Beckoning the Lovely

[Steve Grisetti]

I don't know how many of you are acquainted with Amy Krouse Rosenthal. She wrote an amazing little book called "An Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life", ostensibly a free-form autobiography but actually a wonderful celebration of the magic and wonder of every day life. It's one of my very favorite books, and my all-time favorite book to give copies of to my friends.

Amy's latest project is called "Beckoning the Lovely". This short video explains the project.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QVQSZA9zSk

She's invited anyone to submit a video, poem or anything else that celebrates the wonder of life to the project. So, naturally, I'd like to be on it.

Because you're all practically family, I'd like to share my submission with you guys too.

It was a difficult story to tell -- not so much because of the subject matter but because such a complicated series of events came together that it was difficult to tell it in just a few short minutes. But here goes. I look forward to your thoughts.

http://muvipix.com/cpg/albums/userpics/ ... Lovely.wmv

[ridon127]

I don't know what to say..WOW..what an amazing story..

[Rockdoc]

Wow... What an interesting story Steve!

Thanks for sharing with us. Nicely told too - you made sense of the circuitous route you took to your discoveries.

[Maxine370]

What a nice concept, I enjoyed both these videos. Your story was quite remarkable - you seem to have quite an interesting life and it was very well told as always.

[Steve Grisetti]

Thank you so much, guys! It truly was a profound experience and I'm glad I can share it on at least some level.

[ed]

This is really well done steve. You have a knack for writing and story telling.

I gave "An Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life" a read, and although I enjoyed the wit I frankly found it a tough read. More because of the way the book flowed then what was written. I eventually wound up just skipping around reading small parts at a time.

You should post some audio of your college radio show. Was it inspired by Firesign Theatre? I used to love that.

[Steve Grisetti]

We DREAMED of being as clever as Firesign Theater -- or even the National Lampoon Radio Hour.

It was more like early Saturday Night Live stuff.

"And now it's time for another episode of ... The Inadequate Hospital"

Sound Effects: An operating room.

"Sponge."
"Sponge."

"Suchers."
"Suchers."

"Scalpel."
"We uh--"
"Scalpel!"
"I'm sorry, doctor. I can't find them."
"Well, dammit, nurse. Run down to the cafeteria and grab me a butter knife!"

That kind of thing.

I actually did a video of one of my old bits and posted it here:
http://www.chuckengels.com/PremierVideo ... Parody.wmv

[Clayton]

[Chuck Engels]

Amazing story Steve, a real masterpiece and excellently put together.
I just kept thinking there should be more....
Maybe a sequel

[Steve Grisetti]

There actually is much more to the story, and it might be worthy of a sequel. Unfortunately, I was so wrapped up in the emotions of the moment that I didn't shoot the necessary video.

In the midst of all this experience this past summer, I got an e-mail from an old high school friend, telling me he was dying of cancer. I just happened to have been planning a trip my hometown that next week, so I stopped by his house to see him.

Although he was gaunt, hairless and dopey on morphine, he was still the same old John. And we spent an afternoon together, looking at old pictures and videos and laughing and talking about our hopes, faith, dreams and fears. And the whole time I was with him, I kept thinking about Will, and about how I'd wished I'd had the opportunity to do this with him.

Within a week of my returning to Milwaukee, I got word that John had passed away.

A few days later, I got an e-mail from him. Actually, he'd written it a few weeks before and had asked his son to send it after he died. In it, he thanked everyone for the love and support and asked that they celebrate his life rather than mourn his death.

The older I get, the more I realize that these types of things are inevitable. They're part of life, just like birth and celebration.

And the greatest privilege is the closure you feel when you realize that you've loved people as much as you were able to and said everything you've wanted to say.

Wow! How about that? Deep stuff and a "Tuna Delight" commercial in the same thread! Life sure is rich, isn't it?

[Clayton]

Wow! How about that? Deep stuff and a "Tuna Delight" commercial in the same thread! Life sure is rich, isn't it?

Please realize my laughing faces were for the Tuna Delight sequence.

[Jayell]

And the greatest privilege is the closure you feel when you realize that you've loved people as much as you were able to and said everything you've wanted to say.

As some may recall, I lost my Hubby near the first of the year and hadn't realized how important all those things were until then. We spent the last week in a hospice where we had some quiet, uninterruped time to just 'be' together .. and both made sure to say all the things that we needed to say to each other (neither one of us previously being particularly verbal with our feelings). As much as I miss him, it made me feel very peaceful with his passing.

[Steve Grisetti]

Beautifully said, jayell.

[momoffduty]

Steve what an amazing story, thanks for sharing. And sorry for your loss. Jayell, sorry too.

[Chuck Engels]

My Mom passed away two years ago in December, we had just visited my Mom and Dad in Green Bay a few months before that.
Then my Wife's foster Mom passed way, then one of her Brothers, two of her Uncles, then her favorite Aunt, then just recently her foster Father who was almost 103 years old. All in less than two years. We have been to way too many funerals lately.

After spending a surprise 2 weeks in the hospital myself earlier this year, I can attest to what has been said here.

One of the reasons we are going RV shopping this weekend