Thursday, July 01, 2004

Memory and Lip

Birthday itineray is in germinal fetus-kicking-the-underbelly-blueprints stages. Tenatively I'll be kicking it with Moma Bear this sunday for lunch. Her chucrh always sports a jingoistic fourth of july farce and she already bought me a ticket...maybe I should tell her that I'm a Ba....a very semi-spiritual person as is. (Smiles)-My sister and cool brother in law will be in town so we should have a good time.

Hang out with Uncle Mike Sunday afternoon. We still couldn't get the Tractor to utter a mechanical yawn this afternoon so tomorrow I'll be using an old 1940-ish manual mower to trim the fornt of the house.

Monday morning (day b-4 b-day but day library is closed for fourth) I leave P-town via bus at 4 am and arrive at Midway airport 7:30. Take the L into the gut of Chi-town, depart L in the Loop, hit heavily the mutlifarious Starbucks, about a billion green constellations dotted circuitously off Michigan Ave, spend a narrow hour absorbed in the Contemporary wing at the Art Institute (there's this one Matisse that absolutely DESTROYS me every time my eyelashes channel surf across it)--go to AFTERWARDS my favorite used book store on the planet--talk to the owner like I am Hemingway's heir (this is called netwoking--selling myself to get my pages 'out there') and then at 1:10 hit the first of two consecutive showings of BEFORE SUNSET before eventually, wending my way back to Midway en route to Peoria via charter bus.

Not a bad way to official welcome my 27th year on this planet. Age is arbitrary and completely subject to the vicissitudes of passion and joy. When I was twenty-two I was arrogant beyond all belief, thought I was important and omniscient (though not in the beloved Mara-Arya sense)- and behaved like Frasier's younger borther Niles--socially snotty and hard to digest. Now I'm a burgeoning 27, (incidentally, half the age of my father before his demise)and I can't stop clicking the heels of my Doc Martens together in youthful elation and perpetual ambition. I can't stop writing, I can't stop falling in love with other human beings, I can't stop learning, I can't stop pulsating with life. I can't stop living.

"The opposite of war isn't PEACE--it's CREATION."
-Jonathan Larson

"The world of arts is the earthly paradise."
-Joseph Campbell

"If by eternity is understood not infinite temporal duration but non-temporality, then it can be said that a man lives eternally if he lives in the present."
-Wittgenstein

Can't think of any more cool quotes. On a high right now. One of my cool creative writing prof's, BRILLIANT Doc. Palakeel just sauntered into the library and I was already talkin' writing jive with JORDAN-to-my-Pippen writer NIck Thorton. NOthing beats it when writers hang out together (esp. when they've been pummeling out those sentences all day, all week)...We kind of augmented each other's highs. Palakeel's written three refulgent plays in the last year!!!!! One of his formidable play's was titled THE GOLDEN ASS ass and guess who got to play the eunuch (hmmmmmmm)....


Alright, winding down. Life is good. I still won't be able to sleep tonight.

3 comments:

Arya said...

Playing catch up...
Your enthusiasm is contageous. Your blog literally smiles. Thank you.

Daniela Kantorova said...

Yup. D is wise and a shining example. The light is leading me out of the dark pit. Or kicking me.
Why do i feel down about hitting 30? Why do i always expect so much out of myself. Time to relax!

David Von Behren said...

Arya's back!!!!!!!!!