IN THIS ISSUE: A HUNGRY MAN'S THANK YOU
WISDOM: "A hungry stomach cannot hear." Fable
COACH'S CHALLENGE: Feeding the hungry may feed your soul!
SOUL TRAVEL: CHRISTMAS IN BUENOS AIRES
A HUNGRY MAN'S THANK YOU
Every day the gaunt, bent figure stood at the same corner. His skin was dark, his hair unkempt, his clothes tattered and dirty. Randy always waved to him on his way to the office and, occasionally, handed him money, making no judgments around how it might be spent. He wondered only what circumstances gave rise to this man's daily vigil for survival at this lonely corner.
This particular day, as he was preparing to leave town, Randy pondered over what to do with all the food in his refrigerator. Suddenly, he remembered the man on the street corner. With happy hands he fixed sandwiches and neatly packaged his remaining leftovers. Being a man of discriminating tastes, the leftovers included such things as spelt bread, honey baked ham and pate.
Looking forward to giving his gift, Randy drove to the corner. He parked the car, got out and placed three paper bags full of food in front of the stranger. Randy stepped back from the sacks of food and looked into the stranger's face, a face etched with grief, sadness and hardship. "The carver within is ruthlessly honest," he thought to himself.
Each of them stood without moving for a few moments, frozen in the stillness of surprise. The stranger's expression did not change; his eyes just stared at Randy. "At least he might say 'thank you'," thought Randy, confused by the lack of response.
Then, very slowly, the stranger's hands moved forward, coming together as though in prayer. His face tilted upward and, raising his arms above his head, he opened them as though embracing the heavens, then fell to his knees in gratitude.
As Randy told me this story, his eyes filled with tears. "What a thank you," I responded, a little teary eyed myself, "and what grace"!
___________
CHRISTMAS IN BUENOS AIRES
Buenos Aires is a beautiful city -- clean, wide boulevards, walker friendly, imposing architecture, chic and charming. Many of the glorious old mansions with beautiful decorative ironwork, once owed by the wealthy, have been turned into government buildings or embassies. And of course it is the home of the Argentine tango which gives Buenos Aires a special flavor all its own.
Florida Street, a long boulevard blocked off from traffic, is the first stop. Not only is it a shopping mecca, particularly for anything leather, it is a people watcher's paradise. All kinds of entertainers from sidewalk artists, human statues, tango dancers and musicians provide a kaleidoscope of diversity.
Christmas does not appear to be celebrated effusively here which is a surprise to me. One beautiful Christmas tree is present in a Florida street mall but otherwise, decorations and Christmas lights are rare. There is a magnificently carved wood creche scene in the cathedral.
Recoleta is the most famous cemetery in the world. It costs a fortune to be buried there and tombs must be approved by an architectural committee. The annual maintenance fee must be paid or you are out on the street, so to speak. Apparently, you need generations of caring and wealthy relatives or else it won't be your final resting place. Recoleta, full of beautiful sculptures, equates to an impressive art walk spiced up with sometimes dicey stories of its "residents". Eva Duarte Peron is buried there, much to the consternation of the upper class. After all, she was an actress and from a poor family. Actually, she stole from the rich and gave to the poor. It was not her wealth she was dishing out. Her tomb is usually bedecked with flowers, less so this time of year as "one-half" of the people of Buenos Aires leave town because of the heat and humidity. This is not the best time of year to come here.
La Boca is a residential "barrio" totally distinct from the rest of Buenos Aires. Built by Italian immigrants, it is said they painted their houses with the leftover paints from the ships. Hence, the tradition of a hodgepodge of brightly painted homes, no two of which are alike, and some are a multiple of primary colors. Still a flourishing working class neighborhood, it is today also an artist's colony.
Fascinated by La Boca, I begged our guide for more time with my camera. The guide obliged and, after warning me not to go beyond a certain point, she and my friend went into a café for refreshment. Of course, I went beyond a certain point. What I saw stopped me in my tracks. In front of me was a brightly colored mural "almost a block long" painted on the side of a building.
|
The painting was of several families, some of whose members, all ages and gender, were painted "out" in white. These represent the ghosts of the "Disappeared". At the side of the mural was a long list of names of people from La Boca who were among the thousands who "disappeared" during the worst, most violent and tragic years Argentina has ever seen. I was stunned. It was amazingly poignant. Was I not supposed to see this? I said nothing to the guide so I don't know. I do know I will never forget having seen it.
I cannot end without mentioning the opera house. The opera house in Buenos Aires is one of the top five in the world. They mount their own productions from scratch and tickets are rather dear. The stained glass windows in the ceiling of the lobby are the most beautiful stained glass I have ever seen. We were not allowed to take photos beyond this point but I have included a photo of one of them below. Since it was summer, there were no performances. Yes, I must return to Buenos Aires. I must attend an opera and spend more time in this lovely city.
Recommendations: 1. The movie "Frida" is a must see. Line from movie - Frida asks her father what makes a good marriage. "A short memory", he responds.
2. Great Read
If you enjoy historical fiction and want to read something that keeps you from nodding off after a busy day, pick up Sandra Gulland's trio of books on the life of Josephine Bonaparte. "The Many Lives & Secrets Sorrows of Josephine B.", "Tales of Passion, Tales of Woe", and "The Last Great Dance on Earth". Politics, intrigue, Reign of Terror, the enigmatic Napoleon (a Type A personality if there ever was one), and a real sense of the life of that day among the wealthy and the royals, as well as one of the great love stories in history. One keeps hoping it will end differently.
The historical footnotes add credibility to the massive amount of research Gulland did for the books. I was particularly fascinated by all of the medical remedies of the day, one of which included '"bathing" in steaming entrails." Now that leaves a lot to the imagination!
If you have any recommendations for "Great Reads", please pass them on to me. I am always looking for the book that keeps me awake and reading. I am sure many of my readers would enjoy your recommendations as well.
Next month: LET THE BIG CAT JUMP
THOUGHT FOR THE MONTH: The holidays are a terribly sad time of year for many people. These people are not hard to find. Take the time to give some such person the gift of your beautiful presence in thought as well as deed.
========= =========
I WANT TO THANK THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE TAKEN THE TIME TO LET ME KNOW HOW MUCH YOU ARE ENJOYING THE MUSELETTER AND THANKS ALSO TO THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE GIVEN ME E MAILS OF OTHERS YOU THINK MIGHT ENJOY IT. IT GIVES ME GREAT PLEASURE TO HEAR FROM YOU. YOUR COMMENTS ARE WELCOMED!
I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A MAILING LIST OF AT LEAST 1000 BY THE END OF THE YEAR SO PLEASE KEEP THE REFERRALS COMING.
EXPLORE MY WEBSITE AND PHOTO GALLERY AT WWW.DANCEWITHEAGLES.COM
EMAIL: allison@dancewitheagles.com
Feel free to forward this on to anyone you believe might enjoy it and encourage them to subscribe for themselves. Comments, submissions and suggestions are welcome. My email is allison@dancewitheagles.com Although this material is subject to copyright, you may reprint this publication in whole or in part or use it in any way you feel it might be of benefit. Please state the following: Reprinted with permission from Allison Quattrocchi of Dance with Eagles, www.dancewitheagles.com All past museletters are posted on my website.
Names of subscribers will never be shared or sold.
|
|
WINGS Vol. 1, No. 11, December, 2002
