Lists

Lists can be fun. I've compiled my share over the years. Favorite movies, favorite songs, favorite authors, favorite books by favorite authors. In fact one of the earliest pages on my original website is called My Favorite Things and is a page of lists of this kind.

Then there are to do lists. Lists of character traits for an upcoming novel. Restaurant menus are little more than elaborate lists of dining options... Appetizer list, desserts, lunch fare, dinners, sides. Oh, and let's not forget the wine list.

When I was young and seeking employment after a year in Mexico, the book What Color Is Your Parachute was recommended to me. I'll never forget the exercises in the Appendix of this book, designed to help us gain self-understanding so we can better determine what kind of career would most suit who we are. It's a great book, continuously updated and relevant. Anyways, one exercise was to make a list of seven things you did up to that point in your life that brought you personal satisfaction. Then you were to run this list through an analytical process to see what the elements were that made these particular life victories so meaningful. It's a great exercise and can potentially change your life. And immensely useful for job seekers.

Most serious artists have lists of shows where they've exhibited their work. And most writers keep a log of published works, something like this one (though not current.)

Yesterday I had lunch with Brian Lukasavitz, a lawyer who has been involved in contract law related to the music, arts and entertainment scene. One thing led to another and he shared one of B.B. King's Ten Commanments of Bluesville: "Never make a deal with the devil without first consulting your lawyer." It's a humorous observation because how it ties in with other music legends. Go here to read the rest of B.B. King's Bluesville Ten Commandments.

Some people keep lists in their heads about all the things that make them angry. They arrange and re-arrange their list of peeves till it makes them sick. Other people make lists of things that they are grateful for. These people can be nice to be around. 

All my albums have playlists. Many of us have listened to our music so much that we know the order of every song on the album. I'm fairly certain at least one and maybe two of my brothers can, like I, recite in order the titles on all four sides of the Beatles' White Album.

The website ExpectingRain.com compiles a daily list of new and interesting items pertaining to Dylan. Today's list several new YouTube videos and a letter Dylan wrote to Jerry Garcia. And this page at BobDylan.com lists all Dylan's concerts, including the Set List for each concert. For example, you can see what songs Bob played in Santiago, Chile Wednesday night. It must have been a great concert beginning with Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat and concluding with an encore of Blowin' In The Wind.

Do you make lists? If you're not finished with your To Do list for today, I hope you'll include a visit to the Ochre Ghost Gallery on Second Avenue East to check out two of my paintings that we included in the Homegrown Art Festival this year. The opening is at 6:00 p.m.  I'll be there for about 25 minutes before heading off to the Cirque Du Soleil, another item you might want on your To Do list for to-night.

Whatever your plans on this weekend, make the most of it. Get enriched, and enrich another.