what a ride!

First off: Happy Halloween/Blessed Samhain everyone!

I was kidnapped by the Observatory crew, and thus, yesterday found me at the Bridge School Benefit concert. Hoooooooooooooooly shit!

I was treated to performances by Los Lobos (totally rockin' as always! Loved their collaboration with Neil Young on "Cinnamon Girl".), Good Charlotte (never heard much of them or stopped to listen to emo before. It wasn't anywhere near as cheese as I thought it would be. They were cute as buttons.), Bright Eyes (never heard of them before, but was greatly impressed. Music from someone whose brain is on another plane of existence.), Emmylou Harris (who sang duets with about half of the performers and is as lovely as ever), Jerry Lee Lewis (who got the audience up on their feet despite being half fossilized, and the fact that half the people in the audience were too young to have heard of him), Norah Jones (soft, sexy, absolutely lovely and an all-around pleasure to listen to. Her voice felt like feathers and chocolate to me.), Dave Matthews (I have a whole new respect for him after last night, his set was amazingly empassioned.), and the legendary Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (I was crying freely through half their set, despite some harmonic abberations. They played the songs that tweak my heart the most, and as I was lying on the grass listening to them I saw a shooting star. I made a wish. Shh.) All in all, it helped me to (mostly) forget my horrible situation.

I'm slightly hungover from all the music. I stole a saxophone section. Don't ask.

Tonight is our Samhain circle. It's time to let go of my grandpa, and of strange_emmy, among several others. I missed it last year because I was having a laparoscopy the following morning. I really need the release this year. I'm very much looking forward to it. I'll be focusing on that for most of the day, trying to ignore the fact that I'm still about halfway short on rent. If you can help me out, that would be great. If not, please just think a good thought for my luck to change and swing back up. I haven't been this close to the edge in years. If you already have, then thank you! *mwah!*

the funniest thing happened to me recently...

The Stain

A few weeks ago I was walking down the street, and I noticed a stain on the sidewalk.
I remarked to my friend that it looked just like Jesus! We laughed and kept walking.
A woman who was passing by overheard me. She looked at the stain and gasped.
She told her pastor who told their congregation who told the media.
The next time I tried to walk down that street, it was packed with people.
All of them were oohing and ahhing over the likeness of Jesus on the concrete.
There were TV cameras and reporters standing around.
All I wanted was a burrito, but they were blocking the way completely.
In the very back of the crowd, I noticed a dark-skinned man who seemed to be glowing.
He was shaggy and disheveled with dreaded hair and an unkempt beard.
His clothes were dingy and stained, and he had no shoes on.
I walked up to him and said hi. He smiled the most beautiful smile at me.
But then he sighed sadly. I asked him what was wrong.
He said to me, “That doesn’t look like me at all. Not even close.
I’ve been back for thirty years already this time,
But I just can’t figure out how to tell them I’m here so that they'll get it.
They’re too busy looking at that stain, or weeping before a grilled cheese sandwich.
They don’t want to know I’m here. They just want to worship the stain.”
I said, “That’s rough, man. They’ve been waiting for you for all these centuries,
But they don’t even notice that you’re finally here.”
“That’s just it!” he exclaimed. “I’ve done this two hundred times.
It's not that hard to have a conversation with me. You're doing it right now!
I’ve heard so many people talking about having a divine communion with me,
Swearing that they’re the only ones who can speak directly to me.
But when I actually try to talk to them, they won’t even give me the time of day.”
I looked at him and said, “Then maybe they’re not the ones who really need you.”
He smiled again and said, “I know. In fact, I think I’ve had enough of this.
I’m going back to my brothers and sisters.”
I put my hand on his shoulder and he gave me a hug. It made me feel tingly all over.
Then he walked away from the crowd towards a dozen homeless kids.
They followed him, laughing and joking, patting him on the back.
If I could have fought my way through the crowd, I would have got him a burrito.
But I only had ten bucks, and I know he wouldn’t have taken it,
Unless I’d brought twelve more.

Disclaimer: this is just a flight of my imagination. I'm not trying to tell anyone how to worship or communicate with the divine or anything like that. Please don't take it as gospel (no pun intended).