Me closing a chapter, sneaking into the next.

Living Long is the best award (reward actually)…or is that the best revenge?

My friend has nominated me for an award…one that says I’ve accomplished worthy things in Albuquerque’s arts community. The truth is I have just been doing exactly what I wanted to do. No point in putting a gloss of magnanimity on my work; I did it for me!

It is kind of my friend however and, in a way, it puts a definite wrap on my career as an arts programmer/presenter/impresario. I will still direct the North Fourth Art Center for some time to come—but that role is a combination of social work, administration and art with social work assuming a lead role. And, if I work at it, I may be able to revive teaching skills so at least some of my education and work lives can match! Now that will be an achievement. Ending my working life with my degrees in education and social work actually matching a job! Nah…I’m going to focus on MY ART.

About the reward versus revenge concept…and living a long time. No ceremonies please. Just time to do all that writing and photography and painting and blogging and hip veggie cookery I so desperately [think I] want to do. That’s the reward part…I suppose the revenge enters when I force my family and best friends to read or view or eat all of that stuff that I call my art!

I suppose lifetime achievement/president’s awards are okay. They are like funerals really—for the survivors, in this case the ‘job’ survivors—with work still to do and careers still to manage and a desire to be acknowledged in the end for those long hours and low pay.

Listen to me. It is all about loving what you do because awards are/are not/might be/probably are meaningless. Not that I’ve received a bunch. And actually I could use a gold watch or a zillion dollar bonus.