Long, Longer, Longest
Longing and Belonging
Dear Friend,
There are crumbs and tiny hairs of house dust on my laptops keyboard, especially where it folds. The screen has all kinds of steaks and blemishes on the glass. The sunlight catches the dust and grease. I make a resolution to have a spring clean of the machine.
When I got this one, I thought about buying a cleaning kit and this extra thin cloth that would stop my finger grease from transferring itself to the screen, but then after all of these years of being me, I realised it would be a waste of money. I’d lose or forget to use the cloth. No matter what I do I feel like I always end up kind of scruffy. Maybe that’s not how others see me. Who knows. Reading “Just Kids” by Pattie Smith it was a relief to hear her talking about her scruff complex. She didn’t call it that. She’s as close to a heroine as it gets for me. I admire her work and humanity so much.
Pattie Smith and Iggy Pop. Two towering cultural figures. Poets and artists. I once got some of Iggy’s spit on me when he played the Royal Albert Hall, like a love struck teenager I held back on washing it off. Gross but. Neither Pattie or Iggy will ever be able to fully appreciate the extent to which their work has touched the lives of so many people, and will continue to do so through time.
When I sat down this morning, I thought I’d be writing about reincarnation. But it’s going in another direction. The love of art and artists. The opportunity we all have to put our work out there where others might find it.
Imagine if you shared one thought or one song or one kind word or whatever it is that comes through you, and someone somewhere in time finds it and it changes the course of their life.
What if the change in them goes on to influence another person and another and another. Your contribution could be part of a chain reaction that shifts the destiny of our planet.
You.
The little, self criticising you, wouldn’t know about it. Would never get the recognition for it.
But that’s not why we create.
Creation is for it’s own sake.
We’re in line with our nature when we are open curious and playful. When we share.
The kid inside you. It’s safe now for them to come out and play. You’ll keep all of your hard won adult coping strategies, they’ll come online as and when needed. We don’t need parental guardians now. Being the sensible one is a phase you pass through if you get to it at all. The one who knows. The one in control.
The kid is present. Doesn’t know. Is in the moment, which means is alive.
Chiara and me came to Cologne for a workshop she’s running. There’s a statue of St Augustine in the courtyard of the hotel where we are right now. The walls are covered in vines. The saint has the Christ Child lifted up at his shoulder. The child is speaking in his ear. The child’s feet resting on an open book.
The innocent one.
Whispering words of love, and reassurance.
Albert is one his way. He’s the guy who set up the workshop.
I wanted to write to your before we go, so here’s a rushed ending.
You’ll never know how your creativity and acts of generosity will impact the world.
The impulse to create, no matter how happy you are with the results, it’s just to do it for the sake of it.
Till tomorrow
Love
Mikey