Tuesday, September 30, 2008

 

The Portrait


I just received this photo of Judge Dubois with his portrait, along with the artist, Michael Shane Neal.

The entire proceeding was very impressive, and it fulfilled what I think is a need for celebration of a person somewhere between marriage and funeral. Our society, I think, has lost some of the art of feasting, and that's too bad.

I'm now taking nominations for what other occasions could use some kind of ceremony/party...

Comments:
How about getting tenure?
 
Good idea! Or maybe 20 years after tenure you could get a portrait...
 
Well, a big birthday is a good enough occasion, like a 40th or 50th, or 70th or 80th.
 
life is short. celebrate when you can. :)
 
I think that you should try to celebrate a littel in your own way at a lot of things...

I have been married for ten years to a guy who plays guitar loud enough to wake the dead, and last year my house exploded as a result of negligence and stupidity. For the last 16 months I thought I would never, ever make it back here.

However today I am back home in the place that I love more than ever, I have a great marriage and a great kid, and I look forward to everything in the future. I have a lot of hope and optimism and no matter how dark things got last year, and they got realllly dark at times, I never EVER lost hope that things would get better, that we would get through all of this and that my family and I would get back home.

I got through all of that stuff that would make a lot of people bitter, angry, cynical and maybe just really really depressed, and yet I am here, full of joy and hope and optimism. Not only that, but I did it without a relationship with of God or the presence of any religion to speak of in my life.

I am not sure I want a portrait.... Not sure that I would like my NerdWear, bad hair and sandals/socks thing preserved forever in a giant painting... but I do think it is worth a celebration just for still having hope after a lot of crap. I earned no degree, I changed no one's life and probably did not make the world a better place but I have a lot of hope and optimism today. Even though all that crap went on I refused to let it have a permanent effect on my life and the life of my family.

I am proud of this. No party needed, though.
 
I think David Bowie's birthday would be an ideal time for a feast/happening. Of course, that is the same birth date as Elvis and my neice, Chloe. So...
 
Friday night.
 
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