Notes from the SequesterFest
Remember when we used to gather to hear music? I miss that! But don’t lose faith. We will get through this!
Yes, right after I sent out my last newsletter everything changed. Life as we knew it became an anxiety-laced extended staycation in our homes with only virtual contact with other humans (outside of our immediate family, or in my case - no one!). All the shows I posted were of course cancelled, and I’m now working on getting out of my pajamas by 3 pm. I surmise, the frightening reasons aside, that many of us are finding this to be a novel liberation from our usual lives of crammed schedules, deadlines, and self-inflicted pressure. It’s my first vacation since 1975, and have rarely had more than a few days at home at a time for several years, so I’m sheepishly and shamefully enjoying it. But that sounds so shallow and myopic. It is of course also terrifying, tragic and far too real. And though my shock and horror triggered by the words and actions of our neighbours’ leader has unfathomably escalated I shall not sully my missive with even his name. That’s what reading newspapers and the internet is for. I’m here to distract you from all that for a moment!
Given all the entertainment options available, I would recommend avoiding all the dark, brutal, doomsday, claustrophobic and disturbing content we’re constantly fed. Well, that is most of the content created in the past 10 years, but I’m sure you can find something else. I think the last films I saw that fit into the uplifting category were “The Bagdad Cafe” in 1987 and “Grand Canyon” in 1991. My current guilty escape is Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee (I’m so deep!) sprinkled with some Ted Talks. I particularly liked Caroline McHugh’s “The Art of Being Yourself”. But I’m quickly branching out to recommendations that I’m not willing to confess to yet.
I’ve discovered a few things roaming around - like Bruce Miller’s version of the song he wrote that I recorded a couple of albums ago - “You Will Always Be My Friend”. Oh… my heart. Or the music of Madison Cunningham. Listen to “Something to Believe In” off “Who are you Now”. I’ve lived a rather sheltered life musically so I’m allowing myself to explore.
Here’s a little something you could take in if you’d like. Fiona Forbes had just launched an “Onstage Live” series when it suddenly had to go virtual. So I was finally forced to embrace creating video content and you can watch the show here. I’d put the word out on Facebook for song requests so I’m going to shoot those next and will let you know where I post them.
I know – it is possible the new reality of this much time together will seriously test some people’s patience. (Have I told you how much I love my solitude?) But I’m going to believe the opposite will happen, because I am an optimist! (Here’s an interesting collection of reports from couples on how their relationships are faring.) Maybe parents will discover their children and spouses will discover each other. Maybe folks will discover the power of a walk in the woods and notice the tiny miracles all around them. Maybe with salons closed, women will have to forego their long fake fingernails and learn all sorts of new wondrous things they can do with their hands. Maybe our priorities will stay permanently adjusted. Maybe the world will finally get that we’re just one planet and have to be a lot more careful with it! Oh, the list of positive possibilities are endless. And so are the profound acts of humanity.
Back to our daily reality. Stay in touch with one another, read, write, watch, listen, dance, and do whatever you can to make the most of this unprecedented break from our normal lives. We certainly are all appreciating our health, our leaders here in Canada, our freedoms, our grocery stores and pharmacies and the people who work in them, and most of all, the hundreds of thousands of exhausted heath care workers who are risking their lives every day to take care of us. Here is a video Julia shot several days ago from their balcony in North Vancouver of the cheering for them at 7 pm every night coinciding with the shift change at the hospitals. It made me cry when I first saw it. I think in part because of how uplifting it is to have a moment to connect in we-are-in-this-together kind of way. By now the internet is full of them from all over the world.
I’d like to think life AFTER this (and we WILL get to the other side) we will all have a renewed appreciation for - all of it - and each other. A girl can dream.
Thank you for being there!
Shari