By Rom Watson
c. July 15, 2014
A few years ago, my wife and I attended a Patti Lupone concert at Disney Hall. (Friends unable to attend gave us their tickets.) On the whole we enjoyed the concert very much, but in the second half I had a problem with Lupone’s rendition of The Last Time I Saw Richard, by Joni Mitchell.
It’s my least favorite composition on Mitchell’s album Blue, but only because I like the other nine tracks even better. It’s a good song. The song wasn’t the problem.
Lupone sang very well the entire evening, and was by turns funny and touching and inspiring. The singer wasn’t the problem.
The problem was that the song and the singer didn’t suit each other.
After the concert, I wondered how a performer as talented as Lupone could choose a song so unsuitable. My educated guess is that she felt compelled to include the song in the program because it evokes a deep emotional response in her. I think she loves the song, and I believe her love of the song blinded her to the fact that it didn’t suit her.
This got me thinking about times in my own life when I have insisted on things that didn’t suit me.
An unflattering shirt that I wore for years because I loved the color and the pattern.
A pair of clunky shoes that I bought because I loved the feel of the suede.
A funky hairstyle that I thought was edgy and hip, but looking back was actually only weird.
A friend who evoked an emotional response in me, causing me to keep them in my life even though they couldn’t be trusted.
At the time, all of these things I insisted on seemed like the best choice. Fortunately, I have learned to make better choices. Making better choices is an ongoing process for me, and I suspect it is for others as well.
The good thing about hearing Lupone sing The Last Time I Saw Richard is that it made me realize I’m not alone: even Patti Lupone loves things that aren’t right for her. We all do.
We love clothing we don’t look good in and hairstyles that are wrong for the shape for our face. We love people who don’t have our best interests at heart, or who don’t know how to handle our hearts with care.
There’s no remedy for any of this other than trial and error, but we eventually find clothes that flatter our body types, hairstylists who know how to make us look our best, shoes that are both attractive and comfortable, and people who know how to handle our hearts.
It’s great to see you back on the “blog”, Rom!
Sometimes I wonder how things that feel so ‘right’ can be so horribly ‘wrong’ for me. I usually come to understand that it was just my perception at the time… Reflection definitely changes perception over time… At least that is my experience…