The "Summer Of Soul" Movie

 

Summer of Soul, released in 2021, is a movie I hope to see on a DVD. It's a documentary about the Harlem Cultural Festival in 1969. Among the performers who appeared on stage were Stevie Wonder, Sly and the Family Stone, Nina Simone, B. B. King, and Mahalia Jackson. The above wall mural appeared on the side of a building that's located on the corner of West 124th Street and Lenox Avenue in Harlem. The building is one block from Mount Morris Park (renamed Marcus Garvey Park), where the historic event took place.

Throw Your Troubles To The Wind

Whenever I feel stressed out or have a lot on my mind, I like to take a long, leisurely walk, preferably in New York's Central Park, my all-time favorite greenspace.

The feel of fresh air on my face, the sight and smell of greenery, and the sound of wildlife never fails to clear my head and lift my spirits.

Until I recently heard a segment on the public radio show The World, I didn't know there was a name for this activity that I've been doing for many years. It's called uitwaaien (pronounced out-vy-een), a Dutch word for "out-blowing" or "walk with the wind."  There isn't, unfortunately, an English equivalent, according to one online article.

In the Netherlands it's a common practice for people to take these open-air strolls on windswept days to relieve themselves of stress and anxiety. And it's a lot cheaper than taking pills or going to therapy sessions.

So the next time life gets you down, try uitwaaien and let the wind blow away your troubles.

Spring Is Back! Hooray!

Ah, spring is here, at last. I've survived another New York winter, my 55th winter, to be exact. But it's still March, so I have to temper my joy with some caution. As the old folks would say of a person, without warning, March may decide to show its ass, hitting us with multiple inches of snow.

So for now, on the first day of spring, I can look forward to sunny days, the return of greenery, the buzzing and crawling of insects, and sitting for hours in Central Park with a good book in one hand and a cold, refreshing drink in the other.

Movies Alfresco Are Not For Me

This summer all around New York there will be movie screenings in the city's parks and on rooftops. Many of these events will be free (including the popcorn).

But I doubt that I will be an attendee. They would remind me too much of the drive-in theatres I went to when I was a child in Southern California. Watching a movie on a big screen under the stars never appealed to me. I've always preferred going to what Variety, the entertainment trade publication, has called hardtop theatres, with their plush seats, air conditioning, movie posters, and the smell of hot buttered popcorn and hot dogs.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the smell of grass, the chirping of birds, and the occasional gust of wind. But not while I'm trying to enjoy a movie.They would only serve as distractions.