The last couple of nights, we watched two good, two rather good documentaries about famous American Writers.
One documentary was about the life of Kurt. Sweet, not perfect, very human, Kurt. Kurt Vonnegut. We watched a documentary about Kurt’s life, quite a life, trials and tribulations too many - some doozies.
We watched a well told story about Kurt’s path to becoming who he was. A beloved (to many) American Icon. Kurt Vonnegut. I love Kurt. His stories = his life.
We watched another documentary about tapes, reel to reel tapes, a documentary about Truman Capote’s tapes. Tapes that Truman kept. He died and someone found his tapes. Secrets revealed. Outed.
The things Truman said. Audio recordings with comments from people that Truman knew.
In both documentaries, we saw windows, deep dives into the levers and gears, the flow of thoughts.
We saw into Souls… the workings of two (most) unique, original minds.
Kurt and Truman.
^^^^^
Truman Capote had a long time Partner.
For a good chunk of Truman’s life, his Partner's Daughter, much younger, lived with Truman. Truman’s Partners Daughter, (are you following?) remained close to Truman, even after her own Father’s death.
Truman gave this young woman a journal,
bound sheets of blank paper (a canvas).
He said,
“If you’re going to live with me, you MUST write about your life”.
And this young woman asked Truman - - - why?
“Why must I write about my life?”
Truman replied,
“Your life is going to change.
You must write about your life my dear, so that you can remember - - -
so that you can remember who you are.”
Remember who you are.
Remember who you are.
^^^^^
Remember who you are. I love that line.
You know,
We are the sum of all of our moments.
All of that - and MORE.
Now more than ever, each added year, block upon (building) block, and we’ve accumulated some blocks (baby). (You want blocks. We gots blocks.)
I need, I feel, I strongly FEEL the need to remember.
I feel the need to remember where I came from.
I feel the need, I feel the need to remember -
who I am.
All of this stuff, stuff inside of me.
All of my moments in time, my time, even before my time.
All of these moments, the things that make me.
These things, all of these things, that make me -
Me.
^^^^^
I write these words, about my life, I write these words -
for myself.
I write these words - to remember. I write these words to remember -
who I am.
^^^^^
AND - - - when I write these words, I am always saying, the subtext is - - -
let us get close - stay close - huddle together.
(Baby it's cold outside.)
Let us get closer, close again.
Let Us - keep the fires burning.
Together, together, we can, we should, we can, keep one another - warm.
Let us fill our voids - - -
distance, years, miles,
all the space between us.
^^^^^
My stories (Our stories), they have unique ingredients - sure.
But you know what?
Our stories, the recipes we use to cook up our stories, the story recipes, they all rhyme.
All of our best loved, or most despised recipes (stories),
Man, I tell you, those things, Our stories - - - Our Stories, they are universal.
With only a few tweaks, a little extra salt here, a little less pepper there,
our recipes (Our Stories), they are all the same.
My stories ARE your stories. Your stories, they are mine.
^^^^^
Photograph:
I believe it is Spring, early Spring, 1983. Northern (most, like almost Canada) New York State.
That is Me, second from left. (You knew that wasn’t Me, far left. Right?)
That’s Me, Me and Dear Friends, together - a moment. A moment in time.
What do I see?
I see:
Playfulness
+ Connection(s)
+ Flow (no sense of time, we don’t need to know what stinkin’ time it is, I see timeless)
= FUN
That is Me, 1983, me and Great, Wonderful, Amazing - - - Friends.
Do you know these People(s)?
You might Rabbit, you might.
And even if you don’t know Me, or any of these (fine) People,
I tell you, I tell you true.
Zoom Out.
You DO know - these People. Zoom Out.
Those People are You. You and Your Friends. Together.
We can all stick together.
Together. We can, we should, let’s do it.
Let us all stick together.
Together, only together, we can all get happy, have (timeless) fun,
keep one another glowing and warm.
Cleaning out some things in a basement I came across the photo I posted last week from the summer of '84 in Cape Cod.
My sisters came up from Texas, my brother and his wife were there with their 1st two children. Dad and stepmom from Maryland probably Maryland or Dallas. Some cousins from Ohio.
I don't remember any of it; not the restaurant, not the patio on the water, the weather, the long drive.
Assuming the month and the year I was living with Grandma about to start college again.
Again because my mother finally told me that in my parent's divorce Dad was obligated to pay for school until the age of 25 for the 4 of us.
Trade school had been okay because it only lasted a year but I didn't understand why I was being pushed to attend college, I hadn't decided what to be when I grew up.
The old photos help us remember, a visual record. I had to pick my big sister's mind to put the pieces together, she remembers everything. I mean, in general she has a great memory. Even after she told me who was there and why I had to take her word for it.
For some reason I just blanked on the entire event. In hindsight I'm guessing it had to do with my stepmom being there.
If I had another chance I would have kept an Instamatic with me at all times.
So I could recall the gravity of an experience before it becomes a memory. Because it only becomes something substantial in hindsight.