What would Meryl do?

I remember when Meryl Streep first blazed into New York. Some young cohort sniped that it was the Streep family's money and connections that purchased all the attention Merl was getting. [The acrid stench of jealousy reminded me of the bitter Minneapolis actor who crowed about working on stage with Dustin Hoffman before The Graduate made Hoffman an icon. Inflated with firsthand authority, this community theatre actor could pronounce Hoffman a 1st class asshole. Yes, of course, what is more reprehensible than being the guy who stole the success and fame that should have showered down on ME!]

The awful truth is I was jealous too, wondering what's the big deal about this pretender from Yale. But the wonderful truth is that Streep has more than earned her exalted status. I wonder if the chippie who tried to discredit the rising star has mellowed in following the trajectory of Meryl Streep's work. Could she possibly have seen Julie and Julia and not be swept into the embrace of the character's joie de vivre?

Lately, as I've been trying to find entree into the world where talent and passion have currency, I stumble over myself a lot. But when I do, it helps to reflect on the artful serenity that Meryl Streep exudes. "What would Meryl do?" works as a mantra.

So...Yeah, Mom. Do the work. Make it work.

A winner in the family

It's wonderful to have a winner in the family. My nephew, Ali, really understands what it takes. He addresses his schoolwork with determination to do well and ends up being a leader not only in helping to tutor younger students and scoring beyond grade level in standardized tests, but he is also a leader in student government after waging a competitive, proactive campaign.  

In karate, despite his small stature, he routinely places first in regional tournaments.  And now, at age 9 he is playing his first season of baseball.  Instead of putting together a string of easy victories, his team weathered three consecutive losses and just kept working to get better. Their most recent game was a solid victory.  And Ali, the neophyte outfielder, contributed so effectively to that victory that he was awarded the game ball and proclaimed the game's MVP.  

What enables some people to rise so effectively to each new challenge while others of us flounder?  I will happily share the answer if I can find the source of his magic.  Meanwhile, the vicarious joy of victory is a good tonic..(especially for a Knicks fan.)

How Tweet is it?

At a time when I want to learn new technologies to stave off Alzheimer's, I fear the net has engendered a calamitous uptick in ADD among its trollers.  Between Twitter, Blogspot, and FaceBook, I, for one, can no longer hold a thought long enough to make doctor appointments.  We may be forced to evolve non-prescription methods of dealing with our deficiencies.  Uh, let's see...what was I talking about again?  Oh, yeah.  On the positive side, Tweet-strings led me to the blog of a really lovely gardener in Austin.  Also, I get a special buzz out of traveling ahead of the media curve.  Cyber-stalking led me to Steven B. Johnson before the PR machine kicked in on The Invention of Air.  I may be lurking in the dark doorways of the net, but when Johnson shows up on Colbert, I feel like I own the guy.  Johnson told ME in advance that he was going to do the show.  If anyone has read this far, you're probably thinking 140 characters is about right.  Right?

Breaking the Ice

I am playing catch-up.  This blogging business is all so somebody else's game to me.  My usual approach to any new endeavor is to walk the perimeter and evaluate all the tangents before entering the arena, but the most important thing for me to do right now is to write now.  I'm literally falling asleep at the keyboard, so will not make any point for the moment.  It is my intention to get all the buzz cleaned out of my head and organize it into intelligible topics for contemplation.  Shall sleep now the better to handle the writing process tomorrow.