Merrry Christmas, and why we say "it probably happened for a reason"

It probably happened for a reason- a common refrain for any of us trying to justify the outcome of something, or to make it all seem a bit easier to take. What is the reason it happened?
My car was hit today- I was t-boned in an intersection. My fault, well, really the weather's fault, but you can't really blame the weather much, because weather happens, and after having lived my entire life in the midwest, there is hardly an excuse for anything that happens related to cars, snow, ice patches, or wintertime horizontal slides.
I was able to drive away, and thank goodness nobody was hurt.
So I walked away thinking "it must have happened for a reason". Yes- it was a way to make myself feel better about the situation. A pacifier. What are the ten reasons that this should have happened?

1.  After having changed the sparkplug for the 15th time this year, and added oil to the engine AGAIN, I was bound to get stuck somewhere scary some time very soon.
2. The list of grievances against the car was mounting, add up the rear window the door handle and the muffler.
3. I wasn't supposed to go to Uncle Fun on a last minute Christmas shopping spree
4. I was supposed to stay home tonite and contemplate my life.
5. The fella that hit me was invariably going to go out and commit some much more drastic offense, and this was the only way to keep that from happening.
6. Somewhere there is a prefect car for me- somewhere.
7. I was just complaining out the 8 (7) cylinder gas guzzler that she was, now, I don't have to worry about that anymore
8. I was supposed to stay home and contemplate my life (did I mention that already?)
9. I know I'm not supposed to be one of those crazy winter time bikers, so that can't be it.
10. It's Christmas, and a time for giving, and now I get to give myself the gift of a new set of wheels

So, yes, Merry Christmas, and the next time you have something happen to you that you can only justify with "I'm sure it happened for a reason" sit down and write out the 10 reasons that it might have happened. It'll help you get through it, I swear!

Spectacular Vision for kids and the arts

Last week I participated in a CPS one day conference on Arts in Education.
These are people with Spectacular Vision. I was in a room full of artists, creators, educators, all willing and ready to navigate the complex and sometimes thorny pathway to providing arts education to Chicago Public School students.

All I can say is that is was inspiring. It was amazing to see so many people with so much passion for bringing the fundamental need of arts and culture to kids. Visual Art, Dance, Theater Arts, Music, Literary Arts: they are all a part of what completes the learning process. 

To be able to utilize ones creativity can only help in things like critical thinking and problem solving. Thinking about a poem or story to commit to paper or present to a captive audience; utilizing color and form to create an object on canvas, or in 3 dimensions and seeing how objects relate to one another; listening to music and allowing your body to move to it, and be moved by it. All of these things may be what we, as artists and adults, might take for granted, but they are rare and special occurrences to many.

Hats off to those who make it their life's work to help artists such as myself, to be able to provide these much needed forms of creativity and connection to the outside world to children in the Chicago Public Schools, and to schools around the country.

Here is a chance that I had to help and create some spectacular visions. The video here is the result of only an hour of time spent at Bell Elementary School in conjunction with their Serendipity Days. The room is packed, the audio is rough, but these kids are moving, their listening to music, their seeing how their movements and efforts effect the person they are touching and dancing with. Talk about an hour in life well spent!