As hard as I tried to do all the things on my "to do" list while in NYC there is much I'm leaving undone. I did not see Woody Allen play the clarinet at the Carlisle. I did not see a Broadway or off Broadway play. I did not make it to the American Museum of Natural History, the Hayden Planetarium, or Tim Keller's church. There are still 300 galleries and several more art museums on my "next time" list. And my sketch book still has many blank pages.
But I am happy with the many (many!) things I jammed into these last ten days. If Kiekegaard is correct, "life is lived forward but understood in reverse," then reflecting on the highlights of these ten days in reverse might help me know how to best live going forward. Highlights are best measured by counting goosebumps.
1. Standing inches away from original Van Gogh paintings tops the charts on the goose-bump-o-meter. He's my favorite artist, not because post impressionism is my favorite type of painting. He's my favorite artist because he was a former pastor and obsessive writer. Art historians are gaga for his letters to his brother and benefactor Theo because Vincent goes on and on about his creative process, his delirium with light and color, and his musings about faith, ethics, and life. I shuddered with glee at how he globbed paint on a surface and changed the course of art history. He also died broke and in obscurity. And now he's in the Metropolitan Museum Of Art!
2. Experiencing the choas of urban life ranks second on the goose-bump-o-meter. NYC is a cacophony of lights, noise, motion, people, class distinctions, foreign languages, religions (there are 400 churches in Harlem alone), and big skyscrapers. And it all works! Somehow, some way police and fire departments, hospitals, transit workers (although they could turn down the heat in the subways; I am sweltering as I type in the Amtrak station), cabbies, doormen, shop owners, meals on wheels, park maintenance, schools, and a zillion other citizen groups function well together. I can't explain how they do it. But they can be proud, especially after hurricane Sandy and 911. Cooperation? Resiliency? Can do spirit? Beats me. But if I were in politics I'd study New York.
3. Seeing original drawings published in the New Yorker and in children's books was staggering, as well. In mere moments I picked up some tricks to improve my art, namely, work bigger, slower, and with greater attention to detail. My earliest days as an artist involved India ink and colored wash...tools I would love to utilize again. I love the ease of digital creativity but there's something about those old friends I want to visit again.
4. I had an approach/avoidance response to seeing where John Lennon was shot, where my grand parents are buried in Florida, where 911 victims perished. The specter of death looms over us all but another goosebump moment for me was the realization that Vicki would want me to grieve without paralysis. To honor her legacy I want to weave faith and art and creativity and integrity into my remaining years. Specifics are vague at this point...I hope to muse on this while riding cross county via rail during the next two weeks.
Great post, Dad. Love you.
ReplyDelete