Reflection 2023

Looking back on the past year with excitement and consternation. I am blessed and fortunate nevertheless.  

Rainy Day Janie (2024 Edition). Last year I overwhelmed her with a laundry list of lovable traits. I couldn’t help myself since we reconnected in a genuine way (nearly fifty years after our first date – a hay ride). I said that I love rainy-day Janie and the one that smiles in the sunshine. That’s still true. The nature of my attraction to her remains inexplicable. She remains a puzzle I cannot quite solve. But still it seems worth trying.The hometown girl went to college at Case Western Reserve University. She had a laser focus on a nursing career. I always had the idea that I could follow my father’s footsteps and pursue a career that could be found somewhere where Art meets Commerce.

The road less traveled by - Meanwhile my charmed life paid dividends at the University of Miami. Her path and mine diverged, in spite of what seemed a natural bond.   

Bing. Meanwhile, my wife-to-be played it perfectly. She was there for me at a critical turning point in my life. Before her untimely passing almost two years ago we shared our lives together for 41 years. Memory of her reminds me of just how important NOW can be. I was determined to prove myself a genuine advertising man. Armed with an MBA in 1982. No regrets. My choices were mostly joyful and include the arrival of wonderful children and there children (a girl and a boy and grandsons from each). 

 

Upon reflection. I feel optimism and good fortune in spite of sadness.

My life is episodic. And that recognition firms my resolve to stay focused on the moment. In so doing, the moments are fantastic. Music. Art. Friends. Learners. There is a sense of urgency in wonderful, ordinary, joyful things.

Captions:

The Saint Louis Basilica at the Christmas Eve Vigil on December 24, 2023

Holiday Card features me, lost in the field of sunflowers, my kids and the matriarch, spouces and grandchildren. (6 1/2  and 7 years)

At Blue Strawberry the incomparable Kat Edmonson

Dave Shogren and various bandmates from Mudd Brothers to Benbow City Shuffle (BCS)

Troy, Illionois Red Door Cottage before candle-making with teachers Julie, Kathy, Kelly and significant others. 

Dave Cox in his Hillboro, MO kitchen (Danielle and Adam are engaged)

My Episodic Life - Five Days in December

 

 

It is so important to greet adversity and challenge with calm. You just have to be in the moment. Problems are a part of life. Recognize the reality that there will be ups and downs. This week, somehow, God (or certainly some higher power) has been blessing me through a series of occasions and events that might have otherwise caused me to dive into a kind of despair.

In the past five days:

Tuesday (12-5) – I was privileged to be invited to participate in the UMSL Marketing Club speed networking event at the University of Missouri, Saint Louis.  It was so great to offer advice and counsel to college students considering the future. The dialogues with up to 30 students had the side effect of causing me to reflect on so many of my career highlights along my personal journey. I lingered a while because the energy and enthusiasm and the positive reflection was an unexpected high. (UP)

BUT I got home, only to realize that I misplaced my cell phone. This is a thing that can result in a kind of panic. (DOWN)  By 8:30 p.m. an email: Did you leave your cell phone at the Marketing Club event? I respond: Yes I did. (UP)

Wednesday (12-6) – Rebecca Bechtel (MBA student and Dr. Perry Drake’s trusted assistant) and her brother met me at Sugarfire BBQ for dinner and I was reunited with my cell phone after a healthy 24 hours without it. (UP)

Thursday (12-7) – I was excited about an American Marketing Association holiday gathering and networking event at Global Brew scheduled for 5:30 p.m. But on the treacherous I-70 heading West after work I experienced the trauma of a flat tire. (DOWN).

I managed to hobble off I-70 onto Lucas and Hunt exit into the QT. I opened my trunk and began the process of changing to my spare when a stranger offered to change the tire for a small fee. (UP)

Now I was sure I needed to make plans to replace that tire. I took I-170 to Olive Boulevard Dobbs Tire & Auto hoping to make an appointment to get two new rear tires. (They told me 6 months ago I should replace those two back tires.) I expected bureaucracy at the counter late in the day, as it was, on a Thursday. But, to the contrary, they were happy so sell me two new tires and put the spare back into the trunk right away. I was hardly inconvenienced and I was still on time for the event at Global Brew on Manchester Road in Rock Hill. (UP)

Friday (12-8) - My friend professor Perry Drake PhD invited me to dinner at his home in Chesterfield. Perry treated me to salmon, brockely, baked potato and Budweiser. I was able to share a pleasant meal and conversation with Perry, including a few laughs over the roller coaster events of my recent few days. (UP)

Saturday (12-10) - I visited the Saint Louis Art Museum because it has become my happy place. It did not disappoint as the Sculpture Hall was filled with people and kids enjoying performances of Dances from India and an interpretation of The Nutcracker. (UP)

Later on Saturday - It’s wonderful to have friends. My friends Dave and Linda Shogren invited me to join them for a performance at Blue Strawberry in the Central West End. The event featured Kat Edmonson’s amazing and unique song stylings from the American Songbook and some of her originals. I left with a copy of a signed CD. (UP)

If you are scoring at home: I have so many more UPs than DOWNs. Even when bad things happen I seem to have blessed life.

Even the signed CD that says “for Wesley with Love, Kat” makes me smile. And the posing cat at Dave’s house afterwards seemed to observe in judgemnent of my charmed life. 

Cleveland, Degas, Oberlin and More (Janie part 7)

 

Janie (Part Seven) November ₂₀₂₃

Dan and Netti help take all the randomness of Cleveland trip out of play. With enough notice, I’m able to check in to the Winton Place (19^th Floor) with all the amenities of Lake View, bed, bath, and luxury condominium living. My wanna get away Southwest airfare is manageable if a bit archaic traveling to Cleveland via Chicago Midway and returning to Saint Lous through Nashville, TN.

Dan is airport pick up and treats me to a Crumb + Spigot pizza in Lakewood on Friday Night and Janie agrees to be on the Saturday agenda starting with a breakfast at Cove Community Center meeting celebrating Dan’s participation in gardening excellence as part of the “Adopt a Spot” at the entrance of Lakewood Park.

The Cleveland Museum of Art has a special exhibition of Degas and the Laundress. Janie indulges my obsession with CMA and even agrees to visit Picasso’s La Vie, Bellow’s Stag at Sharkeys, and Mark Rothko’s #2 Red Maroons (1962). Janie reminds me that “We have theater tickets” and agrees to return to Lakewood for a late breakfast fare at Dinerbar.

The play is Girl from the North Country which is set in 1934 Duluth, Minnesota and features music by Bob Dylan. The play is packed with a talented troupe that presents a sort of convoluted story around the lyrics of Dylan’s songs such as Like a Rolling Stone, Hurricane, and Forever Young. 

Note: Bob Dylan wrote Forever Young in 1974 as a sort of lullaby to his son Jesse (born in 1966). How cosmic a coincidence is that? Janie and I went our senior prom together in 1974.

Sunday began at St. Clement’s with a 8:30 am Mass followed by a breakfast at My Friends Lakewood. The afternoon was open for a “bucket list” trip to Oberlin, Ohio where it was Parents’ Weekend, Dan and I enjoyed the history and charm of Gibson’s  grocery/bakery/pharmacy, Ginko GalleryArt Supply, a Frank Lloyd Wright House, Fowl’s Farm Store and more. The Allen Art Museum was not open (giving me a reason to return to Oberlin). 

But the time with Janie (after baby-sitting two grandchildren) was just perfect. We are still High School Sweethearts and both living in the moment and mindful of Bob Dylan’s lyrics from 1974.

May God bless and keep you always
May your wishes all come true
May you always do for others
And let others do for you
May you build a ladder to the stars
And climb on every rung
May you stay forever young
May you stay forever young

May you grow up to be righteous
May you grow up to be true
May you always know the truth
And see the light surrounding you
May you always be courageous
Stand upright and be strong
May you stay forever young
May you stay forever young

May your hands always be busy
May your feet always be swift
May you have a strong foundation
When the winds of changes shift
May your heart always be joyful
May your song always be sung
And may you stay forever young
May you stay forever young

 

Dannie and Adam Engage

 

Dave's girls: Sammy, Danni, Nicole and Joyce at the lakeside engagement bash on October 14, 2023

The remarkable Cox family led by Dave and his wife Joyce continue to amaze. Their oldest of three daughters, Samantha had the spotlight for her engagement with Matthew at a bash on Cherokee Street in Saint Louis followed by an intimate wedding in Michigan in December 2022. Sammy and Matthew are thriving in Kansas City and making good use of a KitchenAid mixer and leveraging Sam's artist sensibility. Now, the attention turns to the middle child Dannielle. Dannie and Adam are engaged and Dave and Joyce are happy to host this engagement at their newly acquired home in Hillsboro, MO. I am fortunate to have gotten invited to both of these occasions.

The Cox getaway is located adjacent to a golf course and on a lake. The setting could not have been more ideal for a family reunion and celebration on October 14, 2023. The proposed start is 2:00 this Saturday afternoon. My iPhone GPS advises that this is a 47minute trip from my Creve Coeur crib. I know, of course, that I need to also build in time to navigate the passcode at the access gate. Dave anticipated that technology would be a bit of a hurdle for me. However, it is only a minor obstacle after the adventure on Rout 21 (Tesson Ferry) and State Road B.

The lakeside setting was perfect. Nicole, the youngest of the Cox family trio of girls, took a break from her studies at Drake University to be present and she is the life of the party. She arranged a polaroid picture and message box for everyone to sign in and wish the best for the couple. Joyce is semi-retired as school teacher (Webster Groves) but is in demand during the current teacher shortage, nevertheless. I was able to share some experiences with a handful of educators about my career paths in special education and as art teacher. I reflect on how fortunate I am to have these experiences at this place in my life-journey. I wouldn’t trade my early episodic career in advertising and marketing in agency and corporate environments. I think I have gained a fuller appreciation of what it takes to nurture and educate in a world full of unexpectable obstacles. (Nothing is easy.)

I was able to deliver a wedding gift of kitchen pottery for Flour, Sugar and whatever else goes in the two smaller containers. I was also able to deliver HBE golf league participation prizes to Dave and Randy. As the sun is starting to set I made my way to the salad and pasta before enjoying a piece of cake. The afternoon must come to an end as “I gotta get home before the streetlights go on.”  

Thanks so much to the Cox Beverly Hillsboro family for including me. It was most memorable. I wish the happy couple all the best and memories of the simple joy of singing and dancing on a Saturday evening by the lake.

        

Art Teacher Joins Old North

Art Teacher goes to Old North 

Confluence Academies Old North Campus hired me to be Art Teacher for 2023-2024 school year. I am over-credentialed and underqualified in some respects but thrilled to explore this opportunity. I have worked as Paraprofessional and frequent substitute for The Special School District (7/2013-9/2018). I completed my Master of Arts in Teaching at Fontbonne University (2018). I became Certified as a Special Education Teacher and Art Teacher. I taught in a self-contained classroom at Great Circle (10-2018 to 1-2021) navigating Covid and virtual learning via Zoom part of the time. I returned to SSD at Special Education teacher at Westview Middle School (at SSD partner district Riverview Gardens from 7/2021-12/2022). I accepted an opportunity to fill an immediate need as Art Teacher at Winfield Middle School Jan/Feb 2023. Over the Summer, I explored Special Education positions but was determined to follow my passion for teaching Art. Old North gave me the opportunity.

I was able to connect with businesses in the Old North neighborhood and secured a high-profile window display in two businesses during the Old North Restoration Group’s Art/Music and House Tours Festival on September 16, 2023 and again on September 21, 2024. The visibility was perfect to showcase the excitement brewing at Old North Academy, US International Foods and Legal Services on North14^th Street proudly featured student work in their shop windows. Vendors and visitors enjoyed the festivities including music at Crown Square, sidewalk chalk, house tours and more.

So with my modest portfolio of education experiences in Special Education and Art I’m proud to display some evident of the results. Stay tuned. More is sure to come. Stay tuned.

The work, is often produced with a lack of adequate materials in a timeframe that is less than optimal but you can see sparks of creativity and creative problem solving when you can challenge students to express themselves. Above: An 8th grader responds to the challenge to "draw what you see around you in the classroom." Another 7th grader invents a story where the main character is looking for an outfit for an important outfit for an event and goes to her closet only to find herself lost in a closet that is so big she gets lost. (A fantastic premise.) Also above is work by Winfield Middle School that together shows the work and the school theme YOU ARE  WORTH IT. A Bingo sheet helps enhance the communication around women in STEAM at Neuwoehner High School (Special School District).  At Great Circle students were challenged to design Covid facemasks. Art is also an integral part of communication of PBIS program elements on classroom doors and bulletin boards.

You and Me

American Gothic, 1930 by Grant Wood at Chicago Institute of Art 

You and Me

We’ve lived our lives and made our choices,

No regrets, all is well, We listen to childrens’ voices.

Be in the moment. Don’t forget to breathe.

If we were together, would we ever leave?

 

I wouldn’t change a thing. Neither would you.

As time goes by, we do what we do.

We’re far away but really in the same space.

A quiet, peaceful, mostly joyful time and place.

 

Alone as a spec of dust or a grain of sand.

Isn’t it wonderful, just so grand?

“Get off my lawn!" said the angry old man.

We do what we do and we do what we can.

(Just know I’m your number one fan,)

AABB, AABB, AABB, AABB according to plan.

“Everybody’s an artist” says the art teacher.

Van Gogh started as art and book seller, and a preacher.  

Van Gogh Sunflowers, 1889 at Philadelphie Museaum of Art

Confluence of Events at Old North

 

Confluence Academy - Old North Campus  

“Come see our students' amazing artwork on display at US International Foods, 2607 North 14th Street in St. Louis. More than 100 sixth, seventh, and eighth graders used tempera and acrylic paint to design their beautiful pieces. The artwork will be on display through mid-September. Plus, don't miss the Old North House Tour & Arts Festival on September 16th. Hosted by Old North Saint Louis Restoration Group Thank you to our dedicated and passionate Art Teacher, Mr. Morgan, for creating this opportunity for our students! #oldnorthacademy #confluenceacademies”  

   

How fun is this, a sort of confluence of events resulted in me working with my friend David Shogren, American Marketing Association St, Louis Chapter President on his Old North Restoration Group committee. The committee simply asked for student artwork at the very moment I was preparing for my new art teaching job at Old North Academy.

Tampa in Dewey Time

 

Tampa Trip July 20-23, 2023

So Greg dismissed me, in spite of the open credit I had to crash at chez Morgan on West Richardson Place in Hyde Park. His wife Ellen also sentenced him to hard labor cleaning  the grounds around the pool and outdoor spaces. Fortunately Lindsey and Chris managed to make room for me at their place and gave me responsibility of shuttle service for Lawton to First Tee Camp at Rocky Point Golf Course.

Still Greg redeems himself as Uber Dad for pick up and drop off airport runs. As a bonus I get an historic overview of the history of Ybor City at Seniors Luncheon at Temple Shaarai Zedak. (That's the temple on Swann don’t cha know?)  The luncheon sets up the personal tour of the new location of the Florida Museum of the Photographic Arts (FMoPA). Ya see Greg is an influential board member and happened to make the connection with Darryl Shaw as developmental plans are unfolding. Don’t worry, you can still find a hand rolled cigar and enjoy a Cuban Sandwich in the neighborhood.

Lindsey is all over an amazing array of duties as Director of Outreach and Engagement for the temple (not to mention a full plate as a mover and shaker for the Junior League of Tampa). “We love Lindsey!” is something I never get tired of hearing around her place of work. The Ybor City luncheon and Movie Night are two prime examples of the innovative programming Lindsey supports with grace and seemingly effortless orchestration of details (from food and beverage to audio/visual and tech support). She is gracious with young and old and a diverse mix of people who give this place a genuine sense of community).  

My day at Rocky Point Golf Course allows me several glimpses of Lawton’s participation in the First Tee program, while I get to play 18 holes with my new friends Mike from Tampa and his pal Chris in from Raleigh, North Carolina. I retrieved Lawton a little early from First Tee Camp leaving time for us to play two bonus holes.  

Jimbo’s for breakfast before golf (with Lindsey and Lawton). Duffy’s (with Greg, Matt, Bianca, Lindsey, Chris and Lawton), Himes Breakfast House (with Lawton and Chris) and another meal occasion with Greg, Lindsey, Chris and Lawton at Goody Goody Burgers before catching delayed Southwest flight back to Saint Louis.

The ordinary becomes extraordinary with this supporting cast in Tampa. “The truth belongs to the teller” I always say. I am delighted at Lindsey’s accounts of “Episodes of Idiot Dad” that seems could be produced with skill in TV and/or graphic novel format. Reliving the episodes reinforces the pattern of Morgan resilience and a wonderful ability to find humor in retrospect. It is clear that genuine affection and love propel the pattern forward. I am confident that one day Lawton will be telling family stories, with a smile, ages hence (a kind of payback or just a charming paying it forward).

P.S, I am most fortunate. My brother Greg (all kidding asside) is an essential part of why I get treated like royalty when I'm visiting Tampa. Lindsey,Chris and Lawton Dewey are most tollerant and accomodating when Papa (me) hits town. And seeing Greg's boy Matt and his fiance Bianca is a bonus. Between Greg and Lindsey and their respective networks, I cannot help but feel like a celebrity in this city.    

 

 

 

Indiana Jones Dial of Destiny 2023

 

Indiana Jones – The Dial of Destiny

Daredevil archaeologist Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) races against time to retrieve a legendary dial that can change the course of history. Accompanied by his goddaughter, he soon finds himself squaring off against Jürgen Voller, a former Nazi who works for NASA. It’s action from start to finish. The end, however we see Indiana with his wife in a tender moment that his Goddaughter (he calls Wombat) saw to it that he makes the choice to not change history by staying in the time of Archimedes. the great scientist/mathematician, two thousand years earlier in human hstory.

Raiders of the lost Ark 1981, The Temple of Doom 1984, The Last Crusade 1989 and The Kingdome of the Crystal Skull 2008 preceeded this movie on the big screen.   

 

 

Dizzy

 

The truth belongs to the teller. People who know me have heard my soapbox speech on the importance of the story-teller. Credibility depends on attention to detail and the careful selection of words and composition. Writers who write well are artists. Visual artists are storytellers too. Their tools may be different but still have the aim to communicate. I’ve invested a lot time and energy breaking down the elements of how to communicate well, with varying degrees of success in art, advertising, education and business.

Communication is especially important in relationships too. How we talk to each other can have an impact on how we feel about each other over time. My appreciation of communication is further fortified with a belief in finding ways to best articulate meaning. My career paths through advertising and marketing and education are always closely tied to storytelling. There is nothing more compelling or engaging than telling a true story effectively.

Sometimes, there just seem to be no words. Artists struggle with expression and sometimes find ways to capture the essence of feelings and/or emotions. Still the business is often just plain flawed.

Some people have an understanding and no need to over-think a lifetime of interchanges from casual entertainment such as theater, movies, reading, etc. to more intense life choices and relationship issues (such as living arrangements, health and fitness goals and future plans).

My advice, more often than not: live in the now. Cherish the moments. Avoid overthinking each other. If we are lucky we might just see beauty in the little things. We might find joy that makes the ordinary seem extraordinary.