“From the first day in school until the day I graduated, everyone gave me
one hundred plus in art. Well, where do you go in life?
You go to the place where you got one hundred plus.”
— Louise Nevelson, artist
—

It’s all about finding your place, Louise. I know this. But where is that place?

It’s Saturday morning. Today was my scheduled rematch with a crazed squirrel in a 5K that would finally allow me to regain species domination. But I still feel like a pack of his little squirrel friends were beating on me with tiny ball-peen hammers all night.

Louise Nevelson

We awoke at 2 a.m. today in a ritual that is becoming too common. Watched a Northern Exposure DVD where they’re all going insane. Seemed perfectly normal. A bad sign.

I always had a fallback plan, Louise. Work, running, music. If all three were clicking I was in heaven. Two out of three, life was good. As long as one of them was there I could survive.

These days I’m 0 for 3. It’s not a great place.

I seem to have broken my hand a week ago in the Great Dumbbell Escapade, and it’s making no progress. I cannot grip my guitar with my left hand, which limits me to about four open-tuning songs that only require one finger. Running is increasingly an exercise in futility. And my job is finding a job, which is not a very fulfilling job. So here I sit.

I want one hundred plus. I long for that place where I can go and be great and happy and fulfilled.

What’s the answer, Louise?

“I never feel age … If you have creative work, you don’t have age or time.”

Mo has a sign in the middle of the living room wall that says simply “Make Art Anyway.” I guess I just stopped seeing it.

So easy. The artist’s version of a Nike slogan. It’s never too late. I may not feel well and my hand is broken, but I need never feel my age. I just have to find more creative ways to get back to the places where I got one hundred plus. Just do it.

I’m thinking it’s a fine day to write a couple of one-finger open-tuning songs.

And if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go see if the squirrel wants to go for a fun run.

Thanks, Louise. I’m glad we had this talk.