Sunday Block
It’s Sunday.
The day I decided I would publish another blog entry.
I sit down to write and nothing comes to my mind. I feel empty, like I’ve exhausted all productive juices.
Not that my week was boring or ordinary. It has been such a busy week.
I started the week playing bass at the legendary nightclub The Bitter End. The same stage that big stars like Stevie Wonder, Bob Dylan, Lady Gaga, Neil Diamond, Gavin DeGraw, Woody Allen, Jon Stewart and many others performed on when they were still unknown.
But I live in NYC, where stars and regular people share the same streets, (and in my case the same stages) and mingle among the big skyscrapers and short brick buildings. We live in harmony (usually) and bump into each other in everyday places.
And there I am, taking this unknown path, getting out of tune, and then back in, trying to connect with the band and the audience mimicking life off stage where connections come to life.
I finally understand where the name comes from. The Bitter End staff show me the greenroom, where I should stay with my Mustang bass and wait for my time to perform. There is no heat and we are all freezing. My bass gets out of tune and their cold faces send me back to those days, when I had to count my change and work in uncomfortable circumstances.
The week continued with interesting encounters. I met Viviane and Adriana, two producers I’ve just met, who introduced me to their film festival. The Brazilian Film Festival hasn’t been in NYC for two years! Let’s bring it back.
Again I find myself absorbed by the prospect of another incredible project, amazing women and, the inspiration I need to keep encouraging women to be productive no matter their age.
When I was younger I used to be afraid of what people would think of the way I looked, thought, spoke, ate, everything. Although I, as most people with ADD, was never very good at thinking before I spoke, I always tried to say what others want to hear.
What I like about being in my 50’s is that I really do not care about what other people think of me. The “age of embarrassment” has come and gone. I have come to accept that being out of tune is just part of the learning process and nothing to be ashamed of.
Even Bob Dylan must have been out of tune every once in a while.
And I move on, adventuring on stages, taking on new projects, meeting new people, leaving fear behind, and sharing with you the adventures of this not so young girl in a world of tears, fears, dreams, and opportunities that can only be experienced once we free our minds and open our eyes to everything around us.
About the Author:
Ilana is a journalist and entrepreneur from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She is passionate about helping people find their voices and pursue their dreams. It is never too late to start and never too early to change.
