Wednesday: Swingin' Sisters at MACHA Theater

In one of my favorite books - The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho - the main character is a shepherd who leaves everything he knows to pursue a vision. During his journey he learns to read the omens delivered to him by the spirit of the world. It is perhaps simplistically sentimental, but I have always found the book inspiring, and have read it many times throughout my life. I've never read a single copy more than once because I am always giving them away. In fact, that's how I first encountered the book - it was appropriately given to me by a stranger I never met again.

Recalling The Alchemist now it would seem that within these last couple of days the omens have been showing themselves to me, or I've remembered how to see them, because they've been cascading before me and my journey has taken a fresh turn for the better.

As cliche as it sounds, it is indeed easy to lose yourself within another person. For so long after he left I held onto my sadness as a form of identity. To let go of it would have meant letting go of myself.

I have let go and while I do feel a bit like a kite gone untethered, I also feel newly aloft, and I am beginning to truly reconnect with myself. I didn't know I had been so far gone. There may yet come another cycle, but probably not.

Last night I went and photographed my friends' cabaret show at the MACHA Theater. They call themselves the Swingin' Sisters and even though I have a strong dislike for musicals, I found myself enjoying their renditions of familiar numbers and the narrative of their friendship, especially since I could relate to so much of it. They have a couple more dates at MACHA, so if you'd like to support an independent theater and aspiring artists, check it out!



It was my first photo gig in a while and I was delighted to find my spontaneous inspiration pay off with the dressing room and stairs shots. I still got it!





There are more, but I wanted to get these edited and up. My Photoshop skills are improving - I entirely color corrected the stage shot and added more dramatic lighting. The original looks nothing like that!

Also, I wrote an email to Bike Snob as part of my "creative approach" to general cheering up and was delighted to receive a really sweet response from him encouraging me to keep writing and riding because it will eventually pay off.

I am cautiously optimistic, tentatively excited, and tremendously eager to rediscover who I am.

Thank you for sticking by me. Your support means the world to me.