shabbat shalom

        Yesterday was a great, full day.  It all started with me rummaging through my luggage and finding both ballet shoes to take them off to ballet class.  Me and Gabby caught the bus and made it to the San Francisco Dance Center (official school of Alonzo King's famous ballet company, LINES).  We weren't quite sure if we were gonna make it in time, but we got into the class by plies in 5th position of the right side at the barre (that may not mean anything to you, but just believe me when I say that we weren't all that late).  It's been a while since I have taken ballet class, so it was really nice to be in there.  And gosh, ballet is hard work.  Almost nothing makes me sweat--not the gym, not the show--but ballet class does.  Also, doing a show 8 times a week makes your body unbalanced because you are constantly doing choreography only on one side.  In ballet class, though, you do things on both sides, so it just feels balanced and healthy.  

    Afterward, my friend John had organized a make-up tutorial at Bare Minerals for us.  The man applying our make-up had a full beat of face on, let me tell you.  Part of the draw of Bare Minerals is that it goes on so lightly, you barely see it.  Well, somehow this guy, Josh, managed to cake it on--all those little minerals can really add up, I suppose. And the false lashes weren't so subtle, either.  My guy friends were trying to go a little less obvious with the make-up and not look like drag queens exiting the store; when one of them asked to be subtle, Josh was like, When I want to go less dramatic, I use a sensible plum liner. Well, plum is not so harsh as black, I guess.  I can see his point. 

   My friend Emily had this idea of hosting a traveling shabbat, so we had our first one last night.  Sure, none of us were Jewish and it wasn't Friday, but the idea was to come together and share spiritually--since all of us are displaced from our regular spiritual homes, it was all the more meaningful.  The theme was gratitude and letting go of ego, and we were each supposed to come with something to contribute or something to say.  Emily asked me to sing a song to sort of start off the night and set the tone.  I ended up singing something I had written a long time ago--a prayer, of sorts--and then ended with a chorus of Amazing Grace so that everyone could join in and we could be on the same page.  It was really sweet.  There were about eleven of us, and every one of us shared something we were grateful for.  There were more than a few tears shed in the process.  It was an intimate night.  It was also very safe for all of us--there was no judgement and people could share deeply and freely.  Throughout the evening, we wrote a list of 25 things that we were grateful for, as well as writing 10 things that we had faith to come to pass in our lives.  Sure, the wording wasn't exactly faith, I think it was manifesting, but it's the same thing.  It made me excited for the good things God has planned for me....

    Now, for one of the women in the group, we found out it was the anniversary of her sister's death.  She was in the middle of talking about some spiritual experience she had had involving the Dali Lama, the Rabbi in charge of the dialogue between the Christians, the Jews, and the Arabs in the middle east, and some Evangelicals.  Everyone was listening intently, letting her say her piece.  It was at this moment that my leg started cramping up, so I was trying to discreetly stretch it out in the confines of the plush chair I was sitting in.  I was also very tired (it was 2:00 am at this point), so maybe I was not so quick-on-the-draw, if you know what I mean.  Anyway, I was shifting around in the chair, listening to my friend emote during this spiritual moment, when all of the sudden I lose all control and fall our of my chair, rolling onto the ground.  She stops mid-sentence, and everyone looks at me while I start to profusely apologize.  But then we all crack up laughing, because who falls out of their chair during a shabbat?!?!  Me, apparently.  It was actually really funny, and I was happy to provide some comic relief.

   We are definitely going to meet again.  It was a good time.  And maybe next time, I will wear a seatbelt.