BLOGG #123 LEONARD COHEN-ART-AND SANITY

• This past week-no,this past month-actually these past eighteen months have been a roller coaster ride for all of us as we watched two titans fighting for power in the most influential country today. It reached the point for me that I avoided all news-papers, radio and TV. The whole campaign seemed to escalate into insanity as we watched helplessly and when the outcome finally came most of us were plunged into stunned disbelieve and shock. This shock reverberated around the world. I too was reeling until I said to myself "get a grip Laurie-this is politics not the end of the world."I also said this to my long suffering friends in a most irritating way I am sure. My own fear was that this reverberating shock circling the world at high speed would spin  the Earth out of orbit and plunge us into darkness too- that is my excuse for trying to placate myself and others and I apologize. Life,as we all know, tends to follow events and so naturally this past week of mine was also jammed full of appointments and not only the world was spinning and reeling but I too, in frenzy, tried to keep up and make sense of my own crazy life. Friday morning I woke up late after a ten hour sleep and immediately checked my schedule- it was blank! sheer bliss. So I stretched deliciously and decided to stay in my sleep gear all day or at least a good part of it.  The first thing I did was to finally turn on the radio to CBC news and heard "Leonard Cohen died last night" Even though I was in shock I still heard the next announcement which was a two hour special from 1pm to 3pm celebrating life. I knew now what I would do with my day.I would be glued to the radio from 1 to 3pm. To while away the hours I pulled out my watercolours and worked on a few pieces that needed work. Art following life, the pieces I was working on got darker and darker and I was pleased with the rich dark results- a rare occurrence for me. Spot on 1pm I poured a glass of wine, sat back in my recliner and turned the radio to CBC and straight into sanity. What a sane man this colourful man was. What a gift to us -his ironical prophecy in "Democracy is coming to the USA" -his sensuality and outrageousness in "Closing Time",  his love of women in "Suzanne" and his heartbreaking love songs, his Spirituality in "Hallelujah."  He really is "The crack that lets the light in".He is a  great teacher for he reminds us to live life fully, break some rules,live sensually,love generously and above all be a crack in the world to let the light in. Light that is needed now.The amazing thing about this great poet is that he fought depression his whole life and yet he could leave us this precious legacy. Like a true artist,he used his life  and disadvantages as "grist to the mill" and turned it into Art that will sustain people forever. I got gloriously drunk on wine and poetry and song and decided to try to be a crack in the world to let the light in too-even if it means to be a fool and I advise you to do so too. This emotionally packed week  culminated for me by attending a five and a half  hour Opera by Wagner "Tristan And Isolde. This Opera with it's beautiful music and doomed love story  pushed me to the height of feelings of beauty and sadness. Wagner -this difficult man-who by the way was considered a racist and misogynist-also used his life as "grist for the mill" to make this sublime opera. The question of course is "How could this unhappy and not very nice man  make such sublime music??  I can only say that each person's life is unique and a blessing and we cannot understand it -especially in Art. So remember your life ,dear blogger, is unique and can be a crack that lets in the light.