A HAVEN, A SANCTUARY, A SUMMER PLACE

What? This picture doesn't fall into any of the three in the title? Ah, but you're so wrong.

I've been blessed by being able to travel. To see a huge hunk of the world. Paradise Valley is only a short drive away from my house. I live on the Sunnyside of the street. But none of these are important in seeking a haven, a sanctuary, a Summer place.

I go back to the lyric for my answer. "It's anywhere, where two people share/All their dreams, all their hopes, all their love". So you see.

Seek your haven, your sanctuary, your Summer place. But it won't be complete without The One. And it doesn't matter where on earth it is.

THE TIME TO ACT

My high school acting career consisted of playing a soldier in The Mouse That Roared and being in a slapstick comedy routine in It's Coming. Neither garnered much notoriety nor much raving.

But it doesn't mean I didn't act. For most of my high school days, I acted like a fool. I didn't study nearly as much as I should have. I didn't treat most people very nicely. For some, I went out of my way, but for most, I didn't.

I regularly went to church and knew scripture and how to act: I just didn't follow. I was a user of people. For my benefit, for my aggrandisement. If, somehow along the way you could help me in my pursuit, then I invited you along. If not, then I ignored you.

If you think I'm feeling low or feeling bad about the way I treated people during those years, you're right only about the latter. And, unfortunately, I'm being objective, reflecting, yet knowing my past behavior. Knowing my heart back then.

One crazy way to describe how I acted might be that I acted as if I were the star of a movie that everyone (I thought ) was interested in watching. I was performing. But for no one special. The only consistent quality in my movie was the self-centered focus.

So if you knew me then, well I'm sorry about the way I interacted with you. I didn't mean anything by it--I was just too immature, too dumb. A line from a Christian praise band hopefully describes me now: "If you could see me now/ If I could show you how/ I'm not who I was..."

"ALWAYS REMEMBER YOUR NAME, SON"

When I saw the picture of a twisted tree, it made me think of a story told to me by a grad. prof I had in English Lit. So it goes back a few years.

It seems that Dr. Schoenhorn had worked in a mental institution in New York when he was an undergrad. Rarely did he get to have much contact with any of the patients. One, though, was memorable because of what he said: "always remember your name, son."

Dr. Schoenhorn thought that good advice, but it several weeks had passed before he found out why the patient kept saying that to him.

The old guy lived alone. He went through a very vile routine in his apartment three times or so per week. He forgot one night to pull his curtains. He and his lewdness were on display for all to see. One neighbor called the police.

When they arrived and asked him his name, he couldn't respond. He simply couldn't remember.

When he was placed in the asylum, he thought it was because of his loss of memory, not for his explicit behavior in full view of others.

I hadn't thought of this story or my lit teacher for years. The picture triggered a deep recessive memory. Maybe a picture is actually worth a thousand memories. Well, fortunately not this one.