This week's Razor's Edge theme is belief and dreaming.
The theme came up after I received a message from a friend, writer, and an interpreter I enjoy working with. He and I have interpreted a poetry recitation competition the last two years and, as even non-interpreters could guess, poetry brings with it a number of challenges when going between two languages. This week he had the opportunity to interpret for an amazing poet and, well, an amazing person all around. Unfortunately I couldn't be there to see him do what I am sure was a congruent and flowing interpretation of her words.
But what I could do was remember one of his interpretations from the competition this year. It was not a poem - but it was the surprise-to-us musical entertainment as votes were being tallied and runners up and winners determined. A local a cappella group performed a number of covers and Bug and I didn't find out this was happening until the night before it happened; in between the two days of the competition. We did what prep we could and hoped we could do it justice, not knowing exactly what songs they would do.
The next morning at the venue we were able to grab the musicians for a few minutes before the event began and get their probable song list. Most of the songs we had found online the night before and had at least an idea of what they were; one of them was one of Bug's favorites.
But this week it wasn't that song that I remembered Bug's interpreting. Rather, it was "Fireflies" by Owl City. A song I'd heard on the radio but hadn't paid that much attention to - no judgment, it just didn't grab my attention. He was the one up for that song and I watched from behind the curtain backstage. This song carries some challenges that, again, it might take a sign language interpreter to understand so I won't try to go into details - but he came up with a beautiful translation of the chorus, which worked and was very much in keeping with the concepts of the words.
It was his interpretation of the chorus that I remembered as I thought of him being on stage with the great poet. Bringing her words to visual life on his hands for the Deaf and hard of hearing people attending this event.
So, in honor of Bug and his world turning fireflies, below is Owl City's video of Fireflies. Watch and listen to the video. And then write in response to the word prompt below it.
Open up and let yourself dream and then .... create.
Word Prompt: I'd like to make myself believe ...
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