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Life, the Universe, and Everything*
Musings from Linda / LUE-42 Enterprises Issue #115, September 2020
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August is always a full month for me, but normally it is full of Fringe -- rehearsals, promoting, performing, reconciling. This year's Fringe That Never Was kept me engaged (see below) but left me with plenty of time for other things. That has not happened in decades, and while I miss live theatre I am grateful for the respite this year.
If there was a theme to this August it would be Friends, Work, Grief, and Beer. As things open up a bit, I got to see a few more friends in a few more places. Backyard physical distancing remains the favourite, but new options were introduced. Friends travelled further than a few kilometres and I even went to Calgary just to have a change of scenery. Work is returning to pre-Covid levels; however, my energy and attention span sometimes drift back to mid-Covid levels. I find that stepping outside, even for a few minutes, helps. Grief, wow, this has been big for both myself and others. People who have experienced the death of a loved one have been in limbo waiting for a time to bring closure through a ceremony of some sort. This is difficult for everyone. And of course, there is also the grief for doing things we used to do, in the ways we used to do them. At least there is beer...beer tastings, beer school, beer sharing, just beer.
I have also been reading tons, and thank you for the recommendations. Fiction, non fiction, blogs, weird stuff. It's all feeding my soul.
I'd like to return to death and grief for moment. Families who have lost a loved one in recent months are trying to balance the needs of their own grief with those of family who want to participate in the send-off (funeral, etc.) but can't do so right now. This weighs heavily on the person responsible for making the call on what to do, when. My advice is to do what you need to do to honour your loved one NOW. When it is safe to travel, there is no guarantee that the people you are waiting for will come. Each of us is managing our own comfort levels as best we can and it may be that some folks won't feel safe travelling for years, or won't want to be in a room with 100 other people, even with masks and hand sanitizer. So do what you need to do. Others will do what they need to do, too. Noses that are put out of joint will probably be straightened over time.
In the last few weeks I have experienced multiple episodes of STUG -- sudden temporary upsurge of grief. Until recently, I didn't know it had a name or was a real thing. Here's an article on STUG that includes an explanation and some coping mechanisms.
Hang in there, dear people. The seasons are changing and so are all the things we are dealing with.
"Inside of a ring or out, ain't nothing wrong with going down. It's staying down that's wrong." ~Muhammad Ali
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Question: How do we lead in these turbulent times?
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ANSWER: Mission focused (REALLY focused); one foot in front of the other. And practice Strategic Resilience.
This phrase -- strategic resilience -- made me sit up and take note. I like it. People are astonishingly resilient (just look around), but the idea of strategic resilience seems like a better use of energy. An article by Dave Coffaro (July 2020,
leadchangegroup.com) summarized what it means.
According to Coffaro, "Strategic Resilience is the practice of thinking forward while leading through present turbulence - adapting to difficult operating circumstances while looking beyond current conditions to keep focused on the horizon."
One of my peeves during this pandemic is the use of the phrase "the new normal", and another peeve is wanting to get back to the old way. I believe strongly that some of what is no longer available to us will be better for us in the long run. Coffaro believes organizations are experiencing a series of "temporary normals" and that it is a dynamic perspective that is consistent with the fluidity of how life is for our organizations right now.
Not surprising, the way to navigate this is by staying focused on the values, vision, and mission (and by being less focused on how we've always done things). Coffaro recommends five practices to to raise your Strategic Resilience acumen:
- Acknowledge current reality -- Find a balance between acknowledgement and wallowing; set the tone for your people to move forward.
- Reconnect with the vision and values -- This provides "comfort in a storm and true north through all conditions."
- Communicate touchpoints for stability, including a focus on the future -- Engage the team in dialogue around the question What's next for our organization?
- Define what success looks like today, in this moment; adjust as the future unfolds -- Redefine goals in the context of the current dynamic reality and let people know what is expected of them.
- Swim with the current -- Stay calm, avoid fighting the movement, and swim parallel to the shore.
/lmwe
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SEPTEMBER 2020 OBSERVANCES AND OCCASIONS
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Shout Out to some people who made my life better in August:
MaryJane Alanko/Luke Alanko/Bryan Perkins, Brian Edwards, Mandy Foster & Dave Sutherland, Jim Gwartney & Donna Stonehocker, Dave Hughes, Lynn MacAskill, Carmen McClung, Kelly McClung, Sherrill Mcgilvray, Paul Rechner, Lori Schmidt, Tessa Stamp, Janna Tominuk,Theresa Tsoukalas, Peter Wood, and the West family (every one of them)
"Some people go to priests. Others to poetry. I to my friends." -- Virginia Woolf
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Wish I'd Said That
"Everything that's created comes out of silence. Your thoughts emerge from the nothingness of silence. Your words come
out of this voice. Your very essence emerged from emptiness. All creativity requires some stillness." -- Wayne Dyer
"It takes just a moment to change your attitude. And, in that quick moment, you can change your entire day."
-- Author Unknown
"There's no better feeling in the world than a warm pizza box on your lap." -- Kevin James
"Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars
to change the world." -- Harriet Tubman
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A Fringe Without a Fringe
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With no festival this year, the Edmonton Fringe launched an ambitious fundraising campaign called "Tears, Beers, and Tickets You'll Never Use." I was one of 50 artists chosen to create a promo blurb for a show that couldn't possibly be done, and then sell 50 tickets to it at $10/each (in support of the Fringe). Here's what I came up with:
SLAPSHOT KIDS (The Play You Never Expected Based on a Film)
Join us for the long-awaited theatrical production of the 1977 cult classic Slapshot (screenplay by Nancy Dowd) -- performed by baby goats in hockey pajamas! Thanks to our mad medium skills, Paul Newman reprises his role as the voice of player/coach Reggie Dunlop with Sir John Gielgud, Sir Ian Holm, and Peter O'Toole giving voice to the Hanson brothers. Also featuring the voices Bert Reynolds as Ned Braden, Sir Laurence Olivier as goalie Denis Lemieux, and Alan Rickman as Ogie Oglethorp. Directed by John Huston, with fight choreography by Dave Semenko and costumes by Dame Edith Head. Forget treading the boards this Fringe -- Slapshot Kids will slam you into the boards with laughter, heart, and old-time hockey. So drop your (kid) gloves, head to our arena, and join us in the battle of the bleats. Language warning: Goats have potty mouths.
Company/Artist: Northern Sabbatical Productions/Linda Wood Edwards
BIG TIME SHOUT OUT to everyone who bought tickets to my non-show and who voted for Picks of the Fringe. Here are some results:
BEST SHOW THAT YOU'LL NEVER SEE: Slapshot Kids (Winner!!!) SHOW MOST LIKELY TO SELL OUT IF IT WAS REAL: Slapshot Kids (Tied) FRINGE HOLDOVER SHOW (for selling the most tickets): Slapshot Kids
I won bragging rights and a sweet swag bag, but I did not win my spot in the 2021 Fringe, despite your assistance getting me the extra entry. It's all good and thank you for helping. Cheers to everyone who bought tickets to my non-show and rounds of virtual beers. Some of you were anonymous, so sorry to miss you here: MaryJane Alanko, Sharon Bell, Jennifer & Darren Bertrand, Pat Bragg, Barbara Bruce, Shelley Carmichael-Silins, Brian Edwards, Elsie & Doug Elford, Mandy Foster & Dave Sutherland, Butch Fox, Liz Garratt, Jim Gwartney & Donna Stonehocker, Helena Hill, Marilyn Hooper, Sue Huff & Kevin Tokarsky, Dianne & John Lilley, Lynn & Don MacAskill, Karen MacKenzie & Bill Cogan, Hal & Janette Marcellin, Kelly McClung, Erin O'Neill, Patty O'Neil, Hector Pothier, Paul Rechner, Louise Reinich, Joan Seath, Misty Sklar, Tanya & Patrick Smith, Wanda Stephens, Peter Tinning, Mary Anne Trann, Theresa Tsoukalas, Vicki Van Vliet Vaitkunas, David Vella, Gerry West, Jason West, Lil West, Rob Wood. Thanks also to Karen Bishop, my Fringe Ambassador.
You did a very good thing to ensure our Fringe comes back in the best way it can. See you next year!
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Pickle Sisters, 1920s Vaudville group
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Start today by taking a deep breath because it's the first day of the month. May good fortunes be yours all through the new month.
Happy September!
LUE-42 Enterprises #BeKind
* with fond acknowledge to Douglas Adams and The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy
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