Christian the Lion brings out Christian Spirit

Meet the ‘hugging’ lion’s owners --(Click on the headline to view video)


Yesterday I found out that my beau, Patrick, is the last person on earth who has NOT heard of nor watched the utube video phenom of 'Christian the Lion' that has swept across the globe, prompting tears of joy and happiness in millions.

I first came across the video 6 months ago, myself, but for whatever reason the past 2 weeks it has really blown up in popularity and views.

Watching the video shot on grainy film in 1969 and showing the love and devotion of the former lion cub to his original owners I almost threatened Patrick stating, "If this video does not make you cry...you have NO HEART!!!" Sadly, there is a slight chance my P be one of the few who does NOT cry - although he earns bonus points for having cried and boozed up when he had to put his sick cat down a few years back...

Watching the footage of utter happiness and expectation on the smiling faces of the young men when they first glimpse their previous housepet approaching them down the cliff is truly one of the most beautiful and perfect demonstrations of love that I have ever seen in my life!

My only critique on this gorgeous-themed video between man and beast is the pretty but cheesy background music of Whitney Houston's version of "I will always love you" (especially its cued-for-dramatic-impact drum beat that accompanies the lion's ultimate recognition and rush into the arms of his previous owners).

This particular MSN video gives greater insight to where the owners are now and what they are doing since this video. I also think and wonder that instead of the cheesy end-subtitles of 'looking up an old friend - and being glad you did' - - sounding entirely too much like a Hallmark card - - they should have posted the website for their animal preservation organization that they talk about in the interview. I believe many would donate to it since it all started with the magnificent baby lion cub for sale in a tiny cage in the London department store of Harrods....

For those of us who are pet owners or animal lovers, the video is truly a treat - - watch it again and be reminded of God's greatness in nature and love - - sniff sniff - and keep those tissues handy, Patrick!!!

Ahhhhhh. shucks!

  Really, I have a list of things I'd like to blog about and/or pictures to post. But I am working like a donkey right now and am too busy (read: tired) to keep things up to speed. Please, forgive. Last weekend was Pride, I already worked all day at Comic Con and will continue another 3 days, and next weekend is my San Diego Opera callback... I'm hoarse and worn out !

Vivir, Amar, Ser: Pride 2008

Pictures to Follow. Had such a great time!

Tonight I Walked Alone down a Dark, Ghetto Alley...

To know me is to know that I relish words and phrases. Short ones, especially. Remember this ditty a couple years back? Click here.

I am known to underline them in books, magazines, cut them out, sometimes write them in the back cover of my written day planner - (No, I don't and will never have one of those Blackberry or Ipod planner gadgets, I will always write things out by hand.)

That is, unless I am typing thoughts in my blogs here or in the literally hundreds of bound pages I have of typed and bound journals that I've been keeping since the tender age of 14. I can admit, sometimes typing can be groovy for I can get a lot of those thoughts and phrases floating around in my head out quickly and not sloppily as when I used to furiously jot them down by hand.

For they all want to come out of my head and conscious, you see.

Wait - I feel some pouring out through my fingertips right now, let's see what I come up with:

- Like a tongue to a broken tooth: I've come full circle.

- Tonight I walked late at night down a dark ghetto alleyway - several times. Risking fate and danger? Well, stubbornly (more like 'stupidly') I've always done things like that. I remember back in college worrying my roommate, Diana, by walking a couple miles alone late at night with no street lights and many trees far up to the deserted track to go jogging. Or walking alone after midnight from my old studio in Hillcrest to the 24-Hour Fitness gym to work out. I remember a onetime gay friend and neighbor worrying about my taking walks or runs (before my bad knees) late at night alone and insisting I carry my phone with me and that he would be calling the police if I didn't return within 45 minutes. Even in Mexico, while living and studying there several months at the bright age of 21, I would naively return home alone the dark, tiny cobble-stoned alleyways ("callejones", they were called) late at night - even once getting followed and grabbed by some young psycho high on drugs whom I had seen follow me and stare at me from a distance for weeks. The ironic thing about tonight is that I even have pepperspray - but it broke off my keychain a few months back so I went at it alone in the alley tonight, clutching a key in between each knuckle shining brightly as a weapon - should the need arise.

- "Do you dance?" The tall, dark stranger asked as the Ragtime band played a jig. "You look like an Arabian princess..."

- I've noted before that sometimes my real-life dialogues play out in smart cliches like a carefully-scripted screenplay.

- "I hope I don't drive you to madness like Rodin did to Camille", read the back of the Parisian postcard featuring a photograph of the famous doomed lover's delicate nude statue with flowing tresses. I think both me and my boyfriend-at-the-time, Mark, knew full-well that his haunting words would inevitably come to fruition. Alas, being utter romantics and aching inside as artists are (and must be) we instead preferred to silently marvel and focus on how ironic, insightful and...let's face it: how painfully true his words could and did turn out to be (!)

- Te amo, mi Vida.
Te amo, Cobarde!

- If Love is a Red dress: well, then, do me a favor and, please, hang me in Rags.

Birthday Shoutout: Dad!!

 

My dad actually thinks they made a typo mistake at the hospital on his birth certificate. (!) He is of the opinion that the tired nurse wrote the incorrect year. (!!) In any case, today is my father's birthday. It is 71 - or 70 if you ask him. I love you, Dad - you have always been more than anything: a dutiful son, father and God-abiding example of a Christian. I am proud of all you've accomplished and only regret that you do not fully believe how much my siblings and I truly appreciate you and all you've done for us all these years.

An Araiza 4th of July

click on slideshow below!

4th of July 2008

Patrick's daughter has been singing "Amazing Grace" off and on all day - it touches me and she doesn't even know it. We just got back spending the lovely 4th of July afternoon at my Uncle Alex and Aunt Peggy's beautiful home in Mt. Helix, La Mesa. We were there last year as well (see blog here) and had such a great time that we made it a family reunion this year. Thus, the Northern Cal Araizas all flew down and we started it off by 15 of us meeting at a lovely outdoor wine bar in Point Loma last night. I love my cousins so much and am so proud of all of them - they are truly beautiful inside and out. To see where they are now, after growing up and spending so much time with them as kids and teens really brings warmth into my heart.

 

Today, I spent the first 45 minutes of the party muddling, preparing and passing out mojitos since I announced I really know how to make them (I also don't cook much, so I opted to bring the booze - sigh). The food was as usual amazing - with scrumptious feta-cheese dips, pasta salad, green salad with fruit and for the carnivores - grilled carne and pollo asado. Ummmm....

If all the talking and laughing and eating wasn't enough we also spent a lot of time at the pool where the kids, especially, spent about 6 hours straight before they were made to come out, wrinkled as prunes.

 

Having my cousins, their spouses, my Uncle Al and Aunt Peggy who drove out from Oklahoma, not to mention my dear cousin Leslie who is 4 weeks away from having her 2nd son (and still can manage to look stylish and gorgeous) - - it was truly a happy day for me. I am always so proud to bring Patrick and Ciara to the Araiza clan, and everyone is so good to Ciara and makes sure she fits in with all the nieces and nephews.

 

That is love, ya'll. That is decency... Even in this year of religious scandal and hype present in the War and in our Presidential race it is very encouraging to me to know that God still lives in and does right by many in America. May God Bless our beautiful country, the USA. :)