Got Talent?

Last night, there was a Talent Show for staffers. Amazing talent, all around. Thoroughly entertaining, seriously. And no, I don't mean politely clapping out of obligation or sympathy. I mean, serious cheers and clapping and laughter and smiles for each and every diverse performance.

This EVEN included a "performance" I was pitted against from the beginning. Let me preface by telling you about the performER. His name is Anthony. He considers himself a Floral Sculptor, NOT a floral designer. Get it straight, ok? I've heard he's really famous in NYC - lives there when he's not here.

And most of you know I LOVE flowers and all things FLOWERY, right? So, you'd think I'd like this guy, right? Well, I've had some less-than-friendly encounters with him around campus so, despite my tendency to think all people are good and that my impressions of my encounters with him must've been just all misunderstandings, I guess I sort of WANTED to have 1 more reason to NOT like him.

And at first, I felt I was right on track with this predisposition. As he began his performance at the talent show, he announced, into his Janet-Jackson-style headset microphone, "Get ready for something beautiful." Oy, I thought - How arrogant!

Then, at the push of a button on his headset, on came some ambient techno music. The edge of the stage, which he was standing in front of, was lined with several bunches of flowers and foliage, one of each kind in each vase. As he took long, ballerina-style strides, all pointy-toed and dance-hands, in front of us, I must have rolled my eyes - at least inwardly.

But, that being said, I have to tell you that, within five minutes or so, I was completely enthralled. What he did, while, to some, it might seem a bit contrived or much-ado, WAS indeed Beautiful. I dunno: I just GOT it.

Vase by vase, in very elegant, controlled motions, he grabbed an entire bunch of branches or flowers. He'd shimmy the branches in the air overhead as he glided over towards a beautiful glass vase in the center of everything. He would then stab the branches into the vase, one by one. He dipped and curled curly willow, tops first, into the central vase, making a sort of underwater sculpture. He held stems of purple puff flowers from their very bottom, shook them ever so slightly while raising them up in the air, and then speared each one swiftly into the vase, all in perfect proportion to everything else.

I honestly don't know how long the performance lasted but I think it was probably 10 or 15 minutes. And I wasn't bored for 1 minute!

In those moments, my judgment, my criticism, my hurt at being rebuffed by him during a quick conversation days earlier on campus, all that was just wiped away, wiped clean.

I GOT it. I GOT that he had an incredible talent, that he's one of the lucky ones who has found his passion and made it his life, and is doing more than making a "living" in the process. I GOT that what he did WAS indeed ART, and for him, it was also Philosophy and Culture and just totally Natural.

While I was impressed by most all of the fabulous performances on the night of the Talent Show, I was most SURPRISED by my reaction, my response to Anthony's piece.

I wish you could've been there, seen it. I don't think everyone had the same response as I did, but I know that everyone, on some level, had a great appreciation or respect for it.

I truly enjoyed it. Truly.