Listening to Amy

I do so like to keep my ear to the ground, in a rather literal way. I like to listen to new stuff. I have a much higher threshold for trying out new music than most people I know and love. But I can't imagine not hearing and passing along new sounds and sights. I can't help listening for things. Last night I fell asleep in front of the TV watching the film Ronin, yet when I was awake I could hear and see how well the score matched the action.

The newest, biggest thing on my list right now is this video on You Tube by Amy Winehouse (which was posted by someone cool on the Gomez message boards in the What are you listening to right now? discussion). Amy is the British equivalent of a Jersey Girl in style and body and hair, channeling a cross between Yma Sumac and Southern Culture on the Skids (and yet there's also something else, something very man-in-drag about her, too -- she's got my gaydar going whoop, whoop!). She's the woman I want Sarah Silverman to be. Whatever she is, she's creative, talented, and inspiring, lucky for me.

I am in awe of people like this, people who are bent on expressing themselves in their own ways, and so what I am doing is writing about them in my novel. I keep asking myself, What do I like most? And adding that stuff in. And the amazing part is that no one is telling me not to, lightning isn't striking, and life is going on as normal, except...

...except I feel just a little clearer, more honest, more true to myself and therefore with energy for those around me. It's like exercise making you feel better. (Ooh, and speaking of exercise, I skied for about twenty minutes total yesterday and am looking forward to more exercise today. Heck, I could even go skiing still. It's nice and warm and calm again. Take the bus and write on the laptop on the way up at least, if not back. Hmmm....)

...except I feel more sure of my own path and timetable. It will all come to pass as it is supposed to.

...except I feel more motivated to go out and learn new tricks, like Bollywood dance (one of my e-mail tasks this morning has turned out to be a really nice surprise: the teacher of the Bollywood dance class at my daughter's heritage camp gave me such a high compliment about the dance some other mothers and I performed at the closing performance. She's coming to my town to teach a class, breaking down Bollywood movie routines into routines.)

Another way I see these folks who inspire me, the Amys and Sia and Gomez and Bollywood dancers and a zillion more musicians and performers, is as if you all have fabulous clothes I can borrow if I need to, so I can have a little of your juju when I'm feeling low on my own. Amy has made herself into an interesting piece of work, if you ask me, and something about that more and more feels to me like a challenge, or a dare. So I always have to ask myself what I'm so inspired to do about it, which sets off its own adventure.

So that's how and why I keep listening and learning, to find great clothes, or attitude, to borrow. What could be more fun? And more helpful?