30: Happy Halloween!

Dear Friend,

It’s been a couple of weeks since I wrote last. How have you been? Of course, we hope that things in your world have been good, and that you’ve been able to tackle any challenges you’ve had with ease.

It has been a busy bunch of weeks for us (geographically apart) with unexpected happenings and lots of things to be grateful for. Dog and Cat sitting, Auto, Truck, Trailer maintenance, important time with family, gearing up for winter, working on the website switch, taking each change as it flies in at us, unprovoked, ever-learning.

Change is such a constant, I know that I’ve written to you about it before. Do you think that it’s possible for two people to feel about the same change the exact same way? I’m not sure I’ve ever seen that happen. It may seem that the way one person feels would be the same way another would feel but truly, people are so different. What do you think?

In the summer of 1979, my Dad took a few of my friends and me to the theater to see the movie ‘Alien.’ As we all filed in to our row, my Dad sat at the end, next to me. My Dad was a rocket scientist marine corps Christian disciplinarian. It was very unusual for him to take me anywhere, especially with my friends. It was odd that he wanted to watch a movie, especially at a theater and it was incredibly strange that he wanted to watch a movie like this. He was strict. His parenting reflected such. It didn’t surprise me when he did not offer to buy popcorn or candy or soda. I knew that my friends’ parents would have, and I knew that my friends were bummed out that day, but (back then), kids didn’t dare ask. Anyway, the movie was amazing. And if you’ve ever seen, ‘Alien,’ you might remember Sigourney Weaver in a scene where a cat shows up at a pivotal moment. It is at that moment that I grabbed my Dad’s arm and cried out, “Stop the movie!”

I had never been allowed to see a scary movie before. Everything was real to me. I was gullible.

My Dad laughed and I realized two things. First, my Dad was way more ‘hip’ than I’d ever known before. Second, my fear was ridiculous. None of my friends thought the movie was all that scary. But Alien changed me creatively, allowing for way more contrast in my drawings and characters, releasing limitless possibilities. It was the beginning of a balance otherwise and already so delayed. The moral of the story: Watch a scary movie, become whole!

: )

Happy Halloween to you and yours! Here is a link to one of Frank’s Halloween videos with a younger Frank and Leslie and a cameo by Winchester, our beloved, much missed, English Yellow Lab. Happy Halloween From Frank Bevans Photography

Thank you so much for being here to read Tracks by the Post. Please Write to Us and let us know how you are doing. Also, we’d enjoy knowing your thoughts and any stories you’d like to share about change.

Until next Tracks, we hope that your heart is light, your body is well and your spirit is happy.

Gently Be,

Leslie and Frank