The Party of Life on 10/29/22
Garden House, Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden, Miami, FL (EEUU) Saturday, october 29, 2022 (19:00 to 23:00)
Go to Blog: "Marvel" in the Real
Why?
And why not?
Throughout almost 50 years of my life, which is how old I'm becoming on October 28th, 2022, I have been trying to formulate my life goals. From my aspiration at age 17 to become a wise man, an artist, and a lover, it has recently become something incredibly simple but fundamental: having a good time. I write about it on my blog from November 4th, 2021. This cannot be an individualistic nor selfish action as it requires others to have a good time too,, doesn't it? How am I supposed to enjoy myself if people around me are not feeling good? At the same time, how are others going to have fun if I'm miserable around them? It is evident to me now that one cannot happen without the other, the other without the first one.
There are external circumstances that facilitate "having a good time". We all like certain things and dislike others, true, but these circumstances do not determine the outcome. The power of one person's will to seek and build this goal, but even more the will power of several people, carries as much weight if not more. Several traumatic experiences in my childhood and adolescence and three episodes of cancer in adulthood, the last one currently, taught me that whatever happens matters less than what I wish to do with it. I speak about this perspective and some of these life experiences in the the video at the Home section of this web site and in my blog. The fact that whatever happened happened, was not anything personal, nor my making. However, it is very personal and an opportunity, to do whatever I want to do with those difficulties. It is also, I believe this more and more, a shared opportunity. "I cannot do it all; I cannot do it alone" (this is something I say often, for example here).
Staging "the greatest party that we could ever imagine" is what I decide to do. It's what my body asks me to do in order to balance the craziness that is present in my life recently. As Gandalf tells Frodo in The Lord of the Rings and I've said repeatedly in the past, "All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us". In the space between what happens to us and what we decide to do with it "is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom." (Viktor Frankl). In the space between cancer and my reaction to cancer there is my choice to make this party happen.
If the space and the power described by Viktor Frankl is shared, the question is also for you. I would like you to come to this party, but why would you want to be part of it?
What?
What else could I do, what would I want to do?
I desire to help build a better world, I wish that we all have as good of a time as possible. What is it that can I do to serve this purpose which is also coherent with my talents? I already wrote about the idea of this party in my blog from June 14, 2021. "... I was in hell and now I am back. My secret, waiting it out (any long night has an end) while knowing that the story is beautiful. The next chapter may be beautiful, this chapter is scary but entertaining... And part of the next chapter is going to be the mother of all parties. I'll throw a party. That's my next chapter".
Putting together a party is not so complicated and this is not the first one that I organize. I am compiling as we speak video segments of the most-talked-about ones, including international online parties through Zoom that took place during the pandemic, a sample of which you can see here. Gatherings, reunions, as I come from a large family of 10, have been a way I learned to love and receive love. I love having friends for dinner, I love hosting parties at home, I love parties! I've done my share of big events, the first one being after my first cancer episode, when I felt an extraordinary gratitude for all the support received through that adventure. Accordingly "The Party of Life" is just doing one of the things that I believe I can do best to show my love for others.
Somebody's perception may be that I'm making an unnecessary show about having cancer or that this is all to feed my ego. I cannot deny that I would not embark in such an adventure if it did not bring me joy. And, yes, t is a show indeed, and a good one I hope that many people enjoy. The party is not mine alone though, nor is cancer or life difficulties either. Of course I do not mind at all being on the stage singing, dancing, telling a joke or speaking about my experience with cancer. After all, I always wanted to be an actor. But all of that is meaningless for me if it does not help most of us have a good time. I bring the same eagerness and joy to my professional life. Do I do it for myself or for others? For both! Check the "About Me" and "What can we do for you?" sections in this web site if you would like to read more about these professional activities.
I say somewhere else in my blog that "I have learned that offering who you are and what you have is the most authentic and most sublime gift... the only one possible that is worthwhile". The complete text is available in this link. I thus put to the service of this party all my talents and skills learned from pursuing my dreams of becoming a wise man, an artist and a lover.
What would you do with the time that is given to you? What do you want to do with what I offer you?
How?
With your help.
There can't be a party unless there are at least two people. Therefore, the party is yours as much as mine. And I wish with all my heart to include everyone: gals, guys, non-binary people... People I adore, people I know and I like, people I know who challenge me, and people I don't know as long they want to participate too. This is more than a declaration of intentions, whether it seems strange or even comical to you (as it does to some of my friends). It is true that in the past I have not been able to resist the impulse to invite bystanders who happened to show interest in the ongoing celebration that they saw. "It's a party," I would tell them, "would you like to join us?" There is a video of one party showing a guest saying to the camera "Samuel, I don't know you yet but I will". That person became a good friend and he still is to this date.
My plans for this event are greater than ever before. My family lives in Spain and I also consider some soul mates who live in the US and in Chile, Peru and Mexico my family, although not biological. I'd like to bring together physically all these people in one place and time since we are all ONE anyway. Miami has a strategic position among these places. Also, the lush and exotic Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, with spectacular trees, my dear trees, is one of the most beautiful places I know to throw a party. Finally, Miami meets other desirable conditions: good weather in October around my birthday, it's a beach city, bilingual... and it symbolizes for me the fusion, often messy but fun, of the Anglo-Saxon and the Latin worlds to which I relate.
A challenge will be to finance such an event to which so many people are invited in this far-away place. That's why we're also launching a campaign to raise funds (HERE) for those whose budget is limited and to create this... possible dream...half madness, half sanity...half cheerfulness, half seriousness...half whim, half vital need. We will take the middle line this way with hopes and without expectations, having a good time while we try, "without too much nor too little effort, just the right amount, with ease and love". This is another one of my favorite phrases which appears on my blog often, by Peter Yang, my sister Elva's Tai-Chi teacher. If we don't get there we will have tried. You can donate money but also airline miles, payment for hotels or airbnb for others and even volunteer work or services. If all funds are not used we will donate them to the CBCT® Community en español, who will celebrate their I International Meeting on that same date. (More information about this here).
And how would you do it? If we agree on the "why" and the "what", how would you like to participate?