Fears Erased: the mini bucket list

 

I stumbled upon this photo a few months ago, and it's been lurking around in the back of my mind, just waiting for the right time to meet the blog.  
 

According to this site, the photo was originally taken by Gabe Kirchheimer, to document a site specific art installation at the Burning Man Festival in 2006.

 

 

  

Gabe Kirchheimer

 

There's something so powerful to me about the idea of exposing your fears by revealing them on a public wall for a day, and then - literally, in this case - wiping the slate clean. 

So...I suppose I'm going to doing something pretty similar right here.

Here's a small scale bucket list of a couple things I'd like to work on over the next few months.  

1)  Can't have anyone over syndrome:

It's a fact that I have a herd of huge canines, an old house with lots of, um, charm,  and a mighty casual attitude toward housekeeping.  As a result the house is always a little cluttered,  and in need of a vacuum and dust.  We're not talking about an episode of Hoarders or anything, but it can get a little funky.  Somehow that morphed into a worry that if it's not perfect, then no one will want to come over, or they won't enjoy themselves.  In reality, if you're already quirky enough to be my friend, or stuck being one of my family members, then you're probably not going to be too put out by a little dog hair.  I'm planning a few very low-key get togethers, with paper plates and Solo cups, dang it. 

 

Will you come over if I promise to keep the Great Danes' noses out of your food while you're sitting on the couch?

Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy."

Dale Carnegie

 

 

2) I stink at percussion. 

Or I thought I did...until I actually tried it a month or so ago.  

While at a music camp, during a late night jam session, I grabbed some kind of wooden percussion instrument  that was on stage, and started banging away.  First time ever.  I have no idea whether my playing was good or bad, and don't much care because It was a blast. It was a great way to be part of the groove onstage, without the worry of fumbling for notes or key signatures.  

 

 

So I just signed up for a 5 week djembe class with this group.  

A djembe is a West African hand drum, which can produce a wide variety of tones and sounds.  More info here.  My hope is that learning some more about the rhythm side of music through percussion will end of being good for my learning curve on the bass. 

 

Try a thing you haven’t done three times. Once, to get over the fear of doing it. Twice, to learn how to do it. And a third time to figure out whether you like it or not. Virgil Thomson

3) What's the biggest fear of most Americans?  Yep, public speaking.  
So I'm going to do a slightly different  take on public speaking; I'm going to get my novice self up on a stage a local blues jam and just jump on into the deep end!  
How?  I'm picking one standard blues song to conquer enough to feel comfortable with.  I've got some tentative time frames in mind; we'll see how this idea shakes out.

When I hear music, I fear no danger. I am invulnerable. I see no foe. I am related to the earliest times, and to the latest.

Henry David Thoreau

What would you do to challenge yourself a little bit? 
To stand down some small scale  but lingering worries or anxieties?

 
To live in the world of creation—to get into it and stay in it—to frequent it and haunt it—to think intensely and fruitfully—to woo combinations and inspirations into being by a depth and continuity of attention and meditation—this is the only thing. – Henry James, Notebook entry.