Category: The Show Must Go On

Well, those two things don’t necessarily go together, but they do have something in common:  a balmy pre-spring day and a bust of Alexander the Great, that is.  They are both an affirmation of how “the show must go on”.  And if you think that is even more vague of a statement, allow me to explain:  the weather here today is mild and balmy, and although just a bit breezy, from the sight of the blue skies, the crocuses in the ground peeking out, the grass turning green in patches here and there, and the tiniest of shoots appearing on barren branches of the trees, one would venture to say that Spring is indeed around the corner!  And that sentiment, the sentiment of hope for a new season, captures the sprit of the purpose of this blog viz. that “the show must go on!”  In the changing of the seasons–Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall–the show does indeed go on!

 And what’s all this about the bust of Alexander the Great, you say?  Well, I happened to find this lovely monument tucked away on one side of campus during my noon-hour walk on this beautiful balmy day, and I couldn’t help but stop and look more carefully at the image and information of this man who lived more than 2000 years ago, and yet, so great was his mark on the state of the world as it was known at that time, that his name and lore have been immortalized over the millenia.  The show goes on!

So, these other pictures are what again?  Well, the first is a view from my office window, and the other is a view of my office building from the outside.  That third window on the top-most floor, third from right has my name written all over it!

 

This post was first published in my private blog almost two years to this day on Friday, March 20, 2009.  Two years later, the show does indeed go on… but the love remains the same.

It comes to us in different ways: in person, on the phone, in a letter or an e-mail or even a text message. Sometimes it even comes in a small parcel. All the way across the oceans. Love, that is. 

Last Friday, I came home to find it on my doorstep– a small parcel sealed at every seam and corner, with lots of bright stamps on the front, and AIRMAIL written on the front and back. One look at the return address told me it was from my cousin, Shorrosh in India. I picked it up, took it into the kitchen and needed both scissors and a knife to open it up! Inside, were three lovely long silk scarves. And a small note from him that said he hoped I would like them. What for, this present, you say? Well, for nothing. No birthdays or anniversaries or other milestones to mark. No special occasions that needed kudos or congratulations. It was a just-because present, the best reason ever.

But to me, there was another reason that love arrived in the mail on that day. It happened to be a day that was a rough one at work. A day that had left me confused and bewildered. A day that took me by surprise and actually knocked me down. And so, when I came home in this bruised state of mind, there was this little parcel– another suprise, but what a lovely one, this. What an instant pick-me-upper, what a sweet comfort coming from so far off just for me. Love in this little parcel, all wrapped up, and sent to arrive on just the day that I needed it most.

And that’s how love manifests itself so many times. Sometimes when we least expect it; when we don’t even realize that we are in need of it. And so it creeps up to us. And wraps itself around us, and enters our hearts, and assures and reassures us that we are loved– just as we are. And for no other reason than just-because. No special occasion necessary.

So, this one’s for you, Shorrosh! Thank you for loving me, and for reminding me that you do. Your love comes to me in so many ways, but this way through the mail is so terribly sweet. I love it. And I love you.

It’s a huge deal every year, this time of year.  The annual school district competition for high school Varsity, Concert and Symphony Bands and Orchestras.  Students have been practicing for the better part of the academic year with hours of practice at home every day, and when the big day arrives, the parents are just as excited to go and see for themselves if those performances are really what they’re made out to be.  Well, they are.  And if you don’t believe me, I’ll have you know that this one high school’s music program is a Grammy-award winning program in recent years.  Here are a couple of audio files of two of the pieces performed today.

So, you might love them or you might hate them.  Public art installations, that is.  They’re typically scattered around the grounds of large buildings and campuses such as Universities.  And depending on your point of view, they might serve any number of purposes:  everything from recognizing the work of the artist, to celebrating an event such as an anniversary (centennials are quite common), or nothing at all if you’re not a fan of outdoor art installations!

Pieces of public art might be sculptures of the people who represent something; others might be abstract so as to allow you to conjure up your own images of what the piece might represent about the person, place or thing.  Regardless of the type, pieces of public art remain constant– the’re fixed installations that aren’t going anywhere come hail or snow or shine.

And then there are other types of public art that serve to communicate an idea but only for a short while.  The message might change every month or even every week.  Take this big rock, for example.  Situated right in the middle of campus, it bears the logo or message of some student organization or cause, and this may not be the same one that you’d find tomorrow.

There’s something to be said for both the beauty and utility of these two pieces of public art.  They might represent two completely different causes, but unlike the changing landscape around them through the four seasons, they remain in their place even as everything else continues to change and morph, and perhaps even eventually disappear from sight.  The seasons change; the people come and go; but these public art objects remain standing in place.  Boldly making a statement or conveying an idea for the ages to come. 

The show must indeed go on!

I had first encountered Moliere in Sophomore Lit. in college.  Translated from the French, the plays are short brilliant pieces.  Last night, I had the pleasure of going to a Moliere play:  The Misanthrope.  Some tokens of the event:

The Wiki entry on the play is as follows:

The Misanthrope  (French: Le Misanthrope ou l’Atrabilaire amoureux) is a 17th-century comedy of manners in verse written by Moliere. It was first performed on 4 June 1666 at the Theatre du Palais-Royal, Paris by the King’s Players.

The play satirizes the hypocrisies of French aristocratic society, but it also engages a more serious tone when pointing out the flaws which all humans possess. The play differs from other farces at the time by employing dynamic characters like Alceste and Célimène as opposed to the traditionally flat characters used by most satirists to criticize problems in society. It also differs from most of Molière’s other works by focusing more on character development and nuances than on plot progression. The play, though not a commercial success in its time, survives as Molière’s best known work today.

This is yet another old post from my private blog first published on September 25, 2008.  I post it here in tribute to every self-affirming Egyptian revolutionary who in a matter of 18 days brought down a 30+ year dictatorship.  May it be that the historic change in Egypt is one that is for the people in every way that will result in a better quality of life, chief among that being the ability to savor freedom in every way.  The show must go on! Original post follows: