LINDA MARY MONTANO

7 MAGNIFICENT MOTHERS OF LINDA MARY MONTANO

7 MAGNIFICENT MOTHERS OF LINDA MARY MONTANO

1. MOTHER OF LIFE AND COURAGE: MILDRED KELLY MONTANO, My birth mother.

2. MOTHER OF UNUSUAL CREATIVITY: MAGDALENA BECKER KELLY. My grandmother.

3. MOTHER OF FREE ART: MOTHER MARY JANE ROBERTSHAW, OSU. My college art professor.

4. MOTHER OF CHARITABLE JOY: MOTHER MARY JOSEPH ROGERS. Founder of Maryknoll Sisters.

5. MOTHER OF EMBRACING COMPASSION: DOCTOR ARUNA MEHTA. My adopted mother.

6. MOTHER OF NUMINOUS SIGHT: KATHLEEN DONNELLY SU. My spiritual counselor.

7. MOTHER OF UNITIVE BLISS: MARY, MOTHER OF US ALL. My silent mother.

THE CHICKEN WHO LEARNED HOW TO FLY

THE CHICKEN WHO LEARNED HOW TO CRY
Once upon a time there was a very, very old chicken who was about to lay her last egg. She was that old. One day while strolling around in the coop, dragging her stiff , right chicken leg, she flashbacked to a former wish and clucked, fumed, wattled her red puckered head topknot and announced to all, "I wish I could fly like other birds! I'm feeling so cooped up."
Her new friend, a jaunty. fluffy topped fun-filled henette answered with wing flutters and faux attempts at flights from her second story perch. She said, "Cheer up old hen, try this. Close your eyes, jump and honest to God it's the next best thing to flight!" "Bawk bawk ", said the old hen, "I've had too many disappointments and laid too many bad eggs. Your flying excitement is not contagious, my dear little fuzzy one. Besides here comes the boss and lights are soon out for the night. It's 7pm and time to roost."
Old arthritic hen climbed to the top perch where she could keep her beady eyes on everything and either warn the tribe if possums got under their fence or correct the young chicks if they stayed out too late. But because of her numb and cold right chicken leg, she fell, not fell but crashed to the ground after a dream about many particularly disturbing events. She surmised that she had been running while asleep to distance herself from the pain of life.
It was winter and a coma producing fog of ice, sleet, smog and a polar vortexed series of storms wrecked havoc with not only the outside world but with the coop itself. The detritus from the storm was everywhere, even inside the coop, and her wings had gotten twisted in the fall so hypothermia had just about set in and most of her chicken teeth which she called her chicklets, chattered; her beak turned a bright red and in an attempt to unfreeze herself from the snow-sludge-muck on the coop floor, she called out for her fluffy henette friend, "Henette, this is horrible! I'm miserable and have one thousand and 55 reasons to bawk, bawk about my life. This happened, that happened. Look at me now, I'm incapacitated and nearly frozen to death. Take my top perch if I die, OK? It's yours. I haven't made a will but I will scratch out my wishes in the dirt, right here."
The tough old bird then looked into the eyes of the fluffy henette and noticed that her friend had raised her wing to wipe her own tearing eyes. "Old hen, I'm crying for you. I want to help you. Listen. This is a big wonderful secret and today is the day I give it to you. Here it is." And the feathery henette gently scooped the old hen from the floor of the coop, flapped her wings so the warm air would dry off her old feathers, and even gave her 7 kernels of corn she had stashed in the back of the coop for her own afternoon snack. Finally when all was settled and quiet and numinous, she whispered in the old hen's chicken ear her secret. She said, "OLD HEN, WHEN YOU LEARN HOW TO CRY, YOU WILL LEARN HOW TO FLY."
Never the end.

Linda Mary Montano 2014, Linwood Retreat

4 ASPECTS OF FORGIVENESS: PHYSICAL/EMOTIONAL/SOCIAL/COLLABORATIVE/SPIRITUAL

FORGIVENESS 1: PHYSICAL ASPECT

FORGIVENESS IS NOT THE SAME AS RECONCILIATION. FORGIVENESS IS INTERIOR. TO RECONCILE IS TO MEET WITH ANOTHER PERSON AND TALK ABOUT HEALING THE SITUATION/ SPEAK WORDS OF FORGIVENESS WITH EACH OTHER. SOMETIMES WE CAN ONLY FORGIVE AND THAT IS OFTEN ENOUGH IF WE CANT RECONCILE AS WELL.

FORGIVENESS 2: EMOTIONAL ASPECT

FORGIVENESS IS LETTING GO OF RESENTMENT. GOD PERMISTS EVIL SO SHE MAY BRING ABOUT A GREATER GOOD. FROM THIS WE GROW IN GRACE. IF WE HAVE RESENTMENT WE HAVE NO GRACE.

FORGIVENESS 3: SOCIAL ASPECT

FORGIVENESS DOES NOT ALWAYS MEAN FORGIVING AN INJUSTICE. FORGIVENESS SOMETIMES DEMANDS JUSTICE. JUSTICE SOMETIMES MEANS CALLING THE POLICE OR HAVING THE LAW TAKE CARE OF OFFENDERS.

FORGIVENESS 4: COLLABORATIVE

TO FORGIVE ANOTHER WE CAN PRAY FOR THEM. THAT WAY THE HIGHER POWER GETS TO DO THE WORK AND WE FEEL BETTER BECAUSE OUR COLLABORATOR HAS DONE THE FORGIVING! THIS IS VERY EFFECTIVE WHEN WE DONT WANT THE OTHER PERSON TO PROSPER IN ANY WAY. IT IS OUT OF OUR HANDS BUT THE INNER RESENTMENT IS GONE.

FORGIVENESS 5: SPIRITUAL

TO ERR IS HUMAN TO FORGIVE IS DIVINE. IT MUST BE MADE OBVIOUS THAT IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO FORGIVE WITH OUR OWN POWER. ONLY GOD CAN FORGIVE AND PURIFY OUR MEMORIES.

LINDA MARY MONTANO 2014

FORGIVENESS 1: PHYSICAL ASPECT

FORGIVENESS IS NOT THE SAME AS RECONCILIATION. FORGIVENESS IS INTERIOR. TO RECONCILE IS TO MEET WITH ANOTHER PERSON AND TALK ABOUT HEALING THE SITUATION/ SPEAK WORDS OF FORGIVENESS WITH EACH OTHER. SOMETIMES WE CAN ONLY FORGIVE AND THAT IS OFTEN ENOUGH IF WE CANT RECONCILE AS WELL.

FORGIVENESS 2: EMOTIONAL ASPECT

FORGIVENESS IS LETTING GO OF RESENTMENT. GOD PERMISTS EVIL SO SHE MAY BRING ABOUT A GREATER GOOD. FROM THIS WE GROW IN GRACE. IF WE HAVE RESENTMENT WE HAVE NO GRACE.

FORGIVENESS 3: SOCIAL ASPECT

FORGIVENESS DOES NOT ALWAYS MEAN FORGIVING AN INJUSTICE. FORGIVENESS SOMETIMES DEMANDS JUSTICE. JUSTICE SOMETIMES MEANS CALLING THE POLICE OR HAVING THE LAW TAKE CARE OF OFFENDERS.

FORGIVENESS 4: COLLABORATIVE

TO FORGIVE ANOTHER WE CAN PRAY FOR THEM. THAT WAY THE HIGHER POWER GETS TO DO THE WORK AND WE FEEL BETTER BECAUSE OUR COLLABORATOR HAS DONE THE FORGIVING! THIS IS VERY EFFECTIVE WHEN WE DONT WANT THE OTHER PERSON TO PROSPER IN ANY WAY. IT IS OUT OF OUR HANDS BUT THE INNER RESENTMENT IS GONE.

FORGIVENESS 5: SPIRITUAL

TO ERR IS HUMAN TO FORGIVE IS DIVINE. IT MUST BE MADE OBVIOUS THAT IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO FORGIVE WITH OUR OWN POWER. ONLY GOD CAN FORGIVE AND PURIFY OUR MEMORIES.

LINDA MARY MONTANO 2014

A 7 DAY WORKSHOP WITH MONTANO/SOIN IN INDIA

A 7 DAY WORKSHOP WITH MONTANO/SOIN

WE WILL EXPLORE THE 7 CHAKRAS PERFORMATIVELY WITH MONTANO AND EXPLORE SEVEN ASPECTS OF HINDU CULTURE WITH SINGH SOIN.

EACH DAY WE WILL SPEND INNER TIME WITH THE CHAKRA FOR THE DAY VIA MONTANO'S DIRECTION AND EXPERIENCES; AND AFTER EXERCISES TO ELICIT THE ENERGY OF SAID CHAKRA, WE WILL PERFORM OUR INDIVIDUAL VERSION OF OUR PERSONAL RESEARCH.

EACH DAY SINGH SOIN WILL LINK HER KNOWLEDGE OF INDIAN ART AND CULTURE TO THE CHAKRA BEING EXPERIENCED FOR THE DAY.

NO PERFORMANCE EXPERIENCE NEEDED.

BRING 7 COLORED CLOTH-LIKE SCARVES OR PIECESS OF CLOTH, YOUR CHOICE OF FABRIC, IN THE COLORS RED, ORANGE, YELLOW , GREEN , BLUE ,PURPLE, WHITE.

OBITUARY FOR VICTIM 79324

OBITUARY FOR VICTIM 79324

Victim 79324 died unexpectedly last evening on a return trip from Copenhagen. CPR performed by a physician on board could not revive the 72 year old white female who was known to have one of the severest cases of PTSD known to clinicians in the field. Attempted suicides, hospitalization, a death threat, eating disorder, phobias, debilitating narcissistic neurosis, selective mute-ism and a neurological chronic disease were a few results this victim suffered from years of National Inquirer-like life events.
Suffering became a way of life for professional Victim 79324 and she excelled in strategies that allowed her to invite in more of it, create more of it and continue it's duration.
We have lost an amazing practitioner of the form and many of her fans will mourn this loss. An internment ceremony of her ashes will be announced in the near future.

33 SECOND LOVE BATH FOR WHITNEY HOUSTON BIENNEAL

A 33 SECOND LOVE-BATH

1. HOLD OUT BOTH OF YOUR HANDS.

2. SEE, FEEL, SENSE, GREAT AND BEAUTIFUL LOVE AND LIGHT IN YOUR HANDS.

3. THEN PLACE BOTH HANDS ON YOUR GLANDS OR HEART OR HEAD OR EYES.

4. SAY AND SING TO YOURSELF OUT LOUD OR PRIVATELY, " I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE YOU MY BABY. "

5. REPEAT WHEN YOU WOULD LIKE ANOTHER LOVE-BATH.

Linda Mary Montano, 2014

QUESTIONSTHAT I ASKED NICOLAS DUMIT ESTEVEZ

RECENTLY YOU WENT TO THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC WHERE YOU WERE BORN TO PERFORM. WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO DO THIS?

HAVE YOU PERFORMED THERE BEFORE?

WERE YOU COMFORTABLE PERFORMING IN YOUR HOME TOWN? WHY? THEY SAY YOU CANT GO HOME AGAIN. DO YOU BELIEVE THAT TO BE TRUE?

WERE YOUR FAMILIES THERE INPUTTING YOUR WORK IN ANY WAY?

DID YOU GO THERE WITH AN IDEA? AN INVITATION BY OTHERES TO PERFORM THERE? WHAT WERE YOUR SOURCE INSPIRATIONS?

FROM OTHER CONVERSATIONS WE HAVE HAD, YOU TALK ABOUT THE CONVERGENCE OF RITUALS IN YOUR COUNTRY. HOW DID THE CARRIBEAN RITUALS INFORM YOUR IDEAS, YOUR CONCEPTS, YOUR OUTCOME? CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE OVERLAPS BETWEEN RITUAL AND PERFORMANCE?

CERTAIN CULTURES ARE TOTALLY PERFORMATIVE. FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN I WAS IN INDIA, I FELT LIKE I WAS IN A 24-7 HAPPENING FROM THE 70'S. A LOVE AND LIFE FEST OF DRAMA AND EVEN SOMETIMES TRAUMA! MAYBE I WOULD NOT FEEL AS DIONISIANISTICALLY PERFORMATIVE IN FINLAND! OR I WOULD NOT EXPECT RESULTS THAT ARE AS COLORFUL AND EXTREMELY EXPRESSIVE AS I WOULD IN MEXICO OR THE CARRIBEAN. YOU WALKED INTO A STAGE-SET, A SET-UP FOR ACTION TO HAPPEN, WHICH MAKES FOR A DIFFERENT SCENARIO. CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THAT?

THE INTERNET HAS KILLED THE CONCEPT OF AUDIENCE. WE ARE ALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL PERFORMANCE ARTISTS NOW. WE ALL DO FLASH MOBS AND SELFIES AND YOU TUBES AND WEDDING/ENGAGEMENT EXTRAVAGANZAS. IT IS EXPECTED THAT WE PERFORM AT BIRTHS AND EVEN PERFORM OUR OWN DEATHS! THE REAL IS NOT SO MUCH CELEBRATED BUT NARCISSISTICALLY PORNED. AS A RESULT, THERE IS NO LONGER A WIDE-EYES, GRATUITOUS, ADORING, FAWNING AUDIENCE BUT A CONFIGURATION OF CO-PRODUCERS, C-DIRECTORS AND CO-PERFORMERS WHO OFTEN KNOW OUR OWN WORK AS WELL OR BETTER THAN WE DO!!!!THEY HAVE BEEN INDOCTRINATED BY THE MEDIA AND THEIR PERMISSION-GIVING CULTURE HAS REHEARSED THEM FOR YEARS....SO WHEN "WE" COME TO TOWN, WATCH OUT AND MOVE OVER...AND LET THEM DO THE JOB. (AND EVENTUALLY WE WILLBE PAYING THEM WHEN THEY REALIZE THAT THEY ARE US!) DID YOU EXPERIENCE AN ALREADY FORMED GROUP OF CO-CREATORS WHEN YOU WERE THERE?

IN SOME CULTURES, THEIR LIFE IS SO AESTHETICALLY ON-VIEW, THAT THEY HAVE CONCEPTUALLY DONE AWAY WITH THE NEED FOR A MUSEUM, GALLERY, ALTERNATIVE SPACE. THEY ALREADY "PERFORM" AT HOME, IN THE BEDROOM, ON THE BEACH IN A WAY THAT MAKES THE GALLERY APPEAR TO HAVE CONTRACTED MAUSOLEUM-ITIS! WHO NEEDS THAT? WHEN YOU WERE THERE IN THE CARRIBEAN, WHAT WERE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT THE IDEA OF "MUSEUM"? HAS "CARNIVAL" KILLED THE NEED FOR MUSEUMS?

WHAT WAS YOUR ROLE THERE DURING THE EVENT? YOU SAID YOU GATHERED AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF PLASTIC STUFF. I HAVE WORKED WITH YOU BEFORE AND YOU ARE A CONSUMMATE DESIGNER OF REALITY AND OF INSTALLATION AND OF MOOD. IS THAT WHAT YOU DID THERE? EXPLORE YOUR ROLE AND HOW DID IT CHANGE OVER TIME, THAT IS, HOW DID YOUR COLLABORATORS CHANGE YOU AND YOU THEM?

IN OUR PREVIOUS CONVERSATION YOU TALKED ABOUT HOW DANGEROUS THE AREA WAS. WAS DANGER IN THE PERFORMANCE ITSELF? IN A WAY, IT BECOMES PERFORMANCE WHEN DANGER ENTERS THE PICTURE. BEFORE THAT IT IS DECORATION? I REMEMBER WHEN WE WERE IN THE BRONX DOING THE HOPE PERFORMANCE, WE STUMBLED INTO SOME DANGEROUS SITUATION AND I WAS SO AMAZED AT YOUR COOL AROUND BIG, EXPLOSIVE OUTBURSTS! YOU ARE SUCH A COOL, QUITE GUY AND ALL OF A SUDDEN, NICOLAS AS CHRIS BURDEN ARRIVED ON THE SCENE IN FRONT OF MY EYES! CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE DAGER YOU FELT DURING THE CARRIBEAN PERFORMANCE?

MY NEWEST BOOK IS TITLED, YOU TOO ARE A PERFORMANCE ARTIST AND IS ABOUT THE DEATH OF PERFORMANCE AS A GENRE THAT IS MISUNDERSTOOD OR STRANGE OR AVANT GARDE. MY IDEA IS THAT UNPERFORMING IS THE TASK OF THE PERFORMANCE ARTIST BECAUSE THE MASSES ARE NOW DOING OUR WORK. WE HAVE TO BACK OFF, BACK OUT, DIRECT THEM, ALLOW THEM. WE HAVE TO FIND A NEW WAY TO SOLVE THE RIDDLES OF DARK AND LIGHT. DID YOU FIND THAT THE PEOPLE YOU WORKED WITH WERE WANTING YOU TO PERFORM? DIRECT? GET LOST?

WHY DID YOU DO THIS IN A CLOSED OFF SPACE, WHEN THE CARNIVAL DOES THEIR "RITUAL" IN FULL VIEW OF EVERYTHING. WHAT HAPPENED THAT MADE IT NEED TO BE INSIDE AND IN A SACRED SPACE LIKE A CHURCH?

MASKS ARE A UNIVERSAL TOOL FOR TRANSFORMATION, ALCHEMY, CHANGE, RITUAL, SPIRITUAL TEACHINGS AND TRICKERY. FOR OVER 40 YEARS I HAVE USED THE MASKS OF MY ABILITY TO BECOME ANOTHER AS A WAY TO UNDERSTAND MY PERSONAL DEMONS AND PERSONALITY DISORDERS. WHAT HAPPEND WITH YOU THERE IN THIS CULTURE OF MASK-EXPERTS?

WHAT NOW NICOLAS? ARE YOU GOING TO SET UP A CHURCH THERE? OR STAY THERE AS A MANDELA-LIKE HERO TO ORGANIZE THESE PEOPLE INTO CREATIVE HEALERS? WHAT'S YOUR VISION FOR YOUR FUTURE?

CAN YOU TALK ABOUT YOUR GUIDES AND WHAT SPECIFICALLY THEY TAUGHT YOU THAT YOU WERE ABLE TO PULL OUT OF YOUR TOOL-BOX FOR THIS LATEST PIECE?

I HOPE YOU ARE RESTING????AND NOT JUDGING, RIGHT? PROMISE ME YOU WILL DO BOTH.

LINDA MARY MONTANO

Monday, March 3, 2014