IT’S MY BIRTHDAY and I could cry if I wanted to, but why would I? It's great to be alive. I celebrated by going with John to the AfterWord at 8 a.m. for coffee and a sandwich of smoked salmon, cream cheese, onion, and sliced egg on French bread. My real treat was buying the New York Times at the bookstore instead of skimming it on-line. I’m one of those that loves the feel of the paper in my hands, but it takes up too much of my day to read it the way I really want to. And the weather today, by the way, is glorious.
Rev. Graddy gave his last sermon at 9:15 in the amp.
I went to the gym, then went early to the Hall of Philosophy for Karen Armstrong’s 2:00 p.m. talk. So early I could read the rest of my paper while sitting in the shade of a tree. Karen Armstrong is a favorite at Chautauqua and the place was packed by 1:30 p.m. She is British and a former Catholic nun who left her church, studied at Oxford, and has since written several books about the three Abrahamic faiths. I read her “The Spiral Staircase: My Climb out of Darkness” an autobiography about how she came to question her calling, her subsequent rebellion and spiritual experiences since that time.
Today her lecture is titled, “The Mystery of Compassion” which she feels is the quality that all world religions have in common. She received a TED prize in 2008 and has started a Charter of Compassion, a movement “to make compassion a clear, luminous and dynamic force in our polarized world.” The core of her concept is the Golden Rule or the idea of treating others the way you want to be treated. Put another way, as Confucius said, “Do not do to others what you would not like them to do to you.
At 6 we met the Quastlers at the Welcome Center, then walked a few yards down the road to the Tasty Acres, a diner just outside the grounds. They had beef on weck on their menu, a sandwich similar to a French dip that John and I first discovered when we were in Buffalo and searching out the restaurants listed in our Road Food book. Weck refers to a kummelweck bun, similar to a Kaiser roll, which is topped with kosher salt and caraway seeds. It is only found in western New York State, particularly Buffalo. The bun was too soft for me, but the sliced roast beef piled on it was delicious. The horseradish served on the side could have used more of a kick, too.
It’s Friday night, loud night in the amp and country-western singer Gretchen Wilson is the one making the noise. We stayed for two songs and then went to “listen” to the rest of the concert at Quastlers. John and I left about 9:15 and walked over to the Bratton Theater. Tonight is the Bratton Late Night Cabernet, a show designed and put on by the members of the Conservatory. We’ve been in prior and it can be extremely funny with great talent on display. We’ve seen all these people as actors in various plays, but they can sing and dance and play instruments and write great poetry, too. Seats are first-come and by the time they open the doors at 10 p.m. there are usually more people in line than can fit in the theater. We got home about midnight (walking the 3 blocks home).
What a wonderful birthday I had. The phone vibrated all day with Facebook and phone messages from family and friends wishing me Happy Birthday. Thank you one and all!!
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