From a NewNormal3/2020 post on the memorial FB Page for Kaelan Alexander Paton
Let's start brainstorming about ways to make life better in light of this new learning opportunity (aka challenge) of COVID19 Game On (#CO19GO!)
NewNormal3/2020 is a topic I am naming to mark this time of #CO19GO! (COVID19 Game On!) to help everybuddy think in terms of dealing with life not only 'on 'life's terms' but with an eye to the silver linings...and hope and trUSt things will get better day by day and with more connections via social media and calls...and all sorts of things.
Let's list some Positives that are part of our lives and communities...past, present and future! See more on livfully.org and Thanks for being on the Winning Team of Creating Peace as part of your inner game and outer experience of this magical mystery called LIFE!
I will start this gratitude and creative caring list of NewNormal3/2020 ( for CO19GO!) . What comes to mind when thinking positively is being in a musical... A version of which I would call How to Succeed in Living without Really Trying (the musical was in Business and was the play I was in as a freshman at HVRHS...The play entailed the lead reading through a How-To manual that we sang and danced our way through to reach the Brotherhood (and of course Sisterhood and Otherhood) of Man, Woman and Other..
I know some from that play who have gone on to serve communities locally as EMTs (Jamie H, Lori Jo who also has amazingly run the shows for many years now, whoo-hoo!) and one whose a lung transplant doc (Michael M) and amazing musicians (Mark J) and singers (Kurt who went onto Whiffenpoof fame and fun and John L who sings with Crescendo).
Those are just a few along with one who did make up and is a lovely artist, Kate S. Some things make an impression (and help the memory 40 years later.)
Dana runs an antique shop and basically most people from those times managed to live their dreams since success was more about what one made it and not chasing down dollars for rents only. Okay on another positive note, at least one of those fellow thespians (actors) became an actor, Mark S and Lori B who also danced and sang, so a 'triple threat'. Kudos to all who are pursuing their dreams and developing their skills one step or step-ball-change at a time
Now back to that noble feeling of togetherness and pulling through the ranks of making sense of life, business and Stayin' Alive as the BeeGees sang about and many disco danced to in the 70s.
I will recount I did see a lot of great shows at The Warner Theatre over the last couple of decades and the level of energy and inspiration was top notch in my book
. I loved the plays that they've done in the smaller Nancy Marine Theatre even though some of them weren't big money makers. At Vassar in the early 1980s I saw lots of student workshops and plays, so felt I was getting a good intro to acting.I wish they had given us all voice lessons...or even some of my actor friends offer that.
Maybe Now's the Time! I did get a few basics from lovely local Sherie B in a mini course through adult ed. Talk about Helpful (as was singing in the chorus at HVRHS as a freshman, auditioning with Do A Deer since I didn't have a song prepared, but thanks to Barbara Collins I had lots of songs I loved to sing and felt confident to join the chorus...soloing not so much.)
Those were the days my friends....What are some of your high school memories and who are some who have gone on to live their dreams or teach us a few lessons about life along the way?
Of course, our teen son Kaelan Alexander Palmer Paton made his mark with everybody's heart to consider the Greater Love and Miracles in our Midst, by saving two friends from the edge of the falls where the water was not as crazy as directly below the heavy waterfall.
Yet going in to reach a third friend was more than the physical forces would allow...the metaphysical aspect of his desire and ability to reach his friend and push him (according to one medium) is one to ponder...if that were the life-saving timely move..and if it gave his friend a boost to keep fighting for his own life and having faith something could work out beyond what seemed possible.
When Skip K appeared (another high school friend with rope rescue skills he was stretching to use with his own tree climbing ropes and acting alone likely against protocol....) that was the game changer for Kaelan's friend to survive. Skip speaks on a middle part of Kaelan's memorial service which is on youtube. There is more on another post called Remembering Kaelan Alexander Palmer Paton, who was our teen son enjoying the country life and ties to both of our families. Both his Dad and I had attended HVRHS as well, so that's another dream that hatched out even though we weren't there at the same time, and I had lived away for about 8 years!
( More people appreciating that time of coming together as a community could also help people in these more mysterious times of change in our world...and extend compassion to those who have faced more hardship from flu which claims 10x as many lives each year as the COVID19 has.)
That was not a given though in that the loop Skip had made had to be secured around him even after water knocked Skip away. Thankfully the loop was still secure and Kaelan's friend was doing well enough that the return up to the higher ground (30' or more up) went smoothly even in the midst of the heavy water flow that had torn Skip's pants.
Powerful forces like speeding traffic are something we all could consider as something to keep a wider safety edge from interacting with. It's tricky when the fun and thrill seeking is at a high in a situation or time of life (kids and teens and even some adults pushing limits whether with speeding, going on risky outings...without precautions such as helmets or buddy systems and knowing the terrain and well all sorts of 'uh-oh...a bit more planning and checking in with people who have done such things and would likely add a dose of common sense') would be in order. Lots of reflections on livfully.org too by the way...and again hoping to focus on the good stuff and real lessons we've heard or learned of directomundo...
Let's keep the journey lively and in good company...thanks for sharing as you can in your circles and doing lots of good self-care too indoors and out with fresh air and even pitching in to help another with some simple outdoor projects and walks to refresh one's oxygen supplies and mindset too.
