Passion

(This is an email to my friend Dan Clark. He had given me a book, which he had written, that I was reading and enjoying.)

Something you mentioned in your book truly resonated with me. Actually quite a few things got my attention and were quite stimulating. But I'd like to comment on one in particular. Just wanted to say some things while they were on my mind. Before they fell through the ever-increasing cracks of consciousness.

You spoke of passion. I gravitate towards passion. I crave it in its many forms. I have taught acting over the years. I really enjoy working with young people. I always ask, in my first class: What is an actor paid to do? I get answers that are all over the map. Memorize lines. Create a character. Become someone else. Be someone else. Be real. And the list goes on. No one ever gives me the answer for which I'm looking. The answer incorporates some of the above. Yet without the answer all of the above are meaningless. In my opinion - and whose else should I proffer? - an actor gets paid to find and communicate the passion. Acting is all about passion. We sometimes hear that art imitates life. I suppose it depends on one's definition of the word "imitate", but in a general sense I would heartily disagree with the above statement. Art consolidates life. Boils it down. Gets rid of the dross and leaves us with the rich, pure, interesting aspects of life. The passion of life. We really don’t care about anything else. Think of the songs you love to listen to. Especially those that you enjoy over and over again. The ones that stick with you for years. Why do they? Because they invoke passion within you. Same is true of the movies we watch more than once. The books that draw us back year after year.

I suppose a definition of passion would be in order. For some it is only mentioned when referring things sexual. It is much more than that. Enthusiasm. Energy. Fervor. Excitement. Zeal. A powerful emotion.

Don’t we seek these things when we watch a film? Read a book? Listen to music? Kiss? In everything we do?

Bringing it back to acting, the actor must find the passion in what he/she is doing. If it isn’t apparent, it must be created. But passion is what we all seek in our lives. Relationships are empty without it. Life is devoid of meaning without it. Without passion we might as well crawl into a cave and dissolve, leaving no evidence of ever having lived.

And who was the most passionate person to have ever lived? Christ. Did He leave evidence of His sojourn on earth? Yes. It’s what we call the ultimate gift to mankind.

The Passion.

I like the way your book is so easy to read. It is filled with passion. My guess is that that is the reason it is so popular. It moves us. Makes us think. Motivates us to improve. Rocks our world.

And that’s passion.

Thanks, Dan.

Messiah

We went to the Messiah Sing-in tonight. We had some close friends over for some edibles and then we ventured up to Abravanel Hall where we encountered upwards of 3,000 other people. All there for the same reason. To sing Messiah, Handel's masterpiece that celebrates the birth and life of Jesus Christ.

We gathered together in the lush surroundings of that great hall with the symphony, chorus, soloists and conductor on the stage. And us in the audience. And we were privileged to sing aloud the selected choruses. Accompanied by members of the Utah Symphony. Conducted by a maestro. We filled the hall with strains of praise and admiration and compassion.

Thank you. Carol Nelson, Colleen Butler, Grayson Hirst, Gerald Dolter, Ed Thompson, the Symphony and the Chorus. You will never remember the person sitting in the middle of the sixteenth row. But I will remember you.

The many talents that conspired to bring us this evening of entertainment are truly exceptional. For them I am grateful.

Yet the overwhelming feeling I had was that this whole evening is so, so civilized. These musicians, singers, conductors, technicians, ushers, audience members all have lives that are full of commitments. Full of other things to do. But for some reason we all got together tonight and sang. Some better than others. Some couldn't sing at all. They only wanted to be part of the experience. But it was civilized.

I get the impression that the body and mind react in very real ways to the influences to which they are subject. To what were we subjected tonight? Well, we sang aloud phrases like: "Glory to God. Glory to God in the highest. And peace on earth. Good will towards men. And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed. For unto us a child is born. Unto us a Son is given. And His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Hallelujah! Hallelujah the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. The kingdom of this world is become the Kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ. And He shall reign for ever and ever. Blessing and honor, glory and power be unto Him for ever and ever and ever. Amen."

You cannot sing those words and have your spirit sit idly by. Something moves within you. There is a stirring that is brought on by goodness. Maybe that is what is missing in our world today. Goodness.

But really, why did we go there? We went there not because there was a show. Not because of spouses, friends. Not even because of Handel. We went there because about 2,000 years ago a baby was born whose destiny it was to change the course of the world. Whose very life would be the catalyst for good and evil. We experienced the good. I felt better about my career, my life, my family, my country, my God.

As we embark on this holiday season let's focus on goodness. Let's realize that the spirit of man is almost always a good spirit. One that can be reached and touched and loved.

At the end we sang the Amen Chorus. We applauded. Forever it seemed like. I noticed the soprano soloist wipe tears from her eyes. I felt the power of the human spirit as we all stood there applauding. Smiling. Having forgotten the worries of the day for a little while. A lump rose in my throat when the conductor, after all the bows, held up the work of George Frideric Handel which we had just sung. It received, by far, the loudest and most appreciative ovation of the evening.

Messiah.

What a wonderful word.

Random thoughts to my son Mike and his wife, Kim

It's interesting that as I look at your blog, visit your house, spend time (not enough) with you and your kids I get a sense of a wonderful family that is doing things right. The video of your family at Goblin Valley is very cute. The Moab pictures. The other pictures of family.

It appears from my end that the two of you have made good choices in your lives. I see the commitment between you. To each other and your children. I delight when I see pictures of Michael and Bren walking hand-in-hand. Of the family all together. Of the two of you on the cruise. You seem to take good care of yourselves and each other. And the family as a whole.

I've thought a lot about the concept of "Families are Forever." I see that emblazoned in so many places and homes. In trying to wrap my mortal brain, with its severe limitations, around that particular concept I have found it difficult to comprehend. What does the word "Family" mean in that context? Families get so huge and convoluted with marriages, children, divorces, remarriages, etc. Just who is my family? And how does the "Forever" play into it? There are in-laws and their families. Cousins. People whom we've never even met! Are we all supposed to be together? Even the word "together" gets confusing.

In thinking about it, quite a lot actually, I have the impression that it is a lot simpler than we might expect. (I expect that is often the case when a mortal mind tries to comprehend the eternal aspects of life.) I think it has to do with DNA. Genes. Bloodline. Either literal or adopted. Having come to that idea I think I've chosen to move on to other concepts. Other mysteries. It just gets too confusing. And mortality just has too many limitations when it comes to understanding the eternities.

Suffice it to say that if through some miracle I am able to be in the eternities with the likes of the two of you and your "family", I would be delighted. You are lovely people. I admire the personality traits that I observe. Kim, you are one of the most blunt, lay-it-on-the-line people that I know. You always ask the hard questions. Yet you seem to be one who will be accepting and forgiving. You just want to know what's going on. That can be a little difficult to deal with on occasion, but overall it is refreshing.

Michael, you are my first born. I see in you a mature adult who has experienced some difficult times. In spite of the difficulties imposed on you, you have risen above them and have crafted a life of meaning and substance. Not an easy thing to do under the circumstances. Bravo. I loved you the moment I saw you and have ever since. In a lot of ways you have taught me a lot more than I have taught you. Thanks for that.

So, as I sit here on a Wednesday morning, planning out my day, I saw, again, the email from you, Kim, in my inbox. I seem to recall that you mentioned a while ago that I should get a blog and share thoughts about my life, etc. Or maybe I'm just imagining that. Not sure. But, to that end, I've shared some thoughts with the two of you. Somehow in so doing the day looks a little brighter. I have reached out to two people who are very important in my life and I've told them I care about them. That I love them.

And that's a good way to start the day.

Dad/Michael

In defense of Santa Claus

A recent story depicts the efforts of one man to do away with Santa Claus. It seems that he was offended.

I am sick of the squeaky wheels in America who want to do away with anything and everything with which they disagree. Why should we do away with something because someone is offended? People are offended every day! I'm offended by the way a lot of people drive, but I support their right to do so. I don't like the way some of my neighbors raise their children. They may not like the way I raise mine. Yet we live in peace. Side by side.

Since when did anyone promise the populace of America that they would never be offended? There are many facets of life that are offensive.

But Santa Claus? Please.

This gentleman holds that Santa Claus is a religious figure and as such should not be promoted in any kind of a public way. He should not be in the schools, the government or anyplace else where someone might be offended. So, let's take a look at it.

We have Uncle Sam. We have the Easter Bunny. We have Johnny Appleseed. We have a long list of American and worldwide folk heroes. Should we do away with them? What harm to they cause? Do they offend the masses or only a few sensitive souls who have nothing better to do with their lives than interfere with others.

We too often offend the sensibility of many in deference to the sensitivity of a few. And that's wrong.

There is nothing wrong with Santa Claus. There is nothing wrong with being a Christian, or at least Godly, nation that stands its ground and says we have certain traditions here that will be observed. Santa Claus happens to be one of them. We also believe that the Constitution was inspired by God and that the Founding Fathers were a bunch of great men. We believe that George Washington was a wonderful guy who helped get this nation started. We believe that Adams, Madison, Lincoln, Roosevelt, John Wayne, Einstein, Madam Curie, Golda Meir, and a bunch of other people were bigger than life. We like Mel Gibson, John Denver, Kate Hepburn, Jimmy Stewart, Crazy Legs Hirsch, and anyone who played on the 1927 Yankees. We like the girl who lived next door to us when we were ten who had red pig-tails and could throw a mean snowball.

We like 57 Chevys. Drive ins. Hamburger stands. Kids. Baseball. Hot summer days. Swimming pools. And best friends.

We cry at weddings, funerals, sad movies and home runs hit by our very own 10 year old.

We love summer vacations. Superbowls. The Jazz. Starry nights. And anything else that touches us.

Which brings me back to Santa Claus. Yes I love Santa. He touches me. I love that he comes every year. I love that young and old eyes alike sparkle at the very thought of him. I love the joy he brings. Do I worship him? No. Do I believe in him? Absolutely.

And if you're offended by that, it's your problem. You have the right to turn the other way. To refuse to see and hear and, most of all, feel. That's your choice. But don't take away my right to enjoy the spirit of Christmas the way it has been enjoyed for generations.