For the first post of this year, I'll take both a look back, followed by a forward-looking post on the eighteenth anniversary of WORDS ON THE LINE on January 5. A special thanks to Ian Denning, whose post inspired this one.
Remembered 2022 Pleasures
1. In January, I continued four sets of Zoom meetings with family and friends, thanks to my sister, niece and husband, daughters, and their husbands, childhood friends, work friends, and associates. These chats opened me to bountiful creative ideas, led me to new adventures, checked my phobias, and reinforced my better angels.
2. In February, I continued my never-ending quest of experiencing international cuisine by picking up Haitian patties and eating djon djon with my younger daughter's Haitian in-laws.
3. In March, I finally visited Miami Beach, dancing to Latin jazz at Ball and Chain in Little Havana, viewing local Latinx art at Vizcaya Museum and Perez Art Museum, cruising Little Haiti, and checking out the Everglades, because in America, there is nothing else like that blend of Latin culture and nature.
4. In April, I spent a few days in Maui, specifically Kaanapali Beach, with my older daughter's family, obviously to get a respite from the northeastern cold, but also to appreciate the wildlife (whales and turtles) and the splendorous landscape.
5. In late April throughout May and part of June, I began an eight-week writing course for the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, a wonderful organization of committed employees. The course was so successful that it repeated later in the year, and a third offering will roll out later this month.
6. In May, I started regular post-pandemic dinner dates at New Jersey restaurants with friends, feeling invincible with my multiple covid vaccinations and craving outdoor activities. From my friends, I always pick up new ideas about popular culture and vital reading material.
7. In late June, I headed to Cocoa Beach for a weeklong family reunion. I'll usually pick up some medical knowledge from my West coast daughter and her husband, both doctors, and musical wisdom from my East coast daughter and her husband, both musicians and music teachers. Being with the five grandson, ages 2 to 12, was equally educational.
8. In July, my wife and I took a cool theater tour through New England, going to Dorset Theatre Festival in Dorset, Vermont; Barrington Stage Company in Pittsfield, Massachusetts; and Westport Country Playhouse in Westport, Connecticut. During this tour, we saw the great Pulitzer Prize-winning drama Anna in the Tropics, about connections between the dignity of manual labor and the imaginative power of literature, and Kim's Convenience, the comedy that led to the television sitcom. The best part of this trip, however, was meeting up with three different groups of friends in each state.
9. In August, we hung out in Oakland, California with my West coast daughter's family, where I picked up Collected Poems, 1974 - 2004 by Rita Dove Poems, 1962 - 2012 by Louise Gluck, and Devotions: The Selected Poems of Mary Oliver, inspirational reading material for any time or occasion.
10. In September, I visited the Warner Gallery at the Mamaroneck Public Library to see Robert Mucci's premiere art exhibition, Out of Silence, a collection of some 30 abstract paintings and multimedia pieces that was both visually appealing and life-affirming.
11. In October, I had dinner at Queen of Sheba Restaurant in New York City with Charles Lynch, Brooklyn poet and my English professor during my undergraduate days. Any meeting with Charles leads to an adventure in learning and laughter.
12. In November, I attended a concert of the Jubilee Singers at the Liquid Church in Princeton. The Jubilee Singers comprise African American singers (and others, as my younger daughter is a proud member) performing traditional spirituals. Their soaring music is heaven-bound.
13. In December, I closed the year by spending some time in the Monterey dunes and on the streets of San Francisco and Oakland, visiting Dracena Park, Huckleberry Botanic Regional Park, and California Academy of Sciences, as well as rereading my favorite memoir, Music Is My Mistress by the inimitable genius composer, pianist, and bandleader Duke Ellington. Duke reminds me that creativity is a 24-7 endeavor.
All of these events kept alive my desire to work and write and share ideas.
Anticipated 2023 Pleasures
To be continued.
