Alvin Ailey – one of the most legendary dance companies on the face of the planet is promoting its latest performance shows a dancer captured in a beautiful aerial movement shows his backside and pffft…blastoff.
Clearly the person making this commentary is not a connoisseur of dance. What breeds this kind of humor (of course this being NYC, the assumption is that this has been initiated by an adult)? Jealousy of the stunning, fit body? Was it a woman or man making this statement in a drunken 3AM stupor waiting for the train, or is an obvious joke just a joke and was everyone else thinking the same thing, but just too PC to articulate it?
So I’ve been walking around town and being a couch potato. I don’t think I”ve watched so much TV or slept in so late this whole year. I have been hanging with Dino a little. We’ve been going out to eat and bars. We went to “Little Italy” the other night. Wine, the whole bit. It was delicious. I’ve come to the conclusion that to enjoy yourself in Chicago – you need $$! But, I had an excellent time. There definitely something about people raised in a big city that can grab your attention and hold it forever. We rode around town on his motorbike, in the rain. So it’s dumping and we’re cruising around – laughing our butts off.
The other night we went out for sushi. It was excellent! We basically got drunk on sake and had a great time. We had a bit of a discussion about people worth respecting – all about being real. Not to psychoanalyze, but it all goes back to people thinking for themselves – too many followers in the world?
I think, thinking for yourself is great, but you have to know how to enjoy yourself while you’re doing it. What I’m slowly realizing is that people are too repressed and I’m one of them. That’s why I find totally open people so interesting. D’s philosophy is to try and make everyone he meets smile. Thus the sake/sushi.
The waitress we had was hilarious. Twoward the end of the meal we ordered a beer. We’d been giving the waitress a hard time (nicely) and she busted our chops. She got us a couple free sake’s. When we ordered the beer, she said “Japanese way is to put an orange in the beer.” So she brought us a couple of oranges and we threw them in. It actually tasted pretty good. When she walked by again we told her it was pretty good. She then proceeded to tell us she was joking – ha!I laughed so hard I almost cried.
I could easily get lost in Chicago. If I were more of a “poet” I could be a starving artist here. But I’m not, so oh well. It’s almost time to go.
October 28, 1995
The last couple of days have been relatively sedate. Dino took me around Chicago on the back of his motorcycle. I was in awe! Dino live near the gay part of Chicago. As he jokingly puts it “gay boys on one side, lesbos on the other.” I’ve been spending my days lounging around and I’m ready to GET ON IT!
I saw Beverly and Betty here. They are both going to school at the U of Chicago. Crazy girls – dramatic.
I think I’m losing it. I feel like I need more excitement. I think I’ve got some mental barrier which is inhibiting me from letting loose completely. I don’t think it’s so much of what people will think of me -but how to enjoy myself. Do I feel free? Interesting question, I don’t feel it completely in my heart. I need to take a bigger chance at something in my life. Travels may solve part of my feeling, but I need something more. What makes me feel ultimately blissful? Perhaps I’ll never know. Desire to live on the edge and be extreme. Not for the sake of perception, but a drive to do more. Ok, idle talk. But there’s definitely a difference between stupidity and extremity. Maybe all I want to do is be able to tell a good story. So my life is a story. What am I worried about?
August 29, 1995
Wow, August is almost done. Glenn will be 25 in a few weeks. I have to figure out what to get him. I’ve been thinking about what I really want to do while I’m in Alaska.
Honestly, I just don’t know. I’ve been talking to my roommate and his friend about their world excursions and there are definitely a few things I need to work through as far as getting up and going. Like money. I have to power through the idea that I always need to be making money. Another is actually thinking about what I want to see. Going with the “flow” works, but I definitely have to take the opportunities, I think. I’m getting lazy about that. Maybe this is just the rest period I need to re-energize myself. And remind myself why I’m traveling.
There’s a great saying I found today: “There is no such thing as strangers, only friends we haven’t met.”
I can see a lot of Uncle Ted and Mom’s personality quirks manifesting in me. Like I’m a work-oriented person with the spirit of a traveler. Which can work – I just need to fin the balance.
