What a Night!

A Night I will Remember

As I walked into the room I was in awe of the beautiful handmade clay pottery, and just as taken back by the next room displaying canvas after canvas of paintings that ran the gamut from beach scenes to quirky looking characters out of a Tom Robbins paperback novel. All were available to purchase for very reasonable prices. I was like a kid in a candy store, unable to decide which was the sweetest. However, I was distracted by the opulence of the design of the building and the gorgeous courtyard outside as I thought about which piece or pieces I may get. By the time I returned to the pottery pieces I loved, they wore stickers that said SOLD. 

This event was an annual one that is held by MARC (Mobile Association for Retarded Citizens). All of the art on display for the event is a collaboration between very talented local artists and pottery specialists who were coupled with disabled individuals from MARC. The pottery was signed on the bottom by both artists and most pieces had a message engraved as well, i.e. “Live for the Moment”. I wish you could have seen these bits of talent and hard work and felt the love that went into it.

My son played music for the event and it turned into a hootenanny with dancing, clapping and a sing along. What an inspiration to watch people happy in that moment, seemingly without a care in the world. The people I have met from MARC are people who enjoy their lives. The directors, organizers and associates of this organization just ooze kindness and compassion from every pore. One cannot help but feel good in their presence.

One of the “coolest” happenings of the evening was when so many of the people were dancing and there seemed to be many more females than males out there. Suddenly a handsome young man dressed in black appeared and danced with the ladies. In some cases he was dancing with a circle of 5 or 6 at one time. He danced with grace and enthusiasm and a great big smile. He was one of the waitstaff from the bar and he tirelessly danced with any and all who wanted a dance partner. 

The star of the evening was an awesome character named Sandy. I had seen him before when my son played at MARC. Sandy has a harmonica and wears an apparatus around his neck to hold it in place. He was dressed so handsomely and soon after the music began, Sandy made his way to the makeshift stage in the corner where Eric was playing. Immediately he offered Sandy the microphone to play, but Sandy was happy playing a short distance away. He remained right there as part of the show for the entire performance. Sandy danced, he sang, he played his harmonica and he encouraged his fellow MARC friends as they danced; with an occasional pat on the back or sweet words of kindness. This gentleman named Sandy is a fine man, a polite man, a talented man and a confident man. What more could a person ask of themselves than to live a life like Sandy, whether you have a disability or not; you can be a positive presence in this world.

If you were planning an elegant affair and wanted the finest of people to attend, there could be no better group than I saw last Thursday night at Azalea Manor on Dauphin Street, for the annual MARC Art Show. It was wonderful and filled with good vibes and great spirit; overall a magical night.