what if we discover...

What if we discover that our
present way of life is
irreconcilable with our vocation
to become fully human?

--Paulo Freire

Self Portrait by David Whyte

It doesn't interest me if there is one God or many gods.

I want to know if you belong or feel abandoned.

If you know despair or can see it in others.

I want to know if you are prepared to live in the world with its harsh need to change you. If you can look back with firm eyes saying this is where I stand.

I want to know if you know how to melt into that fierce heat of living falling toward the center of your longing.

I want to know if you are willing to live, day by day, with the consequence of love and the bitter unwanted passion of sure defeat.

I have been told, in that fierce embrace, even the gods speak of God.

Great movie

OK, for me, the highlight was the 70s-era interview with the guy who believes Jesus was actually a mushroom. Not to offend, just gave me a big belly laugh.

in reference to: KNOW YOUR MUSHROOMS (view on Google Sidewiki)

Tell Me Your Story

Tell me your story
tell it long and tell it loud.
Don't leave anything out.
I want to hear how you
came here,
I want to feel the pain of
your first love.
Tell me your ridiculous
jokes
and let me too cry at your

wedding day.

Tell me your story
tell it long and tell it loud.
Don't leave anything out.
Throw in all your dark
secrets
so I see who you are.
So I can really feel your presence.
Take all the time you need,
we have the long hours
to laugh and cry
before the sun rises.

--Pedro McMillan

The year ahead

I turned 59 this month. And so it begins. I did a 50th birthday celebration concert in my old stomping ground (Unitarian Universalist Church of Silver Spring, MD) back in 2000. And I plan to create a performance piece on turning 60. It began "officially" last week when I asked Stacie Chaiken to occasionally coach me in this process. Stacie and I lived in a women's group house in Springfield, OH back in the 70s, so she's the perfect choice.

I have one song, a digital story, and the start of a brief stand-up comedy routine, and the tarot reading that Pattie and I did for my coming year. Plus I actually like some of what I wrote last November for National Novel Writing Month. Good start!

NaNoWriMo!

I just signed up for National Novel Writing Month. In other words, I committed to write 50,000 words in the month of November. Yowsa. I think I'm up to it. Looks like they have a lot of ways to encourage and support those of us who sign up. I already have a title: The Wind is My Beautician. Catchy, eh?

Further storytelling musings

The workshop I took through the Center for Digital Storytelling was amazing. I highly recommend it. I brought a story about the first time I publicly broke the rules (by staying out past hours in my freshman dorm at Wittenberg University). There were 11 of us in the group, and I loved seeing the way our stories were transformed over the three days. I'm a believer! We each went home with a 2-3 minute Quicktime movie. Stefani and Liane were excellent facilitators.

So, now what? Turns out the Center is a co-sponsor of the International Day for Sharing Life Stories. Hmm, should I put my efforts towards involving Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor in next year's event (presumably in May 2009)? Could be a great way to get the word out about the work of the Ypsilanti 2020 Task Force.

The power of story

So I'm turning 60 in August 2010.  When I turned 50, I gathered my old pals together in Washington DC for a concert.  It worked well for me, using the concert as a threshold into the next decade.  For the big 6-0, I will also do a public performance, but it's not clear what form it will take.  

What I do know is that storytelling will be part of the show.  I'm excited about a workshop I'm taking in September through the Center for Digital Storytelling.