Today is my brother Shannon's birthday.
It is hard to believe that my baby brother is 41.
My mother always said that Shannon was her easiest pregnancy.
I on the other hand was 16 hours of labor, in the heat of June, in Sumter, SC at Shaw AFB in the middle of the swamp. Explains everything right.
Shannon was born in Louisville, and we lived on S. 6th Street in an old wonderful house with my Aunt Millie and Uncle Jesse. Our cousin Brad had been born on the 3rd of July. So when Shannon arrived on August 31st, I got to help both my mom Evelyn and my Aunt Millie with taking care of the newborns. I was six years old.
It was the summer of 1968 and we lived upstairs in what was the original 4 bedrooms of the big house and my aunt and uncle lived downstairs in the 4 main rooms. I remember my brother being a joy for my mother and father. His nickname as he grew older was "Spanky" because he looked like Spanky McFarlane from the OUR GANG films.
Shannon is the old soul of our family. And that is what I love about my brother. And he is the middle child. My sister Missy was born two years later after we moved to Samoset Ct back in J-town.
When I was going through a difficult breakup, he and his very understanding wife Dorann put me up in Sarasota for most of a summer. For this I am truly grateful for their kindness, patience and love.
AND I am sure that being who I was then, they were very grateful when I moved back to Orlando. LOL
If I have the TV resume, then my brother has the FILM resume.
His on set construction resume reads like a list of great films produced in the past 15 years, starting with THE TRUMAN SHOW and just this past year he finished work on the newest Martin Scorsese film in Boston. I am extremely proud of him and we have our father to thank for giving us the work ethic that I believe we both possess.
My little brother is not so little anymore.
I wish I had a copy of one of our famous home movies with my brother trying to show you how to fish. Confident, sure of himself, just a natural in front of the camera until he tries to cast his fishing rod.
The bobber lands in the tree behind him, he realizes that it is there and then does a slow take to the camera and begins to tear up. It is one of my precious memories of him as a child.
So to you Shannon, know that I love you my brother and wish you the best on this wonderful day, your birthday.
Peace and blessings,
GM
Monday, August 31, 2009
CITY ON FIRE
Got an email from a new friend Rob.
He's been on fire evacuation duty up at his sister's house in La Cresenta just east of me here in Valley Village. When they come and knock on your door, you really do have to leave your house and be prepared to move all the valuable things out, mostly important papers, your pets if you have any and yourself. Rob reminds me tonight that the love of our family is what keeps many of us going.
And that when a crisis is occurring, it's a good thing to have family to rely on.
I'm very blessed to have a loving and kind family.
For those of you that pray, please pray for families who's lives are being burned up even as I write this.
Last year I had two friends who lost everything in a fire. The house was gone in a matter of moments.
Tonight as I drove north on the 170 freeway to my house, I could see the outline of the hills in a deep, ominous orange glow. These fires are probably only less than 20 to 25 miles away.
They are burning away all the dry fuel that has been growing and dying up in those mountains for the past 40 years. Some people ask me how can I live here with our fires and potential earthquakcs?
I ask them how can you stand the snow, sleet, rain and extreme temperatures?
I love where I live. California is hearty and people rebuild. Just hopefully not in the path of the next firestorm.
Be well.
GM
After my Saturday morning yoga class at Bally's on Ventura Blvd, I jumped onto the back of my truck and took this shot. It's looking east toward Mt. Wilson where all of our radio/TV towers are located. It looks like a volcano has erupted.
CLOSEUP of Smoke from La Crescenta fire.
Notice the mountains in the bottom of the picture.
This smoke cloud is huge.
He's been on fire evacuation duty up at his sister's house in La Cresenta just east of me here in Valley Village. When they come and knock on your door, you really do have to leave your house and be prepared to move all the valuable things out, mostly important papers, your pets if you have any and yourself. Rob reminds me tonight that the love of our family is what keeps many of us going.
And that when a crisis is occurring, it's a good thing to have family to rely on.
I'm very blessed to have a loving and kind family.
For those of you that pray, please pray for families who's lives are being burned up even as I write this.
Last year I had two friends who lost everything in a fire. The house was gone in a matter of moments.
Tonight as I drove north on the 170 freeway to my house, I could see the outline of the hills in a deep, ominous orange glow. These fires are probably only less than 20 to 25 miles away.
They are burning away all the dry fuel that has been growing and dying up in those mountains for the past 40 years. Some people ask me how can I live here with our fires and potential earthquakcs?
I ask them how can you stand the snow, sleet, rain and extreme temperatures?
I love where I live. California is hearty and people rebuild. Just hopefully not in the path of the next firestorm.
Be well.
GM
After my Saturday morning yoga class at Bally's on Ventura Blvd, I jumped onto the back of my truck and took this shot. It's looking east toward Mt. Wilson where all of our radio/TV towers are located. It looks like a volcano has erupted.
CLOSEUP of Smoke from La Crescenta fire.
Notice the mountains in the bottom of the picture.
This smoke cloud is huge.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
I LOVE LIZA
AN EVENING WITH LIZA MINNELLI
SHE'S LIZA WITH A "Z"
NOT LISA WITH AN "S"
I'M GERRY WITH A "G"
NOT GERRY WITH A "J"
What a joy it was tonight to see Miss Liza Minnelli give one HELL OF A SHOW at the Hollywood Bowl. She did two encores. Liza looks more and more like her mother. (If there is ANYONE out there that doesn't know who Liza's mother is....well you must be under the age of 12.)
What an amazing show. Liza won the Tony back in June of this year for her special appearance on Broadway last winter in her show at the Palace. She has worked with the same group of "kick ass" musicians for going on 33 years. And she said to us at the end. "I can't do this alone....we did this together."
For those of you who know me, that touched my heart the deepest.
She is one classy, amazing broad and like me has had her share of troubles with men. LOL
There is one thing that I got from tonight's performance, just like LIZA, I love to perform. And her sheer love of performing comes out in every song, every story, every note played on that stage.
Here she is walking offstage with her pianist/arranger Billy Stritch.
They are amazing together.
What can I say.
I've been blessed to see some amazing shows this summer and it "ain't over yet folks."
Keep tuned to more of my updates.
For those of you in LA, I will be giving tips about upcoming shows I know you will love as much as I do.
Peace and blessings,
Gerry Gman Gericurl Mullins
Friday, August 28, 2009
BRIARS AND BROKEN GLASS: THE WALLS THAT BIND US
Rumi:
Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.
Years ago when I was visiting a resort in Palm Springs a man told me a truth about my heart.
I had never met him before and have never seen him since. We were sitting around a pool.
(I was drinking I believe, he was not.) For whatever reason this man knew what was going on inside me and I knew that I needed to hear what he said.
He described my heart like this:
"You've experienced great loss already in your life . You have a lot of grief inside you.
Your heart is a beautiful wild garden that has been walled away. In the back is a gate that has been cemented shut with a thick chain and rusted lock. Around the thick stone walls, briars have grown and on top shards of coloured glass are cemented in place to keep others out. When you've tried in the past to pull others close to you, they run away screaming from all the cuts and scratches. You're like a man begging someone to love you and holding them at arm's length so they can NEVER really get close to you. Aren't you tired of being alone?"
This made me cry. Because I knew he saw the truth about me at that moment.
Yes I had shut my heart down some 18 or so years earlier when my mother died.
At the time of her death I was 15 years old. It was a difficult time but I shut down my feelings, compartmentalized them if you will, started drinking and moved ahead. When I found myself in California, an aging party boy at 33, I realized that being irresponsible and high wasn't quite so cute anymore. My one relationship with my ex in Florida had ended badly. I had done a geographic and moved to California thinking I would become a famous actor and all my problems would be solved.
Only problem...I brought me with me.
Throughout the years of recovery I've uncovered, discovered and discarded much. I sawed off the iron gate and melted it down for a lovely sculpture in the garden. The briars are all gone, chopped away and I have the scars from the scratches to prove it. I've even opened up a part of the wall and created a lovely arch for people to come through but only when invited. I am, however, still polishing the broken shards of glass. My hope is one day they will be like the pieces of glass you find at the ocean, polished smooth from all the tumbling in the sand. My hope is they will reflect beautiful light and not cut anybody who might decide to hope over the wall and surprise me.
Final removal of the "walls that bind us" will only help the garden that is my heart to grow outside of it's confined space. It's the one garden that needs no pruning. Fall is here soon. Time for a harvest!
LYRICS FOR TONIGHT'S SONG
CARLY SIMON LIVE
Do the walls come down
When you think of me
Do your eyes grow dim
Do the walls come down
When you think of me
Do you let me in
Do the walls come down
Nothin' like a rainy night
To set your heart rememberin'
Nothin' like a vivid dream
To take you back again
Somethin' in my pocket
That was written years ago
In faded ink said "You are my fire"
Do you think so
Is it easier for you to say
You never loved me anyway
Or do you hide me in your attic trunk
Like a stowaway
Do you think of me
Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.
Years ago when I was visiting a resort in Palm Springs a man told me a truth about my heart.
I had never met him before and have never seen him since. We were sitting around a pool.
(I was drinking I believe, he was not.) For whatever reason this man knew what was going on inside me and I knew that I needed to hear what he said.
He described my heart like this:
"You've experienced great loss already in your life . You have a lot of grief inside you.
Your heart is a beautiful wild garden that has been walled away. In the back is a gate that has been cemented shut with a thick chain and rusted lock. Around the thick stone walls, briars have grown and on top shards of coloured glass are cemented in place to keep others out. When you've tried in the past to pull others close to you, they run away screaming from all the cuts and scratches. You're like a man begging someone to love you and holding them at arm's length so they can NEVER really get close to you. Aren't you tired of being alone?"
This made me cry. Because I knew he saw the truth about me at that moment.
Yes I had shut my heart down some 18 or so years earlier when my mother died.
At the time of her death I was 15 years old. It was a difficult time but I shut down my feelings, compartmentalized them if you will, started drinking and moved ahead. When I found myself in California, an aging party boy at 33, I realized that being irresponsible and high wasn't quite so cute anymore. My one relationship with my ex in Florida had ended badly. I had done a geographic and moved to California thinking I would become a famous actor and all my problems would be solved.
Only problem...I brought me with me.
Throughout the years of recovery I've uncovered, discovered and discarded much. I sawed off the iron gate and melted it down for a lovely sculpture in the garden. The briars are all gone, chopped away and I have the scars from the scratches to prove it. I've even opened up a part of the wall and created a lovely arch for people to come through but only when invited. I am, however, still polishing the broken shards of glass. My hope is one day they will be like the pieces of glass you find at the ocean, polished smooth from all the tumbling in the sand. My hope is they will reflect beautiful light and not cut anybody who might decide to hope over the wall and surprise me.
Final removal of the "walls that bind us" will only help the garden that is my heart to grow outside of it's confined space. It's the one garden that needs no pruning. Fall is here soon. Time for a harvest!
LYRICS FOR TONIGHT'S SONG
CARLY SIMON LIVE
Do the walls come down
When you think of me
Do your eyes grow dim
Do the walls come down
When you think of me
Do you let me in
Do the walls come down
Nothin' like a rainy night
To set your heart rememberin'
Nothin' like a vivid dream
To take you back again
Somethin' in my pocket
That was written years ago
In faded ink said "You are my fire"
Do you think so
Is it easier for you to say
You never loved me anyway
Or do you hide me in your attic trunk
Like a stowaway
Do you think of me
Thursday, August 27, 2009
LET'S START AT THE VERY BEGINNING...
LOVE
This blog is an exploration of Love!
For the next 365 days, just like the recent movie Julie & Julia, I will blog about Love.
Love in all its various forms, expressions and interpretations.
There will be a daily quote and a note from me.
Sometimes I will comment on the quote.
Other days I might just use it as a daily diary.
Think of this blog as a calendar page with different features.
As my understanding of love unfolds and grows so will this blog.
WEEKLY FEATURES
Each week on Thursday's my personal picks on films/theatre/TV programs featuring love stories. Twice a week the "art of love" feature will change.
These images of "love" could be a photograph, painting or graphic image.
And once a week I will post the lyrics to a song that is about love or has love in the title.
And I'll post a clip of songs when possible.
I hope that these things will stir your memory and we can share with each other our stories about love.
WHAT IS LOVE?
It is more than just a song that underscored A NIGHT AT ROXBURY with Chris Kattan and Will Ferrell. This question is something that I have struggled to understand for years.
I guess like a number of people who find themselves single again, I equate LOVE with having a partner in my life. In other words, "romantic" love.
Actually in my case I've lived more in "lust" than in love.
(I promise to keep this blog as PG-13 as possible.)
MISSION STATEMENT
To boldly go on a journey into uncharted territory in my heart.
To understand all the different "aspects" of love that are all around me.
To impart this information to the best of my ability.
To be as loving as I possibly can.
WHY DO THIS?
This whole blog's purpose is for us together to begin to experience more LOVE in our lives.
For so many years I didn't. Not that love wasn't all around me. I've been blessed to be surrounded in love all my life. But for some reason I have been unable or unwilling to stop and pause and let love in.
That is until now.
So come and join me on this my year long quest one day at a time.
Join me on this journey in love.
Peace and blessings,
Gerry M.
This blog is an exploration of Love!
For the next 365 days, just like the recent movie Julie & Julia, I will blog about Love.
Love in all its various forms, expressions and interpretations.
There will be a daily quote and a note from me.
Sometimes I will comment on the quote.
Other days I might just use it as a daily diary.
Think of this blog as a calendar page with different features.
As my understanding of love unfolds and grows so will this blog.
WEEKLY FEATURES
Each week on Thursday's my personal picks on films/theatre/TV programs featuring love stories. Twice a week the "art of love" feature will change.
These images of "love" could be a photograph, painting or graphic image.
And once a week I will post the lyrics to a song that is about love or has love in the title.
And I'll post a clip of songs when possible.
I hope that these things will stir your memory and we can share with each other our stories about love.
WHAT IS LOVE?
It is more than just a song that underscored A NIGHT AT ROXBURY with Chris Kattan and Will Ferrell. This question is something that I have struggled to understand for years.
I guess like a number of people who find themselves single again, I equate LOVE with having a partner in my life. In other words, "romantic" love.
Actually in my case I've lived more in "lust" than in love.
(I promise to keep this blog as PG-13 as possible.)
MISSION STATEMENT
To boldly go on a journey into uncharted territory in my heart.
To understand all the different "aspects" of love that are all around me.
To impart this information to the best of my ability.
To be as loving as I possibly can.
WHY DO THIS?
This whole blog's purpose is for us together to begin to experience more LOVE in our lives.
For so many years I didn't. Not that love wasn't all around me. I've been blessed to be surrounded in love all my life. But for some reason I have been unable or unwilling to stop and pause and let love in.
That is until now.
So come and join me on this my year long quest one day at a time.
Join me on this journey in love.
Peace and blessings,
Gerry M.
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