Monday, April 01, 2013

A WOMAN'S WORTH: DRESSING LIKE A HOOKER?



Dressing Like a Hooker: A Woman's Worth

I’m not spiritually evolved enough to stop dressing like a hooker, but at least I tried a turtleneck the other day. You can’t get a job in Hollywood without ‘Lap dancer’ on your resume, and I’m referring to the writers not the actors. Wearing death-defying cleavage is supposed to make us more employable or marriageable. And since the only valuable women in America are teenage-wombless-buttless-mutants (TWBMs), I can’t just quit cold turkey. So I’m in withdrawal from cleavage. (more below....) 

If a certain rock star and I hadn't dumped each other back in the 90s, I would have 
lived on his private island in Fiji and life would be too perfect. But since pain is the touchstone of all spiritual progress, I ended up raising three boys and two dogs, including my husband, who were all going through puberty at the same time.

But I had a theory back then:  honestly believed that you were supposed to be married to the person who annoyed you the most, since the most spiritual growth happens with your enemies. That’s why the Arabs and Israelis are next door to each other. They just don’t get it
yet.

Whenever I’ve had regrets about mistakes I’ve made in life, I realize that my son and stepson are my markers. Having the privilege of raising these children is direct evidence that there really are no mistakes. If I hadn't sold my house at the ‘wrong’ time, I would never have found the apartment where I walked into  party and met the future father of my child. I can honestly say I wouldn’t trade my downfall, horrific crash and burn, or the meandering road to wholeness for anything.

On my excruciating Big Sur divorce trip, in which I sobbed love songs into a tape recorder and stopped at every crashing surf vista point —  I stayed alone at The Madonna Inn — a twinky fairyland honeymoon resort —  and asked the host, "Isn't it illegal to stay here alone, after a marriage has ended?" She said "Just the opposite: it's good luck. In fact you will meet someone new and get married here!"   It's true; it was a magical, healing experience. 

(FYI: I stayed in the Krazy Daisy Room, the only room they had left at 10 PM when I rolled into town. It'a an exact replica of my childhood room. I turned on the TV and the newscaster said my name "Lydia" referring to the weather girl. (I played a weather girl on Too Close for Comfort.) Coinkydink? Then I wandered down to the pink leather dining room, where Frank Sinatra was singing a song called "Too Close for Comfort!"  

I don't believe in an anthropomorphic version of God — but I call these 'godshots" (TM) 

More to come....  


This is wonderful!  I met two spectacularly creative young women, both artists, innovators and great thinkers: Christy Heyob and Kerstin Larissa Hovland. Christy is doing amazing things combining art with healing. Kerstin is an innovative artist with a background in computer engineering, who integrates art, performance and technology with music and light.  Both of these women are on the cutting edge, starting new companies. Found this on Christy's blog. Please watch: 




We all get a little scared sometimes. Scared of graduating school without a plan; scared of monsters. One six year old has a remedy: think of something else until the “nervous has gone out of you.” Think of juice, pizza, and a piano shaped chocolate chip cookie. In other words, he says, “when the scared feeling comes into you, the scared is scared of things you like.” This is all advice told to filmmaker Bianca Giaever, who asked one very clever child to tell her a story…about anything…so that she could turn it into a movie.The story she heard was as brilliant as the film she created to go along with the narrative. Giaever explains on her Vimeo, “I asked a six year old what my movie should be about, and this is what he told me.” Watching the finished product leaves you wondering what other genius we’d learn of if children’s voices were heard a little bit more often. And the good news is that given the internet success her short has already had, Giaever probably doesn’t need to be scared about graduating school anymore. From Christy Heyob's site. 
By the way, apropos of nothing... I have to ask: does anyone else love Psych on USA as much as I do? It is relentlessly silly. And Gus has such funny facial expressions. But the show I crave in my sleep is "Arrested Development."  My son and I watched 53 episodes back to back over the holidays. (Catch a clip of "The Best of Lucille Bluth ("I'd rather be dead in California than alive in Arizona" down below.) It was cancelled and the protest grew into a riot, so Ron Howard made a deal to bring it back on Netflix. We all wait with breathless anticipation. Also — in case you missed it, Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters is hilarious as Chelsea Lately's substitute host! Sir Elton John, my favorite, was just on. This was a repeat. )

My favorite music right now: The Lumineers (Hey Ho); Mumford and Sons; The White Stripes "Seven Nation Army; Atlas Genius, Passion Pit, Cage the Elephant, and so many more. Here is White Stripes: 






MY FAVORITE SHOW: ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT!