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Yes, it has been a little while since inspiration hit me.square.in.the.face. **wink, wink**
It took a confluence of a tweet that reminded me of the song (linked above) and the photo below... and not so happy life circumstances. Throw in a side of some kind Facebook friends, and here we are....
Moments that take our breath away.... mine start with music.... Try to Remember (the Kind of September) a song I have a clear memory of hearing when I was only perhaps 3 years old. A rather melancholy song, that spoke to me, and touched my tender, young soul deeply. A woman sang the song on The Today Show. (It could have been in the September just prior to my 3rd birthday.... not sure.)
When I was 4 years old I was given a record player. Just a plain, portable, turntable. And a stack of 45s, generic, no "popular" singers or bands. But that one recording stood out... I am not sure why I chose that particular 45 to listen to, because I know that I did not listen to most of those generic 45s. Gale Garnett singing We'll Sing in the Sunshine. (see the link at the top of the blog)..... Again a rather melancholy song. Listening to it, any time, takes me back to that living room, the dull black and white tight weave carpeting, a bookcase, daddy's recliner chair.... and that record player.
Skip ahead a couple of years, and I am listening to my older nieces talk about The Doors, Jose Feliciano, and Sonny & Cher, among others. And my niece, Sandy, played a recording of Light My Fire. In the boathouse at the lake. That same summer daddy let me play his transistor radio and I listened to pop radio stations. Ride Captain Ride, another song I remember from childhood.
Later in life television took a larger role. But it wasn't until my 4th decade that I started to meet some of the people I had watched on television. That brings us to the Moments that have taken my breath away,... and now I collect conversations with famous people....
I won't go into all of the details, but here is a brief list.....
Lani John Tupu, Farscape, Crais and the voice of Pilot.... he knows me! And Lani is delightful to converse with. And so began my real love "affair" with actors who portray "villains" .... because those are not the roles they expect people to most remember .....
Michael Gross, in the Law and Order franchise, first in Criminal Intent (Crazy) and then, more notably as Arthur Eastman in the SVU episode Lust. Partially because I am uncertain of how to begin a conversation with a celebrity I like to ask about an unusual, perhaps more challenging role .... Thus did I take Michael Gross by surprise, when he mentioned starring in Family Ties, and I countered with the SVU role. He replied, "really?" honestly intrigued. I explained the truth of it for me: those villains who make me squirm uncomfortably in my own living room - those are the most memorable television moments. Michael Gross was perfectly creepy and more than a little unnerving... especially for a fan of his Family Ties sitcom.
I have also talked with the man who made Ba'al, the villainous Goa'uld in Stargate SG-1, Cliff Simon. Who was also intrigued that I found his Ba'al a fascinating character.
Jamil Walker Smith, Stargate Universe, Sargeant Ronald Greer. I absolutely hated Greer the first time I watched Stargate Universe. Then in episodes like Lost, Greer's childhood experiences are revealed, giving some insight in the character's behavior. By the third time I watched the series I had come to appreciate how much Ronald Greer was able to make me uncomfortable.... Jamil was delighted to hear my 'take' on Ronald Greer, a truly unlikeable character, portrayed well by a worthy performer.
There are myriad other actors from both Farscape and Stargate, and a few other programs, with whom I have had some conversations that I will always remember.
Dan Payne, Alex Zahara, Anthony Simcoe, Gigi Edgeley, Ben Browder, Peter Kelamis, David DeLuise. I have, or been a party to convesations with these actors.
I have also met Matthew Modine, Amanda Tapping, Michael Shanks, Christopher Judge, and Stacy Keach... and had a memorable encounter with Scott Glenn.
Those are some of the best memories, that I will never lose.....
And real life things.... trips to Mexico, Hawaii, Niagara Falls(Canada), The Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, Saratoga Springs, Wells(Maine), and some memory of time spent in 44 out of the 50 United States.
there is more.....
but that is for another day....
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