Twelfth Night

Here we are, at the end of Christmas and right on the verge of Carnival. In my opinion, no matter what you think of the various rituals of the holiday season (or their related commerciality) the point of all of it is to PAY ATTENTION. There was a great op-ed piece in the NY Timmes on Sunday about this very thing and how it relates to the turning of the year. You can read that piece here, but the thing for me is that it isn't just about something like the changing of the year. It's all of the seasons; it's watching - and accounting for - our lives as we move through the dance that comes and goes and comes again.

Twelfth Night ends our celebration of Christmas. Yeah yeah I know, most of you who celebrated it at all were happy to see it go at sunset on December 25th, but it is the playing out of the days that lets us - that requires us to - pay attention; that asks us to reflect and think, and be... just for a little while... before we jump into the turmoil once again.

And speaking of turmoil... My friend, Joe Gendusa is making a big star of himself in the Crescent City as everybody is taking the Hurricane Tour and asking Joe (a tour guide for Gray Line and a lifelong resident of New Orleans) what he thinks.

Well... frankly, I KNOW what Joe thinks, and all I can say is...
YA AIN'T GONNA READ IT IN THE PAPERS!

We're on the verge of Carnival... and I said some many weeks ago, back in the dark days, that there was going to be a party in the Crescent City. We're not quite there yet, but I think it's time to start practicing anyway. THAT is what paying attention is about... practicing the good even when you don't quite see it coming.