Thursday, February 19, 2009

Thinking about friends

This morning I got news that a wonderful man I used to work with passed away following some treatment for cancer of the throat.

Larry was a graphic designer at my old agency. He was a quiet man who went about his life and work without ever ruffling anyone's feathers. He was a good friend to many and he was very kind. He was also a good designer. He did some design work for an event for the band I played in.

Larry was gay, and he was quiet about that too.

And I'm thinking about my friend Diana whom I have known for about 23 years. She has cancer in her liver and elsewhere and is now in hospice care. I don't expect her to be around much longer.

Tell your friends how much you love them - now, today!

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Profound moments in life




The other day I was thinking about the special moments in my life. I was on my way to work and had been thinking about my dear friend Diana who is quite ill with cancer and I don't know how much longer she'll be around.


We had talked about our vicarious families - the children of friends and colleagues. Diana is an only child so she doesn't have the benefit of nieces and nephews as I do.

But I thought how some people put their wedding as the greatest day of their lives, or the births of children. I don't have that but I have accomplished a few significant moments - graduations, investiture as a Knight of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem.

The most profound moments have been the quiet ones. Like Elijah on the mountaintop - God came in a gentle whisper. For me many of those moments included music. A non-exhaustive list in no particular order:

  • holding each of my newborn nieces and nephews
  • some moments of prayer
  • the Sanctus in the Mozart Requiem
  • singing Handel's Messiah
  • singing the Mahler 8th Symphony
  • performing Ticheli's American Elegy with the Capitol Pride Symphonic Band
  • the CPSB trip to Concord, New Hampshire
  • a weekend at the Ciskanik summer home in Pennsylvania
  • summer-rep theatre at WVU
  • the moment as the curtain opened in Oliver! - a show I stage managed my senior year
  • baking cookies with Nana
  • listening to Ma tell family stories
  • sitting atop a mountain in Germany
  • standing near the Grotto in Lourdes
  • lunch in Orvieto with Bart
  • many evenings at home with George
  • family walks in the woods with Uncle Stan and Uncle Gene
  • floating on the river
  • enjoying friends

Thursday, February 5, 2009

Separated at Birth


It occurred to me today that these two Washington, DC celebrities bear a striking resemblance.

On the left is NBC - WRC 4 Consumer reporter, Liz Crenshaw.

On the right is DC Police Chief Cathy Lanier.

Interesting.

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

The trouble with Facebook

Remember back when you were in high school and on a Monday you heard your friends talking about some party they went to over the weekend. You were left thinking, Hmmm, all my friends were at this party. Why wasn't I invited? Why didn't I hear about it?

Okay, maybe you were always at the parties.

Recently some friends have posted photos on Facebook of parties they have attended. I look at the photos and see a bunch of my friends and the hosts are friends yet I wasn't invited.

I have thick enough skin to not think that it is a personal slight. But it still sucks not being one of the cool people.

sigh...