainers are beautiful, rich and famous.  Even the robots.  It's not true.  A few make it big.  The rest of us need a fall back plan.  

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You Must Have Been Angry, Babe!

A couple of days ago I found Dave reading some old poems of mine from a little book that didn't get much press.  Most of the poems were written in the early 70s.  When I came in the room he waved the book at me and said, "You must have been angry, babe."

Was I angry?  I don't remember being angry.  But frustrated?   Yes.

As I looked over these poems I remember being, more than anything else, exhausted.  Way too much going on and that lasted for decades.  I had four little kids and a husband who, while he told me every day he loved me,  always had other fish to fry while, at the same time, being extremely high maintenance.  But, in addition to family, I was also working, writing and going to school.  I was frustrated with "the system;" bosses, professors, the church and, as a card carrying feminist, men in general.

So when I reread the poems I said to Dave "I guess you're right. Maybe I was a little angry."  It's now 40 years later and I'm finally rested up.  But I still "own" the poems.

Here's one I love.  The frustrating classroom situation helped me so much in my career as a platform speaker and consultant.  I was determined to have the truth arise from the group.  I still experience this as the best way to learn.

THE CLASS (written in 1974)

He perpetrated his monologue,
While the challenging views of 20
     fertile minds,
Were artfully suppressed,
Being afflicted as he was,
With that malignant academic
     disease called, 
"Covering the material."

And then.
Like a great mysteriously orchestrated
     "happening,"
The ideas spilled out,
Quickly at first, with each voice picking up where the 
     other left off,
Rejecting, challenging, supporting,
Until finally,
The room was so "electric,"
That even he lit up. 

Ah yes the inmates are taking
     over the asylum,
And it's working!


***

Philomena

Dave and I went through a long dry spell of not going to the movies due to nothing we wanted to see.  Then four movies appeared that caught our attention.  "Llewyn Davis" was interesting but not what we expected.  "American Hustle," in my opinion was so terrible that I had to come home and take a hot bath to calm down.  But it will probably win the Academy Award.   The one we haven't yet seen is "Nebraska" with the great Bruce Dern but it may get away from us before we can get to the theater.

The one gem of a movie out of the four - for me - is "Philomena."   It's an English film starring the great Judi Dench.  In the "Marigold Hotel" movie she was kind of glamorous and sexy.  In Philomena she is old.  All of her wrinkles are showing.  Her arms look like the arms of a very old lady.  But, in a way, she's much more beautiful in "Philomena."

It's the true story of a woman who's son was snatched from her by some particularly mean nuns.  She spends the next 50 years looking for him.

We experience the last few months of the search.  It's an odd-couple road movie.  It's funny, smart and extremely entertaining with a satisfying ending.

People who like the phrase "I love Jesus but I hate the church" will like this movie.  Philomena gives us the very best reason for forgiving others.

I forgive you because I don't want to remain angry. 


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Light

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Today is Martin Luther King's birthday.  We used to either attend or march in a parade every MLK, Jr. birthday.  But now, not so much.

Dr. King was one of the great folks in history who brought light into the world.  He left us with so many words of wisdom that he continues to teach us about light and what it can do.

I'm fortunate to regularly be around folks who exude light.  Dave comes to mind.  But there are lots of others and I'm grateful.

Yesterday my minister, Dr. Bob, talked about light.  He mentioned Hank Williams' tombstone that is, first of all, ginormous, but also carries the title of one of his most famous and, to me and others, most meaningful songs.  We know that Hank Williams had a sad life with lots of challenges.  That makes his words all the more meaningful to me.

I Saw the Light.

Dr. Bob talked about first seeing the light, then following the light, then being the light.  I believe Dr. King did this.  I hope I'm in the process of doing this.

Wouldn't it be the coolest thing ever to "be" light?  Don't know that I'm there yet.  But I can say, along with Hank,

I saw the light, I saw the light, 
No more darkness, no more night,
Now I'm so happy, no sorrow in sight,
Praise the Lord, I saw the light. 


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Inside Llewyn Davis

Late yesterday afternoon Dave and I went to the Enzian, our neighborhood art theater, to see "Inside Llewyn Davis."

Here's what I knew before seeing the movie:  

Llewyn on the subway, freezing and
holding his stray cat.

• It's a Coen brothers movie.  We both love the Coen brothers.  They grew up in Dave's neighborhood in St. Louis Park, Minnesota.  Consequently, many of their movies take place in bone chilling weather.  Like my favorite Coen movie, "Fargo."
• "Llewyn" is about folk music in the 60's.
• It has a fantastic cast and it's had great reviews. 

Here's what I know after seeing the movie:

Well, actually not a whole lot more.  "Inside Llewyn Davis" has no plot.  It's little vignettes in a one week span of Llewyn's life in Greenwich Village in 1961.   It's bone chilling, bitter cold.  Llewyn's mom most likely never said to him "Make good decisions today" because he makes terrible decisions - every day.  He treats cats way better than he treats people - including himself.

Llewyn is a strange,  stupefyingly selfish, unhappy, weird, funny guy.  His life seems to be a loop playing over and over again.

Great actors are all over this movie, including Oscar Issac who plays Llewyn, Justin Timberlake who plays a really straight folk singer, John Goodman in one of his many scary roles and F. Murry Abraham.

But, here's the thing.  I liked the movie.  The music is good.  The look of each and every scene is interesting.  It's funny and sad.

Go see it.


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Scarred by Struggle

I'm currently reading three books.  As you know, I like to do some deep, thoughtful reading at least a couple of hours every morning.  It's my favorite time of day.

Here is what I'm currently reading:

Incarnadine by Mary Szybist

This is a poetry book, winner of the National Book Award,  "kind of" about the Annunciation of an unsettling angel to a young woman named Mary.  Do I always understand what Mary Szbist is saying?  No!  But I read a poem every morning and think about it.   Here are a couple of quotes from a poem called "Update on Mary."

Mary always thinks that as soon as she get a few more things done and finished the dishes, she will open herself to God. 

It is only when she has a simple, repetitive task that her life feels orderly...

Mary tells herself that if only she could have a child she could carry around like an extra lung, the emptiness inside  her would stop gnawing. 

Once We Were Brothers by Ronald Balson

This is a novel about the atrocities of wartime Poland and two boys, once as close as brothers, who find themselves on opposite sides of the holocaust.

I'm almost finished with this one and it's so compelling that I can hardly put it down.  It was assigned for my book club and I will lead the discussion in February.  Should be a great discussion with my smart book club ladies.

Scarred by Struggle, Transformed by Hope by Joan Chittister

Chittister is one of my favorite writers.  This is one of her older books, published in 2003.  It's hard reading but, as a person who's struggled mightily over the years, it's very meaningful to me.  Here are a couple of quotes.

....all struggle is not destructive.  I have come to understand from them that it is not struggle that defeats us it is our failure to struggle that depletes the human spirit. 

All struggle is not loss.  All those who struggle do not give way to depression, to death of the spirit, to dearth of heart.  We not only can survive struggle, but, it seems, we are meant to survive in new ways, with new insights, with new heart. 



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Malaysia

There is a counter on this blog that tells me how many folks are reading and where in the world they are.  For some reason, a number of folks in Malaysia are reading.   I don't know why but I'm grateful. Enjoy!

What do I know about Malaysia?  It's  a beautiful, progressive country, shaped a little like Florida but on the other side of the world.  It's below Thailand and above Singapore.  Malaysia has a growing economy.  It's multi ethnic and multi cultural.  Islam is the national religion but all religions are respected.

The capital, Kuala Lumpur, is stunningly beautiful.  I'd love to see it up close and personal.

But here's my very favorite thing about Malaysia.  Dave was born there.  He was born in Kuala Lumpur but lived in Ipoh.  His parents were missionaries who ran the Methodist School Compound in Ipoh.

Dave loved those first six years of his life in Malaysia.  (Back then it was Malaya.)  But then he was shipped off to boarding school kindergarten in India.  I think his Malaysian experience helped to give him an interesting world view.

I'm grateful.


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World's Most Famous Movie Stars that We Know Nothing About

Would you rather have your whole life photographed like Kim Kardashian or keep your private life private?

With Leonardo DiCaprio's new movie, "Wolf of Wall Street" topping out at the box office, I'm reminded of an article I read about him in Esquire last May.  They called him the world's most famous movie star.  Interesting!

Especially since he's one of the celebrities who shuns the limelight.

By the way, the article started out with a little vignette about George Clooney.  He was to meet the editor of Esquire a while back at the magazine's headquarters.  The editor went down to meet Clooney at the door.  He said when Clooney stepped out of his limo everything on the street came to a screeching halt.  Clooney kept his head down and walked briskly to the door, supposedly not overly concerned.  The editor, on the other hand, was kind of traumatized.

Clooney uses his celebrity to further his causes.  Some others, like DiCaprio,  try to stay out of the limelight except when publicizing a movie.

So what's it like to have spent most of your life constantly photographed and hounded by paparazzi?  I can't imagine.

Like Clooney, Leonardo DiCaprio has been famous since childhood.  After making "Titanic" in 1997 he became, arguably, the world's most famous movie star.  But we know almost nothing about him.  He doesn't seek publicity.

In a recent article about "Wolf of Wall Street," DiCaprio was quoted as saying "None of that is a part of my life.  And by the way, the stuff that he (the Wall Street Wolf) did is so beyond comprehension of anything I could imagine."

But, beyond this DiCaprio never discusses his personal life in interviews.

So would I like to be super famous?  Absolutely not.  How about you?


***

My Favorite Bathroom

We just spent several days on Singer Island visiting an old friend of Dave's.  He's visited for years.  I've had the good fortune to visit the last few.  It's fun, mostly because she's delightful company.  But her high-rise condo is pretty sweet as well.  

My favorite room is the powder room.  It's deceivingly small.  But it's like an upscale carnival house of mirrors.  It's all mirrors.  Check out these photos. 

I'm the only person in this small bathroom

Corner cabinet with plant looks like a fantasy jungle

How many hand towels do you need?

You can imagine how disturbing it is to use the facilities.

Theology and The New Yorker

The New Yorker is not noted for theology, especially my favorite feature "Shouts and Murmurs."  I read one recently that was in really bad taste but it, to me, was reminiscent of the nature of God.

It starts out with a guy walking into a bar and discovering a one foot tall man in a little tuxedo playing a little grand piano.  The guy asks the bartender what gives and the bartender says there's a genie in the men's room who grants wishes.

But, the bartender went on to explain, the genie is hard of hearing.  "Do you think I asked for a 12 inch pianist?"

The story goes on.  It's long and convoluted.  The bartender turns out to be depressed.  The little pianist comforts him with his sonatas.  And he brings in business.

In the end they discover that the genie isn't hard of hearing at all.  He just knew what the bartender really needed.

What does this have to do with the nature of God?

Did you ever ask God for something you thought you wanted but it was a really stupid wish - and what you received wasn't anything like you ever even thought about but it was the best thing that could have happened to you?

I have.


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Florida Hospital - The Food Police

I love Florida Hospital.  Make that Florida Hospitals. They're all over the place.  There is one close to us.  Very reassuring.  I had to call an ambulance several times for my husband Ken, and they were always here lickity split.

Florida Hospital is part of the Adventist Health Care System and, as such, has a deep belief in holistic care.

A few weeks ago we heard the mayor of Winter Park, Florida speak.  He's also the Florida Hospital Administrator in Winter Park.  Therefore he's an Adventist.  Adventists worship on Saturdays.  Since he was talking with a bunch of Methodists he reminded us that Adventists were a break off from Methodism.

So, he said, We're just like Methodists - only 24 hours earlier.

But he was kidding.  There are other differences.  For instance, we Methodists love our red meat and pork products.  Adventists do not eat meat, nor do they drink or ingest caffeine.  I remember that, not too many years ago, they didn't serve these items to patients or even in their cafeteria.

This morning Orlando Sentinel columnist Beth Kassab wrote about Florida Hospital's war on bacon.  For many years Wendy's has leased space from the hospital at their downtown site.  Consequently,  that particular Wendy's is the only one that does not serve burgers with bacon.  But they do serve burgers!

Now the hospital has leased space to Panera Bread but Panera negotiated a contract that allows them to serve all the pork they want.

So times are changing.

However, even back in the old days, when the food at the hospital was well policed, it was still delicious.  Lots of fresh vegetables and the baked goods were fabulous.   Once, when it was Ken's birthday I asked him where he'd like to have his birthday dinner.  He immediately said,  Florida Hospital South Cafeteria.

So we did.


***

The Fur Hat

I have a good friend, one of my Power Rangers, who has a fur hat.  About eight years ago, when I began traveling north at Christmas time, she presented me with the hat.  Other Power Rangers lent winter clothes as well.  And, when I got to the windy city, I was so grateful.

But, actually, those first few years I didn't wear the hat. Why?  Because I had made a vow, decades earlier, that I would never wear fur.  The same was true for feathers.  At least one of my other Power Rangers feels the very same way.  As you might guess, this has to do with the exploitation of furry animals and birds.  How many of those cute little minks have to suffer and die to make a hat?  How many birds had to be shot and stuffed so they would hold still long enough for Mr. Audubon to paint them?

But, like many folks my age, I have mellowed and modified my views a bit.  My friend continued to offer the hat every year.  Eventually, and partly because I was freezing, I began to wear it.  

Me in Chicago in the Hat

This Christmas season, one evening when we were in Chicago, we walked with Dave's family from their home to a French restaurant about six blocks away.  It was freezing but I had the hat so it was exciting and fun.  

At the end of the meal the waiter brought me the last of my several birthday desserts.  This culminated a solid week of celebrating my special birthday.   It was a magical night. 

Me, the hat and the dessert
at the French Restaurant in
Chicago

Later, as I was lying in bed I thought about how truly blessed I am with family and friends.  I thought about the friend who lent me the hat every year and the depth of friendship we've developed over the last two decades.

We had this in common early on:  She was married to a college president.  I was married to a Methodist minister.  We both knew what it was like to live, and raise our families, in a fish bowl.   

When I got home the other day and called her she said something sad.  She told me to keep the hat!  She's suffering of some serious health problems and doesn't think she'll need it.

I'm not going to keep the fur hat.  I want her to get better and wear it in the snow.  But I do want to borrow it again next year.  I've grown into it. 

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