Come on baby....light my fire....Part 1

I love this picture.

I accidentally "borrowed" it from the National Art Gallery.

They had a special exposition of John Alexander's art work. He's a native Texan, now living on Long Island, who specializes in social commentary and traditional flora and fauna pics.

This is a huge painting....and it significantly covered the wall. It's drop jaw stunning.... with vibrant colors.....and the subjects...are bigger than life.

I didn't write down the name of the work.....I just whipped out my iPhone......and thought ....wow..... burning, flaming...urgent.....he's got it right.

I aimed for the picture's core....and clicked......the entire painting encompasses the whole bed and more flames than a holy card of hell.

The guard immediately began wagging his finger at me ........"no no no".....which could be a warning for thoughts on engaging in this type of lust....or......a warning not to take pictures of the special exhibit. Since he pointed to my phone...I assumed it was the later.

I muttered I would delete the pic.... but I couldn't.

Alexander often paints masks on his subjects....because he feels people can more easily see themselves in the picture. So he invites his viewers ...to mentally remove a mask.....and occupy a character.

I picked the blond of course....and decided ...she and I could be sisters.....and please note....her natural breasts (the subject of one of my blogs a few days ago) .

Passion is a complex inner state of arousal.... whether it's derived from lust or curiosity or intellectual challenges.....it puts the flame in the gut.....and turns your internal life thermostat on high....making your whole life feel energized.

Knowing I was going to post this picture today......I googled "thoughts on passion" to discover the lofty thinking of experts about the flame in the belly.......and found thoughts on passion....real thoughts.....on the subject of passion.....are way way down the search list.....as the first 2 zillion entries center on hookups, porn....and remedies to light your fire.

And so I took a detour.....from high art to high quackery.....and studied ....the web site remedies of the Shanghai Baonikan Health Food Co. of China.....which specializes in passion products. The site was so...consuming...in its own odd way.......I never made it to the intellectual stuff..

So next entry.....products to light your fire....

and to help you get into the mood..... (of course)......Jim Morrison.....singing a short version....of Light my Fire...



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Passion.......

"Do you have the Last Lecture?"

On Sunday.....at least three people every hour came up to the information desk requesting this book. Apparently we had a few copies earlier in the week but sold out in one day.

If you don't watch Oprah....or scan the NY Times Best Seller list.....you may not know about this phenomenon. At Carnegie-Mellon University.....there's a series of lectures.....called "The Last Lecture"....where faculty pretend they are dying and deliver their last lecture....their last words of advice to their community. Randy Pausch....genius boy of virtual realities.....gave his lecture in September....with a twist.....he is dying....of pancreatic cancer.

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As you can see from the pic taken during his lecture....he's a sweet hunk of a man....in his sexy mid forties....with three small children at home. At the time of this lecture....he was given a prognosis of 6 more months of good life....before the symptoms would overpower him and then the steady decline into hospice care....there is no cure.

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He starts his lecture by doing push ups ... joking around.... sharing his high energy.....as well as his thoughts.....about life and his life.

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In all honesty....if you've read Tuesdays with Morrie....or anything of a spiritual advice nature....you will not find his message.....interesting or astonishing or new....love the people that come into your life....be good to everyone....relate....cherish your connections.

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If you Google him.....you can watch the lecture. If you've been to college...the lecture feels just like a basic undergrad philosophy lecture.....given in one of those large ubiquitous halls.....except...... the professor is really good at lecturing..... and for once everyone is paying attention.

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I watched the video clip last night. Somewhere in the middle......way past the time I guessed the message.....I pulled back....and just watched this man.....laugh...tease....cajole the audience....and the message I received......went beyond his advice.....what I saw was ......passion.

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The man loved being a professor.....loved computers....loved virtual worlds....loved his students...loved his family....loved those that taught him things....loved his place on that podium.

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Loved....not liked..... with an intensity.....that made him do smart things and silly things.... in order to follow his beliefs....his dreams.....his passion.

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His passion.

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As I look at my life tonight....I see that many things I was passionate about are on the back burner or gone...right now.

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My children's book manuscript got a good review...but the editor who looked at it this weekend suggested a rewrite.....my Africa notes are dusty.....I resigned from my community project......I lost touch with some people....

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I realized by the time the video was over......that my internal flames were very low.........and...like Dr. Pausch.....I like being consumed.....being in love with what I'm doing......or what I'm thinking or fantasizing about.....some people are afraid of that type of intensity...but I like it.....

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And so what I thought would be a corny Oprah-type thingie....turned out to be rather....ah....illuminating.

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It time to get back in the game....it's time to start looking for things to feed the fire.

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How's your internal flames?

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Anyone have a match?

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