On Forgiveness
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 09:17 AM | Comments (0)
June 23, 2018Paul McCartney's Carpool Karaoke
Wow.
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 05:52 AM | Comments (0)
June 21, 20181 MILLION STRONG
Turn up the volume, go full screen, unplug from whatever and enjoy Stuart Hoffman's joyful new release, 1 Million Strong. It's inspired, spacious, anthemic, cellular, and brought to you by the same power that gave you breath and the appreciation of it. Give it up for the soulful, artful, playful composer, musician, and man about town going for it full tilt boogey! Stoooiiieeee!
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 12:45 AM | Comments (0)
June 07, 2018IT'S NOT ALL THAT DIFFICULT A QUESTION
My long-time teacher, Prem Rawat, has been speaking to people, all over the world, about peace, for the past 48 years or so. He is always in great demand and his audiences, in India, have sometimes been as large as 300,000. So, when I found out, in 2010, that he was coming to my little village of Woodstock, NY, I was quite surprised -- especially since the biggest venue available in town, the Bearsville Theater, had a capacity of only 350 people. No matter. His is not a numbers game. He goes where the love is and there was a lot of love in Woodstock drawing him there.
A few days before he arrived, I received a phone call from a woman whose role it was to select the MC and the backstage security person for Prem's event. Since I had MC'd some of his events before, she thought it might be a good idea if I was available that day to MC the Woodstock event, but she told me she was also going to ask another person, Joan Apter, to be available, too, and then, on the day of the event, she would make her decision. The person, she explained, who was NOT chosen to MC would be the back stage security person. Our responsibility, she went on to say, was simply to show up at the hall an hour early and, at that time, she would tell us who was going to MC and who would do back stage security.
But I already knew the answer.
Joan was going to MC the event and I was going to do back stage security -- because, I reasoned, that if I was backstage, I'd have a way better chance of having a moment or two with Prem as he waited for his cue to take the stage. And besides, I sort of had a cold (sniff, sniff) and Joan, glorious Joan, would absolutely nail it as the MC.
Getting to the hall just a bit earlier than Joan , I explained to the MC-selector lady that, today, I would NOT be the best choice to MC, given my cold (sniff, sniff, achoo). She agreed and, I gleefully took my position back stage. My role, I learned, was a simple one. When Prem entered the building, all I had to do was press a large red button on the wall to alert the sound and lighting guys that he had arrived. That's it -- notice when Prem walked into the building and push a big red button. No experience required.
While Joan did her mic checks on stage, I practiced pushing a big red button back stage, hoping in my heart of hearts that somehow, I would have a moment with Prem -- not wanting, of course, to crowd him or get in his way or be goofy or uptight or screw things up. After all, the back stage waiting area at the Bearsville Theater was rather small. The more I stood there, waiting for Prem's arrival, the more it dawned on me how just how small a space it was -- just big enough, for him and... um...er... uh... me, the security guy with a cold, having just pressed the red button and not wanting to get in his way.
Get the picture?
As the hall filled up with guests, so did every ounce of my being with a feeling I had become delightfully familiar with over the past 41 years -- the feeling of anticipating Prem's arrival -- the one person in the world who astounded me the most. Usually, I was sitting in the audience, back in row ZZ or up in the mezzanine, but today... this sunny day in Woodstock... in the iconic Bearsville Theater once owned by Bob Dylan's manager... I was going to be closer, much closer, to the main attraction.
Time passed. And some timelessness, too. Then, walking up the stairs from the Green Room, I see Prem approaching, radiant, buoyant, and smiling.
"Hi Mitch," he says.
"Hi, Maharaji," I reply.
"So why do you live in Woodstock?" he asks.
"Um..." I respond, not at all certain I know why I live in Woodstock. "Because it's so beautiful."
"No," he responds. "I know why.... because it's so remote." (Only later did I find out that it took him quite a long time to make his way from the airport to the Bearsville Theater.)
Then he just kind of wanders away and stands there, eyes closed, it seemed, in what I imagined to be his way of getting ready to go out on stage. But then, with no warning, he pivots and walks back in my direction.
"So what's up?" he says, looking me in the eye.
And that's when I kind of lost it. Stunned as I was to be talking to him so casually, I could not, for the life of me, process his question. Suddenly, his two words, "What's up?" took on a kind of cosmic Zen-Koan-like quality. A gigantic space opened up inside me. Time stopped. My mind, like some kind of drunken sailor, stumbled around, searching for something to say, but couldn't find the words. I mean, I could have talked about my work...or my family.. or my writing...or my whatever... but it all seemed so silly... so distant... so not what I really wanted to say. Somehow, I found myself floating, disappearing into his eyes. He just stood there, absolutely still, saying nothing. I kept drifting. The space that had opened up was very very large and I had no access to language, me having entered a kind of Stevie Wonder-land of intoxication. I'm not sure how much time passed. I'm guessing only a few seconds, but it seemed like forever. Then Prem smiled, leaned closed, and spoke six words I will never forget, "It's not that difficult a question."
Boom! I was back.
I said something that seemed to make sense. He said something. It seemed to make sense, too. Then I said something. Then, he said something. Then the moment passed and he went out on stage and shared his message of peace with 350 locals, eager to listen to what he had to say.
I stood backstage, leaning up against a wall, feet on the ground, head in the clouds, and very glad to be alive.
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 08:06 PM | Comments (0)
June 01, 2018The Golden Garden Party Xl
If you are anywhere near Fairview, NC (close to Asheville) on June 16th, please consider attending the 11th annual Golden Garden Party -- a fabulous benefit event to support the humanitarian work of The Prem Rawat Foundation (TPRF). In addition to great music, food, and people, there will be a raffle and a wide variety of fine art, jewelry, and other goodies for sale.
Here's a sneak preview of some of Rachel Clearfield's creations that will be available for purchase. Fine reproductions, signed by the artist, will be available from $150 to $1,500 depending on the size (from 24" X 30" to 36" X 48") and the medium (archival paper or canvas.) 25% of all purchases will be donated to TPRF's Food for People program.) Prices for the originals and all reproduction orders can be obtained by contacting Rachel: clearfieldstudios@earthlink.net
Raffle tickets are available for purchase no matter where you live. You do not need to be attend the Golden Garden Party to win. Your $5 or $10 raffle ticket purchase will be be matched. 100% of all raffle ticket purchases will be donated to support the work of TPRF.
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 05:24 AM | Comments (0)
