A Few More Thoughts on Serendipity and Synchronicity

 Well, maybe what I'm really talking about is--if you put a thought out in the universe the universe very often talks back.

Take what happened with my map of the world which my mother bought for me in the marketplace in Istanbul. It was a wonderful trip; here we are-Jessie, Mom and me. People would look at us and say-"Are you related?"  Why, yes, we were-are.

And this is a wonderful memento. I framed it and hung it on the wall of my office/studio and look at it everyday.  And then I remembered!  This came from Turkey!  And so did Saint Barbara! 

 So I had a giclee print made and I'll place the copy within a drawing and make it part of the Saint Barbara project.  But I didn't know what the writing said, and what if it was something horrible?  So I wondered how I could find someone who reads Arabic. Where to look? I casually mentioned this quest to my friend, Bill Buice, and he said, "My cousin is an Arabic scholar!" Before long I had a full scholarly discourse on my little map so now I can move forward and draw a frame for it with byzantine architecture and maybe an image of Barbara.  BTW, it doesn't say anything-the lettering is purely decorative! The artist just liked the looks of the letters, like Picasso and Braque in their newspaper collage period.  

The Barbara Project is moving ahead nicely and I've had chats by phone, Zoom and in person with several lovely Barbara's ready to be Barbara of the Day.  This morning at the monthly meeting of the New York Artists Circle I threw out my call for any Barbara who hasn't yet signed up and Monique Alain send me a link to this amazing poem about yes-Barbara. And there's a recording of Yves Montand signing it.  

Here's a bit of it--you can google the whole thing.  Ω

Remember Barbara
It was raining ceaselessly on Brest that day
And you were walking smiling
Beaming delighted dripping
Under the rain
Remember Barbara
It was raining ceaselessly on Brest
And I passed you in the rue de Siam
You were smiling
And me I was smiling the same smile
Remember Barbara
You who I didn’t know
You who didn’t know me
Remember
Remember that day anyway
Don’t forget

Here's the author, 

Can you imagine Yves Montand singing that? I had a little fantasy as I took the elevator down to walk Lucy--what if Monsieur Montand were to get in my elevator and I could say, "OMG! I was just thinking of you-and you were singing my song! Right to me!" and he said, "Mon dieu! C'est formidable!" And then he sings to me. Unfortunately, he's dead, but that's what daydreams are for-you can make things happen there.

Here's Arthur and our dear friend, Marsha at the tomb of Montand and his wife, Simone Signoret.

I have one last thought about Barbara and another reason why her story resonates these days.  she was locked in a tower and where have we been for the last year and nine months--almost two years?  Maybe not locked in a tower, but shut away in our homes for fear of the plague.  Let's remember that Barbara had a questing spirit and she found ways to make connections with people--to read and learn and try new things.  OK, it might not have ended well for her but still. Let's keep connecting.