The Writing on the Wall

You can probably tell a lot about a person based on what's hanging on their walls. Or what isn't, I suppose. I'm sitting here wondering what my walls say about me . . .

I thought I'd inventory my walls in no particular order, but of course I'm too obsessive compulsive for that! So, starting in the living room, from 12 o'clock around clockwise:

• A poster with a trumpet and some tulips laying on a piano keyboard.
• Three small oil paintings, two of landscapes by my uncle and one of a village girl by a friend.
• My sheepskin from Rice University. The things are HUGE.
• A white board, where I keep my to do and shopping lists. Did I mention I was a little OC?
• A Big Sur landscape in acrylics, in progress. Been working on that for over 5 years.
• A water color of an oil derrick in an East Texas forest.
• A crucifix above the door.
  

Now in the bedroom, starting at north and going clockwise:

• A map of Tolkein's Middle Earth.
• Another crucifix above the door.
  
• A canvas embroidered with a floral still life done by my grandmother.
• A piece of Chinese paper cutting art. I think they're orchids.
• Another flowers on canvas in embroidery floss by Grandma.
• A mirror.

Things I haven't put up yet, in spite of the fact that I've lived here for more than a year:

• A promo poster for a George Strait concert I went to back in high school.
• A Blues Brothers 2000 poster.
• A pencil drawing of a Nereid in the ocean that I did a while back.
• 5 band awards and one picture of me in uniform.

So, what does all that say about me? Well, to state the obvious, I'm a musician, in fact, a band nerd, and to be specific, a trumpet player. Elementary. I come from an artistically talented family, and doodle around myself a bit. I'm a Rice grad, meaning my education was incredibly expensive, but pretty high quality, just like the diploma they gave me and it's frame job. I suppose that means I'm smart or something. :-P I try to at least maintain the semblance of organization in my life. I'm a Tolkein fan, but only at nerd level, not geek level, I swear! I'm not big into photographs. I have a few, but they don't hang on my walls, and there are only three of them. (They're of 1) my kid sister, 2) me, my confirmation sponsor, and Bishop Yanta at my confirmation, and 3) me at age 6 in the blue bonnets out at my grandparents' farm. Those only add to the others to reinforce that I'm Catholic and Texan)

It strikes me that above all, what you can learn about me from looking at the stuff on my walls is that I am EXTREMELY proud of my family. Every work of art, every piece of furniture I have that was created by or belonged to them is out and on display. I have carvings my grandfather did. Most of my furniture is from my great-great-aunt's estate, and the china cabinet was my great-grandmother's.

This seems to be a fitting reflection for a day like today. Family pride. I took one of those personality tests once where you're given a list of five animals and you rank them in order of your preference, and then you're given what they stand for, and the ranking you chose indicates their importance in your life. I think they're Tiger, Horse, Sheep, Rat, Pig (and that's the order I rank them in). They signify, respectively, Pride, Family, Love, Career, and Money. Pride and Family. Apparently my walls could have told you that.

I would not be the person I am today without my family, and I happen to like who I am, so I figure I owe some people big for that. Today is the day I pay back with my gratitude a *tiny* portion of that debt. I can't ever pay it back in full, but the beauty is, that's not an obligation. It's a joy. Today is Mother's Day, so . . .

I love you, Mom!
I love you, Momo!
I love you, Grandma!

Love also to Great-Grandma E. and Great-Grandma J. in heaven. It was a blessing to know and be loved by both of you. And Great-Grandma J. and Great-Grandma B., I wish I could have known you.

Thank you to all you wonderful women who *gave* me the person I am.