We Live Here Together

I live in a low-income housing apartment.  I have heard comments made about expectations of what people assume my neighbors to be, but I have never had a bad experience.  Everyone says hello to me.  One time I held the door for a woman taking her dogs out.  We exchanged a pleasant greeting and when I got up to my apartment I realized I had left my keys in the entrance door when I opened it for her.  I ran back downstairs and the woman was waiting in the lobby for me with my keys.  The other day I had my hands full of groceries and a woman walking by pushed the elevator button for me to help me out.  Small simple things that say "we live here together."

Take a Seat - Make a Friend?

I usually share my own stories.  But I must share my newest favorite video!  This is definitely "the little things are the big things"!

Cab Driver

I love cab drivers.  Mostly because usually they are from foreign countries and I can often talk about Africa with them or use some of the Arabic I know:).  Last night that wasn't the case, but it was my favorite cab driver I've had so far.

He was an older (older being relative, not old-old, but older to me) soft-spoken African American man.  We talked about his cats and my dog and some small chat, but then he started telling me about his art.  He can draw anything and does graphic design and airbrush art but his passion is designing clothes.  He started designing clothes in 10th grade.  He used to draw so much his friends told him he was going to go crazy.  He had some of his design sketches with him and let me look at them.  He says they are a futuristic style.  I told him some of them looked like something Michael Jackson would have worn.  He said he designed some for Michael and always dreamed of meeting him and being able to show them to him. He told me that he has dreams where his design ideas come to him.  Sometimes a dream of a whole fashion show of new ideas.  So now he keeps a notebook by his bed so he can sketch them before he forgets them.

We talked about how I always wanted to be a children's author and how before I could write I would tell my grandma stories and she would write them down for me and I would draw the pictures.  He told me he always pushed his daughter to write stories too and that she loved it like I did.

He was sweet and exuded a gentleness about him.  I loved hearing about his passion and was honored that he shared some of it with me.  He got a good tip :)

Dancing Fairy

I just saw a fairy dancing in the tree outside my balcony. Upon focusing, what was it "actually?" The setting sun reflecting off a strand of spiderweb that would generally go unnoticed. But really, maybe these are one in the same.

Lilith Fair

I should have written about this a long time ago but I forgot.  I recently heard Family Affair by Mary J. Blige and everytime I do I am reminded of this "little big thing" moment.

When Lilith Fair first became popular I was too young to go by myself and didn't have anyone who would take me.  I dreamed of going though and have loved many of the musicians that were involved in it forever.  Last summer (or was it the one before?) when they brought Lilith Fair back I was FINALLY able to fulfill my dream of going.

Sitting in my seat for the main stage acts I looked around.  Certain "groups" of people were clear.  A whole row consisted of a family in jeans, cowboys hats, and Miranda Lambert t-shirts.  It was clear these country-lovin' folks came specifically to see Ms. Lambert and did not show up until the main stage acts went on because they did not care about the others.  Then there were groups of African Americans that were clearly specifically there to see Mary J. Blige and did not show up until the main stage acts went on because they too did not care about the others.  Then there was the "typical" Lilith Fair crowd that had been there all day and probably cared the least about Miranda & Mary's acts.

But something awesome happened.  When Mary J. Blige sang Family Affair EVERYONE danced and sang along.  The cowboy hat wearing clan in front of me were moving just the same as the groups of African Americans (although with a bit less rhythm) and so was the "typical" crowd.  I don't know if anyone else noticed it or if they were just paying attention to what the moment was doing for them, but I noticed it.  I looked around and saw how music brought so many different people together.  How despite the differences, this one song and moment brought shared smiles and movement to EVERYONE there.

Great Weekend

Recently Indiana made national news.  Not for a good thing.  In a church in Greenwoood a 3-year-old boy sang a song about "ain't no homos gonna make it to heaven."  At this line the whole congregation gave a standing ovation.  Hate is taught.  And it's national news.  However, this weekend was Indy Pride.  I wish the national news would mention how many churches were a part of the Indy Pride parade and festival.  I don't know how many exactly, but it was a good amount.  I got teary eyed a few times during the parade.  Once when I first got there, seeing a whole city celebrate a people who are so often discriminated against.  Also when many of the churches went by sharing their love for ALL their neighbors, not just the straight ones.  And also when 120+ youth walked by.  Seriously?  That many kids recognize who they are and are proud of it and/or accept their fellow classmates for who they are rather than bullying them to their death (as we see in the news so often)? 

Then tonight one of my favorite singers performed AT MY COUSINS' HOUSE!  I didn't even know my cousin knew who she was.  I love the small concerts I go to, I love house concerts even more.  And to see 2 of my worlds collide- my family world and my music world- I always love that.  Watching someone do what they love because they love it in front of a crowd who truly appreciates it always brings tears to my eyes.  Thank you Rachael Sage for sharing your gifts.

Fairy

Thanks to Signe Pike's book Faery Tale (http://signepike.com/home/) I rediscovered & expanded an old love of mine- Fairies.

I was never crazy obsessed with them or gave them tons of thought, but I have always clapped my heart out in the part of Peter Pan that asks you to clap if you believe to save Tinkerbell.

And a part of me has always believed, and an even bigger part of me has always wanted to believe.  I never actually liked Tinkerbell, she was kind of bitchy, but the new Tinkerbell movies have redeemed my view of her (though not an accurate depiction of fairies).

Anyway, Signe Pike's book tapped into my old love while expanded my view of "fairies" to a way that spoke to me and had meaning to me now.  Since then I have bought many books on "fairies," watched documentaries on the topic, google searched countless times, etc.  Since reading the book and attempting in my own ways to reconnect to and expand my old love, it's been amazing what I've learned and what things have connected.

I don't talk about it often as most people have a pretty narrow view of what "fairies" are and what someone who claims to believe in them are like.  And the fae is too complex of a topic to write about here.  I encourage you to get and read Signe's book or at least do some "googling" of your own to find some of the deeper meanings of the concept of fairies.

However, this blog is called, the little things are the big things, so I will attempt to stick to that topic and not go too deep below the surface.

As I've made clear, there is much deeper meaning to me now when it comes to "fairies" but this respark in the subject for me has led to some fun things. 

For one, I have been able to have a lot of fun with the young girls I have nannied.  One, named Signe ironically, loves fairies because of the Tinkerbell movies.  She even made her own fairy house in her bedroom!  Often while I was watching her she would stop what she was doing & run to her room & check the house to try to spot a fairy.  I think she loved having an adult that shared and encouraged her belief (I should say another adult as her family does too).  While her knowledge of fairies was Tinkerbell movies, I was able to add some, like when she would get dissapointed when there wasn't a fairy in her house I was able to explain to her that just because she couldn't see them didn't mean they weren't there.  She and I used to write stories and I wrote one all about her and a fairy that came to live in her fairy house.  Her eyes and smile got huge as I read it to her the first time.  I also read to her a chapter book from the Tinkerbell series.  I think she also loved having someone she could show off her new fairy stuff (dolls, books, a fairy journal she created, etc.) to.  Another time I brought a book I got from the library that had stories about different types of fae and read those to her.

The other little girl I nanny for and I made fairy houses together twice.













Thanks to the magazine Indianapolis Monthly I found out about Indiana's Stonehenge in Brown County.  Obviously a magical spot my roomie and I went there one day.  While there I found an obvious fairy doorway-

So I spruced it up a bit for them and left a little gift of chocolate & wine.

I posted these pics on facebook & Signe's (the girl I nannied for) mom left this comment- Signe wanted me to remind you to "keep checking it when you go back there, to see if the juice (wine) and chocolate are gone." Signe thinks you did "a very very very very good job."

My roomie went back to that spot another time and so I texted Signe's mom to tell Signe that my roomie said the chocolate & "juice" were gone.  Signe, being a super smart 5 year old said that an animal could have eaten it so I had to check inside & suggested I put out more food but cover it so animals wouldn't get it.  I texted my roomie letting her know Signe wanted to know if she had checked inside and my wonderful roomie said this "Yes I did...they are very sneaky and it looked like a good home, but they didn't want to be seen yet."  Upon relaying this message back to Signe she smiled, laughed, & jumped up & down.  I have gone back a few times since and always leave something for them.

And for fun, after I was a fairy for Halloween-

I had a photographer friend do me a little photoshop favor :)

So one book, someone sharing their own story and journey, brought back childhood memories and dreams, led to me connecting to the imaginations of young girls, created a lot of fun for me, and has had a great spiritual impact on me.

So even if you don't believe in fairies (I'm clapping as I say this!), I'm sure you can appreciate aspects of this story and see again how "the little things are the big things."