Thoughts of Christmas in a lasting Yoga bliss...

Maybe it's too early to think of Christmas day but there is never enough time between the end of the fall and that fantastic morning where nothing feels better than the warmth of a fire and the company of loved ones. I am the type who begins to play carols after Thanksgiving and I make sure to keep them on repeat straight through Christmas until New Years day when I grudgingly retire the Cd's until the next year. Presently, I am blessed to be typing these words with an evening view of the skyline from the corner of 23rd and Eighth. My father plays the piano. Rudolph plays with his added flair. I can feel the drama in every note his hands play. He is like me in that sense. Even the simplest moments and melodies can be jazzed up with a Raeburn flair.

I am brought back to the past with these melodies and thoughts of celebrating music at all times of the year. Often we would get together, family and friends, to stand behind my father playing the piano singing show tunes and whatever else could be rocked by our off pitch chorus. Bliss in imperfection. We all sucked but it felt fantastic during those brief moments when we actually harmonized. All we needed was one note sang beautifully by all at once before we could delve back into an off beat ear plugging kind of melody that dog's wouldn't even bother howling to.

Yoga this afternoon, followed by sushi at a restaurant frequented by Ethan Hawk. He often sits alone, with a hooded sweatshirt, and apparently he spends much of his time while dining texting. I wonder if he got the shrimp avocado role like me? Well, he would have when he saw me eating it. I can see it now. "Well look at that. I didn't know Alex Raeburn eats here." Of course I believe that he might be just as thrilled to meet me as I would be to meet him. Then again, he wouldn't know me yet, but I could simply introduce myself as someone he will know soon and offer to share a bottle of sake with him. It would be a mutual privilege, the way every human interaction is. Two masters of art. One already famous, the other ready to shoot out from behind the curtains with a mad dash towards the world of recognition. It may be a bit arrogant but without a touch of that spice the biggest dreams will always remain out of reach. So Ethan, I look forward to the bottle of Sake and the conversation that will follow.

Now we are brought down to a much more calm level with a melody that is haunting and simple. Oh Tannenbaum plays loudly until he stops playing and hums the rest, eager to move onto the next piece. I can hear the pages turning and the excitement building as he chooses what will come next. Is this chop sticks? Well even if isn't I will imagine it is. Play it again and we'll see what else this song can be.....


Ok, back to yoga. What a beautiful experience with the support and love of strangers. It was on the third floor of a building sticking up below all the others located near Broadway. The walls were pink and purple and the woman played a harmonium. If you don't know what this is, just take my word for it when I say it's amazing. I will say no more than that about this fantastic instrument. Except this of course. Sell your TV and buy a harmonium. You will not regret it.

The class lifted my spirits and my mood, as well as my legs above my head in an awkward way that I thought might cause me to implode. But I didn't thankfully and if I had I would have missed the finally of Om being chanted and the harmonium blasting at equal volume. I think there must be a harmonium in heaven and there has to be yoga.

One more song. I asked and he obliges. So I guess now I have an opportunity to finish this and bring it about to a fascinating conclusion that will give you some of that insight I claim to be able to offer. Um, can I pass? I am not always ready to be in the spotlight, even if that spotlight is the final paragraph of a blog that nobody is going to read, but hey I'll give you something for coming this far. The melody changes and with a sped up tempo I am reminded that if I lean forward and look right I can see the empire state building. This means that an unreal height, which can be achieved by anyone who has twenty dollars, is available within walking distance. I won't go there but the awareness that it is available if I choose to take that walk is just as powerful.

Maybe Ethan Hawk is sitting up there right now in a hooded black sweatshirt, playing the harmonium, wondering where the next script will come from. Maybe he is looking for that new writer who has the guts to fail a thousand times and never stop. Maybe he is, or maybe he is just enjoying some take out sushi and the sound of the harmonium's melody floating through the New York skyline as the sun sets. Well Ethan, I have the sake waiting for you and bring the harmonium. We'll need it.