This post is an excused tardy post. I was away. I was visiting with Quakers in Wisconsin for Northern Yearly Meeting (the annual business meeting of the FGC Quakers in and around the states of Minnesota and Wisconsin, primarily) Sometimes I feel more connected to the wider community. This time I spent more energy connecting to my own narrow community. I was just quiet and away and it was good. I feel littlle twinges of guilt for not being more social, but not really. Spouse has pointed out that it is nice to be around people who don't think it is strange to want time to yourself in a quiet woods. I walked around the lake twice with my spouse. Once clockwise and once anti-clockwise. I looked for birds (but mostly just heard them), went on a shorter walk with the daughter and took a number of pictures. Here was the highlight for me: The Talent Show Each year at NYM there is a talent show held and people of all ages participate in whatever way they see fit. I sing. I had not decided what to sing this year, and the day of the talent show I was trying to pick song. Me: Hey, did you know that a group of mules is called a barren? Spouse: I don't think you should sing that one. Me:? Spouse: (something supportive but reasonably asserting that I would not have it properly memorized in time) Me: ! Here is the song that I decided to commit to memory: A Crash of Rhinoceros by Carrie Newcomer (surprise, surprise) It did not go as planned. I practiced and practiced and could sing the song from memory in my head and to other people... I had drawn little pictures of all the animals in order in my notebook so I could see them in my head when I was singing. I forgot to take into account the deliterious effect that nerves has on short-term memory. Oops. So I got up, announced my nervousness to the audience, and dedicated the song to spouse. I realized several things as I was there. 1. I could not picture the animals that I had drawn while I was looking at the audiences. 2. Once I made one mistake (in an easy part, at that) there was a whole avalanche of other errors. I couldn't think. 3. The animals that I had not drawn very well (My squirrel looked like roadkill. My penguin resembled a bottle of wine with a particularly missshapen cork) were the ones that tripped me up the most. I got through the song in fits and starts until I really hit a roadblock. My mind was blank. I stage whispered to middle child: "Hey, there's a book in my bag underneath your chair..." and bless his soul he delivered it to the stage. We could have been a standup routine. FINALLY got to the end of the song and took a bow. Well, I thought to myself, I think I did a good job of modeling how not to fall apart when your performance doesn't go your way. After the show a young performer's mom sought me out to say THANK YOU. Her daughter had been petrified to go on stage. She was terrified to make a mistake. As her turn grew nearer her anxiety increased. Then I did my schtick and her tension left her. So I guess I was supposed to forget. Daily Convexions: took my meds, but being in a strange setting I sometimes took them in the morning and sometimes at night if I forgot. I may have double-dosed one time. Not sure. took walks talked to friends took photos went canoeing spent time relaxing with family and F/friends Grateful Crap: Family who looks forward to NYM as much as I do. They are already asking (from 3yo to 11yo) how long until we go back to the camp. Comments are closed.
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K. BuchananQuaker, teacher, parent, |