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| My Stars Take the Stage! |
My children have a flair for the dramatic! I am so happy that my son Bear is working in the drama department at school, helping with the
sets and production. Bear’s creativity and quick thinking will surely be an
asset.
I also want to apologize to Bear that I was not able to
attend his school play, my car broke down and I was not able to get a ride :( But I was thinking of you, and sending lots of love! xoxo
I received a van from an auto donation program for needy
families, and it was a “lemon”—from the time I drove off the lot, I noticed it
needed some work. The office manager at the charity told me I received the van
“as is” and they would not address any mechanical issues with it. The van
barely held out for 6 months before it finally died…I am just thankful my kids
were not in the car at the time, as it suddenly stopped, in the middle of the
road, and could not be restarted. Thankfully, I was able to steer the van
safely to the side of the road then it was towed away.
It really hurts that I missed out on Bear’s play, and so
many other things I want to do with my kids… but I am even more so thankful that my kids have been so good to
me, and so understanding through this challenge. They never complain and look
forward to the adventures. Without a car, we have been playing board
games, baking pies and cookies, and cranking up the music to dance around the
house. My daughter Nora puts on plays with her dolls, her dramatic faces and
soap opera plots always get a laugh. My baby JC latches onto his big brother
and sissy like a koala, cuddling with them, even grabbing onto Bear’s leg and
going for a ride as he walks…it has been so cold so being indoors is not so bad
but I hope to have a car by summer so we can go exploring.
WHAT I WANT TO SAY…. I started taking pictures when my
family became homeless; photography offered me an outlet during a difficult
time to express thoughts and feelings. In so many ways I had to be strong, and
often held back what I felt. Photography became a way to shed those layers, to
freely express myself. I also felt a purpose in capturing the story of being
homeless, and giving voice to what we were going through. From there, I began
to branch out, and soon was entering local contests and art shows. Or I was writing and doing public speeches.
I feel such a purpose in introducing my children to the arts, and helping them
tap into their own creativity. My children and I meet so many interesting
people attending art shows and events. An discovered hidden meanings in seemingly ordinary works of art. We
explored different parts of the city, galleries hidden in crumbling buildings
and visiting street fairs. And we deepened our bond as we framed our memories.
I had entered an art show on urban life, the pictures were
being displayed in a historic theatre that is the cultural heart of an inner
city neighborhood. The theatre is brown brick with a brightly painted front;
the outside is rather unassuming except for the brightly lit marquee. My children and I stepped up to the Art Deco
style box office, trimmed in brass vines with berry shaped bulbs giving off a
soft glow, to take a program and collect name tags. Nora and Bear were the only
kids in attendance, and I was just as proud to show them off as my own
photography.
We walked on the black and white checkered tiles, through
the square halls trimmed with plaster arches, commenting on the photographs and
cheering when we came to my work. I took a picture of a friend, who is a musician, playing
a guitar, capturing how his fingers danced over the strings. Another photograph
showed a freight train stopped at in rundown warehouse neighborhood, in the
background, the expanse of the city with its glass topped skyscrapers and
marshmallow shaped sports dome, richly contrasted against the squalor. Other
photographs displayed the people, neighborhoods and interesting sites of the
city. The children and I sat in an area just off the box office that faced a
mirrored wall, wrought iron patio tables were set up and we sampled bubbling lemonade in fluted
glasses and nibbled on crackers with meat and herb cream cheese, luscious
fruits and bakery treats. It was like being in a movie…meeting the local
celebrities and artists, tasting the gourmet appetizers…and enjoying the
beautiful theatre.
Once on stage, shyness soon disappeared! My kids danced, sang and put on their own show. I stood in the front row cheering and taking pictures. My children had been transformed…into movie stars! They played until they were tired, cranky and read to sleep…as we headed out of the theatre, towards home, they gave me an “autograph” of hugs and kisses. When I tucked them into the car, seatbelts snug around them, and blankets tucked on their laps, I could see in the flutter of their lashes and the quick sigh on their breath that my kids were dreaming big…that being on stage, even for a moment, had inspired them.
-- Daylen Swift, March 2014
