#3 Lilly Bye of Birdland

Post date: Aug 28, 2015 10:56:20 PM

Today I send you the third of a five piece art series about my dear friend Lilly Bye and what she learned when cloistered with her feathered friends in Birdland. This piece is titled and inscribed on the bottom as follows: "#3 Lilly Bye of Birdland......learned that arrogance, lust, dishonesty, greed and malice should never be acceptable". The piece is 6" long x 4" wide x 9 1/2" high.

Many have perceived me over the years as having been born a blue blood with a silver spoon in my mouth. Perhaps that is my fault for posing at times as such and forgetting where I came from, the struggles I faced to rise in a much too often cutthroat world and all those honest and sincere individuals who tried to teach and direct of/to the proper paths of life. Think most of us have been on those unintentional/intentioned roller coaster rides during our lifetime. We would like to step into a confessional, state our sins and say our penance in the hope that all is forgiven and forgotten. Unfortunately our minds and life don't quite work that way. You will always be reminded/harassed of the lessons of life you either learned or unfortunately forgot. Someone once described it to me as trying to run away from your image when looking into a mirror. Funny but as we age, even with our cataracts, we see our real selves more clearly in those mirrors each day.

Actually, initially grew up in an extremely modest, almost poor, home on Strawberry Hill, raised by my spiteful grandmother and uncle who took me in as almost a family obligation. Had to use an outhouse until I was 4 when finally total plumbing was installed throughout that home on 3rd. Spoke mostly Croatian until attending kindergarten at the local parish school. Had 1, 2 maybe 3 somewhat close friends during those elementary school years. My true peers/friends were the guys, 3 to 4 years older in the neighborhood. They took me on/in and accepted me almost as their daring, hardheaded, never-give-up mascot. They would remain encouraging friends throughout my entire life. Sometimes in isolated situations, it is the younger that teach you more values than the elders. They taught me how to be a tough athletic kid and helped me with my studies so I wouldn't have to be scorned and berated by the priest passing out report cards. Though I achieved athletically and educationally, seemed like I was never really accepted and was in Limbo awaiting a final decision from above.

The sun finally shined down on me when I was shipped off to boarding school to be tutored by the Benedictines in not so wonderful Atchison, KS. We all entered as equals almost stripped down naked but for a small loin cloth. They imposed their strict rules of discipline but provided you with the tools necessary to survive and prosper there and later in life. Some exceeded the expectations and further exceeded those expectation when they entered the real world. For most that global entry was the start of the great roller coaster called life.

As per myself, I more than exceeded most expectations of me. Never became known as giant or star liner but always did far better than okay in most aspects of my life. What made my roller coaster ride so turbulent over the years was that I gave in to those sins of arrogance, lust, dishonesty, greed and malice, which Lilly Bye spoke of The world has a way bringing you back down to earth if you forget about discipline and the innate rules/laws of nature and man.

I have been fortunate to be reborn several times thanks to the caring mentors in the seat behind me on my roller coaster ride. Have learned to be more disciplined and humble. Have learned that it is harder each time to get up and climb the mountain again. If you don't respect you new gifts, you will fall faster than ever. So far I am appreciative of my return and vigilant not to fall prey to those transgressions which can easily plummet back down to the bottom.

(To see photos of the above art piece go to https://sites.google.com/site/jmdodigartphotos )