Wandering Along the Path: Right Speech

My husband and I got on the road early to drive to MOMA.  We saw the Magritte show, and then wandered around so he could check out the new building and see some faves, like Anselm Kiefer, Gerhardt Richter, and Calder.  I told him he would change his mind about Warhol when he saw the rooms of his paintings, and he did.  He admitted they were powerful.  I forced him to go to the Agnes Martin room, then take a photo of me in front of one of the paintings.  He forced me to go to a video installation he loved, but I really didn't.  We saw a room full of Louise Bourgeous spider sculptures.  We both enjoyed the Magritte works, but had seen bigger, more powerful shows at the Art Institute of Chicago and Musee de Beau d'arts in Brussels.  I gravitate toward conceptual art, but I also find Magritte's paintings emotional and touching.  The human is placed in the larger context of universal mystery.  And the humor in many is delightful.  But there is also the strong pacifist message, which appeals to me.  We had a great time getting out of our rut and exploring.  And I came home with a new Helen Frankenthaler book to boot!

Wandering Along the Path: Right Speech

I'm reading a book about James Brown by James McBride.  The author is exploding all the myths about Brown, and first off he trashed a recent film I loved:  Get It Up, starring Chadwick Boseman.  The film is powerful but inaccurate, as it turns out.  I can accept and learn from this.  This book makes a persuasive case for black people telling their own stories and those of their heroes.  I'm happy to be educated.  I feel that no matter what the race, the myths take over with biography, and it takes a persistent genius, like Lin Manuel Miranda or McBride, to loosen our grip on the myth.  So I'm exhilarated by the detailed, complex picture McBride is showing me of an artist I've adored since I saw him as a young teen.  One thing I got from living in the South:  soul music.  Like my parents got jazz from Kansas City.  One of my first LPs was Muddy Waters.  So I'm being introduced to the real, complex, contradictory James Brown for the first time.  And he's so much more than I could have hoped.

Wandering Along the Path: Right Speech

I listened to Anam Thubten's live broadcast this morning, and tears rolled down my face.  He was talking about reminding us who were are, of our Buddha nature.  He had the analogy of our Buddha nature asleep and not wanting to wake up, as if it were a Saturday morning and we just want to sleep in a little more.  And he's right, it's easy to access our Buddha nature when in crisis or when caring for small children.  I found myself with infinite patience and compassion when we were traveling with our granddaughter.  When I'm around the little grandsons my benevolence radiates naturally from my love.  I've been expanding that feeling to non-family that I encounter, and feel so much better for it.  For those who are harming others I attempt to feel their pain, and what they must have been through to act in such a manner.  The twelve years I did safehouse work, I could see clearly the batterers' pain, the relentless cycle of abuse, and though my job was to have clear sightedness about how to protect their victims, and I felt therapies were rarely successful in changing their behavior, I supported such therapies in hope and compassion.  Feeling my Buddha nature is like coming home, to who I really am.  I just need an alarm clock sometimes to wake it up.

Wandering Along the Path: Right Speech

I woke up at six am with a headache this morning.  Half an hour later I took Tylenol, and then dozed until eight am.  I don't know if it was part of jet lag or the zombie symptoms I've had all week, but I got up, had a sensible soy shake and fruit, got out the door and bought a baby gift and two new nightgowns, came back and walked an hour with my husband.  Then we were off to see Incredibles 2, and we both enjoyed it.  I'm quite a fan of Elastagirl.  I feel like I'm in gear better now.  I also told my husband I've renounced watching Perry Mason.  I'm done.  It's not just the ham handed acting, though Raymond Burr is always great, it's the terrible commercials we mute and the black and white.  I've reached a tipping point.  I have now seen enough Perry Mason episodes.  For eternity.  I have a stack of books by my bed to read and writing to do and phone calls to make.  Yes, I had jet lag, but now I'm coming back from the living dead, and am going to lose the couple of pounds I gained on the trip, eat better, and walk more.  No more slug.  I'm aiming to turn myself into a butterfly!

Wandering Along the Path: Right Speech

I'm really struggling with jet lag after my trip, and ready to sleep after dinner.  It's been a busy week, and I look forward to the weekend, when I'll be free to slug along and adjust to my time zone.  I look back over the week and see that although everything I did was pleasant, it was unwise.  I was pushing myself.  That's my M.O.  I love to see people and can't turn down an opportunity when it is presented.  Today we have our grandson and that is mellow as a rule.  We stroll him to the park and read and play with trucks and look for dogs and kitties and flowers.  I'm usually really ready for a nap after our daughter picks him up.  It's like being on a canoe ride in a calm lake and letting the boat rock you as you look for osprey and watch the fish jump.

Wandering Along the Path: Right Speech

I just returned from a trip to the zoo with my daughter, grandson and husband.  Today we saw the tigers eat, the elephants up close and the hyneas lying on their back with limbs splayed.  We watched the fruit bats get fed, brushed the goats and admired the giraffes.  And, of course, we road the train.  That was our grand finale.  The minute we got back in the car our grandson conked out.  He was done.  We were ready ourselves for a little inside time.  I'm going to rest before an appointment later, and then read and doze, no doubt.  But the enthusiasm of a child buzzes in your blood long after, and lifts the spirits like hot air balloons.  I'm grateful.

Wandering Along the Path: Right Speech

We've just returned from a fun trip with our granddaughter.  She is a great traveler and sport.  And of course being with her makes everything more exciting.  Her pleasure is ours.  We tried a group thing this time and it was really fun to have a group.  Our granddaughter had kids to play with and more people to interest her.  She was up for everything.  I hope I'm able to take the two toddler grandsons on trips when they are old enough.  We are already thinking about next year's trip.  So much of the world to explore and so little time!