Friday, October 28, 2016

G.E.S.

Marina Abramović (that performance artist in that video where she is the exhibit and just sits and is with people who come to "the exhibit" and then her former lover makes a surprise visit and she reacts and millions of people have watched and been touched by this video) was just interviewed on NPR (she has put out her memoir). She was asked to give advice to people about how to be artistic/use art in their own lives.
Her answer was that one when you wake up with energy that you usually use to go out and do things with, just sit by the window. And sit there as long as you can and turn the energy inwards instead of pointing it outside. And stay there, sitting, preferably for a good few hours. Her answer, as did all she said, and has done, who she is, struck me.

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One source says that this world is similar to darkness. Another source says that this world is a beautiful antechamber before the banquet hall? Contradiction! The resolution might rest in the suggestion that this world is a beautiful place that is covered in darkness. Our task is to shine light and reveal the beauty of this world.

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A dear colleague of mine called to see how I was both yesterday and today when I was hit hard by cold symptoms (thick yellow phlegm, fever, aches, runny nose, sneezing coughing, dried out and so sleepy),  He told me to make sure to take care of myself because I have no-one else.  Sad, but true.  But for G-d.  And G-d needs me to get the tea and soup myself.

Everyone has a remedy and I've tried many.  Turmeric. Zinc. Thieves Oil. Lemon. Various teas.  Chicken soup with cayenne in it and lots of fresh parsley, celery root, dill and much more.  Usual Kale shake w probiotics. Many variations on healing teas. Vit C. Vit D.  A friend takes 400 C a day.  Sounds good. Also recommended highly - OOO - Organic Oregano Oil. Gargled w the thieves spray oil and sprayed it on my throat and on my feel, as advised.  Got an RX just in case.  Wrote various people that I was sick.  Some sent curt feel betters. Two friends offered to bring soup.

I felt so weak, feeling a bit better now.....

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At 1:35 in you see Rahsaan Roland Kirk playing 3 saxophones at once.  A friend of mine insisted it was impossible after I showed him this poem by Billy Collins.

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Feeling sick.  I've gotten these things many times in my life.  Last week I went for a vitamin drip which is supposed to help ward off colds.  Now, bad sore throat, sneezing, runny nose, pains, etc.   Drinking soup, and teas.  Feeling alone.  Acutely aware of alone-ness of others.


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On Yom Tov I heard a wonderful talk.  The speaker said that after being asked to say a dvar Torah at a meal she kept thinking about one personal story.  It was all that came to mind.  She decided that she either needed to tell it, or someone needed to hear it. It was a story of how someone on the other end of a help-line got her to turn her life around.  And how at a moment when the helper was doubting herself, our speaker met her, realized who she was, and got to tank her on behalf of herself and of all those in her life.  As an intro to the story she said that for her it's about the power of the words we say.  And, as an aside, she mentioned, how much she thinks about this, and tries to be careful with what she says, though we all make mistakes in this area.  I was struck by one example she gave.  She said that she tries to not talk about her kids to people who don't have kids.  That blew me away.  Here's a person who got married very young due to communal norm and pressure, had a bunch of kids in a very short time, had a bad marriage and divorce.  And yet she sees the other side.  She sees that one person's burden is another person's prayer.  And that what's hard is also what delivers blessings.  Wow.


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Being sick brings out loneliness and neediness.

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When I started this blog (12 years ago!) I don't announce it to anyone.  people found it.  Among those people were my mother and father.  Mom's passed on to the world to come, dad is in this world and no longer visiting here.

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It's minutes before candle lighting, got to go.  I had envisioned a very long post but blogging is like life - we start out with big plans and then run out of time.  Wishing everyone health and happiness and all good on this Shabbos which is the first one of the year, truly marking, finally the real start of the full new year.  may it be a blessed one for all of us.

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