I am a consummate tom boy! I am 5’9″ and have always been all legs and a total lurp! My Mom used to say if there was a dog hair on the floor I would trip over it. Concerned that I learn how to steer my body and avoid flailing my limbs into walls and other stationary objects, she enrolled me into , “Wendy Ward Modeling School.” It was a 10 week course held at the local Montgomery Ward department store. A real runway show was the graduation finale, where we could show off our mad girl skills.
Desperate to conquer high heels, I would practice for hours and hours, strutting back and forth. The day before the big show, while practicing, I twisted my ankle…………NOOOOOO!
Wearing my favorite pink corduroy jumper, I loaded my long stick legs into my white high heels, and waited my turn for my moment.
I felt like a graceful pink flamingo as I walked out onto the runway that was elevated 2 feet off the floor. In spite of the fact that I was limping down the runway, I had never felt so confident, so beautiful, or so much like a girl! Caught up in that moment of glory, I got to the end, lost my focus, tripped over the edge and launched myself into a tangled heap on the floor!
My first thought was ‘Flamingo Down!” I could have stayed there, but I didn’t. I scooped myself up, straightened my jumper, choked back the tears and climbed back up on the runway. Amidst the clapping and cheering, I curtsied, executed my “stop, pivot, turn” and finished my glory walk, dragging my throbbing ankle behind me.
Fast forward 50 years later and what I remember most about that day isn’t , “Flamingo Down” it is “Flamingo Rising”
The substrate of this piece is comprised of dried thistle. A fitting reference to the painful portion of that experience. The mineral glass that formed is representative of the “heaped flamingo” state we will all experience at some some point of our mortality and that critical moment of the decision, do we stay down…….. or, do we rise up and finish?
“Flamingo Rising”, is circular in nature to allow you to display the perspective that best speaks to you!
Enjoy
360 video view Wearing my favorite pink corduroy jumper, I loaded my long stick legs into my white high heels, and waited my turn for my moment.
I felt like a graceful pink flamingo as I walked out onto the runway that was elevated 2 feet off the floor. In spite of the fact that I was limping down the runway, I had never felt so confident, so beautiful, or so much like a girl! Caught up in that moment of glory, I got to the end, lost my focus, tripped over the edge and launched myself into a tangled heap on the floor!
My first thought was ‘Flamingo Down!” I could have stayed there, but I didn’t. I scooped myself up, straightened my jumper, choked back the tears and climbed back up on the runway. Amidst the clapping and cheering, I curtsied, executed my “stop, pivot, turn” and finished my glory walk, dragging my throbbing ankle behind me.
Fast forward 50 years later and what I remember most about that day isn’t , “Flamingo Down” it is “Flamingo Rising”
The substrate of this piece is comprised of dried thistle. A fitting reference to the painful portion of that experience. The mineral glass that formed is representative of the “heaped flamingo” state we will all experience at some some point of our mortality and that critical moment of the decision, do we stay down…….. or, do we rise up and finish?
Wearing my favorite pink corduroy jumper, I loaded my long stick legs into my white high heels, and waited my turn for my moment.
I felt like a graceful pink flamingo as I walked out onto the runway that was elevated 2 feet off the floor. In spite of the fact that I was limping down the runway, I had never felt so confident, so beautiful, or so much like a girl! Caught up in that moment of glory, I got to the end, lost my focus, tripped over the edge and launched myself into a tangled heap on the floor!
My first thought was ‘Flamingo Down!” I could have stayed there, but I didn’t. I scooped myself up, straightened my jumper, choked back the tears and climbed back up on the runway. Amidst the clapping and cheering, I curtsied, executed my “stop, pivot, turn” and finished my glory walk, dragging my throbbing ankle behind me.
Fast forward 50 years later and what I remember most about that day isn’t , “Flamingo Down” it is “Flamingo Rising”
The substrate of this piece is comprised of dried thistle. A fitting reference to the painful portion of that experience. The mineral glass that formed is representative of the “heaped flamingo” state we will all experience at some some point of our mortality and that critical moment of the decision, do we stay down…….. or, do we rise up and finish?
Wearing my favorite pink corduroy jumper, I loaded my long stick legs into my white high heels, and waited my turn for my moment.
I felt like a graceful pink flamingo as I walked out onto the runway that was elevated 2 feet off the floor. In spite of the fact that I was limping down the runway, I had never felt so confident, so beautiful, or so much like a girl! Caught up in that moment of glory, I got to the end, lost my focus, tripped over the edge and launched myself into a tangled heap on the floor!
My first thought was ‘Flamingo Down!” I could have stayed there, but I didn’t. I scooped myself up, straightened my jumper, choked back the tears and climbed back up on the runway. Amidst the clapping and cheering, I curtsied, executed my “stop, pivot, turn” and finished my glory walk, dragging my throbbing ankle behind me.
Fast forward 50 years later and what I remember most about that day isn’t , “Flamingo Down” it is “Flamingo Rising”
” FLAMINGO RISING” is comprised of a substrate of dried thistle. A fitting reference to the painful portion of that experience. The mineral glass that formed is representative of the “heaped flamingo” state we will all experience at some some point of our mortality and that critical moment of the decision, do we stay down…….. or, do we rise up and finish?
Enjoy!