Art In The Parking Lot

Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, but art is everywhere if you have the ability to see it. I stood outside of our local grocery store yesterday while waiting for my wife to come out with our regular allotment of bounty. There was nothing to do but play with my Iphone. So I started to gaze out across the parking lot. Nothing prepared me for what I saw. No, this was not a people watching session, as I so often enjoy. Instead I noticed the grass, the trees, the pine straw in all there commercially landscaped glory. Today was different, because I saw that the trees were not all the same but three different kinds of trees. There was grass but it was grass that complimented without taking over. Someone had taken the time to match textures, shapes and colors in a way that was warm, inviting and pleasing to the eye and the heart. About 15 minutes passed with me pondering the profundity of pines, placement and pansies.

Everything fit together, yet individual beauty was not diminished. Nothing moved, no sound was uttered, no neon lights it just was. My mind wanted to give voice to the big box retail motivation of “come, spend your money… ain’t we awesome”. But my heart silenced the cynicism with a calming awareness of a planner and desire to draw out the “unspoilable” – art. Where did this guy or gal learn how to do this? Better yet, from where was the technique copied?

The heavens declare the glory of God, and nature gives evidence of God…these are personal truths to me. More significant was the impression received during minutes 16-18. “Hey son, glad you like my stuff. I’ve got acres of it, but I only made one of you. Go inside where it’s cooler…A/C is nice too. Talk to you later”!

OH-SAH-MA

So much of the daily buzz has been terse and to the point. Osama is dead. What is really being communicated in that statement? Many things. We now have closure after ten years of loss, a sense of safety is returning to America, revenge is sweet, the subject and object of national anger is now satiated? At some level, each of these statements has validity based on the vantage point of the speaker. From my vantage point, when I heard the news about the successful military operation, my immediate disbelief gave way to an unusual sense of “no-way”.

The more time that has passed, the more my thoughts and feelings have been sifted to to give new eyes for the events of Monday May 1, 2011. Yes, Osama bin Laden is dead and I am sad.

There is sadness at the loss of human life. Regardless the reason, the fact remains that a man is dead. He was a son, a brother and a husband and now there is familial grief and loss for many.

There is sadness at the impact of delusion-ally myopic ideology. The tunnel vision of Osama bin Laden’s extremest values narrowed the path of tolerance to the point of no return. At the proverbial end of the tunnel, was the conclusion that living from one’s belief system meant the slaughter of innocent people and the terrorizing of a nation. That is so wacked!

There is sadness at the presence of evil in the world. The delusion of perfection has long been smashed in my experience. However, the death of Osama brought back to memory the events of 911 and the pressing reality of a present and pervasive evil in the world.

There is sadness to realize we had no alternative. When does diplomacy fail? It fails the moment we realize that we sit at the table of ethics across from a sociopath. Diplomacy fails before we make the choice to remove our tie and cuff links, pick up a bat and beat the brother senseless. Diplomacy fails at the moment we shockingly discover - “There is no other way.”

Osama is dead. But I will not allow my myself the luxury of public exuberance for it is not sober nor appropriate to throw a party after an execution. I honor the memory of the heroes and victims of 911. My heart feels pride and safety because of our military. Mostly, I can’t find my left cuff link.

Easter – No Hare!

Goodfellas, starring Robert De Niro, is one of my favorite “veg” out movies. Aside from the violence, there are some great scenes that pop out at me each time I watch it. In one scene Jimmy, played by De Niro, is trying to collect money that is owed to him by Morrie the wig guy. In true “wise guy” fashion he makes the collection appointment and roughs Morrie up by beating him over the head with a telephone until the commitment for payment is offered up. Would it have been easier to use online bill pay?

In the process of extracting the “yes, I’ll give you your money”, Morrie’s wig goes flying off to reveal his bald head and adhesive wig strips! Morrie did not only sell wigs, he was also a customer.

Years ago, I wrote a children’s Easter musical, NO HARE! The dialogue and original songs told the story of an apprentice angel and mentor angel that were observing the human race during the Easter season. The younger angel was full of questions about the amount of attention that the rabbit was given during the holy holiday. The older mentor angel was full of sage advice and perspective on the human condition. In short, he explained how lost God’s children were.

What does our earthly celebration look like from a celestial perspective? Is it as silly as a wig stuck to a bald head with tape? There’s no hare in the Easter story. Yet, we try to make it fit year after year and we overdose on candy to make matters worse. Does the biblical account of Easter have no relevance in our modern society? Or maybe the realization of needing to be rescued is so painful that I would rather have a Baby Ruth?

The dialogue ended with the younger angel conceding that God saw in His people what no one is capable of seeing. Therefore, God’s plans are centered on humanity. That was enough to finish the Angel 101 training.

Just before the close of the curtain, Jesus took center stage and sang an 80’s ballad that ended the production.

“It is finished, my task is over. It is finished; it’s time to go home. It is finished; no one will ever walk this road again. It is finished once and for all.”

Maybe we should start throwing “It is finished” parties. All kinds of candy would be welcome. We could shave our heads and exchange wigs. No rabbits allowed.