Today I turned 43 and so, luckily, the Brian Regan (www.brianregan.com) concert was tonight - -postponed from a couple of weeks ago because of the great ice storm.
The concert was held at the "historic" brady theater. Let me say something about this. Oklahoma became a state in 1906, therefore Tulsa is about 100 or so years old. 100 years, in the life of the cosmos, is not necessarily old. Yet, the "historic" brady theater sits in relative abandon. It does, in fact, make Roman catacombs look somewhat contemporary. The site could be one of Tulsa's most unique and artsy destinations, once it gets heating and hot water, which it did not have on Friday night
Despite being huddled under my husband's jacket, I could not stop laughing at this performer whose ability to handle hecklers--along with passing of distant freight train - hit every mark. I have seen many comics who cannot deal with interruptions in their act but Brian's best moments came at times when he ad libbed getting off stage and handling a freight train's whistle that happened mid-way through his act.
Another impressive component of Regan's act -- I heard nary a curse word nor one reference to any body part. It's not that the crowd was old ladies, either. I was probably one of the oldest there with many looking to be about my kid's ages. Brian takes ordinary life and spins it, twists it and makes it hilarious.
I have watched Regan a lot, have a couple of his CD's and seen him perform on Comedy Central. Still, most of what I saw on Friday was new material to me. Clearly he continues to work on his act in spite of 25 years of stand-up experience. This is refreshing in a performer where many in his league often re-hash old bits time and time again.
Regan can make even turning 43 a fun night.
Friday, January 26, 2007
Why I Volunteer
I found this article on a Fox 23 online site this morning. It is interesting that this article ran a day after another article ran in my little town which described a nasty town official meeting this past week. The issue on the table was whether or not my town would allow an addiction treatment facility to be built within city limits. Sadly, it was voted down because of comments such as "how can I keep my kids safe if these "crazy" people are running around?" The reality is, in Oklahoma (as in many states and communities) addictions of many kinds are rampant. And, other studies suggest that chemical addictions (including alcohol) are inevitably related to domestic and child abuse.
The reality is that people with addictions are just like you and me. I had a friend of mine once say, "I don't think I've ever known anyone with a drug problem." And I said, "Sure you have, you just don't know it." The stereotypical "drunk falling down" or "crazy meth head" around town are just hollywood inventions. I hope that someday, Oklahoma will arise to the fact that our state is in dire need of treatment programs and resources to assist those who are struggling so desperately.
Once a week I invest time with a local facility where I teach nurturing parenting to families who are making the courageous steps to put their families back together. I haven't written much about this experience yet. The experience humbles me in ways that I cannot put into words because of the persistence and bravery of those that are working through unbelievable circumstances to have healthier families. While I hope that I, along with trained therapists and counselors, do provide some resources for those in the class, the class participants teach me every week with their courage. I hope I can write more about these experiences at some time.
Here's the article from local news web site:
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - A study suggests that bad childhood experiences, from neglect and abuse to domestic violence in the home, contribute to Oklahomans' overall poor health. Anne Roberts, executive director of the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy, says findings of the Adverse Childhood Experience Study represent a "ticking timebomb" for the quality of Oklahomans' future health. Roberts says if the state doesn't intervene on behalf of abused children, chronic health issues will only escalate. Oklahoma ranks Number 1 in the nation in deaths due to heart disease. And the state recorded more than 24,500 domestic violence cases to law enforcement agencies in 2004. In 2005, there were more than 13,300 cases of child abuse and neglect in Oklahoma
The reality is that people with addictions are just like you and me. I had a friend of mine once say, "I don't think I've ever known anyone with a drug problem." And I said, "Sure you have, you just don't know it." The stereotypical "drunk falling down" or "crazy meth head" around town are just hollywood inventions. I hope that someday, Oklahoma will arise to the fact that our state is in dire need of treatment programs and resources to assist those who are struggling so desperately.
Once a week I invest time with a local facility where I teach nurturing parenting to families who are making the courageous steps to put their families back together. I haven't written much about this experience yet. The experience humbles me in ways that I cannot put into words because of the persistence and bravery of those that are working through unbelievable circumstances to have healthier families. While I hope that I, along with trained therapists and counselors, do provide some resources for those in the class, the class participants teach me every week with their courage. I hope I can write more about these experiences at some time.
Here's the article from local news web site:
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - A study suggests that bad childhood experiences, from neglect and abuse to domestic violence in the home, contribute to Oklahomans' overall poor health. Anne Roberts, executive director of the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy, says findings of the Adverse Childhood Experience Study represent a "ticking timebomb" for the quality of Oklahomans' future health. Roberts says if the state doesn't intervene on behalf of abused children, chronic health issues will only escalate. Oklahoma ranks Number 1 in the nation in deaths due to heart disease. And the state recorded more than 24,500 domestic violence cases to law enforcement agencies in 2004. In 2005, there were more than 13,300 cases of child abuse and neglect in Oklahoma
Monday, January 22, 2007
Today's reading
With our unexpected "winter break" I have been reading many books. Too many, perhaps. Is that even possible?
I picked up "Reading Like a Writer" by Francine Prose and am finding it helpful beyond, well, words. Here's a great reason why:
'A novelist friend compares the rules of grammar, punctuation, and usage to a sort of old-fashioned etiquette. He says that writing is a bit like inviting someone to your house. The writer is host, the read hte guest, and you, the writer, follow the etiquette because you want your readers to be more comfortable, especially if you're plannign to serve them something they might not be expecting.' (p. 43).
I picked up "Reading Like a Writer" by Francine Prose and am finding it helpful beyond, well, words. Here's a great reason why:
'A novelist friend compares the rules of grammar, punctuation, and usage to a sort of old-fashioned etiquette. He says that writing is a bit like inviting someone to your house. The writer is host, the read hte guest, and you, the writer, follow the etiquette because you want your readers to be more comfortable, especially if you're plannign to serve them something they might not be expecting.' (p. 43).
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Movies
I saw two movies this weekend. The first one, "Little Miss Sunshine" on DVD and the other, "The Last King of Scotland" at the box office.
I was drawn to "..sunshine" because of Toni Collette who is a great character actress. I've loved her in every movie she's done and I admire the fact that she plays varying roles and those roles are generally complex characters, not always beautiful. I love her transparency and the fact that when I'm watching her I see the character, not Ms. Collette. Other actresses should be so talented. What I liked about this movie is the transformation of a fragmented family into something more whole.
"..Scotland" was such an intense movie, I left the box office shuddering and soothed myself in a nearby bookstore. Something about a bookstore on a rainy Sunday afternoon can be soothing, I think. "..Scotland" is a film based upon true events which is what makes the movie so frightening. I was drawn to the film because I had once met a man, a doctor, whose family had fled Uganda under Amin's reign of terror.
The rumors mills regarding the performance of Forrest Whitaker are absolutely true. His take on "Amin" makes a frightening character at least understandable if not likeable and the movie does what a good historical movie can do - -it allows the viewer to see the clash of the historic components. It is characters such as Amin (and Hitler and so many other leaders) that encourage me to believe that each of us live on a bubble that wobbles between evil and good and that a set of decisions can propel us down a path of either. I think movies such as this are valuable when done well, and this one is done well.
I was drawn to "..sunshine" because of Toni Collette who is a great character actress. I've loved her in every movie she's done and I admire the fact that she plays varying roles and those roles are generally complex characters, not always beautiful. I love her transparency and the fact that when I'm watching her I see the character, not Ms. Collette. Other actresses should be so talented. What I liked about this movie is the transformation of a fragmented family into something more whole.
"..Scotland" was such an intense movie, I left the box office shuddering and soothed myself in a nearby bookstore. Something about a bookstore on a rainy Sunday afternoon can be soothing, I think. "..Scotland" is a film based upon true events which is what makes the movie so frightening. I was drawn to the film because I had once met a man, a doctor, whose family had fled Uganda under Amin's reign of terror.
The rumors mills regarding the performance of Forrest Whitaker are absolutely true. His take on "Amin" makes a frightening character at least understandable if not likeable and the movie does what a good historical movie can do - -it allows the viewer to see the clash of the historic components. It is characters such as Amin (and Hitler and so many other leaders) that encourage me to believe that each of us live on a bubble that wobbles between evil and good and that a set of decisions can propel us down a path of either. I think movies such as this are valuable when done well, and this one is done well.
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