Toller + painting + skating + parrot = winning!
My mother often says the most frustrating thing about me as a teenager was not wild nights, short skirts or other typical debauchery. "I just couldn't get you to see exactly how beautiful you were," she would sigh wistfully, when as an adult, I was still self-consciously picking at my clothes and hair.
I guess I get her frustration, as I am 44 years old and apparently still don't see what she or my husband see. I often joke "Thank God for personality," convinced I wouldn't have landed that awesome man 'o' mine otherwise.
But a few thoughts did suddenly occur to me that has altered my perspective just a little.
One instance is my old figure skating coach Mary Sue, when deciding what music I should skate to, selected The Doors "Riders on the Storm," and convinced it would bring out "your inner Toller Cranston."
Toller Cranston was a moody, overly dramatic diva on the ice.
By that definition, I determined I had no inner Toller Cranston.
Flashing forward to today my current coach Michelle, in admiration for the job I was doing to perform a new program, commented "you are my most versatile student. You do everything you can to explore your art on the ice."
Suddenly, Mary Sue's assessment that I discover my inner Toller made sense. Toller was as one of the most artistic skaters of his era, pushing the envelope of theater in his skating, from his performances to his choices of costuming and music. Nothing about him was typical.
As a skater, I can see no higher compliment.
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UPDATE: One of my musings came true! This week is the 50th anniversary of the Beatles debuting in America on the Ed Sullivan show. At the tribute concert, Dave Grohl played Hey Bulldog, a suggestion I made in 8/12 for the Beatles Tribute Band list. Sweet!
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