Pluck

Invisibility is a thing with me. Sort of like a superpower I didn't ask for. I considered it a braggable trait back when I was say ten and could remain hidden in plain sight so long that the seekers got bored and the game petered out. I thought that was terrific. I felt like an Indian or a ghost. But it's gotten old. It has something to do with needing to slip away when eyes are looking. My worst nightmare is being on stage with a hundred eyes honing in. Yikes! It's an irony since I really have a lot to show, express, share, tell but when people are looking I freeze. Drama was actually my strong suit as a young person. I was quite gifted at certain forms of "melodramatic expressionism". Hey, what teen isn't? My best friend Molly and I survived our adolescence by entertaining ourselves with various creative escapades. We were out there pushing people's buttons. Today they call it performance art. But back then it was just for kicks. Things get so serious with adulthood. Judgements loom. We get stuck in the Head. Anyway, I know I'm not alone in my affliction. So I cooked up an idea for a safe space to let loose. The Back Porch Forum. Just family, maybe some friends. An informal circle to hold anyone who wants to show their stuff. It will be pretty intimate at first but with the goal of perhaps opening out into a wider circle. I'd like it to be a space that can really be used to gain confidence in performing in front of others but with an emphasis on fun and casual. So my Dad's in. He plays awesome country blues guitar. My bro is a gifted drummer and writer. My younger daughter likes to dance and has real grace and knack. She just needs more gumption. I'm not sure what the rest of us will do but we're hatching plans. I'm a closet guitar player and writer of little songs so I will probably pluck and sing and maybe read some Neruda. Just like the good old days.