I Can’t Wait for the Sun to Come up

My parents were close friends with the artist, Peter Krasnow.  When I was young we often visited his studio/home on weekends.  I loved to play in his garden where he grew kale, before it was popular, and I’d “ride” on one of his statues that reminded me of a slightly unbalanced pig.

Peter died in 1979 when he was ninety-three years old.  I remember many stories about Peter. When potential art patrons visited his modest studio they often asked if he earned his living by selling his paintings and sculptures.  He would always say, “No.  I actually earn my living by running a saloon on Main Street.”

When I was 23 I wanted to buy my first house. I needed a $2,200 down payment.  My parents were on an extended tour of Europe.  Peter (remember, he was an artist – and there was no saloon) offered to loan me the money.

But my strongest memory of Peter was the time he was ill. For several months, he was unable to hold a paint brush.  After he recovered, Peter said to me, “Alan, I’m so glad I’m better because every day I can’t wait for the sun to come up so I can start to paint.”

Every year I support The Pollination Project which provides small grants to many people who help others.  In a recent letter their Executive Director, Alissa Hauser, quoted Martin Luther King:

“Everybody can be great…because anybody can serve.  You don’t have to have a college degree to serve.  You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve.  You only need a heart full of grace.  A soul generated by love.”

In honor of my father who, at age 103, is still perhaps the best music teacher in the world, I recently made a significant grant to the University of Arizona.  Last Monday my dad and I spent our day visiting The Fred Fox School of Music in Tucson. While there, we met with the president of the University to discuss changes that will better serve the school’s passionate and flourishing student body. We were joined by Ed Reid, the Director of the School of Music, along with Tom Patterson, a world renowned guitar professor who has built their program over the past thirty-seven years.

Our meeting was extremely productive. All of us, notably including the President (who gives out his cell phone number to students), are focused on serving the greater good of the school.

After the meeting, we dined at an excellent Chinese restaurant. My fortune cookie said, “Win as if you were used to it, lose as if you enjoyed it for a change.”  Lose?  Haha.

Win or lose, we can help others.  Every one of us can help someone else every single day.

And that is why I could hardly wait for the sun to come up this morning.

Love,

Alan