30
Another Florida Escape-Featuring Aline Crumb
11 Comments | Posted by admin in Downtown Dharma
I’m back in Florida, land of the retired, rejuvenated, and slightly ridiculous. My cousin Aline Crumb and I are here visiting family.
Although Aline grew up on Long Island among the privileged (and, shall we say, JAPs), she never quite fit in. Aline found salvation among the hippies in the 1960s and became an artist. She married the iconic comic-book artist Robert Crumb and the two eventually moved to an old Victorian village in the south of France to raise their child and create art.
I love that Aline questioned the norm and created her own, colorful path. Even today, as many of her former hippie friends have become professionals stuck in the city’s rat race, Aline lives a non-traditional life outside any system or 9 to 7 gig.
It’s no coincidence that I get to spend time with her now, as I find myself breaking from the corporate hustle to get more connected to my true self and hop down a new road.
Of course, together here in Florida, we are amazed at all the characters around us. A group of 92-year-old poker players compete for dimes. There’s Bennie the Israeli organ player; a man who sits pool-side while sharing his near-death experience; and an ancient woman who brings up the Holoucast 30 seconds into any conversation.
Here’s a fun video of Aline and me observing the South Florida scene and trying to make sense of it all.
11 Comments for Another Florida Escape-Featuring Aline Crumb
Anton Mannering | March 30, 2010 at 3:08 pm
Arlene Papier-Brickman | March 31, 2010 at 5:55 pm
Hi Cousin Ilana,
I enjoyed your video, loved seeing your Dad (my uncle). It was the next best
thing to being there.
Of course, I wanted to join you in the pool & whirlpool.
Aline looks amazing, so young and healthy.
Thanks for interviewing so many interesting characters. This is what we have to look forward to when we retire … the good life!
Arlene 
Tweets that mention Urban Zen,Zen In the City,Find your Urban Zen -- Topsy.com | April 1, 2010 at 5:52 am
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Ilana Donna. Ilana Donna said: Watch my fun video with Aline Crumb last week. http://bit.ly/czKkIU #crumb [...]
Alex Gordon | April 3, 2010 at 9:54 am
Alex Gordon | April 3, 2010 at 1:23 pm
Stephanie Karp | April 6, 2010 at 6:48 pm
Ilana, thoroughly enjoyed! I can’t decide whose dancing I enjoyed more — your cousin Aline’s or the old woman in blue in the end.
Great job!
Steph
aline crumb | April 7, 2010 at 2:12 pm
Dahling…I’m home with Rohbit Sof and Elie…We just watched the Fla video and R. got some laughs and he oy vehed as well…Must tell you that we definitely don’t live in a “Victorian” village. Victorian refers only to 19th century England and America…Our village is more like Medieval, 1000AD to 1400AD…an like that ovah there…Anyway R.sez How come we didn’t get to see more of you in a bathing suit??? More Leg???Oh well next time we can do Cookie”s Beauty Parlor and Leg shots!!!
Anyway I had a swell time with you down there in that Urban Jungle by the Sea…Let’s do it again…Love,Aline
WP Themes | July 4, 2010 at 8:00 am
Amiable dispatch and this fill someone in on helped me alot in my college assignement. Gratefulness you seeking your information.
Charlie | July 10, 2010 at 2:26 am
This we have already seen somewhere
Wordpress Themes | August 5, 2010 at 5:06 am
Good brief and this post helped me alot in my college assignement. Thank you on your information.
Cool video with a couple of cool chicks.
Definitely a window into a world that’s foreign to me. Nice to see that other cultures have parts that are as utterly unfathomable as the more twee parts of Irish culture.
And the colourful characters to match.
I think you know, I’m a firm believer in chasing dreams and I’ve tried to live my life by a maxim that others might find useful.
“Figure out what you like to do, then figure out how to get paid to do it.”
I’ve done this to varying degrees of success in my own life.
Now life of course isn’t just that simple and sometimes survival means doing what HAS to be done.
Even so, the holding in our hearts and minds of goals beyond our means, and ideas beyond our station is often the very thing that makes doing what HAS to be done pallatable.
It also happens to be the idea that America was built on. So we’re in good company.