~~ finding the real fransi ~~ Part Two ~~ entry point: Toronto

I sit in a bookstore in the suburbs outside of Washington, DC.   My favorite thing to do on a Sunday when I am in town.... to sit and dream or sketch or browse online.  

An expression of my independence: to do what I want.. when I want.. as long as I want.. A scene of contentment.

Today I open a little journal.
 Paging past the poetry in progress and lists of phrasings to be employed one day. Past rough sketch entries... inspiration reminders.

I come to the first page of notes recorded during my recent solo vacation (where I want).

It is the emission from my mind ..from behind closed eyes.. as I realized the plane's wheel-wells had been opened.  

This entry needs only to be transcribed here:

~~~April 18 2009~~~~~

TORONTO

What touches me?
It is immediate, instantaneous, spontaneous
The trigger point of my emotions
It is here that my depth resides
It is here that I find my most secret soul
It is the place of my passion, my center, my constance, my core

How will I survive this trip?
What will be the end of it?
Will I be able to leave?
Will it disappoint this time?

I didn't even see it!
I FELT it!
It GRABS me in my very being, the pit of my stomach.

I don't want to cry (I do)
There is no pain.. no joy upon which to focus my thoughts.
(What is emotion --tears, laughter, fear, anger?)

Is it my potential being released?

AN ENERGY !!

~~ finding the real fransi ~~ Part One

Until a few years ago, I didn't realize that I had been hiding.
My "older" friends and former students may beg to differ. HA !
I hid behind a couple of gorgeous children and a charming musician husband.
I was a science nerd and loved reading. Inside of a book..what a great place to hide!

When I started running sound for bands I got a *taste* of a future love .. but still hid behind the scenes. I finally moved out on my own and continued to hide myself from myself until a couple of years ago.

Discovering that music can change lives has changed mine. Although I could attribute my changes to a certain musician who wears his heart on his sleeve and allows the world to share his pain, it really is more about me letting go of the curtain and stepping out into the light.

I took this to a new level last week. I went on a vacation... on my own... with no one else.. just me. To where you ask? I have hit a lot of cities in the past 2+ years.. but one place grabbed my heart the instant I arrived... Toronto.
I spent a full 5 days there .. feeling it...wandering the streets... experiencing the sights and sounds.. drinking in the art and observing the people.

I took notes of my reactions and experiences and will be writing a series over the next few days/weeks.

 But the best of all.. the highlight of my stay??? 

I FINALLY GOT INKED ! woohoo !!

It is my design faithfully rendered by Mr. Glamma.

(and it felt soooo good !)

I am already making plans for the next trip and design.

~~Blog Title Index~~

2-1-09 ---Why the Hell NOT?---
01-17-09 ---A Discussion of Rules---
01-14-09 --OPTING OUT--

.

01-17-09 ---A Discussion of Rules---

RULES
...of society
..... wait in line? obey the signs?
>wasted time<
---civil order!
Police
~~reality~~

...of fashion
...... expensive? tasteful?
>piercings<
---presentable!
Magazines
~~non-entity~~

...of process
...... procedures? tips and hints?
>individuality<
--conformity!
Manuals
~~success~~

...of table games
....... Monopoly? Solitaire?
>cheating<
--learning!
Rule Books
~~growing up~~


...of sports
...... t-ball? football?
>kick some arse<
--team work!
Referees
~~fantasy~~


...of public
...... no belching? no farting?
>discomfort<
--civility!
Mothers
~~grin-and-bear-it~~


...of humanity
...... religions? armies?
>war<
--peace!
Societies
~~safety~~


...of old age
...... savings? investments?
>no fun<
--survival!
Retirement Fund
~~grow up for pete's sake~~


...for fransi
...... on time for work? a clean house?
>boring!<
--act your age!
Social Expectation
~~death of spirit~~

------------------------------------------------
BREAKING RULES
of society = evolution
of fashion = setting trends
of process = fresh ideas
of table game = strategic analysis
of sports = crowd entertainment
of public = creative individuality
of humanity = personal freedom
of old age = experience rewarded
...for fransi = ecstatic existence

--------------------------------------------------
CONFORMING TO RULES
.......SUPPRESSION OF CREATIVITY
.......STIFLING OF PROGRESS
.......DESTRUCTION OF INDIVIDUALITY
.......SUFFOCATION OF SPIRIT

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Disclaimer:
The discussion above does not consider legal issues associated with crime against fellow human beings.
This blog is intended to point out that rules are not necessarily the most effective response to a problem.
Adherence to a particular set of values may not render the desired outcome.
As a new era of government comes to the USA, it will behoove us to remember that legislative solutions alone may not be the panacea some may predict.

01-14-09 --OPTING OUT--

Consider Advertising.

The tool of capitalism. The quest to find new customers. Often representing someone's sincere desire to share services or goods in exchange for a livelihood.

The entertainment world has been the vehicle for the presentation of advertising for decades.

Radio has offered such an opportunity to entrepreneurs for almost a century. Only recently has radio existed in a format that can shake off the necessity of supporting this part of the capitalistic landscape.

Some of the most memorable advertising has been exhibited on television and many look forward to the SuperBowl purely for the commercial moments.

Designers and Graphic Artists make a living by creative venture into the world of advertising lending it an aesthetic and entertaining quality.

In its electronic form the hawking of wares on the internet, radio, and TV doesn't threaten the environment or add to the planet's solid wastes.

A person can OptOut by going for snacks during a commercial.
Banners and flashing advertisements on webpages are so common that I seldom even notice them.
I can OptOut of a web site with an overkill of advertising.. I simply leave and don't return.

If an email advertisement is perceived as "junk".. it gets a forced OptOut into the Hotmail Junk Folder or gets sucked into Spam Folders at Gmail and Yahoo. Even though it can pile up into thousands of messages, it remains non-threatening. It does not interject itself into my personal space. It simply sits there to be viewed at my leisure... just in case I want to look for sales or special offers.

Advertising in cyberworld even offers a proactive choice.
To OptOut. To UnSubscribe. To Select "Receive promotional emails" checkbox.

Why then... why o' WHY... doesn't "real world" advertising catch up with this century?

In real life it fills up the too-small space in my mailbox.
I don't want to know how many trees are removed from the earth to support this method of advertising.
Aesthetics and creative energy don't seem to be required.
Recycling is not an option due to the type of treated paper used in most cases.

I never EVER look at this stuff. If I am looking for a "deal", I will either buy a local newspaper or run a Google search or visit Web Sites of the product-type. I am not going to wade through a pile of miscellaneously-sized slick-paper to find out how cheaply I can purchase a can of green beans or a set of sheets. I worry that an important bill or an unanticipated check will be lost among the assemblage of coloured paper.

My poor postman suffers even more. I am out of town for 3-10 days every month.
Upon my return I gingerly open my tiny mailbox stuffed with ragged wads of shiny paper within which resides the possible desired mail.

I am bombarded with this material with no valid recourse.
At some point last year it occurred to me that this stuff has no OptOut option !
...It does not end after 30-60 seconds.
...I can't just click to another spot and leave it behind.
...It remains in my "inbox" after 30 days.
...It requires a physical action to be extracted from my life.

Sooo.. I finally set up my own OptOut method. I created a real world "Junk Folder" for this form of advertising.

Here is the process... inspired by good old Gmail, Yahoo, and Hotmail.

1. Filter Incoming Mail aka Extraction:
I pick up my mail as I drive into the condo complex each evening. My last act in the outside world so-to-speak is the Clearing of my Inbox of the Trash.

2. Set up Spam/Junk Folder:
aka...The back floorboard of my car...just behind the driver's seat.

3. Create a Junk Mail Rule. Set a specific deletion mandate.
----It goes into the gas station trash receptacle every time I stop for gas.

I know that I should be filtering further and holding recyclable paper for the proper bin.
But I am telling you.... In Northern Virginia.. the "Paper Spam" is not on recyclable material !

I have been using this approach for about 8 months and it works quite well actually.

Until last weekend, I thought that it was was quite effective except for my poor mailman who suffers while I rock out in Canada, NYC, or LA. (I should let him know when I will be gone... but I often make last minute plans... poor guy !)

You see, I do have friends in my "real life".. and we decided to go to the theatre on Saturday.

I felt just terrible when I had to put one of my friends... into.. my .... Spam Folder !!!!