Tai chi in Florida is always different from tai chi at other times and in other places. First of all, for me, it’s nearly always Christmas. I’m always staying with my mother the artist, and even if my father is here, it’s always clear that we are in her house. When I visit them in the summer in Connecticut, it is “our house” but down in Florida it is “her apartment.” The distinction is critical — there’s no critique of what I do or when I do it, but I will show up and sit down for lunch and dinner, and there will be polite conversation, and of course I will drop anything and everything to go for a swim or to the farmers market on her say-so. Also, since it’s Christmas, I will assist with making Swedish meatballs for the smorgasbord or gravlax or pickles. Today it was cheesecake and meringues.
Somewhere in the midst of all that I got to do tai chi. Some Christmas album by Chanticleer was playing on dads stereo (in Mom’s apartment). It was very slow, and very relaxed and peaceful. I am noticing that I have some serious, low-grade but persistent problem in my right shoulder, arm and elbow. Something will have to be done about that, and soon.
My parents have promised to see the new Star Wars movie with me, with me wedged between them at the theater… About a week late and knowing nothing, ideally, as we did in 1977 in July at he Murray Hill Gheater in New York City. My dad said then, as we left the theater, “the movies have just changed forever.” He and I and my mom sat bewildered, understanding very little of what we’d just seen but having loved it and wondered at it.
Until I see it, I’m trying to stay off social media. We’ll see how that goes.
