Stories....

I've had the sneaking suspicion that I'd have nothing to say when I returned to Oregon. I mean, if the past be a guide (and it be), I'd just come back and slip into the media driven fog like I had so many times before. It's mostly summed up in the word 'television' which has been a companion of mine basically forever. And that world creates a kind of person who is basically a dupe.... of advertising, bullshit 'news', celebrity culture, tv dramas, which are nothing more than 'stories' but written by someone else, and also beholden to a western world view that we fuckin' know already, especially when presented in the cutthroat capitalist whore-fest which seems to be the nature of current American television. (Not to be negative, of course)

So how to avoid that pitfall? Well, duh, maybe don't turn the TV on. OK let's try that. (dum de dum, wonder how the Blazers are doing, dum de dum, who's on Colbert?, dum de dum, 'did you hear about Charlie Sheen?') It's endless unless one ends it, so I'll give that a try... or at least (backtracking here) not 'use' tv until I've accomplished some of my own work and creativity. Perhaps they could coexist, but only if I'm being fulfilled on the creative level, which is another way of saying 'on the focus' level. Cause I did have the experience on this trip of forcing myself to sit down and confront some creative challenges.

Inspiration is great, but I wasn't quite so hot on the 'perspiration' part of creation equation. But in Thailand, with no work, no TV, no computer at home, I had many experiences of making the choice to work on creative stuff in a more disciplined way. Wow, have I ever written or thought about the word 'discipline' without immediately recoiling from actually considering to try a more disciplined approach. I don't think so, but this time, it feels right and ready. And the thing that turned me from sneaking suspicion to 'yes I can' was the idea of 'stories'.

Because the idea of 'stories' came up three times today, the first when I was leading the first workshop and I shared the notion that stories are the best way to share values and touch the heart. I shared a story that I wrote about an overly aggressive kid (bully) who learns to 'use his power for good'. Then later, I was talking to my friend Jack, who has read every word that I wrote on the road, and I asked him, 'what did he like about it'. He said, 'stories'. And when I told him that the word struck a chord because I was just talking about stories, he related a scene from a movie in which an idealistic English missionary is going to go to China and open a church and 'just tell a lot of stories' to the people. Stories was her way of connecting with the world. It was the thing that helped us know eachother.

If there were ever an ad for 'raconteur' in the newspaper, I would apply for that job. I'd bring an accordion and a guitar, maybe play their piano and just shoot the bull about people and places and sounds and stories. It's a career to which I aspire. I saw Buster Poindexter (David Johansen's alter ego) do a great muscical ond other performance at the Bottom Line, telling stories over the course of the evening, he had us mesmerized and enjoying. That's the gig I want, and I think I could make something happen along those lines around here.

While traveling, I kept coming back to the notion of starting some kind of 'cabaret' performance space, with me as the emcee and musical director. I could put together evenings of entertainment and culture, inviting talented and interesting guests who can sing, recite, dance, amuse and connect with an audience. It's kind of an old fashioned idea, which would lend itself to some of the Tin Pan Alley stuff that a lot of us love. But there could be space for all kinds of artistic effort. My mind runs into some dead ends about how to make it economically viable, but I'll bet that with enough thought and planning, I could bring something nice to life. Hell I need some kind of venue for all this stuff I've been making up. I imagine that though is at the heart of the 'cabaret' idea.

Just got a great flash that a couple or two of good dancers would add an amazing piece to the performance puzzle. That's part of the dream, I suppose, to weave music and dance back together, where they belong. There are some great dancers in this town and how awesome would it be to have a little venue for them to share their talent... to live, original music.

Another flash about this year's Jello Art Show, which is a local tradition. My Radar Angel friends put it on, and I've performed a bunch there over the years. But I don't really want to rehearse for it, just not satisfying enough at this point, but this year's spoof is about the Lawrence Welk Show, and would be perfect for a cameo performance, which they want from me. Since it's a European theme, I'd love to introduce 'Happy Finnish Girls' which would be a good challenge in ultra PC Eugene. Happy Finnish Girls is a play on words that purports to be a song about content Scandinavian women, but is actually a double entendre take on getting a 'happy finish' massage. I think it's funny and swingin' and perfect for the Jello Art Show. Yep, I'm in, this town needs a little bawdy humor.... badly. And I'm just the guy to do it.... badly.