Day 44, April 29, 2020
Like a Fish Out of Water
It is funny how images come to inhabit certain spaces and become like a theme for the day. Perhaps because I mentioned fishing last night, this morning's poem ended with a fish gasping air on the floor (deck?) of an aluminum canoe. And today, when I was talking to Tom, he told the story of being a child and going fishing in the distracted way that kids who are not interested in fishing go fishing, and spending his time curled up on the floor of the boat until one of his brothers would tease his line so that it looked like he had hooked a fish.
But the poem this morning wasn't really about fishing, it was about breathing. Gasping for breath. Seeking life and living, maybe.
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| A couple of tall dead trees on Mt. Toby. |
There are moments of excitement that we look forward to, like turning 10 years old, a first kiss, a concert, meeting a literary hero, playing a particularly satisfying gig, a really great writing stint. More recently, it is the pastel M&Ms I bought in the bins of discount after-Easter candy, the plastic tub of Asian Style Snack Mix from Stop and Shop, the pickles I made using my mom's recipe, or a glass of cran-apple juice on ice. The times have changed.
Actually, I still enjoy playing music and the thrill it can engender, even playing alone. It is like when you read a funny passage in a book and laugh out loud, and maybe even look up as if to see if anyone else is laughing along with you. That's what it feels like when something great happens when you are playing guitar by yourself. I have a room in the basement with all of my music equipment. It tends to be a bit chilly, so I'll often put on a sweater, or even a light jacket. I always put things away when I am done because I worry about things like flooding, so it takes a little while to get set up and run cables. And then finally, when I get to start to play, it is as if a part of me gets turned inside out. All the worries and concerns I carry with me all day long are dispersed as I play with sound, try to perfect fingerings, and experiment with new runs of notes. Time becomes compressed and it is hard to tell if I have been down there for twenty minutes, or two hours and twenty minutes.
People talk about instruments having songs embedded within them, and I definitely feel that way with guitars. I might pick up different instrument depending on my mood, or sometimes it is a random choice, and it amazes me how a different instrument will allow me to generate a different song, different ways to improvise.
My current instrument of choice is a Guild X-150D from the 1990s made in Westerly, Rhode Island. It is odd to think that an instrument from the 1990s is now nearly 30 years old and of vintage provenance. I like to think that this instrument was well loved. Someone replaced the pickups and spent some time carefully adjusting the pickup pole pieces to bring out a particular resonance with the strings. Most people never touch the pole pieces. The guitar plays wonderfully, and despite a few quirks, delivers a truly satisfying tone.
I sometimes find myself wanting a different instrument, something that I imagine to be even better, but usually, when I actually have a chance to return to the basement, which is mostly on weekends these days, I am reminded how wonderful I have it. What it is like to really breathe, to feel alive. To laugh when you are the only person in the room. To be the fish on the floor of the boat, just before he is returned to the lake.
Take care and have a good night,
Leo
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| The Sawmill River |
From Our Friends:
From the UMass Fine Arts Center:
On Friday May, 1st at 7:30PM watch Román Díaz's Virtual Performance Video Premiere! Part of the Magic Triangle Jazz Series.
From Inside Higher Ed:
A podcast with Steven Johnson, President of Sinclair Community College talking about, "How Community Colleges Are Planning for the Fall, and Beyond."
From Colleen Caffery:
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| Getting ready to grill on some specially perforated aluminum foil. |
1. Look4Help.org website - Human service and state agencies assistance for resources.
2. Community Action Pioneer Valley - Family and Individual emergency services
3. Franklin Housing Authority - Housing assistance and emergency services
4. ProjectBread - FoodSource Hotline, Meal sites
5. Franklin County Food Access - Meal sites, Food pantries
6. Mass.gov Unemployment Insurance - Online application, Benefit information
7. Mass.gov Pandemic Unemployment Assistance - state resource to provide unemployment for those who normally could not collect unemployment (i.e. self-employed and those working in the gig economy)
For general questions regarding the College’s response or access to services, please check the Health Alerts webpage.
Today's Online Teaching Tips:
From It Gets Better:
It Gets Better designed a series of EduGuides focused on LGBTQ+ topics. It seems like a great resource/starting point!
From Inside Higher Ed:
"An Argument for 'Remote' Rather than 'Online' Instruction," an argument for synchronous class meetings, despite Zoom fatigue.
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