#24: The Mt. Rushmore Series (By Half)

I say "Adam and     " and you say what? For this iteration of the Mt. Rushmore series, here are my four choices for one half of a fictional duo to span the ages. I maintain there is no more than one possible name to complete the other half of any of these partnerships, each from a different world. Try to make another name go along with any of these, I dare you. Even better, give me your version of Mt. Rushmore by half, using the worlds I chose or your own.

From the world of drama: Romeo and 

From the world of film: Thelma and 

From the world of music: Frankie and 

From the world of  literature: Scarlett and

This post goes out to folks who've told me they resist commenting on my blog because they have nothing "profound" to say. Think it's fair to say no one would use the word profound to describe this reflection, right?

A Sacred Place

"It's impossible to capture the beauty of nature, but it's inspiring to try." -  Mindy Flexer, 2007 Artist in Residence, Schoodic Peninsula

On our fourth trip to Acadia National Park, my wife and I have explored different parts of this amazing place largely because a friend who lives close to the park kindly put us up for a night and then also guided us around. Had she not done so, it's likely we'd have both missed the heaven on earth called Schoodic Peninsula.

Where were you the last time an experience with nature left you unable to articulate how you felt? Standing on the rocks early today at Schoodic Peninsula as the ocean pounded the shore nearby, the summer of 2000 came rushing back. That year, while hiking in Glacier National Park, I bent down and cupped my hands to take a drink from a creek running alongside the trail. I can't articulate what I felt that day fourteen years ago any better than I can what I felt today standing on those rocks. But I am inspired to keep trying and also to keep seeking out experiences like this.

What Is The Magic Number?

How many books would you have to include on a list of favorites to be certain you wouldn't leave off any important ones?

An author I admire got me started on this by listing twenty five of his favorites and suggesting the optimum method for completing it was to do an automatic writing exercise. That number and that approach presented me with two immediate issues: 1.) My bias for fiction made my quickly constructed list of twenty five very lopsided and... 2.) The egalitarian in me had difficulty allowing more than one book by any author on such a short list. A solution? Double the number.

Fifty favorite books helped with issue #1 - non-fiction and fiction have started evening out. However, issue #2 persists. Limiting some authors to even two books among fifty still leaves my list woefully incomplete. And, I haven't even consulted my reading journals yet - I'm still in automatic writing mode. Is one hundred my magic number? What is yours?

That Missing Article

Of late, upon hearing or reading something unfamiliar I've begun saying "If I ever knew that, I don't recall." It may be a dubious distinction but given how much I've taken in over 64 years, that statement often seems more accurate than saying "I never knew that".  More significant, it's less self-deprecating than that "...senior moment..." nonsense.

I've also harmlessly fantasized how cool it would be to be able to store everything important I read, see or hear from here on in. I'm not greedy - I'll gladly re-read all the seminal books, re-watch all the documentaries, re-listen to all the worthwhile music provided it all sticks with me this second time. Even better, I'll trade in all the garbage I do remember - old phone numbers, 1958 batting order of the NY Yankees, who recorded "Expressway To Your Heart" - if the stuff I really want to remember would just stay put so I could retrieve it at will.

Didn't I read somewhere that the brain is capable of doing this?

Kevin And Pat

We've all had the experience of thinking a person's name just doesn't fit them somehow. But how many times in your life have you felt a different name would fit you better than the one you have?

Patrick is a respectable name, albeit a bit predictable for someone raised Irish Catholic. It's easy to spell and pronounce and has the added benefit of being used enough not to be exotic, but it hasn't yet been over-used. The only two Patricks I've known personally have both been pretty cool and to my knowledge, no one with my moniker has joined the ranks of serial killers, brutal dictators, or talk radio DJs. So far, so good.

Still, at points in my life, other names have felt like a better fit:
* For years, I tried in vain to get others to call me by my confirmation name of Timothy, chosen as a tribute to my childhood best friend. Fortunately I gave up this moronic quest many years before Oklahoma City.
* When my wife and I were discussing names for our unborn child of unknown gender, naming a son seemed an ideal time to channel my re-naming fantasies. Eric or Keith topped my list when I was 39. If John, Paul, George or Richard had ever felt like they fit me better than Patrick, my son could have ended up being named after one of the Fab Four. Moot point - we had a girl.

Surely, at 64 I've fully reconciled myself to my given name, you ask? Ahem - I will not answer to Shirley but if you call me Kevin these days I might surprise you and turn around. Any name other than your own feel like a good fit for you right now?  

Receptivity And Connecting

I seem to be in one of those cool cycles where many new people I'm coming into contact with intrigue me. Are these things as cyclical with you as they are with me?

During periods like this, my challenge is not scaring off new people being over eager. At the same time, because the next similar cycle could be a long way off, it feels foolish acting at all aloof. As soon as I connect, it seems important to pursue that, wherever it leads.

I've also been reflecting on how much these cycles are linked to where I am when they occur. Although at present I don't feel more or less receptive than is my norm, it would probably be smart to get other opinions. In the meanwhile, I'm happily anticipating spending time with some new people.

Nine Days On The Road

Because my wife and I still enjoy each other's company after 36 years, we're looking forward to our time alone on a road trip to Maine beginning Saturday. That is, except for the road part.

Our car conversations are stimulating, we enjoy listening to music (provided what she calls "frantic jazz" and King Crimson are minimized), and we almost always agree what books we'll listen to on tape. Though our respective food clocks are not perfectly synchronized, they're close enough to keep low sugar rants at bay. But the driving - oh boy.

If you're in a long term relationship, what is your point of greatest friction? My wife and I take the expression "driving me nuts" to a whole new level. We both anxiously anticipate the day self-driving cars become reality - marital bliss awaits.

Not Quite Thirteen Ways To Say Thanks

Excuse me while I gush but "Thirteen Ways of Looking at The Novel" (2005) by Jane Smiley was exactly the book for me to read right now.

Soon after submitting my memoir to AARP/Huffington Post early this year, I began my second foray into long form writing. So far, things haven't gone real well - a little writing here, long breaks, a little more work on my masterpiece, longer breaks, etc. Then, two breakthroughs:

* An inspiring workshop which included interaction and encouraging support from other aspiring writers.
* Smiley's terrific book - "Writing a novel is , above all, a habit." Precisely what I needed to hear. When was the last time a non-fiction book (vs. a character or voice from a novel) spoke that directly to you?

And "Thirteen Ways..." is not just for stuck wanna-be writers like me - it's a reader's feast. I can't recommend it highly enough. Goodreads - thanks for the recommendation; Jane - thanks for the kick in the ass and by the way, I loved your novel "A Thousand Acres".

"When a student is ready, a teacher appears" - Buddha