Where Am I?

I’ve gotten behind in telling you of my misadventures. We need to catch-up. What caused me to get behind is where I need to begin.


My parents are both living and until December 2009 they were living independently in their own house. Well, trying to live independently might be more accurate. It was very important to them to live life the way they wanted. Nor did they want to be a burden on anyone. The fact of the matter was they needed help just to cover the basics and they tried to cover over or hide most of their memory issues by living on fast food – breakfast, lunch and dinner, and concealing any other events that might prove they were incapable of doing it on their own. The fast food routine (consisting of McDonalds in the morning, and KFC, CiCi’s Pizza, or Arby’s in the afternoon) may have even begun as a measure to conceal problems. The pattern began after I found potatoes burning on the stove one evening and neither could smell or hear what was going on. By the way, we took meals in only to find them still in the refrigerator, days later. Who knows why? It could be they forgot them or that by eating them, they would be admitting they need help. Or maybe they just needed to “get out.”

Other things, like the less-than-routine bills not on bank draft were another problem. One might find an insurance refund in the garage under some stuff 4 months after the postmark date on the envelop, or realize a doctor’s bill was unpaid when I found a “final” statement even though the check register showed the bill had been paid. Someone might even ask, “What happened to the check?” His response was always, “We take care of what needs doing.”

Maybe I was also a bit complicit in their daily-life cover-up of inadequacies. Indeed, I had learned to avoid the few “Hot Button” topics, like giving up driving and moving into an assisted living facility. I also managed to give them their medications every evening after work so I knew they had taken them.


Then there were the household repairs that needed to be made. They didn’t want anything fixed. My dad would complain about the noise. He didn’t want repairmen in the house. It was hard to tell if they just didn’t want to pay anyone to do something, or the fact that he would have to get out of his chair to accommodate the repairmen. Did I say they just didn’t tell you about things that needed attention. It was hard to tell if it was unintentional or part of the cover-up.

So, even after all the concessions, they were not always agreeable and their attempts to not be a burden were becoming a real burden.

Then in December my mother went into the hospital with an infection. A day or two before she was to return home, my brother and I gave them a choice, move into an assisted living facility or agree to have home health care assistance. Not surprisingly my dad chose home health. Then someone ran into my dad’s SUV (ironically, he was not driving it) and it was “totaled.”

And so the story cycled to the issue of the car. It became his obsession. Simply, put, my brother and I could not let him get another car and so it appeared the world was conspiring against him as I had gone to all the car dealerships in the area and told them not to sell this man a car. They were all agreeable.

After two months our mother went into the hospital again and my dad went in shortly thereafter. At that point my brother and I moved them into an assisted. Several years ago they had given us power of attorney. We gave them no choice.

They are now living in an assisted living memory unit. It is new and smaller than most such facilities. There is a large fenced courtyard for them in which they can sit as well as help staff grow a few vegetables and flowers. Mom enjoys music and games every day. Her memory continues to decline rapidly. Pop enjoys one big reclining chair. After seven months they have adjusted to their new surroundings. The staff there is great. Children, grandchildren, two nieces and even great grandchildren have visited them. I’ve included a video clip of three of their great grandchildren entertaining them - two of them are “clogging.” Other photos are of them and their room. We don’t talk about the car or the house. It’s a good thing.




Pop does ask, “Where am I?” He does on every visit I make to see them. He may ask it several times. It appears to me that relationships (with people and places) remain important to know who we are and that we are secure.

Our remembrances of the past seem to help us all. What am I learning? I am working at being more flexible and agreeable to the notions that my children and grandchildren have about where I need to be and what I need to do. If I heed their advice and encouragement and they seek whatever wisdom I might have, perhaps all will go smoothly. Hopefully I can establish a pattern of it that will endure into my senior years. I suppose we call this communication.


Just as God sought to speak to Israel (Isaiah 1.18 says, “Come, let us reason together.”) I need to be continually open to His will and to what my children have to say.

Biblical References:

1 Timothy 5.1 says, “Engage with and encourage the elderly.”

Proverbs 12.15 – Wise men listen to counsel (even elderly men and women).

Ecclesiastes 12.1-8 – “Acknowledge God and establish a godly pattern of living before you are confronted with an endless run of trouble and physical problems, and you say, “Life isn’t worth living any more.” When you say, “Life is gloomy; my hands and legs are unsure and I’m prone to fall; my shoulders and back are no longer strong; my teeth are few; I no longer see well and I have a hard time hearing birds sing; I’m unable to sleep well; I’m afraid of falling; I’m crippled because I’ve had a stroke; I no longer have any sexual desire. All that awaits me is death. So it is that we all die and return to dust. So it is, those who mourn us yet live on. So it is that the sprit of God within us will return to Him.

2 Corinthians 4.16 – Do not give up becoming who you need to become, even though your body is falling apart and you are getting old and eventually will die.

1 Timothy 5.1-2 - Do not ignore or give older men a difficult time, but encourage them as a father, younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and with all propriety, the younger women as sisters.

The Disney Experience

In January the Keck clan spent a week in Florida. This included my son, daughter-in-law and their two children (Hadley and Shepherd) and my daughter, son-in-law and their two children (Analayne and Leighton). Most memorable were the three days at Disney World near Orlando. The weather was wonderful, pretty much the entire week, except for one night while storms passed through the area. The mornings were cool and the afternoons warm, a pleasant relief from Middle Tennessee this year, which has been cold and snowy. Aside from the weather at this time of year, Disney World is an impressive and absorbing environment. The land on which it stands was assembled in the late sixties with the Magic Kingdom built-out and opening in October 1971. It was the culmination of a dream by Walt Disney who died before the project was complete. The dream was to create a place for families to enjoy themselves. Disney was in the entertainment business. His animations and stories solidified, beginning with my generation, a unique American culture on which families now regularly build. He saw opportunities and he seized them.

What struck me about this adventure with four young children was my own history with Walt Disney. It has been a long journey, spanning 55 years. For me, it began in the mid-fifties on a small screen, black and white television. It began with a TV series beginning in the fall of 1954 referred to as “Disneyland.” Even though Disney had been at work during the thirties and forties doing full-length feature animations, they didn’t resonate with us baby-boomers until the mid-fifties. Through this portal we encountered Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Sleeping Beauty, Pinocchio, Davy Crockett, Briar Rabbit (Song of the South), Dumbo, and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. The weekly, hour-length show was almost ceremonial as the family gathered around the TV to watch. It was about the same time Disney captivated us by also opening a place in California called “Disneyland.” It was a place of magic, because it was attractive and for most of us a bit “out-of-reach.” It included a castle, a roller coaster and live walking characters (Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and Goofy) right out of his animated features.

Shortly after “Disneyland” (the show) began its run in the fall of 1955, Disney hooked us boomers with another show featuring serial stories and a special club song. It included a group of energetic kids and called itself “The Mickey Mouse Club.” The serial story I best remember was officially known as, “Spin and Marty.” I just remember it as being about a couple of boys, a little older than I, at the time spending time at the Triple-R Ranch.

Add to these creditable products, the periodic movies Disney produced (Parent Trap, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Journey to the Center of the World, and One Hundred and One Dalmatians, The Absent Minded Professor (Flubber) and Swiss Family Robinson and it was inevitable that Disney World would manifest itself somewhere in Florida.

My first visit to Disney World was in December 1971. My father-in-law had died the previous January and my mother-in-law needed an alternative to a “traditional Christmas.” Because my grandparents were spending the winter in Kissimmee, we all went to Disney World. It turned out to be a wonderful time for everyone. I can still recall my grandmother’s astonishment when at the conclusion of a ghost-house ride a bodiless, eerie voice called out to her and said, “Come back soon, Madge.” Did I mention that her given name was “Madge?”

Since that initial visit, we’ve been to Disney World several times. In December 1985, when our own children were 8 and 10 years old, our family spent another Christmas there with friends, Greg and Marcia. On that trip Chad and Leeanne tried, without success to drown my friend Greg in a hotel pool. It also began their addiction to all things Disney. By then, EPCOT had been added (in 1982) and we spent a day there. EPCOT was a “World’s Fair” kind of experience. In 1989 Hollywood Studies opened, and in 1998 Animal Kingdom.

Notice in the accompanying photos most of us in front of the resort where we stayed. It is a Disney Resort focusing on the 50s, 60s and seventies called “Pop Century.” At the restaurant serving this “motel” style facility, Elvis and other early rock and roll musicians were played. It was my heritage. Other photos show my grandchildren embracing stuffed animals, specifically: Crush (“Finding Nemo”), Baby Dumbo, Lady (“Lady and the Tramp”) and Pluto.

The family experiences related to Disney remind me of scripture. There are examples in the Bible when godly people failed to properly connect with their children and their children appeared to lose their way. There are examples when one child is “favored” over others and they had a second-class type of citizenship. There are admonitions to tell children stories conveying heritage and values. Scripture also makes the point we are to value children because they have great value to God. So I guess the point is, we are to be relationally relevant to children. It is important to simply play with them, to enjoy what they enjoy. Biblically, both Timothy and Paul had ancestors that made deposits to their lives.

Disney might have put it this way, “Families need to enjoy time together.” I think what Disney has done has been to create places and tell stories where family can spend time together and then talk about what they have seen and done. We had a wonderful shared experience. Hopefully we have added to relationships in which our children and grandchildren will thrive. Maybe my photos will help everyone remember what we saw and did.

Scripture:
Deuteronomy 6.7 – As you go, teach your children that God is good.
Deuteronomy 6. 20 – When your son or daughter asks you, you can say what the Lord has done for you.
Psalm 78.4 – Tell the next generation what God has done, His power and wonders.
Psalm 79.13 – God’s people will praise Him and from generation to generation they will recount it.
Psalm 145.4 – One generation will commend God’s works to another.
Proverbs 10.1 – A wise son makes a father glad.
Ecclesiastes 11.9 – Enjoy your youth within God’s boundaries.
Mark 3.25 – A house that is divided withers.

Luke 9.48 – And Jesus said to them, “Whoever respects a child because they love me receives me, and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me.”

Ephesians 6.1-4 – Children, obey your parents, for this is right. Similarly, fathers should not provoke their children to anger.
2 Timothy 1.3-5 – Paul said, “I thank God whom I serve, as did my ancestors. Similarly, I am reminded of your faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother and your mother.”

2 John 1.4 – I rejoice to find some of your children walking in the truth.

David’s Place in the Sun

Well, if you’ve been reading my blog entries, you might have detected a “subplot” developing. It began in my “hometown tourist” entry dealing with the statues of Alan LeQuire (posted September 6, 2009). You may recall that several of his works remind me of the Statute of David I saw at the Ringling Art Museum when I was a teenager living in Sarasota, Florida. Although that was the spark that began it all, it didn’t jell until it occurred to me I would be visiting my son’s family in Sarasota and that I might have an opportunity to get a photo image of that very statue. The “subplot” was sealed when I took my granddaughter to the movie, “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” and there was a reference to the Statue of David in the Jell-O palace scene of that movie. I was now committed.

So on the last day of my most recent visit to Florida, while the rest of the family was committed to other activities, I went to the Ringling Art Museum, specifically the museum’s courtyard, because I only had time to see that part of this wonderful museum.

Here are a couple of images of David. Scripture says David was a young man. He was, of course, Jewish. Michelangelo’s depiction isn’t accurate in one significant aspect; David isn’t Jewish. Specifically, he doesn’t have the “sign” of Abram’s covenant with God as outlined in Genesis 17.

The statue shows David, allegedly prior to his slaying of the Philistine giant, Goliath. He is a lean, taut and youthful male figure. It also shows him with a portion of the sling in his hand and a portion of it draping down his back. The statue is an imposing 17-foot figure in the museum’s courtyard. The original statue is made of marble and stands in Galeria dell'Academia in Firenze, Italy. The statue in the Florida sun is made of bronze and was cast from the original.

Scripture describes David as young and good looking when he confronted Goliath (the passage describing him a “boy” is cited below). Scripture also records that David had a sling and five small (approximately 2-inch round) stones from a nearby brook. The Biblical passage dealing with David on this doesn’t say God told David what he was to do. Instead, it records David as asking the men in camp, “What’s in it for the guy that kills this giant?” I have wondered, “Where is David’s obedience to God in this situation?” David only decides to take on the giant when he finds out what’s in it for him and that David collects 5 stones, when only one was needed. On the other side of the issue scripture says, “The Spirit of the Lord was within him.” Perhaps, this story most readily relates to us and our life in the Lord today. It seems that only now and then are direct and clear directions given to us, leaving us most of the time with rather broad, general and sweeping directions. I suppose the challenge is to cultivate a heart for God, then serve Him in ways that glorify Him.

So, from the outside we see a statue of a human form, like any other young figure. So, what is it that moves us about this piece? Is it some external quality? David in the sun is stunning for his appearance, sculpted by a renowned and gifted artist. But his external appearance wasn’t enough to move and inspire the nation of Israel nor does this statue come to mean so much to us by itself. Rather, it is his character and heart and what Israel became under his leadership that gives him power. And more importantly, it is David’s deep commitment to God that moves us. It is his humility to serve. He is teachable. He is willing to change. And it is the depth of his affection for God that sets him apart from anyone else, besides Jesus, in scripture. Unlike Saul, David was a man after God’s heart. His story is about his steadfast faith in God. In the Hebrew language, faith (emunah) has to do one’s response to a firm belief. For a believer it has to do with one’s confidence in God. It’s about a relationship, a relationship I need. It’s about confiding in God and trusting Him for everything. It is an intimate relationship. Read David’s Psalms (several verses are cited below). In them David confesses his reliance on God. He confesses his transgressions and he asks for God’s guidance. He is patient. It is a remarkable relationship in which God gives David great latitude to serve Him and at the same time he waits for God to do His will.

A fine Rollex watch is outwardly beautiful, but if that watch doesn’t keep accurate time, or even worse, doesn’t work at all, it is a disservice to the brand and its beauty. Both David and Saul were handsome. They were both chosen to be “king.” Similarly, a spouse may be beautiful or handsome, but if that spouse or mate is quarrelsome, disagreeable or “unfaithful,” they will not have a spouse’s heart. David sought to serve God, though admittedly, he was derailed on several occasions. In the end however, scripture says, “David was a man after God’s own heart (Acts).” Because of his faith, David conquered kingdoms and routed foreign armies (Hebrews). Like David, God’s spirit lives within me. We must be on the same page. I must confide in Him. I must trust Him. Faith gives us a wall on which we can write our lives. He is in everything we do.

Michelangelo’s work is significant. It is remarkable. But what makes it even more powerful is the meaning and significance that is the historical David.

I didn’t recall from my youth the pieces entitled “The Tiber” and “The Nile” that are just below the figure of David to his right and left. It is funny how I had forgotten the entire scene below David. As in the courtyard, he stands above those civilizations because of his character.

The courtyard holds many other figures also, some from Greek and Roman mythology. There is even a bodybuilder from close to the time of John Ringling himself. The courtyard includes “Romulus and Remus and the Capitoline She-Wolf,” and Charles Atlas holding up the world.

The most memorable piece to me beside David is the Chariot and Two Horses (one source refers to this as the “Biga,” another source refers to it as the “Votive Chariot Dedicated to Ceres“). It was as beautiful a few weeks ago as it was 46 years ago when I took the B&W image. Somehow one of my black and white photos of one of the horses survived my carelessness. Compare the images. Time has not reduced the piece’s ability to give “awe.”

Other celebrated art in the museum’s courtyard include the Fountain of Tortoises (Piazza Mattei in Rome) and Oceanus Fountain (by Giovanni Bologna). Isn’t the tortoise beautiful?

Scripture:
Genesis 17.9-14 – The sign of the covenant is given to Abraham.
1 Samuel 16.1-13 – David, anointed by Samuel to be king, returned to his father’s fields to shepherd his sheep.
1 Samuel 16.7 – The Lord does not look at outward appearance, He looks at the heart.
1 Samuel 16.12-13 – David was “ruddy” with a fine appearance and handsome features. The Lord said, “He is the one” (to be king). The Spirit of the Lord came upon David.
1 Samuel 16.23 – David’s presence brought peace.
1 Samuel 17.26-27 – David asks, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine?”
1 Samuel 17.32-33 – David tells King Saul, “I will fight” the Philistine. Saul responds, “You are only a boy.”
1 Samuel 17.37 – David tells Saul, “The Lord spared my life when I was confronted by lions and bears.”
1 Samuel 17.42 – The Philistine saw that David was only a boy, ruddy and handsome and he despised him.”
1 Samuel 17.45-47 – David told the giant, “I am confronting you in the name of the Lord.”
1 Samuel 18.5 - David submitted to the king’s authority to become Saul’s attendant and officer.
1 Samuel 18.12 – The Lord was with David.
Acts 13.22 – David was a man after God’s own heart.
Hebrews 11.32-33 – David through his faith conquered kingdoms and routed foreign armies.
James 2.17-22 – Faith alone, without action, is dead. Faith and actions work together.

Psalm 18.1 – “How I love you Lord.”
Psalm 18.28 – “Lord, you give me light and dispel my darkness.”
Psalm 25.4 – “Teach me your ways O Lord.”
Psalm 31.4 – “Keep me safe from the trap that has been set for me.”
Psalm 32.5 – “I confessed my sins to you and you forgave me.”
Psalm 32.7 – “You are my hiding place.”
Psalm 145.1 – “I will proclaim your greatness.”

More Meatballs

I thought Flint Lockwood and Sam Sparks (“Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs”) had taken care of the meatball making machine, but no, we saw a variation of one in “Curious George Live!” (a children’s musical that performed at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center a/k/a TPAC). This time the meatballs were square-shaped, but still a threat to world order. And this time it was Curious George who had to deal with the threat.


This time my granddaughter, Analayne, witnessed the meatball threat. In this adventure the inquisitive and resourceful little monkey went all out to help his friend, Chef Pisghetti, an Italian cook in “The City.” Of course, we saw the Man with the Yellow Hat, the Doorman and Hundley, the doorman’s dachshund. We saw George scamper up scaffolding, make “Ohu, Ohu” monkey sounds and walk on a large ball (balancing on a ball in costume had to be a challenge). Nevertheless, “Curious George Live!” is a musical, with songs sung by the Man with the Yellow Hat and others with themes and lines that included: “George is always curious,” “There’s more to explore,” “When one door closes, another one opens up,” and “You like to help your friends.” Of course, George always solves his problems.

Well it seems, someone had invented a machine that made square-shaped meatballs at an incredible speed that threatened his friend’s eatery. Because George had helped his friend, Chef Pisghetti, in his restaurant making meatballs, George decides to enter his meatballs in a world-famous competition, the Golden Meatball Contest. His first problem was how to get from “The City” to Rome. Using a shipping box previously sent from Rome, George sends himself to Italy using a “Return to Sender” stamp. The box and George arrive in Rome and he enters the contest. George is now missing. When his friends figure out that George has gone to Rome, they pursue him. When they arrive, the contest is already in progress and the contestants have all cooked their meatballs. Unlike the others, George had to make his friend’s meatballs without knowing his friend’s secret ingredient. Still, George wins the meatball contest. How could he have won against meatballs made by the square-meatball-making machine and all of the others? What was the secret ingredient George unknowingly used? His chef friend confides, “The secret ingredient is love.”

It is the same ingredient that Jesus tells His followers to base their lives on. A heartless meatball machine cannot compete against the power of love in one’s life. The bond of affection between Flint and Sam (in “Cloudy with a chance of Meatballs”) in shutting-down the food-making machine is just as effective as love is in making wonderful meatballs. Love comes in many forms. In the words of the playwright, “We are lucky to have a friend like that.”

Analyane’s review of the musical play: “George is bigger than he is on TV or in his books.”

Mimi and I agreed; “George is bigger in person than on TV or in his books.”

Afterwards, we went to Moe’s Southwest Grille. They don’t serve meatballs unless you consider a burrito a variation on one. At any rate, this outing was a hit with Analayne! She was still talking about “George” the day after and asked when we would go to another show.

Scripture:
John 13.35 – People will know you are followers of Christ by your love.
John 14.15 – Jesus said, “If you love me, you will obey my commandments.”
John 15.5–8 – Jesus said, “God’s glory is shown by what His followers do.”
John 15.17 – Jesus said, “Love one another.”
John 22.36-40 – God’s law can be summed up as saying, “Love God; love others.”
1 John 4.8 – God is love.

Hadley Has a Big Coke with Her Meatballs

This past week my granddaughter, Hadley pulled back the curtain of time and prompted me see things I’ve not seen in awhile. We had a date. We went to a movie, just her and me, while Mimi took a nap as Shepherd napped.

So, what do you recall from your youth? Sometimes I need help in remembering the things that impressed me. But just as interesting is what impresses your children or in this case my granddaughter.

Well, Hadley and I went to the movie, “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.” It is a movie based on the children’s book with the same title. The book was written after my children were grown, so I was not familiar with it. I suppose the movie elaborated on the story somewhat, adding details and possibly sub-plots to make the movie worthy.

Hadley was pretty excited about going to the movie. (Check out her smile. You can't see it, but she has lost a tooth.) Mimi told me to get her some popcorn. I did, with a drink too. The total cost for a bag of popcorn, a 24-ounce Coke and two tickets was over $25.00. I thought the concession prices were pretty unconscionable, so I didn’t indulge in popcorn or drink. Anyway, it was her afternoon to enjoy. And I think she enjoyed it all. Even though she weighs only 32 pounds, she must have a huge bladder. She drank the entire drink, ice and all. I calculate, with the popcorn, she gained nearly two pounds, mostly from the drink. I don’t know if I, a grown man used to consuming those volumes, could have handled all the liquid without a trip to the restroom mid-movie, but she did.

The movie was about Flint Lockwood, a young inventor intent on making his mark while making the world a better place to live. He had already invented some non-skid, spray-on shoes that wouldn’t come off a person’s foot. He was now engaged in developing a machine that would make food from ordinary water. The assumption was that water is plentiful, sort of like dirt. In my profession, water is not that abundant, at least potable water isn’t that abundant. These days water doesn’t come cheap. I had to overlook this critical assumption and assume a child’s perspective.

The other major figure in the movie was Sam Sparks (I assume her name was short for Samantha), an intelligent news-weatherperson sent to cover the story of a town whose fishing industry was declining and was re-inventing itself as a tourist destination. While she is there Flint’s machine to make food was launched (figuratively and literally) and it rains hamburgers. It then rains hotdogs, ice cream or anything else Flint programs it to produce.

The plot thickens here, because the machine’s food making attributes aren’t entirely controllable. Flint also takes a liking to Sam, who is now covering this “news” story.

It is at this point I notice Hadley has become absorbed in the unfolding drama. She loves a romance. She has been a flower-girl in several weddings and up-to-this point in our week, she has married Mimi and Papa several times. Coordinating the kiss and pronouncing us “Man and wife” is one of the high points of her play. (I’m thinking, maybe she is a budding Shakespeare.) Hadley is also a repeat video consumer of the Disney movies “Cinderella” and “Sleeping Beauty.” She is moving all about the movie seat.

Anyway, Flint creates a huge palace made of Jell-O, Sam’s favorite food. Inside the palace, there are all sorts of things. What jumps out to me is a Statue of David made out of Jell-O. I ask myself, “How did that get into a children’s movie?” That was something that caught my attention when I was a teenager living in Sarasota, Florida. How ironic is this? I was in Sarasota, with my granddaughter, watching a movie that makes reference to “David.”

Well, the story of Flint and Samantha gains momentum. Sam, it turns out wears big glasses, which Flint finds endearing. A monkey joins the action, who Hadley loves. Ultimately the crisis caused by the food making machine gone awry is resolved. I must also say that Flint’s father (Tim) develops as an important and likeable figure in the story. (I’m not going to spoil this aspect of the movie for you.)

And then there is the BIG Kiss. The world then sighs in relief.

I asked Hadley at the end, “What did you like about the movie?” Her response: “Sam, the monkey and Flint.” She also liked the “Jell-O mansion.”

We walk out of the mall, through the parking lot and get to the van. She says, “Papa, I need to go to the restroom.” Ah, she has a large bladder, but not that big.

It was for me another memorable experience.

Scripture:
Matthew 11.25 – Jesus declared that while some things are hidden from the wise, they are revealed to children.
Matthew 21.15 – The children cried out, “Hosanna to the Son of David.”
Mark 10.13-16 – Jesus told his disciples, “Let the children come to me; to such belongs the Kingdom of God.”
1 Corinthians 13.11 – When I was a child I spoke as a child.

Alan LeQuire in a 3.3 Mile Walk

In about 3.3 miles an explorer of Nashville can celebrate the city’s “First Citizen,” Timothy Demonbreun while watching barges go up and down the Cumberland River. Demonbreun’s statue stands within a few hundred feet of the river at 170 1st Avenue North in Bicentennial Mall Park (at the eastern end of Union Street). The park is an exclave of Bicentennial Capital Mall on James Robertson Parkway and to most people appears to be an extension of Riverfront Park just to the north of Fort Nashborough. At any rate, Demonbreun was a fur trader and served in the American Revolution and the monument to him was crafted by Alan LeQuire in 1996.

Alan LaQuire is the principle subject of this blog, or at least the works of his hands will be featured here. Stick with me and you will find that four of his works can be seen in a 3.3 mile walk. You can get bonus points for walking another mile and add another one of his works, if you want. Nashville can be an interesting place.

From Timothy Demonbreun one can then walk west a short distance down Union Street, make a left on Fourth or Fifth, walk a block, make a right onto Church Street, and continue west on Church to Nashville’s Main Public Library. If the library is open, you can examine the sixteen panels on the inside of the library’s doors. Sixteen of the 24 bronze panels depict natural wildlife scenes. The eight panels on the center set of doors depict individuals who are reading or otherwise learning. I especially enjoyed the large turtle and heron the most. To this point you have walked a little over one-half mile.

It gets a trickier now travel-wise, but after hitting the library, you can view a third LeQuire sculpture by continuing your walk west. This one is a little more controversial, simply because it contains nine huge (twice life-size) nude dancing figures made of bronze. To see the “Musica Statue” continue west on Church street and at Eighth Avenue turn left and walk to Broadway. When you get to Broadway, turn right. You will walk west past the Frist Center for the Visual Arts. You can also rest your feet and spend a few hours there too. Continue walking west until you get to 14th Avenue, turn left and walk until you get to Demonbreun Street and turn right. Demonbreun is obviously named for Timothy Demonbreun for whom LeQuire memorized in a bronze statue near the river. Continue your walk to Buddy Killen Circle (it’s where 16th Avenue South, Music Square East, Division, and Demonbreun Streets meet). Within the roundabout you will see “Musica.” The piece shows a dance troupe in performance at the top end of music row. The work celebrates not only music but the arts in general. The idea here is that when you hear good, inspiring music people burst into dance. Personally, I didn’t find the sculpture offensive. Maybe the huge 14 foot bronze statue of “David” at the Ringling Art Museum (a bronze cast from the marble original by Michelangelo in Florence, Italy) that I saw as a kid growing up in Sarasota, Florida made it seem like “No big deal” to me. Anyway, the work was too impressively large to be offensive.

While you circle around Buddy Killen Circle to take in LeQuire’s work be sure to see the tribute to Owen Bradley (Owen Bradley Park) at the piano. This work was not done by LeQuire, but it is worth the time to look at it. You’ve now walked about 1.7 miles.

From Buddy Killen Circle walk one block north on 16th avenue, turn left onto West End Avenue and continue west for a little over 1 mile. When you come to Centennial Park on your right, head north into the park. You will see the replica of the Parthenon, Temple of Athena Parthenos. LeQuire’s work, “Athena Parthenos” is inside this gigantic structure. Like the original Athena, the Athena in Nashville was in the Parthenon located on the Acropolis, in Athens, Greece. The original Athena, sculpted by Phidias in 439 BC is no longer there, reportedly looted in the 5th century AD.

In 1456 AD, Athens fell to the Ottoman Turks and converted the Parthenon into a mosque. And then in 1687 the Venetians attacked Athens. Unfortunately, the Ottomans were using the Parthenon as a gunpowder depot and the building was partially destroyed as a result of a Venetian mortar.

The building and the Athena statue are both full-scale replicas of the Athenian originals. The Athena in Nashville’s Parthenon is an impressive 42 feet tall (actually 41 feet 10 inches). It was created using descriptions of her by ancient writers, depictions of her on Athenian coins and a small-scale Roman statue. Consider the size and structure of the Parthenon too. Nashville is a good place to see all of this.

Next to the Acropolis and the Parthenon in Athens is Areopagus Hill, the meeting place of the council of Athens. This is the place where scripture says the Apostle Paul made his famous speech in 52 AD. Scripture refers to Areopagus Hill as “Mars Hill.” It was named after the Greek god of war who was tried at the site.

We can only assume the Apostle Paul saw Athena and indeed the Pathenon on his visit to Athens. He must have been stirred by all the other references to mythological gods and goddesses. In his speech (recorded in Acts 17) he even observed that the Athenians were very religious. They had even established an altar to “an unknown god.” Paul’s response, “What you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth…is not found in things, but in us, for in Him we live and breathe and have our being” (vs. 27-28).

Impressed yet? If you are making this journey with me, you have seen four of Alan LeQuire’s works in 3.3 miles. He is quite a craftsman. And he has done a good many pieces.

Now, If you want bonus points, walk with me a little further and you can see a fifth work by LeQuire. For this one head southeast to Vanderbilt University Medical Center on 21st Avenue South. Here you will see his “Flying Torso.”

From the Parthenon, return to the West End Avenue entrance to Centennial Park. Carefully cross West End Avenue and locate 26th Avenue South. Walk south on 26th Avenue to Kensington Place. Turn left and walk east one block and turn right onto 25th Avenue South. In two blocks you will reach Garland Avenue. At Garland Avenue, turn left and walk east until you arrive at the Eskind Biomedical Library at 2209 Garland Avenue (about 2 blocks). The library won an AIA/ALA Library Award in 1999. The building is interesting in itself.

The Flying Torso sits in front of the library. It is also about 300 feet from the McDonalds Restaurant on the northwest side of Vanderbilt Hospital. If you are ever in the neighborhood visiting a friend in the hospital, find your way to McDonalds and from there walk northwest about 300 feet and you will be able to view this piece.

If you continue walking east through this courtyard area you will encounter two additional pieces of art (not by LeQuire). They are the “Balance and Unbalanced Beam” and the “Guardian Spirit.” Continue east a few more feet and you will reach 21st Avenue South via Medical Center Drive. The “bonus walk” will add about a mile to your hike.

The walk has taken you by many cultural places of interest. The sites represent history, culture, art, nature and religion. Many of them might encourage you to look deeper into history and the arts. The high point for me was Athena, the cult image of the goddess of wisdom, warfare, peace and reason and the indirect reference to it in the Acts of the Apostles. The point here has been to get you thinking.

Enjoy the arts. Learn about history. Serve others. Observe God’s creation. Meanwhile, never loose sight of your first love, which should be for God.

Scripture:
Acts 1.8 – Jesus tells His disciples they will receive the “power” of the Holy Spirit. The “Acts of the Apostles” is an account of the “acts” of the apostles as led by the indwelling Spirit of God.
Acts 17.19 – Paul saw that Athens was full of idols. Scripture specifically records he was at Areopagus Hill.
Acts 17.22 – He was in the place where the City Council met.
Acts 17.25 – God needs nothing we can supply.
Acts 17.27 – He is not far from any one of us.
Acts 17.29 – Our God is not shaped by the art and skill of man.
Acts 17.31 – The reality and power of God was proven by His Son and His life, His Death and His Resurrection.
Acts 19.21-41 – Even when Paul was in Ephesus, a city in what is now Turkey, the Jewish Christians did not rob the temples or say evil things about any other goddess (specifically Artemis)
Acts 20.17-38 – Paul’s message to the Ephesians, like his message to the Athenians, was to turn away from their sins and believe in Christ (God).
Revelation 2.4 – The Apostle’s message to the church at Ephesus, despite their work and service to others, etc. was that the Ephesians had lost their first love.

"What’s Past Is Prologue” and the JNEM (Jefferson National Expansion Memorial)

A few weeks ago, I was in St. Louis for a meeting. While there I was able to visit the Gateway Arch and the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial. Scripture seemed to jump out of the experience. Here is what struck me:

Eero Saarinen’s Gateway Arch was selected and built because it symbolizes the future. What is being said is that the spirit of looking forward, moving forward and embrace the future is part of the American heart because of our historical experience. It is our culture and we celebrate it today. The future, as represented by the arch is quite impressive. It takes on many colors and hues as the day progresses. As a stainless steel structure, it is huge and impressive. It was also quite a accomplishment to build.

The other part of the memorial, the “Museum of Westward Expansion” documents a pivotal moment in our history. It is a moment that seems to best define, if not give us a forward looking vision. It is a quintessential value.

The Louisiana Purchase was completed by President Jefferson in 1803. With the Corps of Discovery, it was time to assess the territory to determine what it held and the peoples who occupied it.

To summarize what them museum contained: The Corps of Discovery encountered Grizzly Bears, Native American tribes with whom they traded and gave peace medals, and several corps members kept journals.

What came after the expedition of Lewis and Clark was a never ending movement of people into that vast area. It continues today. It is a “movement” taken by people in an act of their faith with respect to their future. In is almost Biblical. Let me digress. If Christians consider scripture, we too have a calling to step forward, do the right things out of faith to embrace a future which God promises to bless.

A people embracing a future promised by God is also Biblical. Moses led the Nation of Israel out of bondage to a land promised by God. He told them to assess the land and its people. It was already theirs. The 12 tribes would occupy it and live on it. God promised He would be with them. After they crossed the Jordon He told them to pile up 12 stones as a reminder of what He had done for them as they too embraced the future. This is point: Because of what God had done for them, everyone would know of His power. The future, if we choose it, is ours by faith.

William Shakespeare said, “What’s past is prologue. What is to come is ours.”

Lewis Mumford had a little different twist on the thought and wrote, “If we do not take the time to review the past we shall not have sufficient insight to understand the present or command the future: for the past never leaves us and the future is already here.”

To summarize: “Know your past, who you are and where you are going.”

Scripture:
Deuteronomy 32.48 – God said to Moses, look at the land I’m about to give to you (it was promised).
Numbers 13.2 – Explore the land I am giving you (assess and divide it among the 12 tribes).
Numbers 13.18-20 – Find out what kind of people, land and fruit are in the land.
Numbers 14.7 – Excellent land.
Joshua 1.2-3 – Cross the river into the land I have given you (vision).
Joshua 1.5 – I will be with you.
Joshua 1.7 – Be determined, confident and obey my law.
Joshua 3.7 – Realize I am with you.
Joshua 4.2-4 – The arch symbolizes the future much like the pile of stones on the banks of the Jordon.
Joshua 4.6-7 – A reminder of what happened
Joshua 4.23 – Because of this everyone will know of God’s power (so big only God could do it).
Hebrews 11.2 and 12.1-2 – Faithful living has God’s approval in the past and in the future.