I Was So Much Older Then

My life has changed so much in the past decade.

Most, I suspect, has to do with aging and its attendant wonders.

But the rest I can lay squarely on the peculiarities of an evolving culture.

If culture is what we can call it.

Here are some of the basic upheavals.

I rarely go to the movies.

Seems like a small thing, I realize.

But not for a guy who can quote you chapter and verse of a few thousand flicks, who sat in movie houses through what used to be called "double bills" at least three times a week from the age of 4 to the age of 14.

I no longer like an experience I used to love.

People are noisy and rude and stupid and they are celling and texting and talking out loud.

And the movies themselves are more often than not juvenile nonsense.

So like many of you, I rent movies, I buy DVD's and I watch TV.

Moreover, the movies I rent are often from France and Italy and South Korea.

At best, I'll see a different point of view, a different sensibility.

At the very least, a travelogue.

If on occasion, there's another "Lawrence of Arabia" that demands the Big Screen experience, I'll sneak in on a Tuesday afternoon in the hope that the public mayhem is at a minimum.

But when is there another "Lawrence of Arabia?"

"Avatar?"

I don't think so.

I rarely go to the theatre.

No doubt I am missing the occasional treasure.

But I am also saving myself from hours of watching radio plays played out by wooden poseurs with no compelling life force in them.

I skip through the section of the newspaper I used to jump on - the movies and entertainment.

I don't know who the stars are and I can't seem to care.

No doubt there are some darn fine young talents and no doubt I'll stumble upon one or two in the coming days, but my searchlights are no longer on high beam.

Hahahaha...

I am increasingly a homebody.

A cocooner.

The phrase "crotchety old fart" rushes to mind.

That's O.K.

I don't tweet and I don't facebook or linkin.

On the other hand...

I still listen to music. I still sing. I still watch movies - at home. I still swim and play tennis. My cooking repertoire is building up and my cholesterol is going down.

Life is different for sure.

Friends and family remain the bedrocks.

And little bits and pieces of good work.

Sshhhh! And Turn Up the Volume

Marcel Marceau - the world's most famous mime.

And VANOC's favorite performer.

Let's dig the poor fellow out of his grave and have him pretend to do practically everything at the opening and closing ceremonies.

Good idea. Won't that be fun?

Fun for everyone except Bramwell Tovey and the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra.

Kudos and Bravos to Bramwell who didn't really want to be the Sym-PHONY Orchestra de jour and pre-record their music only to have it be conducted by Milli Vanilli or someone rescued from the DTES.

Bramwell said quite rightly to VANOC, "Thanks, but we'll pass."

VSO refuses to play for Olympics

Vanoc wanted orchestra to let others pretend to play its music, conductor says

It's like the wizards at VANOC are going out of their way to embarrass themselves.

Excuse me for a moment, folks.

I have to practice my beloved routine of walking silently into an enormous head wind while wearing snow shoes and leading a 90-piece band of cute forest creatures.