Debbi K. Swanson
First, my deep sympathies for all those caught in the horrible Laguna landslide June 1. I know there are many theories for what the cause or causes may be, not the least of which is excess rain and possible human oversight, greed, or worse, according to some of those displaced who have lived there for years. Complaints were made about too much new construction, lack of proper drainage, etc. Why on earth are homes allowed to be built on such loose soil? Certainly some people made money on the effort, but who will be paying for it? Everyone. While residents, government and engineers battle this out, others are stepping up to help make the pain a little easier to bear. Nods to Rick Stein at the Laguna Playhouse for offering free tickets to displaced residents so they can get a little made up dramatic relief from their real-life drama.
He was Grrrrreeeeeeaaaat!
Just as The Pageant of the Masters is about to begin its season in Laguna, organizers say it will be with a heavy heart. In May, Orange County lost one of its stars, Thurl Ravenscroft. For 20 years, from 1974 until his retirement in 1993, he served as the narrator of the Pageant, known as the annual celebration of the arts in tableaux vivants, "living pictures." His remarkable basso vocal readings were enormously popular with his audiences, and his co-workers dubbed him the "voice of the Pageant" during his tenure. Perhaps best known as the unmistakable voice of Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes mascot Tony the Tiger, he also sang backup for Bing Crosby and other artists in the Mellomen, sang You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" for the television special, “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” was a member of The Johnny Mann singers, and served in the Air Transport Command in World War II. Ravenscroft remained a devoted friend and supporter of the Pageant.
In 1981, Ravenscroft also began serving as narrator for the annual presentations of "The Glory of Christmas" at the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove. Living in Fullerton since his retirement, Ravenscroft was 91 years old at the time of his death from prostate cancer.
Facing the Final Mystery Workshop
UC Irvine Extension offered a course in June called “Facing the Final Mystery.” Author of the same titled book, Laura Larsen spoke with me about the workshop’s main focus, how to deal with end of life issues.
An R.N., massage therapist, dance and yoga instructor, Larsen has been developing these workshops for years. The first part of the workshop is focused on feelings.
“Most feelings about end of life issues are fear based,” says Larsen. “We like to explore in the group setting what kind of experiences people have had that keep them and their family from talking about these issues. We present info about feeling levels and how they interfere with ability to connect with others.”
(All of these exercises can be done on one’s one, as well. They’re in Larsen’s book so you can do at home. Visit www.lauralarsen.com for more information, to order, or to contact Larsen about additional workshops.)
“The second portion of the day is devoted to practical matters,” adds Larsen. “People aren’t well informed about hospice care, for example. They know about the purpose of advanced directives as made evident in the Terri Schaivo case, but they are not useful if the individual hasn’t had a conversation with family members about it. Then there are end of life situations of funerals, cremation vs. burial, etc. that need to be discussed practically.”
Larsen provides resources for people to use after the workshop, and incorporates role playing using real situations faced by the participants so they can talk about these issues with family members - not something people usually want to bring up.
“I have found all the combinations of people who do or don’t want to talk. Elders may want to talk but kids don’t want to, and sometimes it’s the reverse. The chief “non-talkers” are husbands, says Larsen. “Often a woman will bring up the subject of funerals, or end-of-life care and the husband says ‘Not me!’”
Ironically, Larsen says not talking causes more problems and missed opportunities to really live.
“Once you open up the subject, all kinds of interesting life stuff can come out. I began to see that the younger people are when they begin discussing these issues, the more they understand that they are going to die, so the more they embrace their life and get on with doing the things that are important to them.”
Larsen also says that if those in the circle of the person can’t talk, they have more upsets and miss the fabulous opportunity to participate in one of the rich transitions in life. “Think of the energy, time, and money spent on weddings, bar mitzvahs, and other life events,” she says, “but nobody wants to talk about the end of life. The same joy is there at the end if done right. People may wail at the loss of someone, but they can also celebrate the life.”
Contact Laura for copies of her book and to check on her upcoming workshop schedules.
And Now For Something a Little Lighter…Tuesdays in the Park with Music
Dig out the picnic basket, grab your family and friends, and enjoy the Costa Mesa 6th Annual Concerts in the Park series. The Tuesday evening series begins July 12, and runs through August 16. All concerts begin at 6:15 p.m. at Fairview Park, 2525 Placentia Avenue. Activities include mobile recreation gameace painters. Alcohol is prohibited and dogs must be on a leash. For more information, call 714-754-5300.
The 2005 Summer Concert series schedule:
July 12 The Dooh-Wah Riders
July 19 The Kid & Nic Show
July 26 Brian Young
August 2 Orange Colored Sky
August 9 Rock El Soul
August 16 The Answer
Author of the June quote: “A slip of the foot you may soon recover, but a slip of the tongue you may never get over.” - was the remarkable Ben Franklin. He had a public political feud with his son preventing them from having any kind of personal relationship.
And who wrote this gem?: Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forward.