Essex Two, Chicago, IL (2025)

01/02/2025

T H I N K I N G A L O U D : Open Kimono

Historically, its has been said; if you want to truly know someone, look to their friends; those with whom they share their lives. However, in today’s world, if you really what to know someone, it’s quite reasonable to say: look at their favorite movies, the ones they cherish, the ones they love.

Our Mother was divorced when I was three years old and my brother was less than two. As a result, we grew up doing everything together, just the three of us. Saturday’s we cleaned the apartment, washed/ironed laundry and went grocery shopping, together. Sunday’s we got dressed up, walked to the closest church, had lunch at a “clean” dinner and we went to the movies together. We did this until our Mother remarried (a great guy) and I started 9th grade.

Rough guess; including double features and a few drive-ins as well as movies on TV, we saw between 700 and 800 movies during those early years. While the next 60 sum years of movie-going hasn’t been as consistent for me, I haven’t lost my “love” of a good movie, of a well told story.

For my current list of 100 favorite movies (from all of those I’ve seen) see Comments.

See Something. Do Something.

12/31/2024

T H I N K I N G A L O U D: Showing Up or Not

There is a quintessential truth in all of politics. Those that show up, get to choose.

In the 2024 presidential election 3 million fewer Republicans didn’t vote than in the 2020 election. However, at the same time 15 million fewer Democrats didn’t show up and vote.

It could be said that the Republicans didn’t win the 2024 election but rather that the Democrats lost the 2024 election.

S I D E R B A R: Just over 2/3 of those eligible to vote actually voted, which means somewhere over 40 million U.S. citizens, of those eligible to vote, didn’t. What if every U.S. citizen could deduct $100 from their annual Federal income tax, if they voted?

Say Something. Do. Something.

12/09/2024

T H I N K I N G A L O U D: Becoming an Overnight Success

Between 1959 and 1963 Shirley MacLaine was so talented and so popular, across all of the media there was back then, she appeared on the cover of LIFE magazine four times.

When asked about her “overnight success” she said what other successful professionals have said. ‘There were many years, working very hard, getting prepared to be that overnight success.’

However, what was (and is) a unique quality of this multi-talented actor, dancer, author, singer was what she said next. “I never wanted to be a big star. I always wanted to be a long star.”

Being called an “overnight success” does not guarantee life-long success to anyone, even the most gifted of us. Talent alone does not make a career.

Education (on-going) in the class room and/or in the back room is fundamental. In addition, patience, preparation, discipline and the experiences gained by working everyday contribute, to long-term success. With that kind of effort and some luck and a few friends, plus a little talent, the spotlight might find you and follow you.

In 1968 Pablo Picasso (then 87) was also on the cover of LIFE magazine. The story drew attention to Picasso's personal challenge, to make something everyday. When asked about his success. His translated response was “Success should find you working.”

Say Something. Do Something.

12/06/2024

T H I N K I N G A L O U D: the heART is art of HOPE

In the months leading up to the 2020 presidential election and its aftermath, along with the Black Lives Matter movement and the COVID pandemic, a brick wall in Richmond, Virginia became a place where HOPE was transformed into ART.

The projects organizers Rob Carter, Ashley Kistler, and John Malinosk asked 145 designers and artists from 20 countries, to produce 3’x4’ foot posters that represented the feeling, the definition and the concept of HOPE.

This yearlong, public art project, rotated the posters every three weeks or so, on a red brick wall, in a pocket neighborhood of downtown Richmond.

The “Hope Wall Project” is now a book available via Blurb Books! In addition to the individual poster designs, the book features numerous installation and process images. https://www.blurb.com

(The authors of The Hope Wall Book and Project, along with generous contributors, receive no compensation from the sale of the book or any other aspect of the project.)

Say Something. Do. Something.

11/29/2024

T H I N K I N G A L O U D: Is This Art?

Yes? No? This is an inside view of a 30” tall woven basket. This particular basket is one of 50 baskets on exhibition “Woven” at the Art Institute of Chicago.

The baskets were created by Jeremy Frey. From the perspective of “making” these baskets generously reflects the Passamaquoddy, a First Nations people who lived in the northeastern part of our country. Frey’s work follows the same path and process as the Passamaquoddy people by selecting, and felling grown Ash trees, then separating its rings into fibers. While the baskets once served the needs of the Passamaquoddy people Frey’s work rein-vision the utilitarian as a object of his individual vision.

Can a “craft” become “art”? Is it Art because it was once one thing and then someone (by their own efforts) makes it something else? What makes it Art? Who gets to say it’s Art? Is there a gradient scale with multiple levels? Like, this is almost Art, or this will never be Art.

Does the artist or the audience get to say when craft becomes Art, if so, why them? Do each of us get to choose for ourselves? Maybe, like most things we personally learn to value: it takes patience, exposure and understanding before we move to recognition and appreciation.

This exhibition runs through mid February of next year.

Say Something. Do. Something.

11/26/2024

T H I N K I N G A L O U D: Time to Turn the page!

It’s time to stop fighting a lost cause. No matter how solid, substantial and/or meaningful were the arguments, it’s time to stop fighting the last fight.

The majority of citizens voted to take another path. Over the next four years, we will all have an opportunity to judge whether it was the correct path or not.

This, however, may be the best time to begin the next fight. Not a battle but a kind of hit and run with skirmishes that consume the time and the attention of the adversary.

In this way, they will be compelled to defend their agenda rather than implementing it. Make no mistake, this is a holding action, holding for the first opportunity (the mid-term elections) to measure the cause and effect of the new leadership.

Protecting individuals, safeguarding the rights promised (by law) in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights is an obligation of citizenship. Diligence is required; if not for ourselves for the next and future generations.

Say Something. Do Something.

11/21/2024

T H I N K I N G A L O U D: Unintended and Irreversible Consequences

The difference between playing CHESS and CHECKERS (when played by friends or titled players) rarely comes with unintended and irreversible consequences. However, when political personalities are playing CHECKERS and their opponents are playing CHESS the results are almost always fraught with unintended and irreversible consequences.

American tariffs, on foreign goods reduces their appeal to American buyers and in turn reduces the amount of American dollars going abroad. This is a move made by those playing CHECKERS. It looks like one thing but it’s something else. If they were playing CHESS they might have anticipated that other countries will do the same to us, threatening industries, jobs and families.

Some countries might even add another level of payback like with a “Japanese Inspection.” This is when America produce waits on ships for inspectors that only inspect after the produce has spoiled; leaving American farmers paying the cost of the shipping and the undelivered produced.

The problem lies with political personalities focusing on short-term solutions to fulfill campaign promises. They tend to think only or two moves ahead. If I do this, I will get that: forgetting the competitors always have another move.

The experienced CHESS player recognizes that complex and interdependent objectives demand patience, deliberation, cooperation and even some level of compromise to achieve long-term, meaningful results.

Say Something. Do. Something.

Photographer: Tom Vack / Milan, Italy

11/19/2024

T H I N K I N G A L O U D: Wishful “Thinking”

At what time in our lives, do we stop believing, what we wish would happen, actually happens?

The elevator will come sooner, if we push the button 50 times. We bet on our home team to win, even if they’ve lost all season. Saving for a new car by adding loose change to a jar, in the sock drawer, isn’t a real plan. The most naive of these is voting for candidates because they’re saying what we want to hear.

To those us over 30, we’ve been around, we know some s**t and there aren’t that many real surprises. We’ve learned, by our experiences, that if we don’t use the wisdom and good judgment we’ve earned, we will pay for it down the road.

It’s only human nature to wish for things, all kinds of things. To get the things we want, we have to be better at doing what we know we should do. And, for most of us that means some kind of personal change.

Benjamin Franklin wrote “the hardest thing for a man (or a person) to do is to change long-standing, prejudices or beliefs. But to succeed in doing it is a test of one’s humanity.”

Say Something. Do. Something.

11/10/2024

T H I N K I N G A L O U D: Politics of Divorce

A Divorce is a “court-ordered decree” ending a marriage, allowing the divorcing parties to remarry other parties. In the United States of America, just over 50% of all marriages end in divorce. The party of the first part determines they can no-longer live with the party of the second part.

While a legal determination (the reason for the divorce) is required the language is considered, at best to be vague or at worst there’s something called “no fault.” In this case no blame is assigned for the failure the marriage. Neither party has to say (on the record) why they really decided to move on. However, some divorces aren’t always final, final.

In 2020 the United States of America divorced its President by approximately 51%. In that case, one party said they where not willing to move our of the big house with the great location. Funny thing though, depending upon the year, between 6% and 9%, of all those that complete the divorce process, remarry the same person within four years.

Sometimes, over time, they forget or forgave why they got divorced in the first place. Even funnier, those that remarried their former party (of the first part) file for divorce again; 60% within 2 to 3 years. Maybe they were some how reminded of what they forgot. Go figure.

Say Something. Do. Something.

11/07/2024

T H I N K I N G A L O U D: Courage!

Courage + Patience + Loyalty

Courage: Personal strength in the face of pain or grief; having the courage of one’s convictions

Patience: A capacity to accept, tolerate and overcome suffering and duplicity without anger or surrender

Loyalty: Showing firm and constant support for ideals and ideas, for institutions and individuals

Say Something. Do. Something.

Photograph: Lowe’s

11/05/2024

T H I N K I N G A L O U D: “What’s Past is Prologue”

Something to consider
for those voting today.

Come mothers and fathers
Throughout the land
And don’t criticize
What you can’t understand
Your sons and your daughters
Are beyond your command
Your old road is rapidly agin’
Please get out of the new one
If you can’t lend a hand
For the times they are a-changin’

The line it is drawn
The curse it is cast
The slow one now
Will later be last
As the present now
Will later be past
The order is rapidly fadin’
And the first one now
Will later be last
For the times they are a-changin’

Lyrics; Bob Dylan

11/04/2024

T H I N K I N G A L O U D: Is This the Time to Grow Up?

Today is our wedding anniversary. And, because every four years it coincides with Presidential elections; today I was reminded of a critical experience we had planning our wedding.

Nancy wanted the pastor she grew up with to marry us. He wouldn’t agree unless he had an opportunity to have a “conversation” with me. We are now 35 years married with two grown sons, so on that occasion, I must’ve said the right things.

After our conversation (over tea ‘n’ biscuits) he told us a story about the first year he lead his congregation. At that time the Deacon’s of his church were all men in their late 70s or early 80s. Most replaced their parents and grandparents as Deacons of the church. The majority of the pastor’s current congregation are the adult children and grandchildren of the current Deacons.

Our officiant needed to prepare his church for the next generation of leadership, to face any number of financial, moral, sociological and ethical choices. The Deacons weren’t difficult to convince, however asking the next generation to see themselves as leaders was a challenge he didn’t expect.

For each generation there are moments and opportunities to step out from the shadow of previous generations and step into the spotlight of responsibility and leadership. This is when focusing on individual needs, must be subordinated to a bigger picture, to a greater cause, toward achieving a more meaningful purpose. We all have this opportunity in our lives. We may not always recognize it; if we do, we may not accept it, but someone will.

Say Something. Do Something.

Photograph: Vogue

Essex Two

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