Oprah and The Talk - Are There Angels?

The day after her amazing Streisand tribute, Oprah featured "John of God," the man who has been healing people for fifty-some years in Brazil.

Dr. Jeff Rediger, (oprah.com) who went to observe John of God at work, came away from his encounter radically changed. He said he now realizes our lives, and our selves, matter more than we can ever imagine. That the human alive on earth contains more dignity and purpose than we ever believed possible. What a beautiful reminder. I too believe this. But I usually forget.

Dr. Rediger also said we may feel alone, but we are not. We are surrounded by beings, always.

The following day, On "The Talk" (a new talk show), the subject was guardian angels, and whether they exist. I found it intriguing, even amazing, that these shows had such spiritual themes. Is it because we are approaching Hanukkah and Christmas? Is it a sign of the troubled times?

I believe in angels. Do you? Have you seen one? Been helped by one?

Winter Writer Blues and Streisand on Oprah

The latest person to view my novel ( a publicist I met by phone, serendipitously) gave it thumbs up. Granted, I heard this second hand through her cousin, my unofficial agent, my novel's champion! (No actual agent, yet.) So should I follow his advice to self publish? Should I make an e-book?

I am confused, tired, bemused, annoyed, perhaps depressed. I have an urge to burn all my old diaries.

In other, better news, Oprah pays tribute to the great Barbra Streisand today. In a previous Oprah interview, Streisand revealed she forgot the words once and did not perform publicly again for twenty-seven years . I was shocked, and oddly comforted. Maybe there is yet hope for my twelve year old unfinished first novel. And the fifty-odd old songs of mine hiding in a folder. And the current, four years in process, novel? Maybe in time these hidden talents will see the light of day.

I keep thinking too much time has passed. During those twenty-seven years I wonder if Streisand obsessed over not performing like I obsess over not publishing.

Eventually though, she stood on a stage again and let her voice rise up.

How do we find the courage, the heart, to keep putting our voices out there?

Fingerprints

Oprah always asks, What's one thing you know for sure?

What I know, as said once before, is that "No one can tell you your fingerprints are made wrong."
But what I meant was - You are unique in all of time. No one will ever have your same voice-print, fingerprint, DNA, brainwave patterns, or heart.

When you make a work of art, or a poem, it has never been seen before. It is something new under the sun.

No one can say you, or your art, is made wrong. (If they do, here is a handy retort: Up Yours. Feel free to use it often as may be necessary.)

So, what is one thing YOU know for sure?

Paradise Lost (again)

(I visited Taos last week. In Taos, the mountain speaks.
It tells us where we have been and where we are now.
It enlightens us. We have only to listen...)


PARADISE LOST


In the beginning LOVE
created the heavens and earth

LOVE created light
LOVE created
everything that moves

and LOVE said,
let us make children
in the image of LOVE

so LOVE made a woman
and LOVE made a man

and LOVE told them
to love the earth
and to make more children
in the image of LOVE

LOVE also said
do not choose knowledge
over love
or you will lose paradise

***

(and so it was, and so it is...)

Star St. Claire
1o/25/2010 Taos, NM