From Bill – Quiet Reflection

Things have quieted a bit over here at Touchstone. Time to stay home and mow the lawn perhaps, clean the house, the computer hard drive, and instead of having one’s entire being buried into a project, lift it up a bit and actually look at what one is doing, has done. Watch the river flow.

It’s true, for me and I imagine for many of us, that we are so busy with our lives that we seldom have time to step back and fully appreciate them, or those of our fellow travelers. Summertime provides a little breathing room, and stumbling on a stray video excerpt I took almost eight months ago– while cleaning up my telephone– my thoughts go to the winter and Christmas City Follies.

For me, while watching, it’s bittersweet, knowing Nicole (who plays the Black Swan), Cathleen (Corps de Ballet), and Rob (Hunter Gatherer) won’t be with us next year.  But also reassuring, seeing Emma’s demure smile and Mary’s strident and righteous chubby swan– knowing they will be even more vital to the work in the coming year.

This last weekend, we did a reading of The Tempest with friends. Such an amazing play– in range (from the low drunken clowns to the high ceremonial pageant of the wedding), content (the essential need for forgiveness in our lives), and language. But one theme rings true for me as I hit the mid-sixties– an increasing intimacy with the dark and of all that has been left behind. Prospero refers to it in his summary with Alonzo as he talks about his joys, his retirement, and how “every third thought shall be my grave.”

Well, not ready for retirement and certainly the grave yet, but determined more now than ever to not only live my life, but enjoy it. Even if all that’s left are these grainy telephone videos stolen from the wings to stir the memories of great friends, great times, and delightful art.