Tales From The Travels

I read that Marcel Marceau, the famous mime, died Sunday at age 84.

When I was in elementary school I would watch an after-school show on PBS called ‘What’s New.’ It consisted of different people telling or doing things in five or ten minute segments. One of the regular visitors was Marcel Marceau who would appear every now and then as ‘The Silent Man’. It was my introduction to the world of mime and maybe even to the art of interpreting body language. Marceau didn’t just act out his skits, he was very expressive with his body language to the point that it was a very effective communication, one that even a grade school kid could understand. I really enjoyed him and always got excited whenever he came on.

People are so expressive with their bodies, frequently without even knowing it, and you can tell a lot about what they are thinking and feeling just by observing them. You can also tell a lot about their personality in the same way. You can lie with your words, but it is very difficult to lie with your body. I’ve often thought I know everything I need to know about someone just by watching them walk across the room. I miss sometimes, but I am usually dead on. I’ve learned to trust my observations and have very seldom been disappointed.

So, I was a little saddened with the news of the Silent Man’s death. Ironically, being silent about the news just didn’t seem appropriate.