Reflections on 3/4's of a Century

Mes Amis’

On the 27th of August I will have reached the three quarter century mark. What does it mean? Strangely it seems somewhat unreal. I do not feel the years in my mind only in my body. When I look in the mirror I see staring back at me the same face that has accompanied me all my life. I think mainly of what still needs to be accomplished.

As I work towards realizing a retrospective of my fathers body of work in art I still think of myself as naively working towards that end with the sensibility and passion of a child who’s excitement drives the optimism that has always directed my life.

I still look back on the people who have coursed through my life with great affection especially those in the theater and in the art of puppetry, both gleefully containing the sustaining elements that make life such an adventure personified by my late family members whose obsession with art drove them to such a degree of passion that in their pursuit of it they often overlooked the people that gave their life real meaning.

Understanding that, I have in my journey found great solace in the individuals that have always cared and valued me among all things . Where would i be without Alan Cook whose vast reservoir of information always delights and amazes, never failing to reach out to those who need validating as they struggle in life or his words to reminds us of what what our lives have meant in the often ephemeral life we lead in pursuing our muses. I would place the Carters in that august group of gracious friends as well.

At the same time I would be remiss in not thanking those dead and gone who have in the course of my life took an adversarial approach to my ideas, Mike Oznowitz, being a case in point. I knew him through my father from a very early age and often we were at odds with each other basically because like my father he was a control freak and felt that he should always have the last word. Something of an elitist he would pick favorites, reward them and say no to those not in line with his positive visions. Being something of a loud mouth I pushed his buttons quite regularly so that he would jump on many of my ideas maintaining that they were unworkable. He would do this with some regularity and I would blithely ignore his pronouncements and take it as a challenge to prove him wrong. He always worked as a catalyst for me spurring me on to overcome the obstacles put before me and to this day I keep a button with his picture on it above my computer to remind me not to butt my head against the wall but to find some way of going round what hurdles are put in front of one. Irrespective of his nature I could still find a degree of love for this man and would look to find ways to work together when the occasion arose, after all we shared a passion for that diminutive thing called a puppet

Since my family seems to have been blessed with longevity I expect, hopefully, to live to see another 25 years and to continue blissfully loving what it is I do and who I am.

Bruce
Finally, In the process of teaching I have met groups of individuals, to numerous to single out, who from time to time remind me of what I have meant to them and it graciously warms my heart.

It reminds me that we need to personally thank, whenever we can, those who pass through our lives if even for a moment often unaware of what they have contributed. So those who lives I have touched in some way I thank you for allowing me to contribute to yours and to those, and you know who you are, who brighten up the days with art and discourse give yourselves a pat on the back.