random SMart thoughts

I’ve been sick for 4 days and feeling really punky. Canceled all my client meetings and holiday events all week and stayed holed up at the loft. Tonight I’d been invited to a Burning Man art opening at Piedmont Lane Gallery — my sister totally coincidentally camped next to these guys at Burning Man this year and fell in love with them — but I’d canceled that too. At the last minute I realized I was going stir crazy and decided to go anyway even though my body felt like rubbery leftover macaroni casserole. We got there and the art — mostly by “Mo” (who owns the place) and his sons Steve and Ed — was delightful. Lots of color, but muted as if playa dust had infiltrated everything. Geometric, geologic, organic, all mixed together. That helped lift my spirits. But then my mom re-introduced me to Michael Grbich, who’s kids I’d gone to school with at Mosswood in 3rd and 4th grade — those kids were among the most talented I’d ever known, and it’s no wonder they grew up to be professional artists like their dad. Talking with Michael, we got very quickly to the heart of things, namely that life is about enjoying the moment and how important it is to feel grateful. We talked about how inspiration can come through lucid dreams, something he and I both experience regularly. He talked about how when he lost his home in the ‘91 Oakland Hills fire that it was actually a gift — not one he’d volunteer for, but a gift nonetheless — to be stripped of all the material stuff and get down to what really matters: family, loved ones, the kindness of neighbors, gratitude. How many people could go through that experience and come out feeling good about it? It was exactly the conversation I needed to have at that moment, and I’m grateful I decided to get myself up out of bed to be there.

Michael’s other project is tap dancing across iconic historic bridges. Yes, tap dancing. He’s doing it to promote better health and spiritual well being. He tap danced across the Golden Gate last year on his 75th birthday, and the Brooklyn Bridge this year at 76! He says that he’s got a tight rope set up in his living room that he practices on every day (for the past 5 years!). He learned it’s not so much about striving to be in balance as being comfortable with almost falling — what a great way to think of it! Life is never in perfect balance, even though we’re always striving for that. So what better way to be at peace than to be comfortable with the almost falling, pulling yourself back, leaning out the other way and pulling yourself in again. Life is what it is, and the discomfort is all in what we think and feel about how it is, not really the circumstances themselves. Not even when your house burns down. When I’m 76, I hope I’m tap dancing across bridges too. Thank you Michael.