Sunday, November 04, 2007
My Jewy, Jewy Weekend
This weekend was one of those weekends which I will always remember. Basically it was designed around doing something special with my youngest son. It ended up not only being that, but also a weekend where I again remembered why I'm so glad I'm Jewish.
The weekend started as all weekends in Atlanta start like, as one big traffic jam. There is nothing that re-affirms my choice never to work in an office again like trying to drive in Atlanta traffic. I love this city, I hate this city's traffic.
By the time Elliott and I had gotten to the North Georgia mountains, I was wound up nice and tight. But by the time dinner was over (along with my two helpings of Apple Brown Betty), my sanity had returned. Elliott and I had already started to get into the groove of the weekend. We enjoyed Friday night services. We were enjoying the company of friends. He was over-dosing on chocolate-chip cookies.
BTW, this weekend was being held at a Jewish summer camp. This means that any bed which I would have been assigned was ultimately made for a child, or at best a teenager. Guess what I remembered when laying down, kids and teens can sleep on almost anything. I, on the other hand, cannot.
Before going to sleep (not easy given the walls at this place are paper thin), Elliott and I said again how happy we both were to be together for the weekend. And it was great that we both meant it completely.
Saturday morning was up and atom, breakfast (pretty good french toast), Saturday morning services (which were much more interesting and spiritual than most Saturday morning services) and breakout sessions for the kids and the adults. The kids made really cool stuff. The adults talked about how to create peace in the home (OK, actually Shalom in the Home, but I digress). It was a quite interesting session that told me exactly how much Tracey and I seem to get it right in our home.
Saturday afternoon was filled with fun activities. Really, it began with the greatest kid sport ever, Dodgeball!!! It generally was the kids vs. the adults. This was great until the game where I was the last adult left. The kids saw it for what it was, a big, fat easy target. I made it about a minute. After that, Elliott and I tried in vain to oar around a lake in a canoe. We did much better going backwards than forward. But at least we didn't turn over the boat. After that, we made a cool art object that Elliott ended up painting the color of a tied-dye shirt (so appropriate).
Saturday night was the only part of this I didn't enjoy. The organizers of the weekend brought in a square-dance caller and a country band. Shoot me then. I don't like country music, and I HATE square-dancing. The woman who's idea this was shall be dealt with at another time. I shall have my revenge. But at least I had alcohol, which actually helped.
But today was the best. After breakfast there was a fun scavenger hunt, where Elliott and I were supposed to find Hebrew letters in nature. He and I walked around and had a lot of fun. We even found a couple of secret spots which look as if someone forgot they were there. Then we joined in a friendship circle and watched a slide-show of the event. Ohh, and just about every picture they had of me was of me putting food onto my plate. G_d's trying to tell me something!
We headed back to Atlanta quickly because Elliott was singing at the Fabulous Fox Theatre in an event called Hallelu Atlanta. Basically, a celebration of Jewish music. He was great, and I was proud of him, as I always am.
Now, the music was wonderful, meaningful and beautiful. But the show-stealer was a man by the name of Joshua Nelson. He is black. He is Jewish. He has a great voice. His biggest influence is Mahalia Jackson. I never in a million years thought that a Jewish gospel singer would be something I'd hear (much less enjoy), but he was amazing. I damn near ran out of theatre and bought his CD. I couldn't imagine a black gospel service breaking out during this event, but break out it did. INCREDIBLE!!!!!!!
So as I put myself to bed, I will have Jewish thoughts dancing in my head. I'll say the shema before falling asleep, I will thank G_d for my bed, my son, my wife and my other son (who are in Disney World, but that's another post for later this week). I'll thank him (or her) for my friends and community. I will think of dancing and singing, but will do neither because I'm too damn tired.
And I will think of Lewis Black and his line about Jews taking time out of their "jewy, jewy day." I took time out of my jewy, jewy life - and found more inspiration in being so Jewish.
The weekend started as all weekends in Atlanta start like, as one big traffic jam. There is nothing that re-affirms my choice never to work in an office again like trying to drive in Atlanta traffic. I love this city, I hate this city's traffic.
By the time Elliott and I had gotten to the North Georgia mountains, I was wound up nice and tight. But by the time dinner was over (along with my two helpings of Apple Brown Betty), my sanity had returned. Elliott and I had already started to get into the groove of the weekend. We enjoyed Friday night services. We were enjoying the company of friends. He was over-dosing on chocolate-chip cookies.
BTW, this weekend was being held at a Jewish summer camp. This means that any bed which I would have been assigned was ultimately made for a child, or at best a teenager. Guess what I remembered when laying down, kids and teens can sleep on almost anything. I, on the other hand, cannot.
Before going to sleep (not easy given the walls at this place are paper thin), Elliott and I said again how happy we both were to be together for the weekend. And it was great that we both meant it completely.
Saturday morning was up and atom, breakfast (pretty good french toast), Saturday morning services (which were much more interesting and spiritual than most Saturday morning services) and breakout sessions for the kids and the adults. The kids made really cool stuff. The adults talked about how to create peace in the home (OK, actually Shalom in the Home, but I digress). It was a quite interesting session that told me exactly how much Tracey and I seem to get it right in our home.
Saturday afternoon was filled with fun activities. Really, it began with the greatest kid sport ever, Dodgeball!!! It generally was the kids vs. the adults. This was great until the game where I was the last adult left. The kids saw it for what it was, a big, fat easy target. I made it about a minute. After that, Elliott and I tried in vain to oar around a lake in a canoe. We did much better going backwards than forward. But at least we didn't turn over the boat. After that, we made a cool art object that Elliott ended up painting the color of a tied-dye shirt (so appropriate).
Saturday night was the only part of this I didn't enjoy. The organizers of the weekend brought in a square-dance caller and a country band. Shoot me then. I don't like country music, and I HATE square-dancing. The woman who's idea this was shall be dealt with at another time. I shall have my revenge. But at least I had alcohol, which actually helped.
But today was the best. After breakfast there was a fun scavenger hunt, where Elliott and I were supposed to find Hebrew letters in nature. He and I walked around and had a lot of fun. We even found a couple of secret spots which look as if someone forgot they were there. Then we joined in a friendship circle and watched a slide-show of the event. Ohh, and just about every picture they had of me was of me putting food onto my plate. G_d's trying to tell me something!
We headed back to Atlanta quickly because Elliott was singing at the Fabulous Fox Theatre in an event called Hallelu Atlanta. Basically, a celebration of Jewish music. He was great, and I was proud of him, as I always am.
Now, the music was wonderful, meaningful and beautiful. But the show-stealer was a man by the name of Joshua Nelson. He is black. He is Jewish. He has a great voice. His biggest influence is Mahalia Jackson. I never in a million years thought that a Jewish gospel singer would be something I'd hear (much less enjoy), but he was amazing. I damn near ran out of theatre and bought his CD. I couldn't imagine a black gospel service breaking out during this event, but break out it did. INCREDIBLE!!!!!!!
So as I put myself to bed, I will have Jewish thoughts dancing in my head. I'll say the shema before falling asleep, I will thank G_d for my bed, my son, my wife and my other son (who are in Disney World, but that's another post for later this week). I'll thank him (or her) for my friends and community. I will think of dancing and singing, but will do neither because I'm too damn tired.
And I will think of Lewis Black and his line about Jews taking time out of their "jewy, jewy day." I took time out of my jewy, jewy life - and found more inspiration in being so Jewish.
# posted by Kevin @ 9:13 PM 
