Your Weekly Kuhnspiration (February 20, 2012)

The face. It says so much, doesn’t it? For that reason, this week’s Kuhnspiration is focused on it.

So okay, I’m a thief. Well, not really, because I am completely giving credit. I fully admit that I didn’t come up with the concept of this week’s creative challenge but was truly inspired by it when I came upon it yesterday while reading my Sunday Parade Magazine. I’ve always enjoyed the insight and observations of writer Connie Schultz and this week, she presented an interesting exercise that she tackled and shared with readers, and I thought it could be a fun one for all of us, too.

So to Connie, who writes regularly at her own online column (do check it out!) and of course, PARADE Magazine which featured her inspiring column this week, “My Story in Five Faces,” that led me to this blog post, I say “thank you” for inspiring this week’s creative challenge.

If you had to tell your own story through five images of your face over the course of your life, what photos would you choose and what part of the story do each of them tell?

Can’t wait to see your story unfold as told by all of your lovely faces…

Cheers to finding that daily spark in your life!
Chris

Love Potion a la Kuhn

Aah, love. It is quite a delicious thing. Much like food, it’s all about the right pairings, isn’t it? And timing is awfully important, too. After all, a scrumptious three-egg omelette, full spread of accompanying breakfast fare, a bounty of fruits and fresh cinnamon bread – mmm, I can smell it right now – is an awesome way to start a Sunday morning – or maybe even a fun way to cap off a night after a concert or theater production, but eating that at 1 or 2pm on a weekday…not really a typical lunch to whip up in the lunchroom at work. And also like the fine arts of preparing and enjoying food, love is something that can take a while to truly master and the longer you take to enjoy and savor, the more memorable the overall experience.

This week’s creative challenge was born out of the spirit of love passing through this week in honor of Valentine’s Day: a recipe for long-lasting true love. What’s in it, how do you prepare it and what extra little ingredient or two has the power to win over your heart.

I open my own “cookbook” for you now…

LOVE

Sometimes tasty and refreshing; others have in the end left us a little indifferent or even cold. True love like fine wine requires time to ferment as each of the various elements become familiar with each other, mingle and share. My recipe for true love must include:

2 cups  thoughtfulness but derived from natural sources – not guilted, not expected, just naturally occurring thoughtful gestures. You prepare my coffee and bring it to me with a kiss. I make certain each week I plan meals that they offer you the lunch leftovers I know you love so much. You pick up my favorite tea on the way home from work because you know I’m running low. I pick up your favorite magazine while checking out at the grocery store just because I know it will make you happy. Thinking beyond “what will it get me” and “how will this help me” and reaching the stage of “I can’t way to see the smile on his/her face.”

2 cups of good humor – having the ability to laugh at ourselves and more importantly, a situation, is crucial to getting through the rough spots. Can you look back at that argument you had over the ugly painting he wants to hang and you want to use to start a campfire? Is he or she tough enough to handle your savvy Tim Gunn-like fashion observations and are you confident enough to survive the ribbing after you combined 2 tablespoons with 2 teaspoons for every ingredient in the casserole? Being able to laugh is the key to staying together and being able to look back later and gather the real benefits from the learning experience…for both parties.

1 cup of patience – similarly, this ingredient is instrumental in overcoming odds, making adjustments necessary to navigate  life’s obstacle course and forgiving ourselves. We have to demonstrate some patience and forgiveness not only with our partner but with ourselves, too. And when we don’t, that’s when you’ll see this underlying conflict that can pervade every word and action. You’ll see couples who’ve been together for a while snip at each other or operate under some passive-aggressive guise. More often than not, it has more to do with one or both being disappointed or mad at themselves about something. We channel that anger and disappointment, resentment builds and before you know it, the littlest thing can set us off into crazytown. A little patience offers us a little time – to forgive, to wait out the storm, to get to where we need to be.

2 cups of willingness to learn – about each other, about ourselves, about this third entity also created in the process- WE. You have to be willing to open your mind and heart up to all of the possible lessons you will undoubtedly learn from the experience, and sometimes people simply don’t want to go there. Maybe they’re not ready, perhaps not willing or even unable to process this new information. I’m often incredulous as I watch some folks go from one partner to another and only they know what goes on behind closed doors, but on the surface, it appears that some couples are real experts at the “good times” but when the “tough times” arrive — maybe a bad economic situation or a family conflict or toughest of all, a conflict of principle or value between the two — they don’t appear to know what to do. Rather than get through the murky, muckiest part of the creek to conquer, many will simply hop out and move on. There’s much to be learned by trodding through the crap, even if at the end, two lives stay on two completely different paths rather than come to any kind of central place together. There are still many lessons to be learned and skills to be picked up along the way, but it takes work and sometimes discomfort to get there. (Welcome to the world of change. Here’s your barf bag. You’re going to need it.)

2 cups of respect – it’s got to come from both sources, folks. Even when I disagree with you, even when you piss me off so badly I contemplate mixing your red shirt and tighty whities in the laundry together just because… our relationship must stop me. I won’t take these opportunities to bad-mouth you, won’t use these incidents as a scorecard to whip out and tally up the penalties during the next fight, won’t pit friend against friend or family member against family member because you and I are a team. We are our own team and as my teammate, my partner, my friend, my love, my ally, I will show you respect and expect the same. And that, people, is a beautiful thing. 

a healthy heaping of time -  because how else will I learn just what movie makes you cry,  what cuisine makes you pant for more or what book left you speechless. Time. You each have to be willing to invest the energy, the effort and especially the time.

Sure, I could write that it helps if you’ve got common values, common interests, mutual attraction, yadda yadda yadda – and we all know that these may be the elements that put ourselves in the same orbit as the other person. But they are not necessarily what keep us there.

Love. It’s a many splendored thing, it’s higher than a mountain and thicker than water, it’s a battlefield. Love is… pretty friggin cool.

So what does your big pot of love potion consist of? And hand me the ladle.

Your Weekly Kuhnspiration (February 13, 2012)

I hope as you read this you’re cooking up your Valentine’s plans with a sweetie. I’ll admit – the occasion isn’t fun when you’re presently flying solo. I’ve certainly had my share of Valentine’s Days as a single lady with only big plans in sight and none of which included a significant other in the dream sequence.

Regardless of your current status – single and happy, single and looking, just dating, hot and heavy, happily married, married and increasingly becoming just roommates, divorced, widowed — have I forgotten anything? — we all still have in our minds what it takes to brew up a healthy dose of romance, don’t we? We may or may not be skilled in the kitchen but I’m sure we all have some idea of the ingredients it takes to win over our hearts. So for this week’s heartfelt creative challenge, I ask you…

What will we find in your recipe/brew/cocktail for true love? Lay out the ingredients of exactly what it takes in your relationship to win your heart.

I’ll be chiming in with my own thoughts later this week but I’d love to hear what you have to say. And whether you treat your honey or treat yourself, enjoy a special sweet something tomorrow in honor of Cupid’s special day.

Show a little love to someone you care about – and that includes you, too!

Cheers to finding that daily spark in your life!
Chris

Instinct – Our Best Friend or Our Worst Enemy?

I’m a little later than usual in tackling this week’s Kuhnspiration exercise. A virus has sidelined me by a few days but I’m getting my second wind this morning and ready to revisit bravery of days gone by. Have you had a chance to think about this week’s creative challenge – reflections on past times when you listened to your instincts and when you didn’t and the  outcomes?  Of course, what I look forward to most is the extra credit portion… drawing you a picture of my “instinctive” friend. I’m pretty sure you’ve probably seen her before. So let’s get rolling…

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Instinct. The other white meat? No, but frankly, better for you.

I don’t think I’m different than most when I admit that as I’ve grown older, I’ve been less reluctant about trusting my instincts. Perhaps that’s growing confidence and self-esteem or perhaps just not giving a crap what others think about my decisions. Or maybe a little of both.

Sure, it would be great if we had a crystal ball and could see what our actions and decisions will lead to, but it’s not that easy. It takes trust, something that’s not always easy to muster up especially when emotions are involved.

So when did I trust when it would have been easy to go another route? Certainly, when I decided to go down the path of a serious relationship again after having gone through divorce at a young age and the realization that I didn’t really give myself any time to get to know myself following college. Yet though I wasn’t pursuing love, my gut told me that this guy was different. We connected on so many levels even though all of the statistics pointed to potential issues – a substantial age difference and the appearance of kids in the picture (his) when I never ever pictured little ones in my world. But we immediately realized a confounding similarity despite different backgrounds and generations. Thankfully, trusting my instinct turned out to be a good thing in this case. We’re still married after being in each other’s orbits for nearly 18 years.

Certainly when I was laid off in April 2009, it would have been easy for me to just naturally begin the application and interviewing process again — and I did for about 2 months. But my instinct – my faithful though increasingly bloated gut – told me that an opportunity had arrived and I’d be a fool not to notice. If you looked at my mini-library in our bedroom, you’d find three kinds of books – books about pets, rescue groups and animals in general; plenty of vegetarian cookbooks and manuals; and books about freelancing. I had been determined to work for myself for years. Certainly since the late ’90s but could never figure out how to make it work – at least not in such a way that my non-risk-taking self would be happy with. Leave a job to go out on my own? What are you, nuts?!

Enter opportunity…aka layoffs.

I knew that I had been fortunate enough to connect with a lot of professionals – both in the business world and the media. Those relationships proved to be invaluable as I found myself remaining connected through unemployment and soon unemployment turned into freelance jobs. First one project, then another and soon, in some cases, steady work.

It would have been far easier to listen to reason and all of those voices in my ear about the need to secure traditional employment, but my gut spoke up and reminded me about all of those freelancing books sitting on my bookcase shelves giving me a standing “O” for hearing the rapping on the door and answering it.

Listening to instinct hasn’t always worked out though. Like many, I’m sure, I’ve followed my instincts for love and  been bitten. My “tweener” relationship between divorce and my long-time marriage proved to be a pipe dream. Plenty of signs indicated that my vision for where it could go versus his were not the same yet I listened to my heart and instinct, planning an entire Southeast U.S. trip to see the sights, sure, but primarily to end up  — SURPRISE! — on his college dorm doorstep, only to find seeming disinterest and no real remaining connection. Bust. Wake-up call. The end.

I’ve taken jobs that I felt were truly an incredible opportunity when I signed up but on day one, quickly realized that I apparently had interviewed in a little gap in space and time between reality and the REAL workplace — the Twilight Zone perhaps — and that once in my seat ready to tackle the job, I was totally in the wrong place.

It’s easy to look back on those miscued love-lost trips and wrong career moves where I listened to my gut and smack myself silly, but I say – eh, shit happens. For every move I did make that turned out to be an incredible journey or led me to some unforgettable people in my life, I am reminded that I would never have gotten there without taking a leap of faith. So if occasionally that leap lands in a pile of steaming poo, well, that can be expected, I guess.

I’m much harder on myself when I think back to those decisions where I DIDN’T listen to my heart even when I knew it was a wrong move. I’ve written before about walking down the aisle that first time even when I knew full well that it was a huge mistake in advance. (If you want to read more about that, you can check out my essay “The Plight of the All-Too-Polite” at skirt.com for that sad-sack story.)

I’ve similarly accepted jobs when I knew during the interview process that it was a mistake. In fact, I have one job that I worked for three months that doesn’t even rate a spot on my resume because I affectionately refer to the place as “Hell” whenever I allude to it with friends. I had ended my working relationship with a relocating company with no new position lined up, confident that I’d find something else soon. Within a month or two, this was the case but after much interviewing and each time I met with its leadership, I found myself more concerned about what it would be like to work there. Each meeting was held later and later in the evening, and I’d learn from others that even after our 6PM or 7PM interview that the leadership team was staying afterward for a product meeting. Gulp. At 8PM. And apparently this was not unusual. I got the job and raked in the most I’d ever made in  my life. I’d made it, right? By the end of that week, I was driving home late at night from the gig, crying over the phone as my husband soothed my expressed fears and doubts about what I’d done. We made a pact as of the first week that I’d begin looking for another job immediately. Thankfully, within three months, I found the best job I’d ever had up until that time, an opportunity that completely changed the course of my life and led me to where I am today.

So I didn’t listen to my heart even when those job interviews told me that I should in no way work for this company, yet had I not accepted the terrible job, I would never have been in a position to seek employment at just the right time when the other opportunity came up. And again, had I not trusted my instinct and parted ways with the other company which I had enjoyed working with up until their relocation,  I would not have been shopping around for jobs in the first place and would never find myself doing what I am doing today for a living – writing.

So even not listening to our instinct can be just as instrumental as listening to it for getting us to our inevitable destination where we belong.

I know now that I belong here – doing what I’m doing. I have far to go in perfecting what I do and definitely how I do it, and I have so many more things I want to try but this is it. This is the place. This is home. And I’ve now made it my mission to do a better job truly listening to what my gut tells me because it’s clearly a shorter distance to the ultimate place I should be than the roundabout trip I’ve taken for much of my life. Time is precious. I’m not wasting time shutting out the important messages I need to hear and acting upon them. Not anymore.

So what does MY instinct look like?

Well, she’s a girl – of course - tough, direct, in my face. Picture roller derby meets Kathy Griffin.  Mine has jet black hair and dark brown eyes. When I was a little girl, I had much darker hair and even my eyes looked darker then – maybe it’s the contacts or just all of the late nights working but they don’t seem like the chocolaty brown eyes I once had. They’re certainly a lot more tired and less bright. Maybe it’s my little girl grown up. I picture the wicked witch on Once Upon a Time, actress Kristin Bauer, or Sara Ramirez on Grey’s Anatomy. Yeah, my instinct whip-cracker’s a little hottie. But the best thing of all is that more than ever before she’s loud, stern and hard to ignore.

Now if only my instinct could have a serious talk with my food cravings.

So tell me about your own adventures with Instinct – the good, the bad and the indifferent. When did you follow it and get it right? Or follow it and run amok? Or completely ignored instinct…then what happened? And I’d love to hear what your “instinctive presence” looks and sounds like, too, so please paint us a picture, okay?

Cheers to finding that daily spark in your life!
Chris

Your Weekly Kuhnspiration (February 6, 2012)

Monday, Monday…can we really trust that day? I’m not sure about that, but what I am sure is that rarely do we make a bad decision when we trust our instinct. But sometimes it can be tough to listen to it above the loud din of other people’s influence, logic and emotion.

How well do you listen to your instinct? Sometimes it may result in taking unfamiliar roads or flying solo with no one in the co-pilot seat to support the journey. Now is your chance to pay your instinct the attention it deserves with this week’s creative exercise.

Look back at your journeyand the steps you took in your life – both personally and professionally – to get where you are today.

• Where in your life did you listen to your instincts and it paid off? Share the stories and honor the act of following your gut.

• Now take a closer gander at those times in your life when your instinct spoke up loudly but for whatever reason, you chose a different path. Why did you do it and how differently do you imagine life might appear had you trusted your instinct?

 

• And just for fun - consider it a bonus or extra credit – picture your instinct, as if it were your best buddy and confidant (which perhaps it should be)…what would it look like? Describe its appearance and personality.

Now go out there and make it a great week and maybe, just maybe, perk up those ears to hear what your instinct is telling YOU on this beautiful Monday morning…

Cheers to finding that daily spark in your life!
Chris

Words Deserving of the Red Carpet Treatment

How has your week been? Mine has been full of words – lots of them and coming at me and spewing from me at record speeds. Not that this is anything unusual as a freelance writer and frequent interviewer, but this week has been a whirlwind of conversation after conversation after conversation.  I  also happen to be working on a marketing project which has involved interacting with folks sharing some not-so-upbeat stories, which leaves me feeling like I’m wearing a jacket made of lead by the time the afternoon arrives.  I’m sure my persistent headache today has a little something to do with this challenging but emotionally heavy project. So the opportunity to do something fun with words is such a welcome change!

Did you get a chance to think of your own contenders for the prestigious and little known Wordy Awards, that long-standing Hollywood tradition that I just invented last week? One reader even suggested to me another cool category for recognition, which I’ve decided to include in my own special awards ceremony — “Most Fun to Pronounce.” If you’re still working on your own list, consider adding this other fun category to your vocabulary stars, too.

So put on your fancy ballgown or flashy tuxedo, don those rosy superstar specs and get ready for the star treatment. Ladies and gentlemen, without further ado (I know, I know, too late)…

It’s the CKuhnTampaBay 2012 Wordy Awards! Starring these exciting dictionary all-stars…

• People Magazine Sexiest Word Alive
  Sensuality — far sexier than its less alluring, cut-to-the-chase counterpart, “sexuality. When you hear the word “sensuality,” you’re not looking to strip down to your skivvies and dive right in. You’re willing to take your time and savor the moment. 
    
• Best Homegrown Word (aka Generally Accepted But Not-Really-A-Word Award)
  Solopreneur — speaking as one myself, I love how the term conjures up images of the hard-working lone business owner churning out the work diligently, faithfully and energetically in her little self-contained enterprise known as the guest room, otherwise known as “Room with a View or Office with a Comfy Bed.” 
    
• Most Fun to Pronounce/Say
  Titillating  — Who doesn’t like a word that’s made you giggle since you were 7? Still a hoot 30+ years later. I love it.
    
• Up & Comer Award (Or Word I Will Use More in 2012)
  No — I’ve heard that in the male camp, this word is actually quite popular and frequently heard but here in OvaryLand, there appears to be a predisposition to accept all manners of jobs, tasks and obligations, including those we ladies are not able to allocate time to do or better yet, those we wouldn’t want to do, even if we did have magic beans to plant more hours in our day. I will experiment and try out this foreign word more this year. Maybe.
    
• Nobel Peace Prize for Most Soothing Word
  Effervescent — simply hear the word and find yourself transported to the swirling rush of a bubbling waterfall, immersed into a sea of fizzy, sparkling asti spumante or refreshed a la Irish Spring. Aah.
   
• Best Word in a Supporting Role
  Serendipity — sometimes,  life’s little surprises and unexpected joyful “accidents” are exactly what we need to keep us moving forward. While it’s prudent to have a plan, it’s just as important to be accepting and encouraging to discover and welcome what is out of your control. Only then can you fully embrace these new revelations for the good things they could bring if simply identified as opportunity and not disaster.
   
     
• Silver Spoon Award – Most Scrumptious Word
  Voluptuous— whether it’s plump lips to kiss, big and glorious hair to twirl around the fingers or curves, curves and more curves, the vision is bountiful and desirable, and what’s yummier than that?    
• MVP Award for Most Motivational Word
  Catapult — I like a word that takes you to new heights - figuratively and literally – and this one does it. You can’t use it if you expect to stay in the same humdrum place. If you choose to “catapult,” get ready to soar! 
    
• Lifetime Achievement Award…Greatest Word EVER
  Juggernaut — tough,  powerful, enormous, forceful…the ultimate ball-buster. Anything which translated means “lord of the world,” well, that’s a tough sonofabitch in my book. Doesn’t every professional sports team take to the field on a mission to perform like a juggernaut? Sigh. May we all find our way to uncovering that all-powerful force within (aka the tough sonofabitch).
   

And the paparazzi may officially go wild in delight as they snap away at this chatty little group. But the live telecast can wait, because we need to hear your winners, too. Who makes the cut as your vanguard vixens of vocabulary?

Can’t wait to hear what you’ve come up with, so get those acceptance speeches ready and lay it on us!

Your Weekly Kuhnspiration (January 30, 2012)

This year, my creative mission is to not only tap into new cracks and crannies of my imagination but to help you spark your own creativity, as well. And that can mean any number of ways – whether it’s here through these creative writing exercises or merely suggesting some ideas for exploring your own ability to be creative through an avenue new to you.

So over the next few weeks and months, you’re going to get some helpful tips for how to go about doing this – tapping into your most creative self, even if you’re thoroughly convinced that this self doesn’t exist. For this week’s exercise, however, I am going to ask you to focus on one aspect of your communication skills specifically — vocabulary.

Words are funny, aren’t they? And beautiful, vile, tempting, controlling, irresistible, nasty — well, let’s face it: they can be whatever you want them to be. On their own, they are merely words, but with a little context, some intonation and nonverbal to support them, maybe a dash of salt, they can be downright powerful.

So this week, I want you to comb your own vocabulary to give away your prestigious Wordy Awards honoring the best words, in your opinion. You’ll be bestowing honors to your selections for best words in the following categories:

• People Magazine Sexiest Word Alive
• Best Homegrown Word (aka Generally Accepted But Not-Really-A-Word Award)
• Up & Comer Award (Or Word I Will Use More in 2012)
• Nobel Peace Prize for Most Soothing Word
• Best Word in a Supporting Role
• Silver Spoon Award – Most Scrumptious Word
• MVP Award for Most Motivational Word
• Lifetime Achievement Award…Greatest Word EVER

Have at it! May the verse be with you. And I’ll check in with you later this week to see how your Wordy honors are coming along and to share with you my big picks for this year’s red carpet vocabulary extravaganza.

Cheers to finding that daily spark in your life!
Chris

Dream Dinner Party a la Kuhn

I like to throw a party. I work myself into a sweaty mess planning every detail and forego the helpful catering to handle the food myself. (No one said I had any common sense.) So when I first dreamt up this lovely little exercise, I thought to myself, ‘Ooh, self. You will have a blast with this one…all of the fun without any of the fret!’

Do you have your invitations ready to send? Here are the details for mine…and no crashers, please.

What would I be serving at my ultimate dream dinner gathering? Well, I know there would be a lot of wine flowing. Lots and lots and LOTS of wine. And even though I prefer white, I’ll have to offer plenty of red because several of my guests have (or had) heart conditions, so I’m sure they would insist on keeping it red. I’ll have to pick up some sparkling cider and club soda for a few in the bunch who I think also may be former alcoholics. Hmm. That could be a little tricky.

Food. I’m vegetarian, as you know. And given that heart condition of a few, perhaps I could go with a light fish instead of traditional red meat options. Maybe a nice salmon for them, and some deliciously stir-fried tofu for me and anyone else who’s feeling adventurous or with an aversion to seafood could clink meat alternative triangles with me. Plenty of veggies…a rainbow of options there. Some lovely textured orzo sprinkled with my beloved Greek seasoning, Cavender’s and margarine. And for dessert, why of course CHEESECAKE. My husband doesn’t like it, but sorry, hon, I didn’t have room at the table for you at this event anyway. Besides, you don’t like seafood or tofu either,  but if you’re really sweet, I’ll sneak you in for coffee and the impromptu concert that I’m certainly hoping a few of my guests will be inspired to give at the end of the night.

So if I could host seven other people at a very special dinner party (guests who are real, fictitious, live, dead, famous or completely unknown to others), I’d be sending invitations to the following:

George Carlin – quite possibly the funniest and smartest comedian ever, in my opinion, and since this is fantasy and ole George would be back with the living, I would love nothing more than to tell him personally how much listening to every one of his comedy albums on my cassette player as a kid (yep, CASSETTES) completely colored my thinking, my humor and my outlook in a way that keeps me laughing even when I want to cry and always questioning authority figures precisely when they deserve some serious questioning.

John Lennon - Why wouldn’t I? Possibly one of the coolest musicians and songwriters ever. And if one of the other guests cancels, I’m calling George Harrison as an alternate to join us, too!

Judy Blume – Much like my affection for George, my love for Judy Blume books and “philosophy” deeply impacted my early understanding of life as a pudgy, shy teenage girl in the 80s, and a nerd at that. I could read her books, and none of that mattered anymore. I’d love to hear what Judy thought about today’s literature and movement to this age of darker, moodier literature that seems to have created a hybrid of Judy Blume, Anne Rice and maybe a little R.L. Stine thrown in, as well. And though I haven’t picked up any of her later adult-targeted works and only recently learned that she’s out there in the blogging world, I’d really just like to give her a hug.

Leonardo da Vinci – aside from getting his take on the whole Da Vinci Code hoopla and the REAL story behind the much hyped and I think OVERRATED Mona Lisa, something tells me that if we could get past the language barrier, he’d provide hours of insight and fascinating though probably broken English.

Bill Clinton - the conversation would never dull as this smart, witty guest launched into topics from politics and history to books, movies and music. And if things really get crazy and we all start singing and rocking, I know we’ve got a mean sax player in our midst.

Jimmy Stewart -  I went back and forth on this one. After all, I was a huge fan of Marlon Brando, Elizabeth Taylor, Cary Grant, James Dean, Montgomery Clift, and so on. But they’re all so brooding or tight-lipped (well, maybe not Liz) that I didn’t think they’d be great conversation. But I watched Johnny Carson regularly as a kid, and I remember how charming and chatty Mr. Stewart was when he came to visit. Would love to hear what it was like pulling off the drunken scene in The Philadelphia Story  or talking ad nauseum to carry out the filibuster believably in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. And get the goods on working with the Duke in one of my surprising favorite Stewart films, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. And hey, I’ve got the perfect host to invite to keep the jokes and conversation flowing and who should have just a lovely old time chatting with Carlin, Lennon, Clinton and dear old Jimmy…

David Letterman – Finally, what party would be complete without a funny, lovable curmudgeon to bookend my guest list with that other albeit deceased funny curmudgeon? I know he’ll always have a good question to pose, a funny remark to make and shares with me that same sincere appreciation for good entertainment and thinkers that I have. And maybe this time, a Beatle will be more polite to the appreciative, doting music fan than McCartney when he showed up at the “Late Show” and seemed completely disinterested in Dave’s pure joy.

 

Honorable Mentions

Now if I could put in the extra table leaf, I’d certainly love to invite Oprah Winfrey, Tom Hanks, Arianna Huffington and George Clooney for their wisdom, goodnaturedness, intelligence and overall general “hotness,” respectively, but a total of eight it is, and I certainly want to be at this table. So there you  have it. My party is ready to begin.

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Let’s take a look at your invitations. Who did you invite to your shindig? And is it a big gala or a quiet, swanky soiree? Do tell…

Your Weekly Kuhnspiration (January 23, 2012)

Today is my mom’s birthday, and I know that for at least one of you reading this, it’s probably an important birthday for someone you know and love, too. I also happen to have two very good friends celebrating birthdays this week.

In honor of all of these wonderful ladies, I thought it might be fun to offer up a creative challenge this week with some true party flair. I do hope that you’ll have fun with this exercise and join me in my latest Kuhnspiration adventure!

YOU ARE CORDIALLY INVITED…
Imagine you are hosting the ultimate dinner party - all of the best people can attend, and I do mean all. You see, in the grand tradition of my beloved classic Twilight Zone episodes…
Invite up to 7 people to join you at the grand table for your dream dinner party (real, fictitious, alive, dead, famous or completely unknown to the rest of us). The choice is up to you. What we do want to hear about, however, is WHO you chose and WHY and WHAT you’re serving.

Later in the week, I’ll be sharing my own party details, but no need to wait for me: do tell me about your own Dream Dinner party. And bon appetit…

Cheers to finding that daily spark in your life!
Chris

What’s Your Life Soundtrack?

So were you in musical nirvana this week as you pulled out the old records and tapes to take part in this week’s Kuhnspiration challenge, Life Soundtrack? YouTube has also made the art of reminiscing much easier than it used to be with quite a few classic videos loitering among today’s artists.

This was a much harder challenge than I anticipated but I’ve put together my own little musical soundtrack. I was going to divide it up into acts but then I decided I would rather build an actual soundtrack, track by track. So here is that musical masterpiece…relatively speaking, of course.

LIFE SOUNDTRACK

Track 1 — birth through age 5
Chicago, Saturday in the Park
I was born in Chicago, and there’s something about this song that always  makes me think of summer trips back home, a breeziness, a lightness and cool charm. My family moved to Florida when I was four, but I always wondered how life would have been different had I been raised in the Windy City.

Track 2 — childhood, through age 12
Elton John, “Crocodile Rock”
This gent was a big part of my life soundtrack growing up in Florida as an only child.  I bought my first “adult” album at the edge of 7 when I purchased HIS greatest hits on vinyl at the record store, and let me tell you: that was a very big deal. I spent a lot of time on my bike roaming through the neighborhood, falling in and out of love with crushes from afar and trying to figure out when I would be able to wield my two left feet forward while regularly falling on my face. But I loved music and that always made everything okay, and I loved Muppets, too, so the combination of the two was, I think, heavenly.

Track 3 — teen years, ages 13-18
U2, “I Will Follow”
When I became a teenager, everything changed – the kind of music I listened to, the kind of movies I watched, the TV I enjoyed, the books I read. I found myself taking out books by philosophers and I quickly became an anglophile much to my dad’s chagrin. But I was fueled by a politely political group of young European musicians that offered songs with a good beat that were easy to dance to and screamed a message of “we’re all the same” ringing through loud and clear (a la General Public, Communards, Depeche Mode, etc.).

Track 4— college, ages 18-22
SugarCubes, “Cold Sweat”
When some folks go to college, they experiment – in all senses of the word. For me, it was with my music. I tried new artists and new sounds. I tried to liberate my mind to accepting sounds I would have in the past written off as weird and foreign. Now, I was a college student. I myself had become weird and foreign – in my own unique way.

Track 5— post-college, ages 22- 24
Kathy Mattea, “Walking Away a Winner”
I got married (at way too young an age), got divorced soon after and quickly learned that before you can ever find Mr. Right, you have to find yourself. I also discovered modern country music and fell into that hole for a few years – odd I know, given my existing tastes. (I published an essay at greater length on the whole whirlwind adventure should you care to learn more. Click here for that essay.)

Track 6 —marriage – the real deal – ages 24-27
The Beatles, “In My Life”
I wasn’t looking for love, but I found it unexpectedly. This not only was “our wedding song,” but it represents the reality of second marriages for many of us – an acknowledgement that yes, we really did have lives before we found each other and that’s okay.

Track 7 —constant searching, ages 28-34
Sheryl Crow, “Every Day Is a Winding Road”
Personally speaking, I was set. I had a supportive and loving man encouraging me to do whatever necessary to grow as a person and as a professional, but that career thing was still a mystery. I landed somewhere and within a few years, found myself eager to try the next lily pad. Perhaps even I know that I wasn’t truly where I should be, but I enjoyed the journey and the people I met along the way. And ultimately, it led me to where I am today, so there you go.

Track 8 — finding peace personally and professionally, ages 35-38
Elvis Costello, “Peace, Love and Understanding”
So it took me 30-plus years to discover him but when I did find Elvis Costello, it came at a perfect time. I had turned 35 and finally found the career of my dreams, doing what I’d always wanted to do since I was a kid – writing for a living. And I felt more outspoken and authentic than ever before. I was finally mature enough to “get” Elvis Costello. Sigh.

Track 9 — new gig, ages 38-39
Foo Fighters, “Learn to Fly”
I immediately loved this song when it came out in ‘99 but it became my mantra of sorts as I ventured out into new territory for me. When I took on my new role as editor with skirt! I was excited, frightened beyond belief, challenged, intrigued, overwhelmed — all at once. But the thrill of learning and doing quickly enveloped my world, and for the first time ever in my career, I was smitten by the unknown and ready for takeoff.

Track 10 — on my own, age 39-present
Katy Perry, “Firework”
I never anticipated these past nearly three years since skirt! magazine closed locally. No one ever really does anticipate being let go but now it’s become a universal experience since so many other people have gone through the same thing. What has it meant for me? Tremendous opportunities to go out on my own and see what I can really do… And it’s tested my personal relationships, too. When you no longer have a magazine at your disposal to promote local events or places, you quickly learn which of these recently developed friendships are genuine. You also learn just how supportive your significant other is when the funds aren’t quite so reliable anymore. This song inspires me to keep going even when I’m sure my firecracker’s out of spark.

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I’d say this album has room for at least four more tracks, and so far, I think it’s been a pretty diverse and enlightening musical journey, but I have no idea what those other tracks will be. I can only hope that I’ll continue to keep my ears outstretched to listen for them when they’re playing ever so quietly in the background.

Were you able to set your life to music – in acts like a musical play, track by track as I did or maybe just an album to represent each major era of your life? I’d love to hear from you. Please share with all of us and if you have links to the songs at YouTube, even better, so we can hear your story for ourselves! Good luck…

Cheers to finding that daily spark in your life!
Chris