Whew, okay, I am beating Friday a bit but I am getting a head start! 🙂
Last night, I was asked to go to a literature reading, by fellow colleague Daniel Hamilton poetry writer extraordinaire. I didn’t know what to expect, and I never read anything I ever wrote in front of people. EVER. I have seen it on movies, (Dead Poet’s Society, So I Married an Axe Murderer, Back to School), but um, never wrote for such a night, let alone read for it.
I raced through the day, wondering how it was going to play out, WHEN would I get inspiration, WHAT would I write, I raced home, 5:15, and I had to meet Daniel at 7:15 for the 7:30 start. Hmmm, I sat down and ripped off my impressions in a poem, the way I heard it in my head being read (see? I am a poet and didn’t KNOW it!) By the way, the chain I wear around my neck, my Dad’s? – the necklace broke today, but having been in that moment before, I grabbed it and held onto it, this is important as I will come back to this….
I meet Daniel at the corner coffeeshop off of Parque Mexico, meet his friend, we walk over to the American Legion? No kidding, huge American flag, we go in, and are greeted by the most warm and friendly people EVER – Luis (CHECK his photos out) who served in the military, the organized of this recitation night (Jack Little) – from UK, someone from Canada, all of a sudden people poured in from all corners, a professor here in Mexico from the UK, I mean ALL over, including two people from My school! – lol, and one that went to Slippery Rock…does life never cease to amaze you?
The readings started, and me in my seat sinking lower and lower, thinking, oh myyyyy, what do I have that will work in front of this talented group of people? 🙂 Yet, the support you get from everyone sheering you on, was amazing….you WANTED to read SOMETHING after hearing all of these readings! 🙂 Daniel went up, and read some brilliant pieces about Mexico, Ezra Pound, the experiences he has seen during a walk in park, all amazing. Intermission come, I am asked, do you want to read next? 🙂 (GULP) Yes. I committed!
I turn on my computer as I brought it, and as an impulse, as a reaction to my necklace picking TODAY to fall off, I chose the story I wrote, way back in Mansfield University, during a workshop I attended for being a part of the first National Writing Project – the Endless Mountain Writing Project, since, well, that ring symbolized oh so much, take a read when you get a chance, it’s very personal to me! I worked my way through it, and wow, it took that importance all over again, and choked me up a bit being in Mexico, and all behind in the U.S, but the welcome everyone gave me for that was, AMAZING and warmed me up completely as that is what I intended when I wrote part of myself into that story.The Rings Around Us
I read my second – and I had my confidence from the reassuring group of friends I had just made, and wow, literature, art, word, poetry, PERSONABLE. This amazing event was just that, beyond words.
I loved the fact too, that while many of us did not realize it, the meatloaf, fries, burger, that you could order was maybe the best kept secret of this whole event, EASILY. 🙂 This night was our own moment to take a breath, and share the way we viewed the world. I am so looking forward to February 17th – the next one! For my first time reading publicly, wow, I loved every minute I sweated, stammered, and fretted – only to find everyone open arms to my contributions.
Tonight I participated in my first, (many first’s!) online chat with headphones and microphone, on a program called WIMBA, and it was awesome! I sent several days trying it, could not get it working, and then, I decided to try it on my notebook ACER computer, and Voila! I was late to the discussion, but it worked and I got my first taste of my upcoming Master’s in Ed class with technology and Library Science, and all the classmates were there (well half of the total class members!), it was exciting to hear voices from PA, and all over the U.S. so clearly…
And this weekend! I am actually going to see the butterflies in Valle de Bravo – How exciting to see the migration of the monarchs, after seeing them on television, and never really imagining I would see it live! Way cool…
And to top it all off, in March, we are beginning an free online course on P2PU that allows students and teachers to work together in teams on common projects. I think that is so waaay cool, wow. Able to create grants, learning how to create, find, and implement grants, and we can involve educators and students from all over the world! If you think you know of a group, student, educator, etc interested in this, please check the link out. This will be very exciting!
I look forward to what February brings, January has already been pretty exciting! 🙂
Friday night is the restaurant recommendation –
Oh, wondering what that second poem was about? Okaaaayyy, here it is..:)
🙂 (Originally was On the edges of Contentment, but the more I looked at it, my writing (groan!) made it look like On, so I changed it to –
One – the edge of contentment
PAVEing a Blog 