by tashmcgill | Oct 19, 2012 | Girl About Town, Lifestyle
“But how did they do that? And what about that house, how does it go up and down?”
Leaning forward on the edge of her seat, Ryder (aged 7) is wide-eyed, soaking up every detail.
It started just outside the doors of the magnificent Civic. Having indulged in a sweet treat gelato from next door, we watched the queues of rag-tag and beautiful celebrities and regular folk approaching the red carpet. My glamour girl companion can turn it on with the best of them, so we photo-called with Norrie before entering the Wonder Palace for the official opening of the New Zealand season of Mary Poppins.
As with any show at the Civic (don’t worry, I’ll get to the magic of Mary Poppins shortly!), the joy begins with entering that decadent foyer, looking up at the chandeliers and climbing the staircase. Along the way, I point out carved elephants with small, shining details and before too long, Ryder has taken over the tour, pointing out the parts that catch her eye.
My philosophical statement is that wherever possible, kids should have the opportunity to experience theatre like this – other-worldly surroundings, amazing production and a truly beautiful show while they are young enough to be enchanted with how it all happens, believing in the magic for just a little while. (more…)
by tashmcgill | Oct 18, 2012 | Culture & Ideas
“…Thus, our humanity became defined by the collection of transactions in which we traded peace, war, love and chaos.
We hoped for triumph, we landed in despair. Then we began again.”
We are in the wild days. Not the wilderness, or a desert or a walkabout gone on too long. No, these are the wild days and the wild nights – it’s we who have become the untamed, the unleashed, the unhindered, the uninhibited. We have loosed our bonds or had them loosened so we have redefined ourselves without boundaries and cast ourselves out into the endless wondering of possibility, the freedoms of being unconstrained.
We have hoped to be brave enough to say “nothing is forbidden” but we are bound in by fear, regardless. We are in the wild days but our hearts are wrestling for constraint.
Wild/wīld/
Adjective: (of an animal or plant) Living or growing in the natural environment; not domesticated or cultivated.
Adverb: In an uncontrolled manner: “the bad guys shot wild”.
Noun: A natural state or uncultivated or uninhabited region.
Synonyms: adjective. savage – mad – feral noun. wilderness – waste
We live in boundaries, in a series of social norms that provide a sort of governance. Beyond these norms, when they are stripped away and discarded, no longer functional or necessary – we fear and risk losing ourselves. We try to replace boundaries, to redefine and reestablish them in hope of finding our secure footing again.
But often the last time we were on the loose without these boundaries was adolescence. In adolescence we treated boundaries with disdain but discovered ourselves by them. Too harsh and we rejected them, too soft and we bowled them over emerging somehow into our first adulthood. So now, we seek out our new rules, our new fences by the same methodology we employed then. Sensationalism, expression, exploration and extremism. We live on high alert, our senses ready and receptive. Still, now is not the time to re-imagine our awakening into adulthood. Once landed there, despite an absence of the boundaries we knew – it’s time to redefine ourselves into adulthood.
Perhaps the final stages of growing up, is redefining yourself into adulthood the second time around. It might be your quarter-life, mid-life crisis, your divorce, a faith crisis, the death of a loved one, an addiction or just boredom that launches your redefining moment. But never have you been more ‘be-coming’ than in that moment of coming home to yourself, in the last rendition.
We are fearful of the wild. The wildness within us, the wildness around us, the wildness of others. Our boundaries, social or otherwise, are our great defensive blockade against the wild. As husbands and wives, we harness each other up to prevent the wild from breaking loose. We employ rules like, “don’t a say a word, if it won’t be nice”, because in the unloosing of our tongue – the wildness might escape.
But I am not afraid of the wild. I long for the wild.
late in the night
i wake, dreaming
saying to myself over and again
‘don’t try to tame the wild one’
then i dream on waking
asking myself which fence to build
which gun to load and thus
hear the lion roar, feel the tiger’s claw
no one ever tamed the wild one.
Don’t build fences, dig deep wells. That is my philosophy of love, loyalty and passion. The concept is self-explanatory – don’t make rules to keep, control or constrain people just create places of deep refreshment that draw people back to the centre.
Here’s why I’m not afraid of the wild within. My well is deep. The tiger in me is well-satisfied. I am at home. Be at home with yourself and the wild within. Don’t build fences, don’t rely on the boundaries. Learn to live from deep within the well. Learn to live in the wild, with the wild, out of the wild.
by tashmcgill | Oct 18, 2012 | Food & Drink, Girl About Town, Lifestyle
Ever wondered what the ‘cup of kindness’ Robert Burns referred to was? You don’t have to dig too deep into your dialects to realize he’s toasting his lifelong kinship and brotherhood with a glass of fine amber gold, otherwise known as whisky. As far as lasting tributes to the great Scottish tradition, it’s hard to compete with the likes of Burns or even Iain Banks who wooed us to the great misty world of Scottish distilleries in ‘Raw Spirit’. But, Ken Loach has done a remarkable job with a low-budget but perfectly formed film. It will touch on all aspects of your humanity and most importantly, it makes a hero of great whisky.
For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld land syne
We’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet
For auld lang syne. (more…)
by tashmcgill | Jul 20, 2012 | Culture & Ideas, Spirituality
SO excited to announce that I will be speaking at SPARC in Sydney, 3-4th August. In just two weeks, an amazing crew of international Christians who work in media and media arts will gather in Darlinghurst for inspiration, thought-provoking conversations and what promises to be an amazing.
I’m extremely pleased to be part of this line up alongside fellow Kiwi Mark Pierson, who’s creative work with worship, installations, art and humanitarian agency World Vision is inspiring but I simply cannot wait to spend time with Ralph Winter. I first heard Ralph speak about the power of darkness in story and it’s parallel and importance to the Gospel at NYWC. I was hanging on every word. In his day job, Ralph is a movie producer of blockbuster hits like XMen, Fantastic Four and many others. It’s going to be an incredible two days. Check out the incredible lineup and conference schedule here.
In addition to speaking at the conference, I have a ticket to give away to anyone who would like to go, who’s a Christian working in the media in NZ and part of SALT. (Thanks to SALT for their support and all they do!) All I ask is that you come prepared to write down or video blog your thoughts, ideas and impressions, in order to share the experience with other Salties and Kiwis who can’t be there. You just need to email me to confirm your interest, then book your flights.
Let’s hang out!
by tashmcgill | Jun 20, 2012 | Monologue, Short Stories
She looks frazzled and tired, he looks frustrated but calm; trying to maintain patience. They’ve walked off a 21 hour flight to Australia to begin the adventure honeymoon of a lifetime. Their rings are glistening under fluorescent light and both are still fidgeting, getting used to the weight of warm metal against skin; twisting and admiring the statement it makes on each of their hands. Then the too-warm air of the airport arrivals terminal clouds in, the groaning luggage carousel clanks along and other passengers swarm in.
She pushes then pulls their luggage cart to a stop beside a queue of people pushing themselves towards the customs line. He tries to steal a kiss but she pushes him to one side and gestures to the carousel. He struggles his way through the crowd and back, one suitcase at a time. Now he’s made three trips and is torn between anxiously looking for the next bag and glancing back at his wife, tapping her foot and waiting for her iPhone to find signal. By the time he returns with the fourth bag, those over-packed full size suitcases perilously stacked on the cart, she’s done with the phone and marching through the lines towards fresh air.
Now it’s his turn to sigh and hustle, creeping closer to people slightly ahead of them in the queue.
Maybe he’s anxious to shower and change or just to get his wife into more comfortable surrounds but now it’s his frustration that claws at the atmosphere. Here’s where I learn their story – he’s from Oklahoma, she’s from Los Angeles. They’ll be here for two weeks. I look at the luggage, I look back to them. She explains one bag is shoes, and I laugh – embarrassed but amused at the easy cliche. Their itinerary is jam-packed, they’ll cover New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland, not to mention a flying visit to Uluru and she has a pair of shoes for every occasion. She pulls him close, looks up into his face with a moment of calm. I feel relieved; they were making me anxious but I run out of time to tell them why. I hit the security fast-track lane and leave with my hopes for them heavy in my head.
“Dear American Honeymooners,
Please slow down. You’re running the risk of missing each other in your rush not to miss a thing. Don’t fall into the trap of writing a to-do list that doesn’t leave you anytime to make memories of what it was like to be together in that place. Don’t set a pace for your life you can’t maintain. You’ll leave one another behind.
Please pack less. I’m not sure what you were planning on doing, but life just doesn’t need that much baggage. Love is only helped with great hair and nails, it isn’t made. Buy more lingerie and fewer pairs of jeans. Be light on your feet. We carry each other – learn not to be too heavy when you are expecting someone else to carry your bags.
I hope you have a wonderful time, see all sorts of things you’ve never imagined before and have your childlike wonder engaged with creativity, nature and breathing the air of the one you love. Love each other well – you deserve it. You came a long way to get here.
Oh – one last thought. I’m a big believer in shoes. They’re glamorous, enigmatic, practical, empowering and often necessary. But they’re also the difference between staying home and going out. A great shoe isn’t a personality that you put on, but it expresses something of your persona. Learn to wear your lover like one great pair of shoes. The ones that become an extension of who you are. The ones you can’t live without. The ones that make you feel strong enough to climb mountains and fast enough to run for cover. Warm like slippers and a fireplace, easy like Chucks you wear everywhere. And keep walking in them. Live in your love the way you live in your shoes. You’ll need less of them, you’ll take better care of them, you’ll nurture and protect them, you’ll take a lot of pride in them when they’re the only pair you’ve got.
Wishing you all the best,
T.”
As with any show at the Civic (don’t worry, I’ll get to the magic of Mary Poppins shortly!), the joy begins with entering that decadent foyer, looking up at the chandeliers and climbing the staircase. Along the way, I point out carved elephants with small, shining details and before too long, Ryder has taken over the tour, pointing out the parts that catch her eye.