Music for my Soul

Houston Person Autographs my CD

It's been a while since I've posted about attending live performances, but tonight's had me reflecting on where I've been and where I am now, especially as I think about why I raise money for RRR and do that work. 

Tonight, the Center for the Performing Arts at Penn State kicked off its season with the Emmet Cohen Trio and guest Houston Person, an 84 year old tenor saxophonist. Cohen, a young, new-on-the-scene pianist, is passionate about bringing generations of jazz musicians together.

Chatting with Emmet

Other than listening to a bit of Cohen and Person's music before the performance and reading a couple of articles about them, I didn't know much about their music.

Let's just say that I be-bopped and smiled the whole way through the concert. Those of us who chatted after the concert remarked that a high bar had been set for the rest of the season--and that this was wayyy better than watching the debates!

Houston Person is One Cool Man!

I especially enjoyed chatting with Mr. Person after the event. We talked about how I used to play saxophone too, but didn't continue with it. Instead of showing disappointment in that, he said: "that's okay! We need people who play and listen. We need people who appreciate the music, too! We need both kinds."

I'm finally able to stop longing for the days that I could play and just sit back and enjoy the music. I'm able to appreciate the foundation that playing an instrument and my incredible teachers instilled in me.

I'm thankful and grateful for the performances that we are able to go to.

Cohen and Person Autographs!

Music fills my soul--especially live music and performances (dance, musicals, etc.)--and this concert was exceptional. It was the epitome of joy and unity in a time of divisiveness.

Hey, Emmet and Emily Have Matching Jewish Noses! :) 

But it's not just the music that makes my soul so happy. It's that I can go to these performances now. It's that I can sit near the front. It's that I can walk to and from the car without any problems. It's that I can chit chat with the staff and fellow community members I see there. It's that I can be fully immersed in the experience with only minimal symptoms. (I'm not going to pretend things are *easy* yet.) It's that I can stay afterwards for photo ops and autographs. It's that I can be more fully engaged in this world.

And part of being fully engaged in this world, for me, is having live music and art as part of my life.

I can't wait for more performances this season!

Blessings,

Emily

25th Reunion (and some thoughts on reunions in general)

Adam and Chris are Photobombing Us! :)

I'm not letting another amazing reunion pass by without posting about it! At the end of July, we had our 25th high school class reunion, for which I did a bunch of the planning. I had planned most of our 20th reunion from BED, so to be able to plan this reunion more easily helped me to see how much my life has continued to change in the past five years.

I Adore These Faces

I was so very excited to see these faces. Jess, Kate, Jamie and I were part of a group of eight friends from 7th grade on through high school (although I met Jess in 4th grade! :)) It was wonderful to have Jamie's wife, Urvi, join us and to see Amy after 25 years! 

Ready for the Reunion

I was able to attend the entire reunion, plus stay an extra hour chatting with some folks. I also stood most of the four hours of the reunion. Like, whoa?! This is my whole new life.

25th Reunion Ready!

I don't often look back at old photos of myself, but as I got ready to write this post, I found the pics from our 20th reunion. When I look at the photos of me from this reunion compared to the last one, I am amazed at the difference in my pallor. And, as you can see, I'm sitting the entire time at the 20th reunion. I literally sat on a chair at one of the high top tables and everyone came over to me to chat. This year, I could mingle as much as I wanted (with a few breaks to sit in between).

Kate and Me at our 20th

Apparently, I choose blue and ivory to wear to my high school reunions?

Megan, Jill and I Go All the Way Back to Elementary School

So glad I got to see Megan at both reunions, but we missed Jill this time around.

I Am Sitting in the Presence of Two INCREDIBLE Women Here:
Abena and our English teacher, Ms. Riley

Our 20th reunion was a much bigger event--including a Friday evening event with former teachers. I got to see lots of my favorite teachers and also this wonderful favorite woman, Abena.

Our 20th Reunion Crew

I know that people have become less and less likely to attend their reunions, as is evidenced by the number of people we had this time around compared to five years ago. People seem to feel that social media is "good enough" for keeping in touch. I also think people felt that five years ago seemed like just last year, and were less inclined to attend. That was a bit sad!

Our 25th Reunion Crew

I have LOVED both of our reunions. I've reconnected with people I've lost touch with; I've healed old wounds and miscommunications that went unresolved; I've enjoyed being together in a big group with some of my favorite and oldest friends; I've laughed a lot and hugged a lot of people; I've even connected with folks I didn't even know in high school!

We Haven't Aged a Day!
Megan, Brian, Adam and Aaron

Just making it to my 20th reunion was one of the hardest things I could do physically, but also one of my biggest victories. This time around, it was a little bit hard, but not very, and I didn't crash terribly afterwards. Just a bit!

By the end of the night I could feel myself getting the shakes and struggling to sit up any longer, but compared to how my body used to respond (or compared to not being able to attend at all) this seemed minor.

The most difficult part is getting my ANS to calm down after an event, and usually that requires a lot of medication if I want any sleep at all.

Adam, Aaron, Me, Megan

Facebook is no substitute for seeing people in person, catching up, giving hugs, laughing and talking. I am so thankful to everyone who showed up for our reunion!

Jess and Kate

Forever and always friends with these two!

Reunion in the Restaurant's Solarium

We held our reunion at a local restaurant--with beautiful hors d'oeuvres and signature drinks. It worked out perfectly.

Jame and I Just Joined The Old IM Basketball Team! :) 

Look at all of these friendly faces I've missed seeing!

Jess, Kate, Jamie and Amy

And these women are so special to me.

Look at this Crew! :) 

On Sunday afternoon, our 'crew of four' along with kids and Kate's husband, Brad (also a classmate) went to Jessica's parent's house to chill at the pool. I didn't last very long, but was determined to make it.

Jamie and Her Kiddo

I also got to meet up with Jamie and her kiddos at our local pool on Monday!

The Kiddos

How fun to have everyone's kids all hanging out together while the four of us fell right back into our goofy banter. Jess's daughter, Zoey, thought that we were hilarious as she hung out listening to us. She will soon be just like us with her own friends (she's 12). :)

Poolside Mini-Reunion

We missed the rest of our crew, but I am so very thankful for the time we had together during reunion weekend. Jamie and Jess made a huge effort to travel far for this and I thank them big time.

I still believe in old fashioned reunions. I still believe in taking the time to plan them and reconnect with folks in ways that wouldn't otherwise happen without a planned event. 

Thanks to everyone who has attended the past two reunions! You made it well worth the effort of planning!

See you at our 30th!

Blessings, 

Emily

Fest

Gallery Girl Jen and Me.
She's Awesome and her Art is Part of my Life Every Day

When I am engaged in the arts, my soul is happy.

Friends have been texting me to ask how Arts Fest was this year and if I was able to go, so I thought it was high time I just wrote a blog post about it!

I really enjoyed Fest this year and, for the most part, the weather even cooperated!

The Street Where We Found all of Our Goodies This Year

Our favorite day and time to go to Fest is Thursday evening--when all of the locals are out and before town is packed full to the brim with people.

We headed down to the Maine Bay and Berry Company food stand for 'naked' lobster rolls, while sitting in the parklet listening to the Zeropoint Big Band. Delicious!

Afterwards, I was able to walk around about half of the festival (about an hour) before I needed to stop, and we headed to hear some music in the church by the Celtic group, Poor Man's Gambit. Such incredible talent!

John and Shirley Furches
Purchased Something for a Friend!

We were able to go back to Fest again on Friday evening, too! This time, we just walked the campus part of the festival and I found a pair of umbrella seed pod stud earrings that I purchased. 

I admit that I was too tired to make it back to the car by the time we had walked for 1 1/2 hours, and waited for Mom to go get the car and pick me up!

Kate!

Still, I managed to make the turnaround to go see a Saturday afternoon performance by a friend's son--circus work like the swing, straps and silks with ballet and acrobatics. It was amazing.

Afterwards, Kate picked me up downtown and headed back to my house to catch up a bit. I was getting a bit sleepy on her (sorry, Kate!), but will see her again soon for our 25th high school reunion.

Candiss Cole--Proud Owner of Two of Her Dresses!

Sunday was quite hot, but I really wanted to go back to purchase an item for a friend from the couple in the photo above. I'd seen it on Friday and just had to go back for it!

Then, we ended up stopping at a favorite booth of mine--and trying on dresses. Mom got me the one I'm wearing in the picture above as an early birthday present. :) 

I think I will wear it to services tonight! 

On Monday, I was able to manage well even after all that we did and got to see Miss Lana for lunch. Love her in her shades! :)

Lunch with Lana

Instead of focusing only on the artists booths this year, Mom and I decided to take in some of the food and the entertainment, and I'm so glad that we mixed things up because every part of Fest that we got to be a part of was perfect.

Another great year of Fest in the books! It's hard to believe I've known some of these artists--particularly Gallery Girl Jen whose art is in my bathroom--since I started being able to go to Fest a few years ago in the Rolls. One of my favorite parts of Fest is meeting the artist and chatting with them year after year.

There are so many wonderful things about living where we do that it's hard to choose the best of the best, but Fest has been a part of my life since I was a little girl and the memories of it are fond and enduring--the ring I found for my 21st birthday and still wear; the times we spent with friends on Old Main lawn listening to music and dancing; the jewelry I've found the past few years and the artists I've come to know; the friends who come to town every year for Fest; the artwork I've saved to buy and decorated my room with; the time I've spent with my mom walking around Fest, even as a little girl; the strawberry smoothies and ice cream we always ate on hot days; the years I marched in the parade; the years I sold my own homemade items during Children's Day. 

Thank you, Fest.

Blessings,

Emily

21

My First Tattoo

It's hard to believe that today marks 21 years since I first 'got sick'.

Even though my health has improved significantly in recent years, I still find this day a sobering one. I always find myself feeling 'blah' in the days leading up to my 'anniversary', even if my health is okay.

In an early session with my new counselor, as I told her my story we talked about the years that are in many ways 'lost to illness'. In a moment that took my breath away she said:

"Those years are gone. You can never get them back." 

It's difficult not to try to 'make up' for what feels like lost time, try to pack in all of the things I couldn't do for so long, somehow try to fit everything I missed into my new life. 

I will never get those things back--a career or graduate school or children or any of the other myriad experiences that often take place in the formative years of our 20's and 30's.

In a sense, the finality of her words was what I needed to hear. It felt like the air had been taken out of my lungs. I felt nauseous. 

But, she is right.

Butterfly in our Garden

Those years are not gone in that they made me who I am today. They fortified who I am as a person, my deeply held values, and what matters most to me.

In moving forward, it's about creating my life now. I often forget that I'm not still 23! I sometimes forget that life didn't stand still waiting for me to get better in order to begin again.

It kept moving. And I kept persevering. 

Getting Inked!

In honor of that life and that journey, I got a butterfly tattooed on my arm last August. Over the years, the butterfly has remained a symbol of hope, transition, resilience, beauty and transformation. It reminds me that there will be times when I am in a cocoon and others when I feel fully a butterfly.

It reminds me to keep going.

I chose a monarch because, over the years, I have witnessed many of them landing on the flowers in our yard. It is shaded in corals and oranges with a touch of green to remind me of the grass, trees, and mountains. 

The only element missing is that of water and sky. The original sketch contains blue behind the butterfly, but I couldn't decide if I wanted that or not! So, that can be added later if I decide to do so.

What do you like better?

To Add or Not to Add Blue?

The butterfly is placed as if it casually landed on my arm. I love it. It is a daily reminder of my journey. It is a reminder on the hard days to persevere, to wait for the light to shine again, to know that I might feel like a caterpillar today, but another day I will feel like a butterfly again. It is a reminder on the good days of how far I have come and how I have grown.

A Quote In My Counselor's Office

I set aside the the 18th of June every year just to do something that is meaningful to me.

I'm blogging for the first time in 8 months! Whoa!

New Shop!

This afternoon Mom and I went to a lovely new shop in a nearby town opened by my favorite local jeweler.

Elizabeth and me

I met Elizabeth the first year that I was able to go to our local arts festival after many, many years of being too sick to go. 

I found the perfect necklace. I'll always remember I got this for my 21st anniversary.

As one of my favorite music teachers always says about our days: "Make it a good one." And I did. 

New Necklace! The Photo Does NOT do it Justice!

Despite the fact that my health has taken a bit of a dip lately, it was a wonderful afternoon, after which I napped, ate dinner with Mom and headed out for our evening walk.

A Treat!

And, since it's my 21st birthday all over again, I'm enjoying a bit of La Crema (one of my top favorite wines), too.

Here's a toast to the journey. 

Blessings,

Emily 

Stronger Together: Tim Kaine Visits!

In Front of the Stage

We had a super exciting Friday afternoon here in Central Pennsylvania. 

Tim Kaine, our future vice president (and maybe president some day!) came here to speak.

He is a FANTASTIC and Compelling Speaker

What an experience. 

What a man.

What a human being.

What a wonderful speaker. 

What a positive message he brought to the crowd today.

What an example to us all.

What a true public servant.

What a genuine nice guy.

I Was Mesmerized!

I know I can be pretty sentimental and cheesy, but after hearing this man speak, I am so humbled to have been in his presence. 

When I heard Tim Kaine was coming to town I really, really wanted to hear him speak. 

It took some work to make that happen--both on my part and that of the workers at campaign headquarters.

The Stage. We Were Seated to the Side

It was a standing room only venue where folks were expected to arrive 2 1/2 hours before the event if they wanted to be sure to get in for the 2:30 speech.

It's still difficult for me to ask for what I need. And now that I am feeling better, I worry that people will think that I am asking for too much or for something I don't really need. Standing in a hot, crowded, loud room for several hours? That was not going to happen.

I reached out to campaign headquarters and our local Women for Hillary group and immediately heard back that they would do everything they could to make it work for me to attend. 

In the back of my mind, I felt sad thinking that had I asked the Trump campaign for extra help, they might not be so enthusiastic to help--not because I want to see Trump, but because I am sickened that we have a candidate who demeans people with disabilities, women, and Jews and pretty much anyone else.

Behind the Stage

It makes me feel anxious and stressed to ask for what I need, to feel like an inconvenience and to add to these campaign workers already stressful workloads.

But Sarah got what needed to be done taken care of. We found a way for them to make sure ADA seating would be available for me, even if I could not arrive 2 1/2 hours before the event (which I could not). Sarah and Eisha (the campaign staffer staying with us) enthusiastically greeted me upon my arrival. They were so happy I could make it.

So was I.

Me and the Mayor!

The ADA seating was combined with special reserved seating for some of the major volunteers and community politicians. I just happened to get lucky enough to meet and sit next to our wonderful mayor! I also met the woman running for Congress. 

Not only were these great people at the event, but Kiernan was there as well as part of the press coverage. :) 

With help from my dad to arrange parking on campus, help from the Hillary staff, and having Mom with me, I was able to attend this event. 

As we entered I got nervous because outside food and drink are not allowed inside--but I need to take medicine and I need to drink something called Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS) throughout the day to keep my blood pressure up. 

Again, I asserted myself to the Secret Service regarding my needs, and they allowed me to bring in my ORS. I no longer need to use the wheelchair to go to these events, so sometimes it feels like it's almost more difficult to try to explain that I am still a person with a disability. 

It was hard for me to try to ask Sarah to hold chairs for us or my fatigue would mean I couldn't make it through the event. It was hard to ask for her to jump through so many hoops. It was hard to ask the Secret Service for an exception to the no food and drink rule. 

But it was so worth it.

I also remember that it's important to expand our image of what it means to be a person with a disability. It's about so much more than whether or not a wheelchair can be accommodated.

What made it so worth it to see Tim Kaine?

His speech was the most powerful and uplifting part of the campaign experience to date.

This guy is ready. To. Go.

He reminded me of all of the reasons we are STRONGER TOGETHER.

He reminded me why I believe in the Clinton-Kaine team 100%.

He reminded me why I am such a strong Democrat.

Ricardo Introduces Tim Kaine

Tim Kaine was introduced by this incredible young man currently volunteering for the campaign. I think Ricardo might be our first Hispanic president of the United States! What a well-spoken, passionate young man.

I Stole These Two Pics from Ricardo's FB Page!

While Kaine covered a lot of subjects from education to jobs to the economy, the most powerful and lengthy topics were what it means to 1. have equality, 2. elect a female president, and 3. be a Democrat.

Tim Kaine spoke about equality for several minutes. 

He did not miss a single one of us who deserves equality, including people with disabilities.

I remember, in 2008, when I went to see Hillary Clinton speak that she was the first politician I had heard make people with disabilities a part of the mainstream political platform.

I also remember what it took to get me to that event--a wheelchair, a reclining chair, seating in the press area, special entrance to go in, etc. What a difference!

Equality.

For everyone.

As part of this speech, he reminded us that we are 75th in the world when it comes to having women in our government. He reminded us of what it has taken Hillary Clinton to get to where she is today.

Despite Being to the Side of the Stage, Kaine Did a  Great Job Making Us Feel Like We Were Just As Much a Part of the Crowd as Those in Front

He also spoke to the heart of what it means to be a Democrat. 

Tim Kaine seems cut from the same cloth as my Dad and his family. My dad grew up as a Catholic Democrat, or what he called an 'FDR Democrat'. He grew up being told that "Republicans are for the big people, and Democrats are for the little people." 

My parents have raised me to believe, as Tim Kaine said, that as a society social justice and helping others matters. We are not to sit by while someone is left by the side of the road, in need of help, and everyone passes them by thinking it is 'someone else's responsibility.' 

As Tim Kaine reminded us today, so very many people are on the side of the road in need of help. It is our job as part of the government and our communities to lift them up.

When Donald Trump doesn't pay his taxes and thinks this makes him smart what he's really doing, Kaine reminds us, is stiffing our vets. Stiffing our schools. Stiffing everyone by the side of the road.

Future President Ricardo?

This divisive election cycle has only served to make me more firm and clear in what I believe. 

Sometimes we must lift up our communities first, even if it is at the cost of the individual. This is what being a citizen means to me. This also part of what being a Jew means to me. It is important to weight the needs of the community and sometimes sacrifice the needs of the individual for the good of the community.

Our Mayor (And Secret Service Dude)

Before Kaine spoke, we enjoyed speeches from our mayor, our state representative, our county commissioner and Ricardo.

I didn't quite know what to expect of Tim Kaine as a speaker. He's always described himself as boring and just a nice guy. This guy is not even close to boring when he gives a speech! He definitely comes off as a 'nice guy', someone who genuinely cares about others, who believes strongly in the capabilities of his running mate, who is strong in his faith, who respects others, and who passionately believes in his life's work of making lives better for others.

A Volunteer Snapped This For Us After the Event

During this election season, I've found myself defending my political beliefs more than I have since my Davidson days. When I was student at Davidson, only a handful of students were Democrats. Today, I learned that Tim Kaine spoke at Davidson last Wednesday to a crowd of 800 people. Remember Davidson is only 1700 students!

I'm not willing to lose my friendships over politics or religion. But I do find that my friends who differ from me are helping me to clarify and fine tune what I believe.

I will never waver in my focus on social justice or in my belief that we must support our most vulnerable members of society. I believe that women's rights are human rights, that all minority groups from LGBTQ to people with disabilities deserve equality and the support it requires to achieve that, that women have the right to choice when it comes to the excruciating choice of abortion, that the government should and must play a role in our schools, infrastructure, health care, jobs, etc.

Ready to Go!

I've really enjoyed being able to engage more fully in this presidential election than at any other time in my life, especially one this important. 

I want to thank my parents for instilling within me the values that I hold so dear, for fighting for them in their own ways, for spending their lives as sociologists teaching about inequality and injustice in our society, and for believing that contributing to the greater good matters.

I love being part of this process with my mom. I cannot wait to celebrate electing the first woman president with her. Mom has been working so hard on the campaign--canvassing, cooking meals for staffers, hosting Eisha at our home, participating in a letter writing campaign to undecided voters and writing letters to the editor. 

Dad is very pumped up about Hillary too.

Thanks to the staffers who made this incredible experience possible.

Tim Kaine: you're the real deal and you and Hillary are going to rock this White House gig.

Blessings,

Emily