It's the little things that bear recording, isn't it? Or, aren't they? Tell you what, I am going to put some grammar rules on the back burner for a bit so that I can spill some information.

In case you haven't read the rest of the blog, I live in Waco, Texas. I have been fortunate to be regarded as a member or component of the local art community, if Waco can be said to have one. This is a town of just over 100,000 people, most of whom labor either in the industrial district or for the lumbering Baptist juggernaut, Baylor University. The other day, a fairly illuminated (by that I do not mean that he was "lit") friend asked me why the arts do not flourish here. There are smaller towns around here where the arts are alive and well, but here the arts seem to struggle and even when they do manage to get by, there is so much conflict within that "scene", that we may as well not even have one. I told my friend that Waco's population breaks down into roughly three groups. Those industial laborers whose idea of art is a tractor pull, the Baylor slaves who dare not engage in any free thought, lest they lose hope of tenure (or they are already in an underground cult that takes up all of their spare time), and the rest, who are a mish-mash of religious zealots, home-schoolers (or both), and a handful enlightened minds, who also stand a good chance of being horribly misguided in their lives, and so have no time to engage in or think about the arts. If we do a little math on this, we can estimate that there might be about five thousand residents of Waco/McLennan county who might participate in and support the arts. That's not nearly enough. If you want to keep a gun show alive, or a truck rally, then you've got it made. Otherwise, forget it.

There's nothing like a rant to put a smile back on my face! Sorry, Waco, but it's the truth. I was also told that I represented a "pocket of culture" here. I'll never forget that compliment, or the man who said that to me. It's not that I detest everyone here -- it's just the sophomoric mentality that takes over in so many instances that puts me off. The Good-Ol' Boy clubs, and the like. I am fond of saying that my mantra is, "No associations, no affiliations and no allegiances." Try it. You'll be on your own, but when the only person that you can trust is yourself, what does it matter?

Okay, here I go, messing up the entire chronology, again. Back in March, I had the pleasure of attending a lecture at the University of Texas at Arlington by Jerry Uelsmann. It was a real treat to hear him speak, in person. I've seen videotaped interviews and read his writings, but nothing compares to playing audience to a creative genius like Uelsmann in an open and unedited forum. Many thanks to Betye Holy for informing me of the lecture. I hope that I spelled your name correctly.