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Some rainbows are bright, some gray, some in colors you've never seen. |
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** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** The sun is always shining and there are always rainbows. If it's cloudy, the rainbow may be covered or in shades of gray. If the rain has just passed, the rainbow may be strong, clear, and brilliant. If the sky is crystal clear, the rainbow may appear in colors unexpected. Whatever is going on for you, there's a rainbow out there somewhere. Look for it. And if you find it, let it brighten your day. Keep it in your heart to tide you over until you see the next one. Gonna give this Johari Window thing a shot. If you think you know me or want to see what others think about me, follow the link then follow the directions. Life is words in motion: Flowing from mind, to hand, to page; Sung from heart, to voice, to ear; Life is words in motion. ~Douglas The Human Touch By Spencer Michael Free
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| If you've been reading my blog, you'll know that music, in addition to writing, plays a large part of my life. Last night at the GMCH rehearsal, the third and final cycle of this seasons concert began rehearsal in earnest. I am so looking forward to this particular concert. First, let me talk about the individual songs we'll be singing in the second half of the concert. So far, most of the songs we have sung at some point in the past six years and include: "Behold the Hills of Tomorrow" (from Merrily We Roll Along by Stephen Sondheim), a Muscogee (Creek) Indian piece "Heleluyan", "Loving Kindness" adopted from the Digha Nikaya, and "Behold Man" from the Brown University Choral Series. All of these are difficult songs but beautiful in their intricacy. Other American composers whose work will be featured include: Aaron Copland, Leonard Bernstein, and Randall Thompson. The focal score is the "cantata" Metamorphosis by Robert Espindola and Robert Seeley. As I mentioned before, this is the final 'chapter' of their trio of works that includes Naked Man (sung by GMCH in 2002) and Exile (sung by GMCH in 2004). I want to tell you that this is looking to be the most powerful of the three works, and that is saying something. It was during the rehearsal cycle of Naked Man that I found the courage and inner power to come out to my family and friends as being gay. Exile brought with it the ability for me to be able to comfortably write about being gay and freely identify and associate with gay culture in general. That may sound like an odd order of occurrence, but it is actual kind of logical if you think about it. If you are not out to family and friends, you are always kind of looking over your shoulder to see if anyone you know sees you enter or leaving a gay bar or other building even remotely associated with the gay lifestyle. Well, back to the cantata. I want to give you a sample of one of the songs. The power of the song won't be as great if you don't hear the music as well, but you'll at least begin to get the idea: Womb lyrics by Robert Espindola Helplessly floating in a sea of unknowing, I slept as her womb cradled me. With no thought or mem'ry of what had been, What would be beyond each breath that she breathed. Swirling inside, did she know that this child Would drift into her life as a son? That beyond what is human Our spirit illumines who and what We are to become. Tossing and turning No longing, no yearning It is here that our journey begins. And that is just the first song, where it all begins. During rehearsal last night, I listened to and/or sight read 9 of the 12 songs in the cantata and each one is more powerful than the last. This is going to be an awesome concert. Oh, and as a side note: the Gay Men's Chorus of Houston is one of only a handful of choruses that has performed all three movements. To find out about the power of this music, you can buy the San Fransisco Gay Men's Chorus performance of Naked Man from Amazon.com. Here's the link for it: [[ Product review #B000005ALH does not exist. ]] |
| I was walking down the street today to the bus stop and, I don't know where the thought came from, but I realized that I could have been termed "one of Jerry's Kids" three times throughout the past almost 40 years of my life. Each application of the term refers to a different Jerry -- two of them nationally and or internationally known, one locally known. Each time the appellation is used, the personal truth of the matter is closer to a true meaning for me. When I was in elementary and secondary school, I took on a variation of Jerry's Kid i regards to the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA). No, I didn't have the disease. I annually went door-to-door with the yellow cardboard can (with legit logo) to raise funds for the annual Labor Day telethon. After I graduated high school, I attended Liberty University. That is the school founded and headed by the late Reverend Doctor Jerry Falwell. And thus the term "Jerry's Kid" was reapplied to me. That may not sound right, but at the time (and maybe even still) this was a term that students frequently used for themselves, usually out of earshot of the Resident Assistants and Faculty and Staff of the school. Still, there it was. The most recent application of the term is one used primarily within my church. One of out church leaders and elders, whose name is Jerry, is also one of the most ardent supporters of an individual revival program called Excel International (the local branch is called Excel of the Armadillo). Almost single-handedly, he has at one time encouraged or sponsored over half of the people in our church to participate in at least one annual retreat. He has brought in so many people into the program even in other national and international churches, that everyone who he encouraged proudly wears the term. And it is always said with a loving smile and answered with an humble grin by Jerry. So, throughout the years, I have been a Jerry's Kid to one extent or another. I just thought it curious when the idea found it's way into my morning musings. |
| There was a song released in 1986 by Billy Sprague (contemporary Christian artist) that had some weird looking lyrics at first glance. However when you hear the song, you know immediately what is being asked. The title is: YMISIM. Now instead of trying to read it as a single word (yim-sim), pronounce each letter. Y M I S I M Why Am I As I Am? I've been wracking my brain for the past half hour or so and running up and down the internet trying to find the rest of the lyrics for this song -- especially the chorus. I remember another line went something like: FURLIC (If You Are All I See) and Then IMSUR (Then I Am As You Are) or something like that. However at that point frustration sets in because I can't remember any more. Do you know this song? Do you know where I can find the lyrics? Can you save my sanity? A music lover with incomplete knowledge like this can be a dangerous and/or scary thing. |
| ... entered a contest on WDC and forgotten you entered until the first judge shows up? ... begun an entry item for a contest and forgotten to finish it until after the deadline passes? ... missed a single letter in a "must use this word" prompt in a contest entry? ... edited a contest entry after the deadline thus making it ineligible? |
| One of the things I like to do every now and again is to go back over the various reviews I have both given and received. I like to reminisce about the stories, articles, contests, poetry, polls and other things I've visited in the past. Sometimes I'll even revisit and re-read them. I like to look back on the comments I've gotten from my various items and see if perhaps something I've done in the past I've improved on over time (by its lack of mention) or still need to work on (continuous or increased mention). I also like to think of the people who've taken the time to read and rate my stuff and whose stuff I have read. It hit me tonight as I was doing just that that here is an automatically generated and permanently kept prayer and praise list. Even if I don't know them personally or what exactly is going on in their lives. Here are people. I'm sure they have needs. I'm certainly grateful for having been involved in their lives in some small way.Fellow authors translates to my brothers and sisters of the pen. And even if I know nothing more of them than their handle (and username), God knows them by their real name, their real needs, and their real victories. So the next time you go to the "My Feedback" line of the page and read through all the sent's and received's, take a moment to think on the person and pray or meditate or some other way spiritually lift them up and lift up their needs according to your beliefs. God, the Creator, Allah, the Great Mother, YHWH or whatever greater being you lift them to will know who you mean. |
| What's going on here? One minute I'm reading a story in a port, the next I feel something begin to cover me? I look down at my body and discover that it is yellow paint! I've been promoted to Preferred Author status. Now there are so many more options open to me on WDC (woohoo!) but my Muse isn't around to see it! I think I know where I left him - over at the Phoenix Aerie forum. Pardon me while I go get him real quick. |
| ...here are links to pics of me. Two of these are me and others during the 80s concert tech rehearsal, one of me backstage for our Christmas concert, and one of a slide used in the 80s concert that profoundly touched me considering the song that we sang and the reason for it. "Invalid Item"  "Invalid Item" "Invalid Item" "Invalid Item" |
| Today is a special day here in Houston, TX, if you are Catholic. I'm not, but the event holds interest for me all the same. While I don't hold very high to religious rite and ritual, I plan on watching this to see what is involved in the consecration of a new Catholic Co-Cathedral. According to news reports, part of the ceremony, the consecration of the altar, I believe, involves interring nine holy relics beneath the altar, one of which is the Catholic claims to be the last "substantial" piece of the cross upon which Jesus was crucified. I've been watching this new building being constructed over the past few years, and when the majority of the work moved to the inside, I kept track with the news reports and specials that followed the construction process: the statues and their construction, the relevance of the marble used for the altar, the sculptures hand crafted, the delivery of the pews, the cutting and arrangement of the huge stained glass windows. What makes this building so different from many cathedrals, is the planning that went into the construction to not only last for centuries, but also to withstand hurricanes and reduce noise from the elevated interstate that runs by the church only two or three blocks away. Steel framing, concrete body, and white marble exteriors make it not only sturdy but also beautiful. The interior is also white marble. Statues of the Virgin Mary and the Resurrected Christ are mounted in such a way as to make them appear to float in the air. Gold foil covers the wall behind the altar and window alcoves. The altar is the largest single slab of a red marble so expensive that it is only used in small pieces for jewelry (gem quality marble). No offense intended here: while I think Catholics who are indoctrinated into the religion only believe what they are told to believe instead of searching out God's truth for themselves (I feel the same way about most major organized religions and their adherents), they have some of the most beautiful and well constructed buildings in the world. I know I shouldn't make general assumptions and statements (aka stereotyping) like that. I wouldn't want to be classified as the typical stereotyped gay man, as I am anything but (or so I've been told). But my experience with religion as a gay man has left me somewhat jaded in that regard. I know many people who are adherents to their religion who are more open-minded than their religions, and I respect and honor their beliefs because they have found the dictates of their religion to be true for themselves. I didn't mean to have this blog devolve to an apologetics statement, but there it is. Again, no offense was intended. At any rate, the church is truly an amazing thing. I can't wait to have the opportunity to tour the building and behold the interior artwork and construction for myself. Until then, I'll just have to make do with what the television is able to show for the time being. |
| The concert was a blast. And with every concert that I sing/perform in, I have mixed feelings about it. While I am so glad to have done it and thrilled about the end results, I am also soooooooo glad that it is over. I'm beat. Instead of writing about it here, though (and making this page take too long to upload, I wrote an article about it which you can read here:
Anyway, I get the next week off as all my various musical groups take a bit of a break - sort of. The sanctuary choir and handbell choir are both gearing up for the church's upcoming Anniversary Sunday when we celebrate our 38th anniversary of bringing the GLBT community of Houston into or back into God's loving embrace. Next Monday, as I mention in the article, GMCH also begins the next concert cycle as we prepare for both our June Pride concert and the following GALA Choruses' Festival 2008 to be held in Miami, Florida, in July. Anyway, time to rest my aching muscles and sore feet and let my voice return to something more natural. I think working on the next chapter of Unguarded will help my voice and body recuperate adequately. |
| First, I'm really doing this blog entry to help in making my 500 words for the day. I won't know until after I wake up whether I'll be able to get any more work done on Unguarded. So, in order to be a bit more verbose today, I'm listing a few of my accomplishments here on WDC this past month. As mentioned above, I'm participating in the "Invalid Item" . So at that rate, a monthly goal is 15500 words in a month with 31 days. As of yesterday (the 30th), I passed the 27000 word mark with less than 500 to go for my goal. And this blog entry plus the one below, I should be breaking that goal easily.Two of my poems were winners in contests this month. The first, "Invalid Item" , was a winner in LifeWriter's reopened "Invalid Item" . Granted, I was the only one to enter for that particular prompt, but her comments in the forum (and on her notifying email) made me feel especially good. She indicated that even if 100 entries had been submitted, this would probably have been the winner anyway. Sweet!Then, today when I got home and booted this thing up, I found out that "Invalid Item" won third place in "Invalid Item" week round #148.Next, this one I mentioned earlier in this blog, but I gave out my first AwardIcon to sophy for her article "Yet More Light" which is the first item now headlining my appendix "Invalid Item" . And of the 5 R&R's I've received on that item, every single one was a 5 star. No other item I've ever developed, either under my current username or my now closed previous username, has had such a good record. That alone is something to be proud of. However, for me, considering the topic of the appendix, I am very humbled for that particular recognition. Thanks to all who are helping make that list a success.Finally, one of my crosswords, "Invalid Item" , had over 200 hits in less than a month. Certainly that is the fastest, I've ever had a hit record like that. (Pun not intended.)Anyway, I know for a fact that this entry by itself has over 500 words, which means I've met my monthly goal. Now I'm going to see if I can get some novel work done later this morning or early afternoon and maybe top off 30000 or maybe even 31000 words. That would really top off a very successful writing.com month. |
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