I have had the pleasure of photographing the Jr. High stage productions, the last being "Bye Bye Birdie". The actual play aside, I was struck by how much fun these kids were having. Especially when compared to the adult siblings and parents that came up after the performance. A few of them looked cool, good-looking, fashionable, disengaged.
Boring.
After spending an hour or two in the camaraderie of backstage, the fun was palpable. To feel of their joie de vivre was, well, fun, and anything but cool.
As a teen I longed to be cool.
What a waste.
I'll take fun over cool in a heartbeat.
After the Saturday show they had a sock-hop at the school for the cast. It wasn't cool, it wasn't awesome. It was fun. Pictured here.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Family Home Evening
scene opens:
Small girl flailing in bedroom screaming something incoherently about "treats"
cut to scene:
Celling - hear the now muffled screaming from above.
pan down:
Tween girl hugging her knees to her chest, face wet with tears and red with emotion, deep sobs still racking her as she rocks back and forth.
pan across
Two girls, another tween and a teen their bodies are racked also - with near hysterical laughter, one is focused on the sobbing girl the other looking off camera...
pan across:
A mother sitting on a couch, there is a book in her lap (scriptures) tears are also streaming down her face - she could be laughing or crying - hard to tell.
pull back
A living room, the four emotion filled occupants are grouped in a semi circle around a man standing, he is looking around slowly at the emotional carnage.
zoom in:
His face, tired, and bemused he draws a long breath to speak, "um, I guess I'll say the closing prayer..."
cut to black
Small girl flailing in bedroom screaming something incoherently about "treats"
cut to scene:
Celling - hear the now muffled screaming from above.
pan down:
Tween girl hugging her knees to her chest, face wet with tears and red with emotion, deep sobs still racking her as she rocks back and forth.
pan across
Two girls, another tween and a teen their bodies are racked also - with near hysterical laughter, one is focused on the sobbing girl the other looking off camera...
pan across:
A mother sitting on a couch, there is a book in her lap (scriptures) tears are also streaming down her face - she could be laughing or crying - hard to tell.
pull back
A living room, the four emotion filled occupants are grouped in a semi circle around a man standing, he is looking around slowly at the emotional carnage.
zoom in:
His face, tired, and bemused he draws a long breath to speak, "um, I guess I'll say the closing prayer..."
cut to black
Monday, September 21, 2009
Never Not Hip
He was cool.
Breaking from what the mainstream deemed as fashionable and defined his own sense of style.
(There are plenty of people who have there own sense of style, but that's usually due to the fact that they are hopelessly clueless of what is style).
With full knowledge, of totally "getting it", he defined himself another way. For those who new what was "in" would get this person and know they were truly cool, even though he did not conform to what was "in".
As the years passed he opted for total non-fashion. But, knowing this person, you knew this was a deliberate move, and one done on a conscious level, for personal reasons. (Unlike the rest of us who, couldn't afford it, were too tired, and just defeated).
Although he now looked completely unremarkable, you knew he was still, so, truly cool.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Phil Story, Laurie's first boyfriend.
I saw a recent photo of a lost friend the other day. She was, and still is, a casualty of my life getting full of school work, children, marriage, and location.
I miss Deana.
I liked to be associated with her, because I was made cooler by that association. I should say, it made me appear cooler, because, if you knew her, and you knew I was her friend then you would think... "David must be some-what cool for Deana to be his friend."
In her recent picture, Deana does not look cool.
But I know that, that is a deception.
No matter how Deana looks, what she does or where she lives, it is cool. Because she is doing it.
There is nothing that can make Deana Petronella Martin uncool - she is never not hip.
Breaking from what the mainstream deemed as fashionable and defined his own sense of style.
(There are plenty of people who have there own sense of style, but that's usually due to the fact that they are hopelessly clueless of what is style).
With full knowledge, of totally "getting it", he defined himself another way. For those who new what was "in" would get this person and know they were truly cool, even though he did not conform to what was "in".
As the years passed he opted for total non-fashion. But, knowing this person, you knew this was a deliberate move, and one done on a conscious level, for personal reasons. (Unlike the rest of us who, couldn't afford it, were too tired, and just defeated).
Although he now looked completely unremarkable, you knew he was still, so, truly cool.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Phil Story, Laurie's first boyfriend.
I saw a recent photo of a lost friend the other day. She was, and still is, a casualty of my life getting full of school work, children, marriage, and location.
I miss Deana.
I liked to be associated with her, because I was made cooler by that association. I should say, it made me appear cooler, because, if you knew her, and you knew I was her friend then you would think... "David must be some-what cool for Deana to be his friend."
In her recent picture, Deana does not look cool.
But I know that, that is a deception.
No matter how Deana looks, what she does or where she lives, it is cool. Because she is doing it.
There is nothing that can make Deana Petronella Martin uncool - she is never not hip.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
The Movie List ~ Ferris Bueller's Day Off
I know I know, for people of a certain age liking this is like saying "I like top 40 music"
Still, I do like it. But...
I mentioned before seeing a movie at the "right" time can make the experience profound, magical, or really funny.
I had somehow missed this, which is surprising because, don't think I ever missed a $2.50 Tuesday while in Vancouver, when this was released, but... somehow... missed it.
So I rented it while house sitting, in Putaruru - in 1989, profoundly by myself - you know, at the end of the "year of melancholy."
It was the wrong time to see it. I actually remember thinking, I would have loved this, had I seen it, years ago.
Still it came to mind in the time alloted so it makes the list - I think however John Hughes recent death may have unfairly advantaged it in the pile of stuff in my brain.
Seen on my own 1989 on video in Putaruru.
Ferris Bueller's Day Off
The Movie List
Friday, August 28, 2009
The Movie List ~ The Navigator
The second movie from my year of melancholy is a New Zealand/Australian collaboration before there was really any kind of "A Grade" film industry. In my personal estimation it was the best New Zealand film to that date. Typically the NZ film industry was really B type stuff.
I remeber going to see a NZ movie in Vancouver that was so bad it made me not want to go home.
Unlike The Glass Menagerie I remember this film very well, beautiful in it's imagery, wonderful in it's story.
The criteria for this list was the first movies that quickly come to mind, which this did, but this movie would also make my all time top 20.
Seen on my own in 1989. Hamilton movie theater.
The Navigator: A Medieval Odyssey
The Movie List
OF NOTE: When I first started to court Laurie in 1991 I wanted to share this movie with her. She had already seen it - and liked it. This was one of a long list of things that made me think, "she's so cool".
Thursday, August 27, 2009
The Movie List ~ The Glass Menagerie
The second chapter of melancholy was drawing to a close.
I was on my own, in Putaruru, once a week I'd catch a bus into Hamilton, for some company at my sisters flat. I would also watch a movie. I saw three movies that have made the list during this period.
I have never seen it since, and can only remember a few fragments of the actual movie. What I really remember is thinking, that it was really, really good. I shall have to see it again...
Seen on my own in 1989. Hamilton movie theater.
Glass Menagerie
The Movie List
I was on my own, in Putaruru, once a week I'd catch a bus into Hamilton, for some company at my sisters flat. I would also watch a movie. I saw three movies that have made the list during this period.
I have never seen it since, and can only remember a few fragments of the actual movie. What I really remember is thinking, that it was really, really good. I shall have to see it again...
Seen on my own in 1989. Hamilton movie theater.
Glass Menagerie
The Movie List
Friday, August 21, 2009
The Movie List ~ Groundhog Day
I saw this on video in the early 90's after overhearing someone talking about the plot. I view this movie like scripture. I find it deeply metaphorical of mortality and the purpose of mortal life.
We can take only what we learn with us, and even more significantly, we take us, with us. There are many other profound insights into the human condition, and what brings lasting happiness.
Oh, and very funny.
Saw with Laurie, 1993. In 1920's apartment that was our first residence together.
Ground Hog Day
The Movie List
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