Important!

I spoke briefly a few days ago about how our generation uses words loosely. Well I guess the overarching idea there is that words can change meaning depending on who you are. And the word I would like to highlight is: important. Over the past two days, I’ve come across two usages of the word “important” that absolutely cracked me up, and I had to share them.

The first came at a performance by the Paul Taylor dance company at City Center. Great venue, great dancing, all around a wonderful cultural event. It was apparently one of the dancers final performance before retirement, and at the curtain call, she was showered with flowers and thunderous applause. The moment was incredibly touching, no doubt. (In fact, my eyes did kind of well up a bit. And I had NEVER heard of this woman before. Imagine what her FAMILY was feeling at that moment.) As the applause died down and the lights came up, my mom, my roommate and I started to file out, commenting on how cool it was to be here for that. A man standing in the row behind us then turned to me and said something like, “yea, you really lucked out, seeing the final performance of someone as IMPORTANT as her.”

I didn’t really know what to say to that comment, as I admittedly had no idea who she was. It wasn’t until I walked away that I found myself laughing at that guy’s comment. Important? IMPORTANT?! I suppose he’s a dance connosseur, and for someone who’s a big fan of Paul Taylor, ok, I’m sure she seems very important. But to say that to a complete stranger? Ugh, how…condescending or something. I would have completely understood if he had used a word like….oh, say beloved. Yes, that I will buy. But IMPORTANT? She’s a DANCER. And you sir, (I might have said), are not nearly important enough to throw around the word “important” like that. Or maybe he is. This IS New York after all. Either way, it tickled me a bit.

The second IMPORTANT run-in came today on my way to work. There’s a building going up on the block where my office is. A building full of condominiums. Expensive condominiums. So expensive in fact ($2-10 mill) that someone thought it would be a good idea to call them on the placard on the facade of the building “IMPORTANT Condominium Residences”. Oh. Dear. God. Important as in, “Hey, look at me in my multi-million dollar condo! Everybody look how IMPORTANT I am!”? You have GOT to be kidding me. No, actually, they are stonecold serious. I don’t even think I need to say anymore. I get that they are trying to attract a certain kind of person (i.e. balleerrrrrrr), but really…Get a grip.

One point here is, I suppose, it’s all relative, right? What is important to one person may not be important to another. Still, I can’t help but think that there are so many more important things in the world than dancers (whom I LOVE) and expensive apartments (which are spectacular). Or maybe that’s all so many of us are striving for: art and luxury. That is a pretty great life, I guess. But Important? I’d like to quote one of my favorite books, Le Petit Prince, by Antoine de St. Exupery:

L’essentiel est invisible pour les yeux.

I think that pretty much covers it.

 

Another Day, Another Dollar

Nothin like a good music and shoe purchase to keep you going, eh? The shoes are, if I do say so myself, ADORABLE (I am, in fact, wearing them right now.) They’re of the 4-inch stiletto genre, which is just fine with me.

And as for the music….wait, let me rewind a bit. I went to the Starbucks down the street this morning for a (yummmm) Skinny Vanilla Latte. (Every time I order this drink, I cringe inside when I say the word “skinny”. I always want to say to the cashier “but it’s not because I think I’m fat, I promise. All that sugar just gets me all crazylike.”)

Anyway, as much poking fun as has been directed towards the Starbucks Hear Music label, I actually think they’re doing a pretty great job with it. They’re doing it exactly how they should, with a great mix of music releases and featured artists.

So I bought my second Starbucks exclusive compilation album today. A collection of songs handpicked by Bob Dylan. There’s aaaall kinds of music on this compilation, except, seemingly, “folk” music as we know it, and I suppose as Dylan himself helped define in the 60’s. And the whole time you wonder whether his music tastes are reeeallly that eclectic, or he’s playing games with the listener. I can imagine him getting that call from Starbucks, approaching him for this project. He hangs up the phone and thinks to himself, “heh. I’m really gonna throw them for a loop.” And then the Starbucks people eat it up. “oh, this is amazing! Look at the diversity in taste! Perfect!” Bobby is a musician, yes, so it’s interesting to imagine him listening to this music. But he’s also a trickster. A total trickster. Playing tricks on people is one way he has kept (relatively) sane in the harsh glow of the iconic status he has found himself in. (See: Cate Blanchett’s completely bemused stare at “his” interviewer in London after affirming that he is not, in fact, a folk singer.)

I really have no idea how this stuff works, but I like to imagine that’s how it goes.

The first Starbucks compilation I bought was a few weeks ago; a Stax Records compilation, filled with classic Soul cuts. And, oh man, the first one really kicks it off. “Hold On, I’m Comin’” by Sam & Dave is irresistible. That horn riff?! Oh. my. god. The rest of the album is good too, but that song really does it for me.

And then Starbucks has their featured artists. One in particular that I’ve really been digging recently is Sia. Formerly of Zero 7, Sia released her first solo album in 2004, which contained “Breathe Me”. All of you Six Feet Under fans might remember it from the series finale. One of the most haunting songs I think I’ve ever heard, but also exquisite. (And the video’s pretty tight too.)

So Starbucks has been featuring her new album, aptly titled “Some People Have Real Problems”, and I can’t stop listening. Some of it is pretty down, some of the lyrics are veeeerryyy emotional. She’s deep, for sure. My favorite track might be “Death by Chocolate”. Not necessarily because of the lyrics, but the MUSIC. Her VOICE. Wonderful.

Ok, so good job Starbucks. Giving lazy musicheads like myself a little bit of direction and a little bit of validation for seemingly being alone in really really liking something. Way to go.