Far and Near

As the very nature of this travel Blog makes clear, I take a great deal of pleasure in traveling around this great big, beautiful world. I never get tired of seeing new places, eating new foods, meeting new people from cultures radically different from my own. While also getting to do what I love—teach—and share things that are often useful to the teachers who come to my workshops. And then the added perk of seeing friends who have become my international family— Kofi, Prosper, Mandana, Werner, Cao Li, Mayumi, Estevao, Uira, aniDa, Zuhkra, Melonko and dozens more with names quite different from my more local friends Don, Bob, James, Mary, Susan, Sarah. 

 

But in addition to travel, I also love staying put in my cozy house in my sweet little Inner Sunset neighborhood and figuring out how I can be of use here. In the past couple of days, I helped my daughter move, played piano at the Jewish Home and then at the SIP tearoom. This week I’ll sing songs with kids at New Traditions Elementary School, continue to help prepare 8^th graders at Children’s Day School for their upcoming concert and be the tour guide/ songleader at a local event where folks ride in an open-air trolley around the neighborhood. In a couple of weeks, I’ll host and lead the 43^rd neighborhood caroling party. 

 

It also feels good to simply walk around the neighborhood and sometimes run into folks I know. To buy bread at Tartinne’s, a calendar at Green Apple books, some bagels at Posh Bagels, oatmilk at the 5^thAvenue Market and orzo at Luke’s Grocery—all of which I did today walking home from playing Holiday Songs at SIP tearoom.

 

It's fine to play golf or take up pickleball or resume gardening and such when you retire, but for me, I like the feeling of still being of use, be it teaching teachers in China, Brazil or Austria or playing music that soothes or uplifts people in my own neighborhood. I don’t want to look back at my life’s work as if it were a museum piece. While I can and where I can and with whomever I can, I want to keep doing the work that feels real to me and useful for others.

 

As Marge Piercy wrote in her last lines of her poem To Be of Use: 

 

Hopi vases that held corn, are put in museums

but you know they were made to be used.

The pitcher cries for water to carry

And a person for work that is real.

 

PS If you’re local or coming to town on December 20^th, come on over to SIP Tearoom at 6:30 and come sing carols with us! I’ll be there.