"...Then you came along with your siren of song
To tempt me to madness!
I thought for a while that your poignant smile was tinged with the sadness
Of a great love for me."
From Lush Life, lyrics by Billy Strayhorn
This is it. My contribution to the tens of millions of blogs happening worldwide. "Why", I ask myself, "do you feel the need to create a blog?"
"Dear Heart", I answer, "because if you don't, you will lose your mind. You see there's an opportunity to save yourself from the insanity of picking up, moving to another country, and starting over again."
"Are you saying it was crazy of me to leave New York and move to Copenhagen?"
(Sigh) "Dear Heart, you know you. You tend to choose the not-so-straight path. The road less travelled. The baptism-by-fire approach to life."
"I must be outta my got-damn mind."
"Yeah, well.... Look. It's a courageous move that will sometimes be fraught with challenges, insecurities, and cravings for a plate of fish and grits from Pan Pan. But hey, you just may be the person who can bring the Electric Slide to Denmark! You never know!
Okay, you got that! But listen-- the title, Lush Life?"
"Uhm Hm. You choose that because there is a tendency for you to gravitate to the dramatic. You can't help it. It's a part of your heritage. Your DNA. Remember Aunt Ree Ree marching down the middle of Germantown Avenue in her bikini? Remember Uncle Clarence falling off the roof at Haines Street, trying to get the electric back on? Remember..."
"I get the picture."
"Dear Heart, Lush Life represents the possibility of the choices you have now. If you read the full lyrics to the song, you'll see it's extremely maudlin and depressing. But if you really read it, it's kind of fabulous! I mean, who spends a week in Paris to get over a love gone south? Jazz and cocktails? Please!"
"Interesting."
"Choose the fabulous, and change the perception is what I'm saying. Don't get locked into what was in the past. Think of the Sugar Hill Gang's Rappers Delight line, "I'm gonna freak you here, I'm gonna freak you there, I'm gonna freak you out of this atmosphere."
"Now you're embarrassing me."
"You know what I mean. Freak Europe. Now shut up and get to it."
Dear friends and family,
Welcome to Lush Life - the blog of me, myself, and I -- Lana Garland. Hope you enjoy!
Love eternal,
Lana
