"Champagne for my real friends and real pain for my sham friends." (Anon)

.....The eldest daughter recently informed me that she believed that she didn't have any talent, but nevertheless sent me attachments containing her latest paintings which I believe she is doing in watercolor.  Pardon what she believed; maybe still does, but she indicated that she "enjoys it."  I emailed back to her that it has been my understanding that if one enjoys what is being done, then it is being done well.  Her art is simple, but emotional.  It indicates that she enjoys life, and her mind is clear, and her life is as well.  She appears to adore her siblings, and her "little" sister at the utmost. Little sister is no slouch either when it comes to an artistic bent as well; but her "canvas" is the things she finds all around her that benefit from her loving care.  The art "gene" appears to have been passed on to my grandson, Sean. He holds a BFA degree.  I believe he paints in oils, and his art indicates that he is disturbed about something-- yet to be determined.

 

.....I happen to have had the good fortune to coach high school boys in soccer and in track and field.  I learned in 30 years that the more one enjoys whatever it is a person is doing, the harder the work is being put into it.  And in the world of sport, winning is the most enjoyable end of the hard work an athlete puts into his/her sport.  The more a student finds his work in school and his teachers enjoyable, the harder he works to get a high grade.  I recently attempted to write a musical to be performed by some talented (and some not) residents.  I really enjoyed the challenge and I believe that what I wrote would make for good entertainment.  Unfortunately, RH+ took ill during some early rehearsals, so I told whom I thought to be a friend that he could take over the role of "director" in my stead.  But the friend not only "directed" but proceeded to replace a few of the songs with his own preferences.  I never heard from him again, and learned that he was also changing the title I had given my work. 

 

.....I really don't want to go any more deeply into this distressing event because it is very disturbing for me to even think about it.  Just know that if I want to see whatever my play turns out to be with the changes this "friend" made, I will have to buy a ticket to see it.  The point is that I enjoyed writing the musical--and this cannot be taken from me, but more importantly, I lost a friend--and he lost me.  And as Confucius has said, "Have no friends not equal to yourself."