A Life For Itself

Blog

  • Down by the River Again – 21 March 2021

    Today’s inspiration:

    Springtime in Maryland.

    Today’s joy:

    Riding around.  Got around to Main Street in Old Ellicott City.  A CSX freight was going up the Old Main Line as we were passing through town.  Turned up River Road, where I hadn’t been too many times since the last time there was a big flood in Ellicott City.  It’s been closed.  Got up and around to Ilchester Road in time to see the train crossing Ilchester Bridge.  

    There were a few folks checking out the area.  It looked like CSX was gone from the little space they had at the turn where the road name changes, so folks were walking all around.  It was cool.  There were a few folks parked underneath Ilchester Bridge and normally, I’ll see them climbing up the little hill to get to the tracks and walk onto the bridge.  They got paid a visit by the law as I was driving by.

    The bridge from the Ilchester portion of Patapsco Valley State Park is complete.  I need to walk around there.  I want to get back around there on a Saturday and take some pictures.  

    A past joy:

    Taking pictures of the Patapsco and Ilchester Bridge over there where Ilchester Road becomes River Road.

     

  • Crossing Over – 20 March 2021

    Today’s inspiration:

    Watching a bunch of videos of people driving across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and of people driving around Ocean City.  Looking forward to going back down there again soon.  Already been down to Kent Island for a day a couple of months ago, but it was cold and there wasn’t that much to do, so another trip across is in order soon.

    Today’s joy:

    Watching other videos of train trips.  I’m also looking forward to finally going up to see the Moynihan Train Hall and some other stuff in New York.  I think I’m going to take the Acela Express since I never have in the entire time Amtrak’s been running those trainsets.

    A past joy:

    The day Amtrak rolled out the Acela Express trainsets, I was working in D.C.  Since I was commuting, I had to go through Union Station.  I made up in my mind that I was going to try to go find an Acela trainset and at least see it.

    When I got out to the platform where my MARC express train was sitting, I got something even better.  There was an Acela trainset sitting on the track across the platform from the MARC.  And it was open.  All of the doors were open.  So, peeked in a couple of the cars.  It was every bit as nice as they had made it out to be online.

     

  • hanging at home – 19 march 2021

    Today’s inspiration:

    today's inspiration

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Today’s joy:

    I spent almost 3 1/2 hours talking playwriting and theatre with other Black playwrights on Clubhouse. First time I ever participated in a room on there. Most of the time, I just get on there and sit in the back and listen. But I went up to the stage this time and talked and it was good. I enjoyed talking conflict and Lorraine Hansberry and stagecraft and Afrofuturism. Definitely what I needed.

    A past joy:

    Just over a year ago when we were finishing up The Unexpected Guest. How much fun I had. How gratifying it was, especially that last night. Full house. There was a kid in the first row making noise, but it’s all good. It’s live theatre. I thought a lot about it tonight.

  • Catching Something Good – 18 March 2021

    Today’s inspiration:

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Today’s joy:

    A past joy:

  • Some Later Things – 17 March 2021

    Today’s inspiration:

    No more hiding

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Today’s joy:

    Sleeping later than usual.  It meant a late start on all the writing I had to do, but it felt good to sleep as long as I could.  It was a cold morning and I appreciated staying under that comforter until the last possible minute.  I felt a lot of gratitude to be able to do that.  

    A past joy:

    In my younger years, March 1 was always the beginning of baseball, whether it was tryouts or getting into the mindset of actually playing baseball.  I never, ever stopped thinking about baseball, but as with all things, there’s a time for it and by this time of the month, high school ball would be almost about to start and before then, I’d be taking my glove out to oil it, getting ready to check my cleats out, all that.  Even when really cold out.  I think one year, it snowed in April and we had to postpone games.  That didn’t matter because just being there in uniform and playing was all that mattered.

    It looks like Baltimore City Public School System is going forward with Spring sports, but with plenty of rules and regulations, given the state of things.  This year, there won’t be any fans at any sporting events, not even parents, from what I understand.  Participants will have to adhere to masking and some other rules; I didn’t read them all.  The main thing for me is there won’t be fans present.  I enjoyed going and taking pics of games the other year and I was hoping to go to at least a couple of City baseball games since sports are going forward, but that’s not happening.  There’s always next year for that.  I can still keep up with scores and root for the current generation of Knights via Twitter.  The still reigning and defending Baltimore City champions.

  • My Favorite Consist – 16 March 2021

    Today’s inspiration:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zd_UcjMusUA

    The technique and artistry of this.

    Today’s joy:

    My little cousin texted me to check up on me and see how I’ve been doing. I’m not used to that from the under-30 crew these days.

    A past joy:

    I don’t miss working in an office, and especially if that office is in D.C., but I do miss catching the train. Walking through Union Station. Eating lunch there. There used to be a great Indian restaurant in there on the restaurant one level down from the Amtrak (and MARC and VRE) concourse level, that served the best mango lassi anywhere. Amtrak unveiled the original Acela trainsets while I was working in D.C. and I walked through one the day they started running. If I remember correctly, MARC also began rolling out the Kawasaki MARC III bilevel trainsets around the same time. Those became my favorite ever trainsets.

    And the boarding process at Union Station for commuter trains is nowhere near as insane as trying to get New Jersey Transit trains at Penn Station New York.

  • Common Things – 15 March 2021

    Today’s inspiration:

    Monday weekly creativity prayer call. A lot was said. A lot I needed to hear.

    Today’s joy:

    Being able to slow down some and breathe more. Get quiet more.

    A past joy:

    Watching a performance where a grown adult was pushed around in the basket of a shopping cart, then lifted out of it and placed into an automobile. It was hilarious mostly because they were pushed quite a distance and I was wondering how this was all going to end. Other weird stuff had happened as well. You had to be there, I guess.

    Speaking of my commonplace book idea, back in 2016, at the Chesapeake Writers Conference, I took a bunch of notes. I was taking notes like my entire reason for being there had been to just sit around and take notes. I even took notes at the opening convocation. Took them in all of our workshops and lectures.

    When I got back, I scanned every page of my handwritten notes, printed them at my job, and put them into plastic page protectors. Put the page protectors inside of a three prong folder. I put the notebook that I took the notes in, inside of the folder, too. And there, the whole entire package stays to this day. That’s definitely part of the idea of this commonplace book.

    I really should have become a librarian.

  • Five Things – 14 March 2021

    Yes, I’m happy about Daylight Savings Time.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    The question was simple enough –too simple, in fact– so I’ll just name three of my favorite Denzel performances.

    • Malcolm X
    • Mo Betta Blues
    • Fences

    I want to create a “commonplace book.”  I’ve noticed that a lot of what I want to put into it is digital — tweets like the one I put into yesterday’s post, clips from web pages, snippets from books I own in electronic form.  Even scanned versions of notes that I’ve digitized.  So, I’m searching for an app I can use to form the book digitally.

    But I also want to have a paper copy and that might mean getting a binder and even more plastic page protectors.  Print out the electronic snippets that I collect, scan my handwritten notes that I take or that I write in my journal and such.

    It’s not an immediate project, but I had been leaving bookmarks and other ways to mark places in my journals that I want to come back to down the line for my writing.

    I should have become a librarian.

    I don’t watch The Walking Dead closely –episodes here and there throughout the show’s run– but I’m fascinated by the fact that Seth Gilliam’s Father Gabriel character wears his clerical dress despite the obvious dissolution of the Church and I guess, all organized religion, in the zombie apocalypse on that show.  It’s probably been addressed by the character at one point another, but I imagine that he continues to wear it as a reminder of the old world, which is probably seen as much better than the one that the characters find themselves in, as well as of his own faith, which he may or may not struggle, or have struggled, to retain.  It’s interesting that in this world, religion is almost a relic and he’s a reminder of that.

    Had pizza on pi day.  It counts.

    Today’s inspiration:

     

     

     

     

    Today’s joy:

    Sunday baseball.  Even if it’s Spring Training.

    A past joy:

    Entering a scene.

  • this can be a mess – 13 march 2021

    Today’s inspiration:

    Aren't you glad you chose yourself?

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Today’s joy:

    First time in a long time that I started a poem from a list.  First time in a long time that I’ve started a poem at all.

    A past joy:

    Playing Uno all night on the porch.

    In our creativity circle this morning, we talked about hiding.  One of the members of the group talked about their background, how they were raised, their social circle, and how that contributed to them hiding.  And they’ve been struggling with putting their work out there out of fear of being rejected by those people in their family and friend circle.

    It really goes back to the question that Dr. Thema asks in that tweet.  

    It can be difficult.  It can be messy.  People get used to you being a certain kind of way with them and they don’t want to see you any other kind of way.  And if you’re doing something new, something that’s out of the millieu in which you’ve existed with those people, they may not like it.  They’re not ready to experience you in that way.  Sometimes we go the opposite way and hide ourselves to avoid having to be that person in front of those people, which can cause unhappiness with you, since you know you’re not being yourself.

    It’s an issue I’ve struggled mightily with.  Even recently

    So, it goes back to that question.  

     

  • Longer days, fuller nights – 12 March 2021

    Today’s inspiration:

    This post from #blkcreatives about joy. As well as some really good train travel videos on YouTube. 

    Today’s joy:

    Being out and about in really nice weather.

    A past joy:

    Being out and about in really nice weather, but playing baseball.  Also, being out and about in really nice weather, but down the ocean (or down the shore, however you refer to it).

    Almost immediately after I woke up this morning, I got quiet.  Still.  Touched that joyous place within.  Cut out the background noise.  It was a great way to start what ended up being a pretty good day.  Went out in the evening.  I’m still a night owl.  I love the night.  I prefer it.  It’s ironic how happy I am that it’ll be daylight out longer in a couple of days.  That’s probably a holdover from having to go in when the streetlights came on.  I’m going to enjoy it staying light past 7, but I think I may stay up all night tomorrow night reading and working on this play.