I just got home from a wonderful weekend serving as an artist and scholar in residence at Congregation B’nai Israel in Little Rock, Arkansas. Here are some things I learned and/or was reminded about myself, Arkansas, and life in general.
1) It’s good to meet new people.
2) It’s good to see new places.
3) If you put yourself out there someone will meet you there.
4) Music lifts prayer up.
5) Inside many a rocker is a folkie.
6) Sometimes something totally unpredictable and unexpected can happen and simply blow your mind.
7) God works in mysterious ways.
8) Kids are kids– thank God.
9) People want to explore matters of the spirit.
10) Relationships make the world go round.
11) The drive thru restaurant Sonic is an Arkansas creation. (NB: I’ve since been corrected. Sonic is an Oklahoma creation!)
12) The weather app is almost always wrong.
13) It’s possible to revitalize a city.
14) Clinton country bleeds red.
15) Rivers are geographical and psychological boundary zones.
16) There are still some places on this earth where you’re allowed to smoke inside.
17) Hotel rates can change by the second.
18) People want to connect, engage, and make meaning.
19) Great architecture is undeniable.
20) Even the most beautiful birds sometimes make a habit of flying into windows.
21) When people remind you of people you know and feel affection for it makes you like them even more.
22) Sometimes you book the right flight and sometimes you don’t.
23) Every faith community needs great teachers.
24) Sometimes it’s good to surrender to the current of the universe and see where it takes you.
25) Like many things in life, the realization is even better than the anticipation.
26) It’s good to pray outside.
27) Ain’t nothing like home cooking.
Thank you Congregation B’nai Israel for welcoming me with open arms!