What a hoot! Cooled down during a heat wave meltdown by a strategically placed electric fan that hits both John & yours truly, we watched classic Steve Martin comedy bits as we ate a late breakfast.
Two things impressed me watching the ageless hilarity:
- Steve Martin has always been one massively multi-talented performer - banjo player, juggler, balloon animal creator, dancer, semblance of a singer, writer, humorist, and others I'm forgetting.
- His love of the banjo has deepened over the years.
This posting will focus on the first point - the amazing range of talent Steve Martin brings to his comedy. It reminded me that the people who seem especially gifted working with oldsters elderly ancients are often ones with a broad range of interests & experience. I think about people who came to working with older clients & their families through unexpected paths, of ones who bring a deep bench of interests to their specialized work with olders & others. '
It's brash to tuck myself within their pantheon, but my journey to now exemplifies my point, having stumbled into being a life enthusiast & general instigator.
Little did I know all the little moments of my life were training for my present work, a path that picked me rather than me choosing it. All I did was fess up to having stumbled upon work that offered a place for life-honed skills & a lifetime of rubbing elbows with friends & pleasant acquaintances, doing for others, nurturing them, helping them find stable ground to stand on no matter what their challenge, from listening to tweens longing to have their voices heard, a college student trying to make sense of "knowing" what he wants to do with the rest of his life, a young mom in need of mindless frivolity, an older longing to bust loose.
Watching Steve do his amazing juggling, listening to his banjo playing, laughing at his happy feet, marveling at his nimble recovery when something went off script, his weaving out of current events a timeless bit about an ancient pharoah, appreciating his timing & delivery - could see a lot of myself & my friends in his performance, whether we're primarily involved in supporting "activities of daily care" or focus on "socialization," from squiring to activities in their senior residence or flitting on outs & abouts.
Having that diversity of experience, interests, gifts & graces - helping an older friend move through sundowning by playing piano or reading beloved poems, taking a young autistic friend to a special place with a knockout view, knowing the words to hits from the Great American Songbook for a bit of carpool karaoke - is what so often sets the greats apart from the good.
One of my greatest blessings is to know quite a few greats, from my little home town to the Rockies to the Snowy Mountains. One of my greatest here & nowdreams is to round up folks who touch, in big & small ways, others' lives as some sort of care partner, whether they do it full-time or occasionally, for income or because it's Mom or Aunt Bets or a dear friend.
The more new comedians soak in Steve Martin, the more the good ones are inspired to tap into their own unique material. In my experience, it's the same with work that involves care partners:- the more we see how others handle situations - the creative ways they approach what they do, their attitude, their low points & their highs - the better able each of us can grow our own depth of ability & mental strength & emotional toughness. The more we can each become a wild & crazy expansive living gal or guy for individuals, their families & loved ones & ultimately ourselves.
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