Observance 08/05/2010 7:43am

I had a little painting for many years that was captioned, "'If you hang on to the handle,' she said, 'it's easier to maintain the illusion of control. But it's more fun if you just let the wind carry you.'" I don't know where that painting is now--must've lost it in the course of letting the wind carry me all over tarnation and back--but I remember that quote. I've decided that it's fruitless to go into the Fringe with too much of a plan. For one thing, I'm no good at plans, and for another, I hate them. And for yet another, even if I did hammer one out, it would change. I've tentatively mapped out my first couple days of shows and that's all I care to do. How am I supposed to predict today what I'll be in the mood for next Tuesday? What word-of-mouth, my hormones, my shuffled postcard pile and physical logistics will be pointing me toward? It's one of the rites of the Fringe to jump into the river, surrender to it, and let yourself be swept merrily along, then crawl onto the muddy bank when it's all over and marvel at all the unforeseen nooks, crannies, caverns, and ass-scraping shallow rapids you passed through along the way. So I have a grand total of 6 shows on my "schedule" between now and Saturday. I will probably see more than that, and the 6 that I scheduled may or may not be among them. This is how it goes. I can tell you this much for sure, though. I'll be at the Bedlam tonight, raising a toast to the opening day of the Fringe. See you there.