National, International, Armenia, and Community News and Opinion

6 The Armenian Reporter | April 4, 2009
Community
MY NAME IS
ARMEN
The lingering love notes of
life
by Armen
Bacon
As the weather begins to change
and flowers beg to bloom, it’s that
time of year when I yearn to do a
bit of spring-cleaning in an effort
to un-clutter my life and prepare
for the acquisitions of a new season.
As an aspiring minimalist, I
look forward to this time of year
– a perfect and opportune time to
sort, toss and discard the unnecessary
possessions that sometimes
force me to navigate life carrying
too much baggage. I like to travel
light, so this ritualistic downsizing
of life is a must during this time of
the year.
Paper, in our house, has a tendency
to accumulate and grow exponentially.
Don’t ask me why or
how, it just does. There are stacks
of newspapers, magazines, and
mail in almost every corner of
the house. Reading material is my
security blanket – I thrive on unfinished
sentences, dangling participles,
word salads and anything
that is hand-written, jotted down,
published or unpublished. But today
I am determined to rid myself
of the excess paper. I am systematically
sifting and sorting through
mail, magazines, catalogs and correspondence.
Forgive me for prying, but what
do you do with them I’m referring
to the cards and love notes
that people send you throughout
the year(s), you know, to acknowledge
a birthday, anniversary, job
promotion or maybe the arrival of
a new little one If you are anything
like me, you treasure these as
if they are gold, holding on to them
forever until one day, they fill an
entire room. At my house, cardstock
keepsakes have a tendency
to stack up and multiply, moving
from counter top to desk drawer,
eventually forcing me to find them
a permanent home in a special, undisclosed
hiding place somewhere
in my house. God forbid they
should be thrown in the trash. The
thought of it makes me cringe.
You might be wondering why I
hang on to them After all, they
are simply words on paper. The answer
is simple: over the years, these
personal mementoes have become
an appendage to my heart. Each
serves as a reminder that someone,
somewhere, is holding a good
thought for me somewhere out in
the universe. In this day and age
of anonymity, the intimate nature
of these love notes quite simply,
intoxicates my soul. The union of
three or four handpicked words,
Armenian Reporter columnist Armen D.
Bacon is senior director for communications
and public relations for the Fresno
County Office. Ms. Bacon lives in Fresno,
California, and is a wife, mother, professional
woman, and writer. Since 2004,
her thoughts and reflections about life
have been published in the “Valley Voices”
section of The Fresno Bee as well as
the Armenian Reporter. She also writes,
produces, and hosts a radio series titled
“Live, Laugh, Love” on Fresno’s K-jewel
99.3 radio. She can be reached at armendbacon@aol.com.
i.e., I adore you, Lean on me or I’m
here for you can nourish me on a day
that I wake up hungry. The notes
inscribed on the inside of many of
the cards also chronicle my life’s
journey, only they tell the story
from the vantage point of someone
else – usually a significant other. In
rereading their messages, I am able
to relive a day, a moment or renew
a friendship that in many cases,
has shaped the person whose name
is Armen.
A former boss of mine used to
keep his collection of cherished
notes in the desk drawer at his office
where he could retrieve them at
a moment’s notice. He called them
his justifiable existence. He said that
they gave him purpose, reminded
him why he was getting up in the
morning, putting in 12 hour days
and sacrificing both his health and
sanity. If he was having a bad day,
all he ever had to do was pluck out
one of these notes, read a few lines,
and instantly he would feel better.
My personal collection stems
back more than three decades.
There are engagement and wedding
cards, followed by the baby cards
– you know, the ones with the ducks
and teddy bears, cradles and storks
on the cover. I have two huge stacks
of these, well, actually they have
moved into beautiful memory boxes,
since they also include all of the
birthday invitations and cards my
children received at the time of their
birthdays. I had intended to give
these to them when they turned 18
or 21, but for sentimental reasons, I
still cannot seem to part with them.
Maybe someday. They remind me
of the magical age of innocence,
when life was simple and beautiful.
Is there anything more divine than
a child’s birthday party, the sound
of laughter, frosting smeared across
a smiling face, tissue paper and ribbon
dancing across the floor I seriously
doubt it.
In more recent years, my collection
reveals a different side of life.
It represents fewer special occasions
and instead, marks minute
morsels of time, moments between
friends that to the masses may
easily go unnoticed. This series of
notes, written mostly by the women
I fondly reference as my band of
angels, celebrates a unique sisterhood
and friendship bond that has
been forged in response to life’s trials
and tribulations. The messages
contained in the cards celebrate
courage, resilience and our collective
determination to live life passionately
and with no regrets.
Recently, a dear friend of mine
who is of Irish descent, sent me a
lovely card with the following message:
Happy St. Patrick’s Day, Armen.
The proud Irish woman in me salutes
the strong Armenian woman
in you. Let us raise a glass of
green beer or fine champagne to
our grandparents – whose sacrifices
and hard work shaped much
of who we are today. Lamb and pilaf
or corned beef and cabbage – it
matters not as long as we remember
and celebrate. Love, Anne.
I rest my case. This stack of
notes stays. I will happily discard
the magazines, newspapers and
catalogs but these cards, each representing
a treasured lifeline, will
find a permanent place in both
my heart and my home. After all,
one must always make room for
love.
Let us know what’s on your mind.
Write to us at
letters@reporter.am
Cast of Levon Shant’s play “Jampoon Vra.”.
On the road: Hamazkayin N.Y.
Theatre Group celebrates Levon Shant
WOODSIDE – The Hamazkayin
Armenian Educational and
Cultural Society of New York will
be celebrating the 140th anniversary
of the birth of renowned playwright
Levon Shant by presenting
the U.S. premiere of a dramatic
love story, “On the Road” (“Jampoon
Vra”). This will be the 41st
annual theatrical presentation by
the Hamazkayin Theatre Group of
New York, under the direction of
Herand Markarian, recipient of
numerous awards, including “Best
Playwright of Diaspora” bestowed
by the Writers’ Union of Armenia.
Poet, novelist, and playwright Levon
Shant is regarded by many as
the greatest Armenian playwright.
Born Levon Seghpossian on April
6, 1869, in Constantinople, he was
orphaned at the age of six. He debuted
as a writer in 1891, adopting
Shant (lightning bolt) as his pen
name. The success of his play “Ancient
Gods” allowed him to move
to Europe and escape the fate of his
colleagues who were killed in the
Armenian Genocide. For years, he
was a teacher and educator, as well
as a public and political figure and
political activist in Armenia and
the Armenian communities in the
diaspora. He served as a member of
the parliament of the first Republic
of Armenia, and was imprisoned
after the Communist takeover of
Armenia. After being freed, he continued
to write plays and became
one of the founders of Hamazkayin,
and the primary founder of Hamazkayin
Djemaran Academy in Beirut,
where he was the school principal
for 20 years until his death in 1951.
A couple in love...the girl is devoted
to the man she loves...the man is
committed to the struggle of the
homeland. How can this conflict be
resolved Shant offers a solution.
Set in 1904 Bolis (Constantinople),
this heart-rending story of love,
devotion, and commitment takes
place before the Armenian Genocide.
Yet it presents a very current
conflict. The presentation features
Toros Tervizian, Sossi Essajanian,
Karnig Nercessian, Zaven
Vartanian, Avo Hajian, Mardig
Boyadjian, Berjouhi Yessaian,
Ani Nercessian, Ani Boyadjian,
and Mr. Markarian.
The N.Y. Hamazkayin Theatre
Group has been home to over 400
members, who during the 41 years
have given their precious time and
talent to preserve the Armenian
cultural arts. Much credit should
be given to Mr. Markarian for introducing
new faces and encouraging
young Armenians to preserve
their heritage. The Hamazkayin
Theatre Group holds the record for
the longest continuously running
Armenian theater group in the
Toros Tervizian
and Sossi
Essajanian star
in Levon Shant’s
play “Jampoon
Vra.”.
United States, the only Armenian
theater group that has performed
off-Broadway, the largest number
of world premiere Armenian plays
in the diaspora, the first theater
group of the Hamazkayin family to
have been invited to participate in
the first Diasporan Theatre Festival
in Yerevan and Vanadzor, Armenia,
as well as the first Armenian theater
group to perform on a cruise
line.
The play will take place at 8:05pm
on Sunday, April 19, 2009, at the
Armenian Center, located at 69-23
47th Avenue, Woodside, N.Y.
connect:
Marriet Gabrelian at (718) 205-2688
(evening), Berjouhi Yessaian at (718)
639-2666, or Sonia Bezdikian at (718)
961-9550 (daytime).