Look Alive

09 May 2012

Model Behavior

"...a human life is also a performance in time and process of becoming." - Mortimer J. Adler


A role...? Stop playing!

That's the semi-cheesy version of my response to a loved one when asked to assist an indy film. It's not really my arena, so I admit that being a gun-slinging freedom fighter determined to encourage an ex-priest back to faith on green screen/hungry boom operator was fun! I offered a similar response to another when, without being asked, I was signed up on some dating website then invited to view a bikini-clad, ocean-loving version of myself smiling at unseen family from the laptop screen of the would-be crime. As for fun once I realized the additional photo, bad headline, blurb and a few personal facts could have gone live to random strangers in a manner I don't respect: not so much.

With a quick edit, I let the latter young'n know that there was yet time for my neck of the woods to manifest either the hot beach days or rightful connection with a man (visually motivated as many insist the species is) making that type of revelation necessary. The funny thing is that back when I was a few years younger than her, fresh out of junior high and playing what I thought was 'good matchmaker', I'd showed a similar photo of my older sister to a young man I knew from school. Oh, you want to meet a young lady priced "far above rubies"? Look, up in the tree! It's aviator shades, some skin and a coconut! Much wisdom was gained once I got home and shared the answer of an interest never enquired. Good Misguided Educational times!

The day of the more modern mistake presented a pleasant contrast to its previous 24 hours, when my heart broke following late news of a great, multigenerational loss. I wanted to scream, drank [sic], curse, fight, cry, speak with someone and be silent with my God in and over All. Instead, the gamut of emotion, temperature, vice and virtue ran through that mere facet of this lifetime as what appeared to be my calm attention leapt over tall buildings then trees out the window. From a bus seat. Alone. Headed in. The right direction...

Deciding who among my contemporaries I could reach out to with a field, heart and moment free enough of their own 'stuff' to really hear me without unfounded accident or incident was a brief challenge. Looking across the aisle for expanded humanity instead, a woman read a book entitled "Shut Your Eyes Tight". The wave of laughter that accompanied the memory of my grandmother drilling us girls with her version of the phrase whenever we had something big to surmount did exactly that and nearly sealed them. Who knew then that she was a Joyce fan or, more likely, understood that she was advising us on how to get still and peer beyond the superficial as needed?

As we near the Mothers Day holiday in the U.S., I honor this and all related counsel of the critical, compassionate kind from my heart. I posted one such communication at the top of 2011, as it reframed The Lord's Prayer or "Our Father" to acknowledge the Godhead's totality by considering the maternal, "Cosmic Birther" essence. If you will, take a look at the former entry here. We are ALL impressionable sons and daughters of someone, if nothing else. The guiding examples of Godly wo/men are paramount to our wellbeing so, even in Spirit, be sure to look also into the eyes of your (spiritual) mothers with Love and gratitude this weekend and beyond.