"The worst thing is to be around someone who is fortunate and doesn't know it. I know it."
Jim Lehrer
I am basking in the glow of being around creative people who share what they do and how they do it.
This morning's "lecture"/interview with Roger Rosenblatt was Alice McDermott - author of Charming Billy, Child of My Heart, and her newest novel, After This. I have not read her before, but I'm certainly going to read her now. What a bright, articulate, witty, and infinitely profound person she is. She is again a writer who writes without knowing how the story is going to progress. I find this fascinating. She was telling about her current book, when she wrote an obnoxious character into one scene to bother the protagonist. She only intended for this person, "Pauline," to be around for one scene. Then, she says, "I just got annoyed because she kept showing up! I couldn't get rid of her! She was just the most awful person, and I was so tired of her. But later in the book she became the catalyst for a breakthrough for the main character, and she was able to show her humanity after all." Now I find that just simply fascinating!
Then this afternoon I went back to the movie theater for another documentary by the same guy as yesterday. This one was called "We Believe." Sounds religious, no? Well, I guess it was, but not in the way you would think. This was a funny and touching portrayal of what it means to be a fan of the Chicago Cubs! This resonated with me in a number of ways. The shots of Chicago really made me realize how much I love that city. . . me being an Illinois native of sorts. And also, with Chad in his line of work, I am familiar with a city which bemoans the lack of championship play on the part of the local teams. The Cubbies have been waiting over 100 years to win a World Series. As Joe Montegna, one of the fans interviewed, put it, "This is our century!" Any Cubs fan, baseball fan, sports fan, Chicago fan would enjoy this movie very much. Getting another opportunity to hear the film maker describe why he featured some players and not others, how he selected the music for the film, and behind the scenes secrets is something I have always loved.
Both of these presentations were memorable!
Church this morning went well. The speaker, Rev. Alan Jones continues to provoke my thinking and to inspire me. I also went to the other gym today. . .this one overlooking beautiful Lake Chautauqua. The weather has turned downright cold! We're all running around in sweatshirts, and in my case, fleece lined windbreaker! It's supposed to be colder tomorrow. What a difference three days makes. I LOVE this weather. Feels like fall. Great for sleeping.
We had our once weekly evening Motet Choir rehearsal this evening which was lots of fun. Skipped the concert tonight to head back to Wegmans for oatmeal and ground flaxseed. Sounds yummy, huh?
Can't believe it's already going to be Wednesday. I'm so glad I'm staying two weeks this time. Getting towards the end of Angle of Repose. Got into a great conversation with a few women standing in line at the movies. We were all throwing book titles around like crazy. All three of them had read Angle of Repose!! That's Chautauqua!
Looking forward to Alan Alda tomorrow!
