Anonymous Extraodinairies

The Killer Bee Club: NATALIE WARNE

Born in an underserved part of downtown Chicago, Natalie and her five siblings survived on her mother's humble teacher salary, moving from city to city to find work. No stranger to adversity, Natalie was determined to make something great out of her life. At 17 she saw the documentary Invisible Children: The Rough Cut; a film exposing Africa's longest running war. Compelled by this story, she applied to be a volunteer or "roadie" for Invisible Children, using her voice to help end this war. She quickly stood out among the other interns, and was quickly given responsibility to help lead Invisible Children's largest project to date; an event in 100 cities worldwide called "The Rescue." Through her determination, tens of thousands of people came out to the event, sleeping in the streets for up to six days in order to raise the profile of this war.

Her efforts paid off when Oprah Winfrey invited Invisible Children, and Natalie, onto her show to add her voice to the numbers. The event was then highlighted on Larry King Live, CNN, and countless other news outlets. Natalie has natural charisma, astounding leadership qualities, and is now working in Los Angeles as a film editor, to continue to share stories of injustices. This young lady is a Killer Bee if I've ever seen one. Another excellent TED Talk.

You've Got Mail

I love a good romance, and I love the animated shorts from Storycorps.
Rachel Salazar, you obviously weren't foolish at all.



The StoryCorps Video Channel

My Funny Valentine

Not unless they're on ice, baby.

What I'm about to reveal may perplex, even shock you. An admission so potentially astonishing, they could possibly revoke my Gay Card...but here it goes: 6-pack abs creep me out. Not just a little, but a lot. I will presume to be the minority here, as men and women the world over covet the prayerfully taut abdominal region for it's purported aphrodisiac qualities.

Please don't misunderstand. I have absolutely no qualms with muscles. They're quite nice when proportionate (and don't look like they were squeezed through the compression chamber of a spritz maker). Why just the other day I ran into Jon Hamm at the gym, squeezed his left bicep, and told him to keep up the good work. In my own quest for better health and fitness, I've been trying to eat better and workout regularly too- with mixed results. But there's something about the ripped chisel of a 6-pack that reminds me of the reptilian underbelly of an alligator; and who wants to cuddle up (or wrestle, even) with that?

The Curse of St. Valentine

I swear Cupid and I were separated at birth. The subject of love in all its forms continues to fascinate. After 4+ years of blogging you'd think I would have covered it all by now. Not nearly.

I had a mildly confrontational conversation with a dear friend recently, who accused me of busying myself with, well, being busy. Are you ready? To avoid being in a relationship. Seriously. I was like "Hello, are you new here?' I've spent the better part of the last 25 years in relationships, or chasing relationships. Right now I'm chasing dreams. Growing me.

Of course her position was that of most coupled folk. There's always an underlying sense of tragedy, pity even, for those left behind in the dust of their friend's "Just Married" tin can trail. She seemed deeply concerned that I'd let someone great slip through my fingers and miss out on the chance to be as happy as her! I have to admit in all fairness, she is pretty damn happy. Apparently I can't have sex and chew gum at the same time. At this age and stage I realize this truth about myself, and so I've been on a relationship hiatus, if you will.

While it's true that a healthy relationship shouldn't be work per se, anything truly worth growing deserves nurturing. I couldn't even figure out how to schedule a badly needed haircut last week. How could I possibly invest in a budding romance? So you see, I'm not avoiding- I'm respecting. Yet, I'm a lover of love and always will be. The day will arrive (and so will he) and I'll be back in the game. Just not until it's time to play.

Since it's Valentines Day this week, I'll permit myself a moment of fantasy... So what special quality will my future Dream Lover possess? The thing that sets him apart, and lures me out of romantic retirement, and back into love? It won't be a taut tummy, but a sharp sense of humor. Who needs a 6 pack? In the long run, someone who can make you laugh (and relishes in doing so) is worth more than an entire Prada steamer trunk of alligator abs. Isn't that right baby? Yes, as soon as there's a hole in my schedule large enough for a Maine elopement, I'm marrying Zach Galifianakis. You heard it here first.

Musical Treat Of The Week

"Quote, Unquote" #21: Gilda Gleans

"I wanted a perfect ending. Now I've learned, the hard way, that some poems don't rhyme. Some stories don't have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what's going to happen next. Delicious Ambiguity."

- Gilda Radner

The Rose

I've been looking for the origin/author of this story but have been unable to trace the source. It was shared frequently on Facebook this week, but it wasn't until Scott Luedtke shared it that I actually stopped to read. It's the kind of story I love to pollinate ...

The first day of school our professor introduced himself and challenged us to get to know someone we didn't already know. I stood up to look around when a gentle hand touched my shoulder. I turned round to find a wrinkled, little old lady beaming up at me with a smile that lit up her entire being.

She said, "Hi handsome. My name is Rose. I'm eighty-seven years old. Can I give you a hug?"

I laughed and enthusiastically responded, "Of course you may!" and she gave me a giant squeeze.

"Why are you in college at such a young, innocent age?" I asked.

She jokingly replied, "I'm here to meet a rich husband, get married, and have a couple of kids..."

"No seriously," I asked. I was curious what may have motivated her to be taking on this challenge at her age.

"I always dreamed of having a college education and now I'm getting one!" she told me.

After class we walked to the student union building and shared a chocolate milkshake.We became instant friends. Every day for the next three months, we would leave class together and talk nonstop. I was always mesmerized listening to this "time machine" as she shared her wisdom and experience with me.

Over the course of the year, Rose became a campus icon and she easily made friends wherever she went. She loved to dress up and she reveled in the attention bestowed upon her from the other students. She was living it up.

At the end of the semester we invited Rose to speak at our football banquet. I'll never forget what she taught us. She was introduced and stepped up to the podium.

As she began to deliver her prepared speech, she dropped her three by five cards on the floor. Frustrated and a little embarrassed she leaned into the microphone and simply said, "I'm sorry I'm so jittery. I gave up beer for Lent and this whiskey is killing me! I'll never get my speech back in order so let me just tell  you what I know."

As we laughed she cleared her throat and began, "We do not stop playing because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing. There are only four secrets to staying young, being happy, and achieving success. You have to laugh and find humor every day.

You've got to have a dream. When you lose your dreams, you die.
We have so many people walking around who are dead and don't even know it!There is a huge difference between growing older and growing up.

If you are nineteen years old and lie in bed for one full year and don't do one productive thing, you will turn twenty years old.

If I am eighty-seven years old and stay in bed for a year and never do anything I will turn eighty-eight.

Anybody can grow older. That doesn't take any talent or ability. The idea is to grow up by always finding opportunity in change. Have no regrets. The elderly usually don't have regrets for what we did, but rather for things we did not do. The only people who fear death are those with regrets."

She concluded her speech by courageously singing "The Rose."
She challenged each of us to study the lyrics and live them out in our daily lives.

At the year's end Rose finished the college degree she had begun all those years ago. One week after graduation Rose died peacefully in her sleep.

Over two thousand college students attended her funeral in tribute to the wonderful woman who taught by example that it's never too late to be all you can possibly be .When you finish reading this, please send this peaceful word of advice to your friends and family, they'll really enjoy it!

These words have been passed along in loving memory of ROSE.

REMEMBER, GROWING OLDER IS MANDATORY. 

GROWING UP IS OPTIONAL.

We make a Living by what we get, We make a Life by what we give.

Musical Treat Of The Week

"Quote, Unquote" #20: Super-Size Me

Hey, Mr. DJ!

I was so touched by the story of this incredibly bright and resourceful young man, one Kelvin Doe, that I had to share it with you here. This kid is spinning more than tunes.... Fair warning. It may leave you with an overwhelming sense of HOPE.

Where Are YOU From?

by Cherrie Hanson

ANTA MIN AYNA?
WHERE ARE YOU FROM?

What prompts us to ask this question? An accent? Unusual features? A manner of dress?
Maybe we ask because we hope to have things in common…it’s a small world after all.

Personal biographies are of great interest to me, but I don’t always ask. Why?
What is the dark side of the question, “Where are you from?” The possible humiliation of not recognizing subtle features of larger groups such as the Hispanics, Pacific Islanders, and South Asians can intimidate us into silence. Or worse, innocent inquiry might cause the “stranger” to feel judged or unwelcome. I once asked a gorgeous man where he was from – I needed to know exactly where his kind of beauty came from. His response was, “I am Palestinian, not Pakistani.” Obviously, he’d been judged and misjudged before.

Another man, one of my dearest friends, initially claimed he was an Italian Jew named Zachariah. The first time we went out to eat, the restaurant was full of people he knew. The language was Arabic, the clothing was Middle Eastern. Hmm…probably not Jewish? His fib was embarrassing and funny, but it pointed to his need to hide who he was. Afraid I would see him in a bad way, fear conditioned him to avoid the truth thus avoiding the pain of rejection. If you have ever witnessed the cruelty of prejudice, multiply that by a few times every day, and you would know the agony of its victims, although you wouldn’t have to overcome its crushing spirit. Maybe you have already experienced being a “stranger in a strange land” then you know what I'm talking about.

Our trusting connection eventually allowed me to ask, “What’s the deal with Middle Eastern men collecting wives?” and if that’s true, “How many wives do you have or intend to have?” He told me, “The Koran does allow a man to marry up to four women, but this option can be vetoed by the current wife.” There has to be a good reason to add another mate to the mix, for example, a woman who is better at cooking, child-bearing, or has some benefit to add to the family. If there are multiple wives, the Koran also states each wife must be treated equally at all levels. Zachariah insists that would be very difficult. Currently, multiple-wife-setups are infrequent and rare. Who can afford children AND wives these days? He knows two men, about 70 years of age, with multiple spouses who are living in the old country, and fading into history….

In time, my extraordinary friend and I swapped personal philosophies and spiritual beliefs, discovering we were more alike than different. We compared our holidays, gift giving rituals, and relatives - same bullshit. He had Mohammed and The Koran, and I grew up with Jesus and The Bible. We lost our fathers to cancer. We loved sharing food with good friends. We agreed the perfect cure for most anything was a hug from someone who cares. My friendship with "Zachariah", a Muslim from Palestine, is a joyous, fulfilling, educational gift I gave myself when I embraced the opportunity to have friends of any race, creed or culture.

Ma’a as-salaama!

Cherrie Hanson eats books for breakfast and snacks on documentaries.

She's a photographer and filmmaker. A gifted cosmetologist and guru of healthy lifestyle to many. But perhaps the grandest plume in her feathery chapeau is that of Guardian of The Spheres of Light. If you haven't seen them for yourself, Cherrie's luminous globes are not to be missed!

Not So Random...

We make choices everyday to spread our sunshine, or not. Love, friendship, and kindness are not to be carefully measured- but doled out freely. If you remove your ego from the giving of these gifts, then you can never run out. Don't be stingy!

The Tao of Jasper: A Note For The New Year

I peered through the rectangular piece of security glass in the door that separated us, and he stared up at me with those enormous, almost human green eyes. Eyes that were clearly wise and full of love. I was instantaneously smitten with this kitten.

I was with Kerry at the Wisconsin Humane Society and we were "cat shopping". He'd recently said goodbye to his beloved Beauregard, and Miss. Sally (just a wee kitten at the time) was really in need of a companion. I called an attendant over, and asked if I could meet this little man who was already stealing my heart. Kerry came over too, and Jasper began to cast his spell. Kerry already had a soft spot for a little girl down the aisle, but I insisted that Jasper was "the one". In fact, I boldly stated that if he didn't take Jasper home... I would! Kerry adopted Jasper that very night, some 10 years ago.

This Summer Kerry and I combined resources (and households) to economize and help grow our business. Naturally, we were both concerned about how well our cats would co-habitate. My Jackson is a tender little beta boy, his Sally an aggressive alpha girl. Well worry not, three's company. Since their arrival on 47th Street, Sally and Jasper have made themselves quite at home, and Jackson seems genuinely contented with his new companions. He has however, noticed how I dote on Jasper...

You don't know this cat, but you love him. He's so wonderfully laid back, and he has the most agreeable disposition of any feline I have ever encountered. He's so handsome, so affectionate. A true-blue sweetheart. Social and tender,  he waltzes into a room and has makes you feel like you're "the only human in the world". Yes I'm swooning a bit, but I'm not the only one. You see Jasper loves everyone. And therefore everyone loves Jasper. Men, women, children...communists, even. I know it sounds a little silly, but there's an incredibly simple and poignant lesson in that. It's called the law of attraction. Apparently Jasper is a zen master.

The week between Christmas and New Years tends to be a bit reflective, doesn't it? Naturally, I've been contemplating 2013, and what it may have in store. I won't waste too much energy forecasting. Over the last couple of years I've been discovering the magic of co-creation through awareness...and that requires you to dream in the present.

I've also been listening to quite a bit of my favorite singer-songwriter, Beth Nielsen Chapman. Not familiar? Check her out. There's a song on her exquisite album "Prism: The Human Family Songbook" that's been on near continuous repeat for a couple of days now. The lyrics speak of how on a human scale, we often feel that our hopes, our desires...our prayers, are insignificant when pit against the vast universe. And yet,  if each of us would just give our love...

"Like sand on a mountain / Rain on a fountain / Shade on a shadow / A breeze in this tornado/ Just do what you can, clap with one hand / And shine all your light in the sun"

....then we could really make something beautiful in this world.

So that's my New Year's resolution.

I'm gonna shine all my light in the sun.

And take a page out of Jasper's book.

Because cattitude is everything. Sorry, I couldn't help myself.

Happy New Year!  Michael XO

Musical Treat Of The Week; Double Dip!

Thanks to William for many things, not the least of which for turning me onto my favorite musical treat of 2012, the exceptional "Queen of Denmark" disc by clever singer songwriter John Grant.

Boo Boo, Bacon, & Babs

Whether it's Amy Winehouse's iconic up-do pinned up with pills, or a tasty Kevin Bacon sculpted entirely from, you guessed it- San Francisco artist Jason Mecier's imaginative mosaic portraits are a 3 dimensional, visual feast! Working with a myriad of household items from plastic dolls and makeup to yarn and beans, Jason  brilliantly illustrates how one man's junk becomes another man's masterpiece.

"Aint nothing wrong with being a little gay. Everybody's a little gay."- Honey Boo Boo
For a glimpse into Mecier's fascinating process watch this clip...

For more information  on this incredibly talented artist visit jasonmecier.com.
Commissions welcome, posters available. I think I need a Streisand....
Thanks for pollinating, Sande Faulkwell!

Festive Intimacies

William Godwin ( Get Mummy's Purse ) goes public with his holiday wishes...