That Place You Love: Real People. Real Stories.
Round-Up on Humor; Next-Up Rush. RIP Shane MacGowan, you Lifer you.
A musician has died when the radio plays their songs…
I was driving home yesterday at a time I’m not normally in the car. Our cars are analogue - nothing digital about them - so I listen to the radio.
Our default station is Radio 3, Spain’s indie, culture, and arts programming. And while it was the last day of November, they were playing Christmas songs.
The DJ acknowledged it was a bit early - even though Eels had just released their Christmas song… a no brainer, if you want a lot of airplay every December.
The reason they were on a Christmas tip was that Shane MacGowan, the lead singer of The Pogues finally died. And I say - finally - because it’s kind of a miracle he’s stayed alive this long.
The Pogues’ song
Is an Irish and Irish-American Christmas anthem. Hearing the first few bars is like hearing Jingle Bells. If you know the song, it’s instant Christmas.
MacGowan was also a Christmas Baby. Born on December 25, 1957.
Driving on the dark highway, listening to Christmas songs, I thought…
What’s the RUSH?
In the last few years, Spain has adopted America’s Black Friday, Black Weeks, Black Sale pitch (along with KFC, BK, McD, Popeyes, Fosters Hollywood, Five Guys, Dominos and everything else that makes people super unhealthy).
Christmas (Navidad) is not even the important holiday here.
Traditionally, Kings Day is when presents are given to children, but our Papa Noel has pushed his way into stores and advertising to add to parents’ expenses.
I’m not a Grinch; I’m an observer of the art of the pitch & its consequences.
Round Up on Humor. New Theme: Rush - below!
If you’ve missed a week or you’re starting to feel like you might have a story to contribute, click on a THEME LINK to write 150 - 200 words on:
I always include new posts with unique links in the Round-Up.
6 Contributors weighed in on Humor:
I wrote about taking my Midwestern partner to a West Hollywood salon and the mullet he rocked for 1-minute. I also paid tribute to humor as relationship glue.
Carole D wrestles with nature’s sense of humor and its need to fill the void. If we want perfection, we can’t live in the woods… as we’re guests on this green earth.
Carol M defends the reputation of the pun, known as the lowest form of humor, and proves it can be a form of bonding once you decide to climb aboard the train.
Zig finds humor in the real-life sitcom of her visit to her mother and the elaborate ruse required to get Mom past a bruised ego with a post-brunch apology.
Intact Animal, after spending hours in the inner-circle of the Comedy Store’s entourage, pays respect to the tireless process comedians go through to get a “bit” right…. as in, funny.
Tabitha B uses humor to commemorate her father’s legacy in laughs with a list of antics so particular that only one person could have dreamed them up.
Karen E shares the serious work of humor as a tool to overcome fear & phobias in children and knows a little dose for us grown-ups has just as much impact.
LINK to KAREN E’s PODCAST on HUMOR as therapy.
READ & HEART this week’s writers & SHARE your own story in the comments.
Contributor Karen E went back to GRATITUDE to write about the importance of home rituals in the form of word games, cups of coffee, and the power of observation.
Contributor Zig also went back to GRATITUDE to write about the complexities of the mother/daughter relationship, as daughter is now mother and yet still grapples with the inner-child’s reaction to avoid a scolding.
If you’re reading this for the first time…
And want to know more about the ZINE’s mission, go to ABOUT or FORUM on the Substack platform or read the introductory post I WAS AN EASY LIAR.
Next Up: RUSH
My first year and a half in New York in the 90s, I made money as an artist’s model. I wrote about it for the theme CONFIDENCE.
Time stood still as artists rendered my anatomy onto paper or canvas. I saw an older established artist push the hands on the timer when he was finished drawing so his friend would run out of time on his own sketch.
I also modeled with a fabulous dancer relic from Studio 54 who always said,
“Why say hurry when you can say hooray?”
As we rush into the holidays and towards the end of the year, can we slow down?
Yesterday, I filled out my December calendar as if I wanted it to go by quickly.
The days still have 24-hours.
We’re not getting anywhere faster.
Where does RUSH take you?
Read & Share on Monday in 150 - 200 words!
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More to come on Monday….
Have a great weekend.
Sincerely, for real.
Michelle
