Brendalee Baughman
Susan Sarandon, in the movie “Shall We Dance,” hired a detective agency to find out if her husband was having an affair. When she found out that he was having an affair with dancing rather than a woman, she let the detective know that his services would no longer be needed.
I am sure she felt many things: rejection, remorse, or maybe surprise at how someone she called “husband” had a secret longing — a hidden talent even, that she could not even name, let alone imagine.
A coffeehouse, a pub, or a library are common localities for open mic’s. I was not sure what to expect today, Nov. 18, at Farrell Court Open Mic in Marblehead. My original intent was to listen and to write about the special occasion. A PCA for a visually impaired elder living at Farrell Court, I was prepared to read for him, if needed. This time, however, he had memorized his poems.
William recited two poems of his: ”Choose Life” about seeing the glass as half-full and “Quack, Quack” about a duck, obviously, which made us laugh! Carolyn had the whole room in awe with her heartfelt reading. A man who wants to remain anonymous sang so beautifully that the air filled with confidence, and in fact, later had us all singing along to some old tunes. Another resident shared his detailed and talented photographs, of spiders, telling us that his learning helped him get over his fears.
A woman who wants to remain anonymous recited a poem she did not write, but liked, and expressed her desire to sing — and she did, with us, and she received encouragement to take lessons! I hope she does! I tried singing lessons with local teacher, Christine Lucas, and after five lessons, after I heard my voice played back to me, I was horrified. But that is when I should have stayed, in the midst of the hardest part, feeling the fear of failure but singing anyway. After all, Christine told me that anyone can sing!
Sandra, a local writer and author of prose, told short stories about people she called “influencers.” One story was about a man whose very name taught her about the “power of a name” and another about a monk who left her with something of value to her: discernment.
It seemed a light went on inside of me, not just today, but when I first saw the movie with Richard Gere and Susan Sarandon. We can know someone and yet know an outdated version or a version that we accepted because we were afraid of the unknown — afraid of the answers we might find if we quested, if we dared to look beneath the surface into the deep. Fears keep us and those we love from growing and becoming — but they can be overcome.
I am thankful that this group helped me to face my fear of reciting my poetry, but there is something more that I took away: Each one of us has a story to tell and longings that have yet to be unearthed.
It is never too late to learn something new about ourselves and about others. It is never too late to try something new! Sandra and I tried the piano (and the guitar) and well, neither struck a chord with us, and that is ok. Thank you to MHA and the resident social worker for coordinating this event. Thank you to all residents who contributed to this gathering of unique souls.
Brendalee Baughman, Marblehead Resident
Open Mic @ Farrell Court Community Room
