Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Serendipity

I recently had the opportunity to get to know someone who’d been an acquaintance for about five years now. Somehow, the two of us never got the chance to sit down and actually talk.

His name is David.

Among many things, I learned recently that David’s a fellow blogger…which of course meant that he was one of us. And before you have me married and burning his dinner in the house with the white picket fence, here’s an excerpt from his bio:

My journey continues. Over the years I've learned that Life is not a goal, it is a journey. It is our actions along that journey that define who we are. Some things I would like to have done better, but there was no road map for me to follow, and I had to make it up as I went along. I realize now that all our actions, both good and bad, make us into the complex people that we are.
In this year, major changes have come about in my journey. I no longer live following others' expectations for me. I have come out at school and helped found a gay/straight alliance with the students. My wife and I have divorced, and I am now living life on my own terms, alone-- ready for the next chapter of my life. And although I'm alone, I feel a little like Thoreau who says in the play, "I am no more lonely... than the first spider in a new house."
Each step along my path is a new discovery into who I am and who I can become. Recently I contemplated a teacup--don't laugh--and realized it was a size and shape that was unique to its purpose. It was not a mug. You didn't fill it with liter after liter of tea. You poured a small amount into it and savored the flavor. Perhaps I have too much lived my life believing that I should shape myself into someone else rather than accepting the person God made me. Sometimes being a teacup is enough.
I have learned from experience the power of Mary Cassatt's observation: "Acceptance on someone else's terms is worse than rejection."


I liked David the first time I met him….but those hours of talking (and laughing) the other day left no doubt that there was something truly special about this man. Not a surprise, really…as two of my all-time favorite guys, John & James are the ones that introduced us.

All I’ll share with you here about David is this one simple fact: The man awoke one night with severe chest pains and instead of dialing 9-1-1, he Googled it first. Then, he got dressed and drove himself to the hospital. You’ll get no more from me...but ya gotta love a guy who googles during chest pains....the trick, I believe, is keeping him alive long enough for everyone else to appreciate him. You can read his post entitled “The Heart Attack” here.

Needless to say, we exchanged website addys and I visited, I read, I followed. Below is a short film he’d posted at his place. It’s about four minutes long…and we all know how short Kathryn’s attention span is. (Usually 2 minutes is about my limit.)

However. I’m going to pleadbegdemand, insist on this one. Hopefully, you haven’t seen it before…(I can be so out of the loop at times, I know…) because I so want you to have the same reaction that I did...

Be prepared. That’s all I’m saying…



Margarete said...

What I would give for that camera...I know exactly where I'd want to be left...

j.m. neeb said...

I hadn't seen that before, but I rather enjoyed it...

Thanks for sharing it here. :)

kathryn said...

Margarete: I know, honey. I was both sobbing and yelling at the monitor as the poor father is trying to scroll through the photos. I thought this film was freakin' brilliant.
(...and pulling a 180, I just have to sing-song, "My favorite author commented fiiiirst"...as she does the Sephora-dance-of-joy...)

Unknown said...

Oh my goodness, that made me cry. I would want to be left in there also. Beautiful video.

sage said...

Wow, that's powerful, an amazing story in such a short piece of video

Kelly@MentalGarbage said...

What a beautiful video....

kathryn said...

j.m. neeb: You're very welcome. I found it extraordinary...from the concept to the acting to the execution. As Margarete so aptly put it: "What I wouldn't give for that camera."

WannabeVirginiaW: Oh, me too! My reaction was strong enough that Connor (13) burst into the room to see if I was alright. I'm with you...totally.

sage: That's just what I thought. How amazing to have that kind of talent, right?

Áine said...

It's great when you meet someone that you just click with straight away :)

Gigi said...

That had to be the most poignant love story EVER!! As I am sobbing big, gulping sobs over here! I may never be the same again.

Oddyoddyo13 said...

That's so heartbreaking-ly good! Talk about a happy ending...

Its amazing that you found someone to talk/joke with Kathryn. :) Not that its surprising you've got billions of friends....

kathryn said...

KellyGrrl: I completely agree. Who knew so much emotion could be packed into such a short span of time?

Smileyfreak: It's true. And rare. And wonderful!

Gigi: Oh, God....you sound just like I did when I saw it! I was beside myself...even though David had warned that it was powerful. I called him up after I calmed down and told him I wanted to throttle him! Wasn't it amazing, though??

Oddyoddyo13: I know, sweetie...heartbreaking but happy too. The look on the dad's face as realization dawns on him that he'll never see his son again. Fabulous!

Margarete said...

Listen Sweety,

When "It drops...I go see" Even if it's after my coffee and oatmeal.

Couldn't resist to comment on this one...totally took my breath away.

kathryn said...

Margarete: I know....I know. I've watched it about half a dozen times now...just watching their faces...feeling my heart leap when he sees her again. The anguish on the dad's face, knowing he'll be left behind...yet knowing he'll do whatever he can to make his son happy. Oh....powerful stuff.

Gigi said...

Loved this SO much had to come back to see it again (am warning now, will probably steal, ummmm, I mean borrow this to share!).

Course I sounded like you did - we are twins - 'member?

Dreamfarm Girl said...

Indeed that was powerful, Kathryn. Imaginative and heartfelt...reveals the depth of pain of the human heart, and what we will give up for love. ~sob!~

kathryn said...

Gigi: Honey, you know you're welcome to it, of course....something this amazing is meant to be shared! I've watched it 7 or 8 times already...

Dreamfarm Girl: I KNOW! And so very well put, sweetie. "The depth of pain of the human heart..." Sniff!

Lauren said...

Wow... I don't know that I'd want to live in a memory. At the same time, I don't know how I'd deal with losing a partner.

Congrats on making a new friend!

BlackLOG said...

Much as I love the Internet it can be so frustrating at times....10 mins of watching a black screen has hardly been an inspiration for me. Still I did go and check out David's blog and just loved that Beatles video. Well done again Kathryn for championing yet another blogger. Now I'm going back to watch that black screen to see if I missed anything interesting....

Runnergirl said...

That had me crying! How moving.

Alan W. Davidson said...

What a fantastic short video. David has a great blog and he seems like a wonderful man as well.

Straight Guy said...

Creative concept, but I didn't get quite as swept up as others seem to have been.

kathryn said...

Lauren: Honey you wouldn't live in a memory...you'd live in a camera. And you'd be with the love of your life. C'mon...you wouldn't consider it??

BlackLOG: Dammit! If you can't see it at my place, maybe you can see it at David's? Oh, I'm glad you got to see the Beatles medley video...it was great, right? And I'm sure you put that 10 minutes of black-screen time to good use...balanced your checkbook, checked the mail...took up water polo...

Runnergirl: Aw...me too! I'm sorry honey...but sometimes ya just gotta cry! It was THAT GOOD...right?

kathryn said...

Alan W. Davidson: I'm so glad you liked it, Alan! I felt the same way...and David is a great guy. I'm hoping he'll make his way into our group and vice-versa.

Straight Guy: Well. I don't know what to say. "Creative"? Yeah. But....are you made of stone? Really?? Did we watch the same film??

davidop175 said...

Okay, everyone, just so you know: the feeling was mutual. I can't believe it's taken five years to get to know each other. One guest kept coming by upset because we weren't mingling. Thanks Kathryn for all the great comments.

Alicia said...

Kathryn that was amazing. I'm so glad you shared it. I too cried as most of the previous post-ers said they did.

kathryn said...

David: Hey, you! Yeah, I do believe we monopolized each other through most of that fabulous party. And hey, I think we practiced amazing restraint-it's not easy to cover five years in several hours! Here's to making up for lost time/friendship. I'm so glad we did!

Alicia: Oh, I'm glad you thought so, sweetie. I hated to make you cry...but I figured if *I* had to experience it, then *you* did too.
It was worth the cry though, right?Thanks to David for not letting this one slide under my radar.

Anonymous said...

That was such a beautiful film. Honestly, it was just perfect.

:)
xoxo

Jerry said...

That is such an amazing video.

Tia said...

Was already missing someone today and now I am sobbing. That is a beautiful film.

Full-On-Forward said...

Well....you DID warn me.

Beautiful.

J

Heather said...

I think it great to have found a fellow blogger in a friend.

Climb2Nowhere said...

I love that movie! Amazing! Really beautiful!

wendy said...

Beautiful. "If only I could trace backward in time. Once more I would be yours and you mine. Through the camera's lens swift I would go; in an instant your unyielding love again I would know. To hear the gentle sigh of your voice; feel the smooth touch of your hands.. I would give up everything to turn back time's wayward hourglass sands." ~(c)Wendy Blum
Well, this is a first for me. I haven't, until now, created a poem on someone else's blog,lol. This will be going on my blog as soon as I figure out a title. Any ideas??

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