vitality

vitality
is
like this....

feeling excited to be alive

feeling excited to take a walk


feeling excited to learn a new way of doing something


feeling excited to meet a new person


or dancing

or singing


speaking of which:
Young at Heart
is a jazzy
version
of almost vitality

here's the vitality part:

doing things way out of the "comfort zone"

learning new things

getting enthusiastic about the new things

loving to have something to offer

doing something much more alive than the usual old people life of watching t.v. and going to doctor's appointment

being out in the world

having fun

dancing around with their whole bodies

singing with their whole spirits

getting emotional and happy and putting their whole selves into the music

it's a fun
movie

and yet:

wow,
with some Feldenkrais
or Anat Baniel Method
or even desk trainer
(see links at the side)
these people could have been using
their spines
relating to gravity
learning how to walk and move and not just sing
using air better
learning faster and easier

speaking of learning

the director
was a musician
and had the courage and foolheadedness to
push the old folks into shockingly new venues

and yet:
his way of "teaching" was just
more of the old stupidiy

which is,
if someone makes a mistake,
you don't try for understanding
or clarity,
you don't offer variation
and slowing down
and chances to learn,
no,
just
pounding away with the same old same old,
like this:
"Don't do it that way, that way is Wrong.
Do it this way, this way is Right."

This one sweet old guy
couldn't get a couple of lines right,
and instead of playing around,
getting him to purposely do them "wrong,"
and then creating a variation on that,
and then creating some fun ways to do it "right,"
the director just said,
you aren't getting it,
get it

la
la

and
how fine
to teach these guys who to go from sitting to
standing
how to stand so they are over their skeletons
how to wake up their ribs and spines to have more energy and sing
better


oh, well



see
the work
if you
like me
tend
to judge
the poor
old world

or your
wonderful
and imperfect
self

ciao
chris