Tra-la, it's June

The song goes "tra-la, it's May", but I've appropriated the title for June.

I guess the biggest item in my life this week has been my participation in a neighborhood project. This year is the 100th anniversary of Watts-Hillandale, and among the many markers of the event has been a collaboration between the neighborhood and the Summer Workshop of Duke's Center for Documentary Studies. This summer's students were all assigned to work on a documentary about our neighborhood. I was interviewed & videotaped by a team of students. It was quite revelatory......God knows I can talk, but their questions really prompted me to offer some fairly profound thoughts. Looking at the finished product, I feel rather humble, and proud. It seems I've been doing some pretty important things with this life of mine, and while it would be disingenuous to say I was completely unaware of it, it would be equally so to say I wasn't surprised by how well "Ellen" came across in the video. I *do* think that my creative side and my scientific side pollenate each other in deep and often unexpected ways, and I *do* think it would be harder to be effective in each without the input of the other. But somehow it all came across more vividly on film. I know Mom will like it, and I know the kids will be happy to have it (maybe more so in later years). Arturo told me it made him proud of me. Kinda makes me proud of me, too.

I'm tired, but it's a good tired, after a weekend filled with good things: a date with Arturo (dinner, movie, love), work in the yard, time with the crossword, a visit with Carol, and exercise time too. Back to work tomorrow, saving lives and stamping out disease......and singing.