Judge, I couldn't Help Myself

I had to drive an hour from my house to the Malibu Courthouse for an arraignment after receiving a notice that I owed 900.00 to the city of Los Angeles. Horrified, I decided I had to go fight this since I am innocent, well sort of. I'd been pulled over by the Highway Patrol last October who told me I had no license tags.  I pulled out my registration and said "I do so"  According to her, someone had stolen my tags and I had to replace them. I was outraged. I had to pay more money for what I had already paid? Sucks. Anyway, I drove to Malibu rehearsing what I was going to say to the Judge, once there.  I got there on time, but had to sit through a dozen cases, since my name begins with "R". When the bailiff called one person and the judge asked how did he plead, he said guilty. The Judge said you are charged with going 91mph in a 65 mph zone. :What Happened?" The guy said "Judge I couldn't help myself. " explaining that he had been wanting this certain car since he was 16 and now that he had it, he just had to drive it fast."  What kind of car?  A Corvette. Everybody in the courtroom laughed and the judge sort of smiled to himself.  I understand.The Corvette is a magic car, built in my homestate of Kentucky. I have a childhood friend named Phil Hibbs who collects and shows Corvettes.  He has so many trophies, he could build another house just for them.  Then the Judge dismissed the charges against the driver with instructions on where to go to drive fast in it. So, the moment was past and I was still terrified and what was going to happen when my name was called. It came and the judge smiled at me and dismissed the ticket charges against Ruth Adkins Robinson.

Normal Normal, Who's Got the Normal

Looking on the top part of the page here, I see a box marked Normal. Not for the first time, the question crossed my mind "Who determines normal?"  Me, I have never, ever thought being normal was a good thing --just a boring thing.  Somewhere in the range of safe and hiding from the excitement the world has to offer.  Probably I thought that since nobody has ever accused me of being 'normal'  I am way extreme in everything I've ever done. It's not normal for a teenager to race halfway across the world with no resources except her brain.  Believe me --from Kentucky to California is more than halfway across the world both in geographical  and sociological dimensions. Nothing after that was ever what you would call 'normal,' and so somehow I became Ruth Adkins Robinson.

A Triumphant Life

After a nightmarish childhood, My adult life has been glorious and a triumphant gift.  I have been to a hundred countries visited every continent at least once or twice, danced with kings, dined with presidents been recognized and rewarded for my work, earned a shameful amount of money for writing 22 minutes of television and written over 200 hours of TV.   I have filmed under the Arc d’ Triomph, been in dozens of museums around the world including Napoleon’s Museum in Paris, shopped in Cairo’s Souk and along Tokyo’s Ginza,  rode camels and elephants, stood in the shadow of the great Pyramids of Giza, felt at home riding the Bulllet Train all over Japan and slow-poke trains all over Europe and the US. I’ve lived on two Caribbean Islands. Was loved by the Genius for 28 years and my other musician soul mate for 35, been thrilled with the exploits of my children who constantly amaze me with their gifts, beauty and generosity. I treasure my Buddhism, shakabuku’d  me by Herbie Hancock.  There are many miles, many sites and many sights left to go before my loved ones take my ashes on the road between Nice and Cannes and let go free the remains of Ruth Adkins Robinson.

my family at my museum