humorous humility

I was saddened to hear the news of the passing of Harold Ramis today.  I knew of his films, and I was aware of his locality while I was working at a bookstore in the North Shore suburbs of Chicago.  However, I didn't realize how much more he represented until I read about the man behind the comedy in the Chicago Tribune article.  He truly embodies what I love about great people of the Midwest.

"He's the least changed by success of anyone I know in terms of sense of humor, of humility, sense of self," the late Second City founder Bernie Sahlins, who began working with Ramis in 1969, said of him in 1999. "He's the same Harold he was 30 years ago. He's had enormous success relatively, but none of it has gone to his head in any way."

How do certain people remain so grounded in a world of humans always competing to outshine one another?  How do these people stay so focused on prioritizing the good things in life?  I find these people to be a rare breed of remarkable heroes.

Godspeed Mr. Ramis.

Le Petit Prince

I have always whisked myself away with the arts.  Film, music, literature, theater... It has all helped me explore more than I could have ever expected.

When I was a young Hoosier, dreaming of making it to Paris someday, I immersed myself in all things Françaises. I wanted to connect myself somehow to my family over there, and I constructed dream after dream in my head of how I was going to make that happen.

I had a lot to figure out.  And since I couldn't experience much in a cornfield, the arts helped me learn a few things.  One poignant chef d'oeuvre for me was Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's The Little Prince.

All these years later, I was able to catch two performances of Lookingglass Theater's The Little Prince this month.  It was a magical experience for me.

The story begins with a man drawing something a bit unusual and incapable of being deciphered by the grown-ups.  It's not a hat, as everyone thinks, but an elephant swallowed by a snake.  It is only years later when he tries his 'art' again, and it is only understood by a little prince who finds him alone in the desert.  Their relationship soars throughout the book with a whole cast of characters who all encompass the assorted personalities of The Universe.

It's a superb fable which only gathers more and more meaning the older I get.  The Lookingglass cast was amazing, the set design perfection, and the entire experience surpassed all of my expectations.

I took my friend to see it last night, and when it was over, we turned to each other and smiled.  "That was lovely, Nikki.  Thanks for taking me."  We giggled about the bubbles left in some audience members' hair.  And then he said, "I thought that fox was going to get you."

My seat was in the aisle where all the performers' passed through.  The untamed fox left me alone as she passed by.  I was in the top row, way up high.  Experiencing this theater piece last night made me smile the strongest smile I've felt in awhile.

Because even though I live on this little planet called The Midwest, I understand more than one might expect....

Introduction

Of all the spectacular places on Planet Earth, why write about the Midwest?

Who cares about the Great Lakes?  Who wants to hear about cornfields?  Isn't life boring and dull in The Middle?

There is one personal reflection that keeps me at peace wherever I am in the world, and that everlasting thought is called Midwestern Sensibility.  It's more than simplistic geographical circumstance.  Many can agree that it is a very real, real concept with purpose, poise and a solid sense of belonging in this world.

Midwestern dreamers always find each other in a big crowd.  As a little girl growing up in Indiana, my imagination made it possible to peer beyond the cornfields.  With the exception of some cartwheels and a few dozen hours spent hanging upside-down from the swing set, feet were almost always planted firmly on the ground. College experiences in the Midwest forayed into further plights of reservations and stifled dreams.  Life as an adult may have taken off soaring, but the Midwest is always going to keep some adventurers' foundation at home.

The world is one heck of a big place, and there's all sorts of wonder and mischief floating around out there.  Today, via Chicago, I have embarked on this new writing journey.  I will try and teach you and show you what my friends and I know about that sense of eternal Midwesterness.  I am looking forward to introducing you to new friends while we reconnect with some old friends along the way.  It's been years since we've all hung out.

 I promise it won't be boring.