This year has been filled with exciting adventures, fabulous friends and new hobbies, so I thought I would try something new with the Christmas cards I normally send out to those I love the most and hold dearest in my heart … This little letter is filled with highlights of 2010, and aspirations for 2011. I trust that everything is going great for you and your family, and that this year has been filled with fantastic events, special moments and warm memories to last a lifetime!
I’m still working at Lasik MD, as a tech and a patient counselor. I love my job, the service we provide, and my coworkers are wonderful! I started 2010 as a recipient of that service we provide, which I prefer to call a gift. Having a -7 prescription (which means I couldn’t see a thing without wearing my contacts or glasses) and then seeing 20/20 without glasses or contacts less than 24 hrs later, truly is miraculous! I’m filled with gratitude for my vision on a daily basis and really couldn’t be happier with the results of my surgery.
The roommates, Peter and Christine, departed in January for a 3-month excursion in New Zealand which found Logan and I with a hint of empty nest syndrome. It couldn’t really blossom into anything more than a hint as the months to follow brought a trip down south and a lovely couple of visitors. February generously brought my “Guess what, I’m pregnant!” friend, Miss Lindsay Young, from Newfoundland. In March, Logan and I embarked on a 2-week adventure in Mazatlan, Mexico where we thrived as surfer and beach-bum, respectively. Mazatlan is a beautiful coastal port with great culture and very friendly, generous locals. We were blessed with great experiences and would love to return there again someday. April kindly delivered Miss Leah Feltham for her 28th birthday celebration. She took the quick flight from Kamloops, BC, where she was residing at the time. Upon her arrival at the Calgary airport, Leah received a rather gigantic birthday surprise: her boyfriend Craig was there to greet her, all the way from Newfoundland! Needless to say, she was flabbergasted, and what followed was an awesome fun-filled weekend together!
This year, adding to my repertoire, I began running. I successfully completed a 10km run and two 5km runs – and thoroughly enjoyed each. It’s a pretty amazing experience running for a cause and feeling the energy and adrenaline of the participants running with you. I look forward to the races 2011 will bring!
It was Logan’s Grandma Alwyne’s 90th birthday celebration in June, in Duncan, BC. We were blessed to attend this event thanks to Logan’s bighearted mother, Gaileen:) It was really wonderful to meet Logan’s father’s side of the family at this time and not surprisingly, they’re all very lovely people! 3 of my cousins from Liverpool, England came to Canada for the very first time this summer. Paul, Mark, and Jack spent 2 weeks with us doing our favorite things: hiking, climbing mountains, camping, celebrating and dancing! It was truly wonderful spending time together and getting to know these beautiful individuals who we are lucky to call family. Also this summer, Logan was once again sponsored by his employer, Mountain Equipment Co-op and competed in a total of 8 downhill mountain bike races. We were all ecstatic and so proud when he won a gold medal in his category at the Canada Cup in Panorama, BC!
In August, while my 3 roommates were enjoying a week-long downhill, mountain biking trip in Whistler, BC, I revisited my roots and took a solo-vacay to Windsor, ON, and Newfoundland. Honored and delighted, I stood beside my best-girl, Miss Jennifer Hewer, as she tied the knot and became Mrs Jennifer Jones! It was a beautiful celebration of love and life and spending time with this woman is always #1 in my books! From there, I jetted over to my Newfoundland family where another two weeks of fun awaited me. I spent the time enjoying my parents’ beautiful home on the water. Dad had a break from work which allowed us to have lots of fun together cruising around on his motorcycle and heading out for a couple of boat rides. My visit found my friends and relatives to be happy and enjoying their lives which, in turn, makes me feel warm and fuzzy! I went on a whale watching expedition and it was so wonderful that I will make a point of doing it every time I return home. The highlight of my trip though was meeting Miss Lindsay Young’s 4-hr old baby girl in the hospital, Natalie. I waited for her the whole two weeks but of course, just like her Mama, she was a little late and arrived only one hour before my return flight! It was very well worth it though as I had never met that new of a life before and it was quite an incredible experience.
When I returned to Calgary in September, I discovered my brother and Christine went and had a baby while I was away! I became an Auntie to a lovely little puppy we call Fisher. Fisher is the star attraction of our household now and we are certainly left wondering how we ever thought our lives complete before this little sparkle arrived! We experienced a beautiful autumn, complete with colorful leaves (a rarity for Calgary), unseasonably warm weather and earth smells abound! With the season came a change in activities. I have been enjoying hot yoga once or twice a week, and Logan has swapped his bike for his board. Despite the frigid temperatures and plenty of snow that late November has brought, we’ve been quick to grow our winter skin and have been spending as much time in nature as we can (as per usual)!
The four of us recently experienced the Cirque Du Soleil for the first time and only one word comes to mind now as my memory dances back to that show: amazing! We all agreed that we will never miss the opportunity to see this extraordinary group of individuals again. Also, Peter had laser eye surgery last month and Christine will follow suit in December. Speaking of December, the month will also bring Logan’s Mom for a visit from Victoria, a few Christmas parties, and a simple, cozy food-beverage-and friend filled Christmastime at the Marsh-Couet-Keats household! On Christmas morning my household will also have the pleasure of making and serving breakfast at a local shelter.
That’s all for now loved ones ... I wish you the happiest Christmas of all time and hope 2011 will bring you an abundance of what it is you desire!
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Saturday, December 11, 2010
A Dog's Purpose (from a 6-year old)
I found this fantastic story in a blog I came across this morning. Enjoy!
Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolfhound named Belker. The dog’s owners, Ron, his wife Lisa, and their little boy Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and they were hoping for a miracle.
I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family we couldn’t do anything for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home.
As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience.
The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker ‘s family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away.
The little boy seemed to accept Belker’s transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker’s Death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives. Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, "I know why."
Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I’d never heard a more comforting explanation. It has changed the way I try and live.
He said, "People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life — like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?" The six-year-old continued, "Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don’t have to stay as long."
Live simply.
Love generously.
Care deeply.
Speak kindly.
Remember, if a dog was the teacher you would learn things like:
~When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.
~Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.
~Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure Ecstasy.
~Take naps.
~Stretch before rising.
~Run, romp, and play daily.
~Thrive on attention and let people touch you.
~Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.
~On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.
~On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.
~When you’re happy, dance around and wag your entire body.
~Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.
~Be loyal.
~Never pretend to be something you’re not.
~If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.
~When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by, and nuzzle them gently.
~ENJOY EVERY MOMENT OF EVERY DAY!
Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolfhound named Belker. The dog’s owners, Ron, his wife Lisa, and their little boy Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and they were hoping for a miracle.
I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family we couldn’t do anything for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home.
As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience.
The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker ‘s family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away.
The little boy seemed to accept Belker’s transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker’s Death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives. Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, "I know why."
Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I’d never heard a more comforting explanation. It has changed the way I try and live.
He said, "People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life — like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?" The six-year-old continued, "Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don’t have to stay as long."
Live simply.
Love generously.
Care deeply.
Speak kindly.
Remember, if a dog was the teacher you would learn things like:
~When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.
~Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.
~Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure Ecstasy.
~Take naps.
~Stretch before rising.
~Run, romp, and play daily.
~Thrive on attention and let people touch you.
~Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.
~On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.
~On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.
~When you’re happy, dance around and wag your entire body.
~Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.
~Be loyal.
~Never pretend to be something you’re not.
~If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.
~When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by, and nuzzle them gently.
~ENJOY EVERY MOMENT OF EVERY DAY!
Thursday, December 2, 2010
A celebration of me!
The link below will bring you to some very kind words from a good friend of mine. Love love love!
A celebration of me!
A celebration of me!
Friday, November 19, 2010
With gratitude...
Gusts of gratitude for my lovely warm jackets, sweaters, boots, hats and mitts during this frigid cold snap we are experiencing:)
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Missing Newfoundland
On Sunday morning, as I lay in bed with my curtains drawn, I heard what I thought was the sound of a bank of snow falling off the roof of the house. I imagined I was in my Dad’s home in Glovertown and that it was a glorious, white, snow abound, winter wonderland outside. (Really it was only a towel that had fallen off the back of my door). Nevertheless, I spent the morning reminiscent of my winter experiences in Newfoundland. Banks of snow falling off the roof were a common sound – as were the sounds of skidoos zippin around on the frozen ocean in my backyard and also up and down the street in my front yard. The best though were all those school cancellations! If I try hard enough I can still feel the anticipation I would feel when Ran, Lar and Deb from OZFM would announce the winter-storm warnings and/or school cancellations. It’d be 8am and the phone ringing off the hook with friends making plans for skating or ski-dooing or both. It was nice having all that snow. Here, in Calgary though, we don’t see too much of it unfortunately and fortunately. Cities and snow don’t mix as nicely as small towns and snow do. I very much look forward to the day when I have that unlimited, abundant cash flow and I live in my Dad’s house for one month every winter! :o)
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Challenges
The problematic situations in your life are not chance or haphazard. They are specifically yours, designed specifically for you by a part of you that loves you more than anything else. The part of you that loves you more than anything else has created roadblocks to lead you to yourself . . . it doesn't want you to lose the chance. It will go to extreme measures to wake you up.
-A.H. Almaas
-A.H. Almaas
Friday, November 12, 2010
A ray of sunshine
There’s something about a smile from a stranger.
I’ve been riding my bike to work since the spring. These days though, with fall more closely resembling winter, I’m a little surprised with myself that I’m still going. (I can do it, I can do it!!) However, for some reason or another, in the past 3 weeks I have chosen to take the bus twice. The lovely happenings that transpired on the two separate occasions are the inspiration for today’s blog posting:)
On bus ride #1, I was the lucky recipient of the world’s warmest and brightest smile. Dazzling, sincere, and awesome - it was love at first sight for this little ray of sunshine!
At the bus stop, 2-3 weeks later, prior to ride #2, there stood this lovely ray of sunshine shimmery and smily again! Lit up and blissed out, I obey my heart’s command and strike up conversation with her. Through chat while waiting for the bus and then while on the bus, here’s what I learn: Naydele is a grade 11 student who moved to Calgary 7 years ago. She moved here with her parents from a refugee camp in Sudan where her older brother still resides. Calgary is very cold compared to dry, dusty, dessert-like Sudan. Naydele enjoys school and is thankful for the Canadian government for paying for it for her. She wants to be a surgeon someday and then hopes to return to her country to help her people. I shared with Naydele the reason I felt so compelled to speak with her, and thankfully so, as in return she blessed me with the world’s warmest hug! My new friend is a very special individual. She could light up a city with that mega-watt smile. I told her to keep on smiling. I hope she does.
At work that day, I just couldn’t take my mind off of Naydele. What was life like for her and her family in a refugee camp in Sudan? What sorts of struggles had they been through or paid witness to? What was the immigration process like for them? Is it right for me to assume they are of the lucky few that get to become residents of this country? And, how did they get selected? What is her brother’s life like? What is Naydele’s life like? Do her parents have a sustainable income? As immigrants, what are some of the challenges they face in a country that is not native to them?
The culture of the Sudanese and the answers to these questions, are topics I hope to educate myself on - thanks to Naydele.
Prior to meeting Naydele, an African country that has been occupying a piece of my mind for some time now is Somalia, not far from Sudan. Reason behind this is Amanda Lindhout. Amanda, I’ve just learned, is my hero.
Amanda Lindhout, an Alberta native and freelance journalist, spent 15 months hostage in Somalia. Shackled with chains around her ankles, all alone in a pitch black room, forbidden to move and forced to lie down, and having endured every type of abuse imaginable, Amanda survived. One year ago this month, her supporters paid a ransom and she was set free. Does she look back in anger? The answer is no, not at all. In Amanda’s darkest moment she came to understand something of her captors’ lives – they were victims themselves, their suffering was greater than her own. They had known nothing but conflict and war from the time they were born. They had never been given opportunities – like an education. In that moment, Amanda vowed if she ever got out alive, she would do her part to make Somalia a better place. Since her return to Canada, she’s proved her commitment. Please visit her site: http://globalenrichmentfoundation.com/
At the bus stop, 2-3 weeks later, prior to ride #2, there stood this lovely ray of sunshine shimmery and smily again! Lit up and blissed out, I obey my heart’s command and strike up conversation with her. Through chat while waiting for the bus and then while on the bus, here’s what I learn: Naydele is a grade 11 student who moved to Calgary 7 years ago. She moved here with her parents from a refugee camp in Sudan where her older brother still resides. Calgary is very cold compared to dry, dusty, dessert-like Sudan. Naydele enjoys school and is thankful for the Canadian government for paying for it for her. She wants to be a surgeon someday and then hopes to return to her country to help her people. I shared with Naydele the reason I felt so compelled to speak with her, and thankfully so, as in return she blessed me with the world’s warmest hug! My new friend is a very special individual. She could light up a city with that mega-watt smile. I told her to keep on smiling. I hope she does.
At work that day, I just couldn’t take my mind off of Naydele. What was life like for her and her family in a refugee camp in Sudan? What sorts of struggles had they been through or paid witness to? What was the immigration process like for them? Is it right for me to assume they are of the lucky few that get to become residents of this country? And, how did they get selected? What is her brother’s life like? What is Naydele’s life like? Do her parents have a sustainable income? As immigrants, what are some of the challenges they face in a country that is not native to them?
The culture of the Sudanese and the answers to these questions, are topics I hope to educate myself on - thanks to Naydele.
Prior to meeting Naydele, an African country that has been occupying a piece of my mind for some time now is Somalia, not far from Sudan. Reason behind this is Amanda Lindhout. Amanda, I’ve just learned, is my hero.
Amanda Lindhout, an Alberta native and freelance journalist, spent 15 months hostage in Somalia. Shackled with chains around her ankles, all alone in a pitch black room, forbidden to move and forced to lie down, and having endured every type of abuse imaginable, Amanda survived. One year ago this month, her supporters paid a ransom and she was set free. Does she look back in anger? The answer is no, not at all. In Amanda’s darkest moment she came to understand something of her captors’ lives – they were victims themselves, their suffering was greater than her own. They had known nothing but conflict and war from the time they were born. They had never been given opportunities – like an education. In that moment, Amanda vowed if she ever got out alive, she would do her part to make Somalia a better place. Since her return to Canada, she’s proved her commitment. Please visit her site: http://globalenrichmentfoundation.com/
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Best song of life!
These are the lyrics to what has been my absolute favorite song for 3 years now! I simply just cannot tire of its wonderfulness. The lyrics are as lovely and beautiful as the tune. Here you go!
Two Shoes by The Cat Empire
One day one woman asked him
‘what do you to survive?’
he said ‘oh my dear listen here’
and this is what he cried
On my feet I wear two shoes for dancing
‘dancing to be free’
my feet they’re paying tribute to
the Bobby Marley legacy
My knees they’ve got some cuts and bruises
from skating all my days
when i’m skating with my friends
my troubles drift away
I say my legs they’re wearing baggy pants
I like to move around
cos getting down and jumping up
these are some good things that I found
Aeehhhiiiaaaaa
boom shak the empire be rising
Aeehhhiiiaaaaa
boom shak we making some lovin
Aeehhhiiiaaaaa
boom shak the greedy men running
Aeehhhiiiaaaaa
boom shak got two shoes for dancin
My waist it’s got a slinky belt
with a clip that’s quick to open
because loving is the sweetest thing
and from my waist it happen
And my stomachs got some tasty food
that’s making me feel good
cos sharing some meals is something
i wish the world could do
And my chest it wears a singlet
ah my chest it beating proud
my chest suggest I am a man
that no institution can knock down
And around my neck is superstition
hanging from a chain
because i’ve got my gods but in the end
I make my own way
My mouth it’s got a great big smile
that shows some great big teeth
to friends it brings a happiness
and to enemies it means defeat
And my eyes they’ve got some vision
that can see through many lies
ah my eyes they look for better things
the better things to see in life
And my ears are wearing head phones
that do play my favourite songs
not music i’m told to like
but the songs that make me dance along
Cos on my feet are shoes for dancing
‘dancing to be free’
my feet they’re paying tribute to
the bobby marley legacy
Monday, November 1, 2010
Reminder to self
Life is meant to be one delightful romp from experience to experience.
I love the simplicity of this statement and the truth it emanates. Just a reminder to self to not take this life too seriously.
Take time everyday to laugh, love, smile, breathe, and just be.
Watch the thinker – and do so non-judgmentally. Practice will bring space between thoughts.
Find time for stillness as it will strengthen inner peace.
Listen to your heart and trust that life will unfold naturally and effortlessly as it always has and always will.
And, while counting my blessings is a very thoughtful practice, it’s time to move beyond gratefulness for experiences, people, places, and things to gratefulness for existence itself. There is not a single moment in your life when you do not have everything you need to be happy.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
True calling
While I don’t watch her show, as I don’t watch TV – I am a big fan of Oprah’s website and magazine. I get her spiritual newsletter emailed to me weekly and I just love it! I enjoy reading the articles and find inspiration always follows in some form or another.
Here, a passage from this weeks’ spiritual newsletter:
Teaching is my true calling. I have felt inklings of this truth since I was a little barefooted girl in Mississippi trying to get my rowdy boy cousins Willie Mack and Lonnie to spell Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego correctly. They weren't very amenable. But I was persistent. Every chance I got to play teacher, I took.
After almost 25 years of talking on TV every day, my most profound and meaningful memories are of people getting to see the light in themselves and having an aha moment. Over the years, all my teaching on the show has taught me. I've been strengthened by the sharing of it. And I know for sure as I move into the next chapter of my life and career: Teaching will hold an even greater place. It's what I'm called to do.
We're all called. If you're here breathing, you have a contribution to make to our human community. The real work of your life is to figure out your function—your part in the whole—as soon as possible, and then get about the business of fulfilling it as only you can.
As part of my morning ritual of meditation and prayer, I read Mark Nepo's Book of Awakening: Having the Life You Want by Being Present to the Life You Have. Today's lesson, as is often the case, was so spot-on that I have to share it.
Nepo speaks of "my struggles as a teenager when my mother wanted me to be a lawyer and my father wanted me to be an architect. Somehow I knew I needed to be a poet; something in it brought me alive."
He quotes Mechthild of Magdeburg, a medieval mystic: "A fish cannot drown in water. A bird does not fall in air. Each creature God made must live in its own true nature."
And he offers these observations of his own: "Part of the blessing and challenge of being human is that we must discover our own true God-given nature. This is not some noble, abstract quest but an inner necessity. For only by living in our own element can we thrive without anxiety. And since human beings are the only life form that can drown and still go to work, the only species that can fall from the sky and still fold laundry, it is imperative that we find that vital element that brings us alive... the true vitality that waits beneath all occupations for us to tap into, if we can discover what we love. If you feel energy and excitement and a sense that life is happening for the first time, you are probably near your God-given nature. Joy in what we do is not an added feature; it is a sign of deep health."
What I know for sure: There is no greater gift you can give or receive than to honor your calling. It's why you were born. And how you become most truly alive.
We're all called. If you're here breathing, you have a contribution to make.
Here, a passage from this weeks’ spiritual newsletter:
Teaching is my true calling. I have felt inklings of this truth since I was a little barefooted girl in Mississippi trying to get my rowdy boy cousins Willie Mack and Lonnie to spell Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego correctly. They weren't very amenable. But I was persistent. Every chance I got to play teacher, I took.
After almost 25 years of talking on TV every day, my most profound and meaningful memories are of people getting to see the light in themselves and having an aha moment. Over the years, all my teaching on the show has taught me. I've been strengthened by the sharing of it. And I know for sure as I move into the next chapter of my life and career: Teaching will hold an even greater place. It's what I'm called to do.
We're all called. If you're here breathing, you have a contribution to make to our human community. The real work of your life is to figure out your function—your part in the whole—as soon as possible, and then get about the business of fulfilling it as only you can.
As part of my morning ritual of meditation and prayer, I read Mark Nepo's Book of Awakening: Having the Life You Want by Being Present to the Life You Have. Today's lesson, as is often the case, was so spot-on that I have to share it.
Nepo speaks of "my struggles as a teenager when my mother wanted me to be a lawyer and my father wanted me to be an architect. Somehow I knew I needed to be a poet; something in it brought me alive."
He quotes Mechthild of Magdeburg, a medieval mystic: "A fish cannot drown in water. A bird does not fall in air. Each creature God made must live in its own true nature."
And he offers these observations of his own: "Part of the blessing and challenge of being human is that we must discover our own true God-given nature. This is not some noble, abstract quest but an inner necessity. For only by living in our own element can we thrive without anxiety. And since human beings are the only life form that can drown and still go to work, the only species that can fall from the sky and still fold laundry, it is imperative that we find that vital element that brings us alive... the true vitality that waits beneath all occupations for us to tap into, if we can discover what we love. If you feel energy and excitement and a sense that life is happening for the first time, you are probably near your God-given nature. Joy in what we do is not an added feature; it is a sign of deep health."
What I know for sure: There is no greater gift you can give or receive than to honor your calling. It's why you were born. And how you become most truly alive.
We're all called. If you're here breathing, you have a contribution to make.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Attachments
What am I attached to? Rather, what material possession would I find myself incomplete without? What do I own that I feel I need, in other words? What is my favorite possession? Hmmmm.
Practicing honesty in the most sincerest sense, I can tell this is going to be difficult. Difficult not because there’s so many items I love and feel attached to, but because there is a lack thereof. Perhaps this isn't the topic for a low-maintenance minimalist. Well if anything, food for thought. Questions for us all to ponder.
First of all, I don’t have any assets. Nothing to brag about at the bank. No car, no mortgage. Nothing at all actually, in terms of monetary value. Not even a cellphone. The single most expensive thing I own (aside from my student loan, of course) is my $200 bicycle, and that was a gift from Logan. Next in line would be my little Canon camera which has probably depreciated to about $50, if that. I own an Ipod Nano (also a gift from Logan). Couch was free. Shelving unit, $15 secondhand. Ooooooh, my bed! I paid close to $400 bones for that! There we go, that may be considered an asset. Maybe this “lack” isn’t a good thing. But, maybe it is? As previously mentioned, I like simple living and simply living.
Back on the subject, what am I attached to? The answer is nothing. Nothing material anyways. A couple of years ago Logan shrunk my favorite sweater. Initially I was pretty upset but to cope I cued in to the intended lesson which was: it’s just a piece of material, it doesn’t define me nor in any way contribute to who I am, I don’t need it, etc.. Ever since that lesson, my relationship with the things I own has been quite mature.
I am, however, attached to several people in my life, i.e. my boyfriend, my brother, my Dad, my best friends, etc.. They're not material possessions of course but rather my family, and I sure as heck would feel incomplete without them. (**Family, afterall, is not about blood, but about love and commitment.** ..for those who know me well, I just had to throw that in there! Totally my favorite saying!)
What do I own that I feel I need? To answer this question, I've been spending my days very consciously aware of my usages, customs, and practices. I have found tap water and the food in my fridge and cupboards to be my necessities. Going further, I have been paying close attention to the products I feel I need: shampoo, soap and toothpaste. It’s been getting pretty cold outside so heat is on this list. As well, I can’t sleep without blankets. Of course, the money to buy these things is also a requirement.
What I think I need and what my favorite possessions consist of are interconnected. I love Tetley teabags and I enjoy facial moisturizer a couple of days a week. Footwear is kind of nice. Clothing is alright too, but not a necessity – as I love being in the nude. I need birth control pills. But most of all, I need red wine. If put out on the street homeless tomorrow, with only the clothes on my back, I would miss my bank card the most as without it, I wouldn’t be able to buy me a bottle of wine!
Practicing honesty in the most sincerest sense, I can tell this is going to be difficult. Difficult not because there’s so many items I love and feel attached to, but because there is a lack thereof. Perhaps this isn't the topic for a low-maintenance minimalist. Well if anything, food for thought. Questions for us all to ponder.
First of all, I don’t have any assets. Nothing to brag about at the bank. No car, no mortgage. Nothing at all actually, in terms of monetary value. Not even a cellphone. The single most expensive thing I own (aside from my student loan, of course) is my $200 bicycle, and that was a gift from Logan. Next in line would be my little Canon camera which has probably depreciated to about $50, if that. I own an Ipod Nano (also a gift from Logan). Couch was free. Shelving unit, $15 secondhand. Ooooooh, my bed! I paid close to $400 bones for that! There we go, that may be considered an asset. Maybe this “lack” isn’t a good thing. But, maybe it is? As previously mentioned, I like simple living and simply living.
Back on the subject, what am I attached to? The answer is nothing. Nothing material anyways. A couple of years ago Logan shrunk my favorite sweater. Initially I was pretty upset but to cope I cued in to the intended lesson which was: it’s just a piece of material, it doesn’t define me nor in any way contribute to who I am, I don’t need it, etc.. Ever since that lesson, my relationship with the things I own has been quite mature.
I am, however, attached to several people in my life, i.e. my boyfriend, my brother, my Dad, my best friends, etc.. They're not material possessions of course but rather my family, and I sure as heck would feel incomplete without them. (**Family, afterall, is not about blood, but about love and commitment.** ..for those who know me well, I just had to throw that in there! Totally my favorite saying!)
What do I own that I feel I need? To answer this question, I've been spending my days very consciously aware of my usages, customs, and practices. I have found tap water and the food in my fridge and cupboards to be my necessities. Going further, I have been paying close attention to the products I feel I need: shampoo, soap and toothpaste. It’s been getting pretty cold outside so heat is on this list. As well, I can’t sleep without blankets. Of course, the money to buy these things is also a requirement.
What I think I need and what my favorite possessions consist of are interconnected. I love Tetley teabags and I enjoy facial moisturizer a couple of days a week. Footwear is kind of nice. Clothing is alright too, but not a necessity – as I love being in the nude. I need birth control pills. But most of all, I need red wine. If put out on the street homeless tomorrow, with only the clothes on my back, I would miss my bank card the most as without it, I wouldn’t be able to buy me a bottle of wine!
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
The little things
I returned yesterday from a 24 hr backcountry excursion with the family. Had an amazing time! It was my very first time camping in the backcountry – and that feeling of being in such a remote place I truly loved! Simplicity is a beautiful thing. My mind spent it’s time being free and light. Smells of earth surrounded us while mountain walls reminded us whose boss. Clear, blue-green, glacier fed water and vibrant autumn leaves colored our playground quite magnificently. Peace filled my lungs with every breath.
Unexpectedly, a downpour struck. Lasting a couple of hours, I think it only visited to remind us of our basic needs. Shelter is what we found ourselves instinctively seeking. Warmth came in a close second. It wasn’t long before teamwork and cooperation presented shelter. Upon its completion though, the universe had coincidently responded to our innermost requests … presto, the rain had stopped! A blazing fire was soon to follow and there we were basking in its glorious gift of heat.
Unexpectedly, a downpour struck. Lasting a couple of hours, I think it only visited to remind us of our basic needs. Shelter is what we found ourselves instinctively seeking. Warmth came in a close second. It wasn’t long before teamwork and cooperation presented shelter. Upon its completion though, the universe had coincidently responded to our innermost requests … presto, the rain had stopped! A blazing fire was soon to follow and there we were basking in its glorious gift of heat.
Ahhhhh. I love my life!!!
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Origins
The name Tootie comes from an old boyfriend. We were trying to come up with a nickname for me for MSN chat or something like that and I recall it struck him in the most obvious sort of fashion … tootie fruity! He said: You’re so gay and fruity-like that your nickname must be that! Tootie, 5 years later, has I am in many instances still called by my brother, sister-in-law and current boyfriend, has also become a major adjective in our household. To describe places and things that are my style: Tootie hill. Tootie shop. Tootie bike. Tootie hat. Tootie shoes. Sometimes even potential friends are described as being pretty Tootie. Verbs are also frequently described using the term as well: Tootie run. Tootie ride. Tootie hike.
When asked for input (on my identity, basically), Logan brought my attention to an excerpt I read to him once from the book Eat, Pray, Love. There is a character in the book by the name of Tutti (which we learned means everyone in Italian). He thinks that we could view my nickname in this light as well. Logan explained Tootie as synonymous for carefree. Everyone, he explained, feels a little Tootie sometimes hence the need, every now and then, for a Tootie hike – (which would translate into one of a carefree and leisure nature).
The name gusts of gratitude came to me atop a mountain last weekend. That’s where gusts of gratitude usually wash over me – like tidal waves no less. Well – anywhere in nature for that matter, or anytime I’m riding my bike, or anytime I’m eating a delectable meal, or anytime I’m surrounded by friends. Okay, okay. So gusts of gratitude wash over me quite frequently but I believe that’s why I’m a happy person. And – I’m not a fake happy person, I’m a bona fide lover of life! At times, these gusts so profoundly bliss me the eff out that all I can do is simply breathe, smile and be thankful. I am a being who is constantly in amazement at the smoothness and flow of life. I wonder sometimes if I always had such a positive outlook, but I just can't remember. More likely though, I believe it’s a way of life I’ve learned, that I've taught myself through experience and appreciation and acceptance. Life has treated me very nicely. I’m uber healthy, a roof has always been over my head and my tummy filled with food, love surrounds me, and the universe pretty much always presents me with what I ask for. I like learning the intended lesson. I like simple living, and simply living. And I think that's pretty much what it all boils down to!
With gratitude (on Thanksgiving weekend no less!)...
Tootie!
When asked for input (on my identity, basically), Logan brought my attention to an excerpt I read to him once from the book Eat, Pray, Love. There is a character in the book by the name of Tutti (which we learned means everyone in Italian). He thinks that we could view my nickname in this light as well. Logan explained Tootie as synonymous for carefree. Everyone, he explained, feels a little Tootie sometimes hence the need, every now and then, for a Tootie hike – (which would translate into one of a carefree and leisure nature).
The name gusts of gratitude came to me atop a mountain last weekend. That’s where gusts of gratitude usually wash over me – like tidal waves no less. Well – anywhere in nature for that matter, or anytime I’m riding my bike, or anytime I’m eating a delectable meal, or anytime I’m surrounded by friends. Okay, okay. So gusts of gratitude wash over me quite frequently but I believe that’s why I’m a happy person. And – I’m not a fake happy person, I’m a bona fide lover of life! At times, these gusts so profoundly bliss me the eff out that all I can do is simply breathe, smile and be thankful. I am a being who is constantly in amazement at the smoothness and flow of life. I wonder sometimes if I always had such a positive outlook, but I just can't remember. More likely though, I believe it’s a way of life I’ve learned, that I've taught myself through experience and appreciation and acceptance. Life has treated me very nicely. I’m uber healthy, a roof has always been over my head and my tummy filled with food, love surrounds me, and the universe pretty much always presents me with what I ask for. I like learning the intended lesson. I like simple living, and simply living. And I think that's pretty much what it all boils down to!
With gratitude (on Thanksgiving weekend no less!)...
Tootie!
Monday, October 4, 2010
Valedictorian's Speech
Friends - excellent read here! This is sure to resonate with you at some level or another.
Dear Editor,
(The following was read as the valedictorian's speech at Coxsackie-Athens High School in recent weeks, creating quite a stir among administrators, to great applause from students and many of their parents)
There is a story of a young, but earnest Zen student who approached his teacher, and asked the Master: "If I work very hard and diligently, how long will it take for me to find Zen?" The Master thought about this, then replied, "Ten years . ." (The student then said, "But what if I work very, very hard and really apply myself to learn fast - How long then?" Replied the Master, "Well, twenty years." "But, if I really, really work at it, how long then?" asked the student. "Thirty years," replied the Master. "But, I do not understand," said the disappointed student. "At each time that I say I will work harder, you say it will take me longer. Why do you say that?" (Replied the Master, "When you have one eye on the goal, you only have one eye on the path."
This is the dilemma I've faced within the American education system. We are so focused on a goal, whether it be passing a test, or graduating as first in the class. However, in this way, we do not really learn. We do whatever it takes to achieve our original objective.
Some of you may be thinking, "Well, if you pass a test, or become valedictorian, didn't you learn something? Well, yes, you learned something, but not all that you could have. Perhaps, you only learned how to memorize names, places, and dates to later on forget in order to clear your mind for the next test. School is not all that it can be. Right now, it is a place for most people to determine that their goal is to get out as soon as possible.
I am now accomplishing that goal. I am graduating. I should look at this as a positive experience, especially being at the top of my class. However, in retrospect, I cannot say that I am any more intelligent than my peers. I can attest that I am only the best at doing what I am told and working the system. Yet, here I stand, and I am supposed to be proud that I have completed this period of indoctrination. I will leave in the fall to go on to the next phase expected of me, in order to receive a paper document that certifies that I am capable of work. But I contest that I am a human being, a thinker, an adventurer - not a worker. A worker is someone who is trapped within repetition - a slave of the system set up before him. But now, I have successfully shown that I was the best slave. I did what I was told to the extreme. While others sat in class and doodled to later become great artists, I sat in class to take notes and become a great test-taker. While others would come to class without their homework done because they were reading about an interest of theirs, I never missed an assignment. While others were creating music and writing lyrics, I decided to do extra credit, even though I never needed it. So, I wonder, why did I even want this position? Sure, I earned it, but what will come of it? When I leave educational institutionalism, will I be successful or forever lost? I have no clue about what I want to do with my life; I have no interests because I saw every subject of study as work, and I excelled at every subject just for the purpose of excelling, not learning.
John Taylor Gatto, a retired school teacher and activist critical of compulsory schooling, asserts, "We could encourage the best qualities of youthfulness - curiosity, adventure, resilience, the capacity for surprising insight simply by being more flexible about time, texts, and tests, by introducing kids into truly competent adults, and by giving each student what autonomy he or she needs in order to take a risk every now and then. But we don't do that." Between these cinderblock walls, we are all expected to be the same. We are trained to ace every standardized test, and those who deviate and see light through a different lens are worthless to the scheme of public education, and therefore viewed with contempt.
H. L. Mencken wrote in The American Mercury for April 1924 that the aim of public education is not to fill the young of the species with knowledge and awaken their intelligence. ... Nothing could be further from the truth. The aim ... is simply to reduce as many individuals as possible to the same safe level, to breed and train a standardized citizenry, to put down dissent and originality. That is its aim in the United States. (Gatto)
To illustrate this idea, doesn't it perturb you to learn about the idea of "critical thinking." Is there really such a thing as "uncritically thinking?" To think is to process information in order to form an opinion. But if we are not critical when processing this information, are we really thinking? Or are we mindlessly accepting other opinions as truth?
This was happening to me, and if it wasn't for the rare occurrence of an avant-garde tenth grade English teacher, Donna Bryan, who allowed me to open my mind and ask questions before accepting textbook doctrine, I would have been doomed. I am now enlightened, but my mind still feels disabled. I must retrain myself and constantly remember how insane this ostensibly sane place really is.
And now here I am in a world guided by fear, a world suppressing the uniqueness that lies inside each of us, a world where we can either acquiesce to the inhuman nonsense of corporatism and materialism or insist on change. We are not enlivened by an educational system that clandestinely sets us up for jobs that could be automated, for work that need not be done, for enslavement without fervency for meaningful achievement. We have no choices in life when money is our motivational force. Our motivational force ought to be passion, but this is lost from the moment we step into a system that trains us, rather than inspires us.
We are more than robotic bookshelves, conditioned to blurt out facts we were taught in school. We are all very special, every human on this planet is so special, so aren't we all deserving of something better, of using our minds for innovation, rather than memorization, for creativity, rather than futile activity, for rumination rather than stagnation? We are not here to get a degree, to then get a job, so we can consume industry-approved placation after placation. There is more, and more still.
The saddest part is that the majority of students don't have the opportunity to reflect as I did. The majority of students are put through the same brainwashing techniques in order to create a complacent labor force working in the interests of large corporations and secretive government, and worst of all, they are completely unaware of it. I will never be able to turn back these 18 years. I can't run away to another country with an education system meant to enlighten rather than condition. This part of my life is over, and I want to make sure that no other child will have his or her potential suppressed by powers meant to exploit and control. We are human beings. We are thinkers, dreamers, explorers, artists, writers, engineers. We are anything we want to be - but only if we have an educational system that supports us rather than holds us down. A tree can grow, but only if its roots are given a healthy foundation.
For those of you out there that must continue to sit in desks and yield to the authoritarian ideologies of instructors, do not be disheartened. You still have the opportunity to stand up, ask questions, be critical, and create your own perspective. Demand a setting that will provide you with intellectual capabilities that allow you to expand your mind instead of directing it. Demand that you be interested in class. Demand that the excuse, "You have to learn this for the test" is not good enough for you. Education is an excellent tool, if used properly, but focus more on learning rather than getting good grades.
For those of you that work within the system that I am condemning, I do not mean to insult; I intend to motivate. You have the power to change the incompetencies of this system. I know that you did not become a teacher or administrator to see your students bored. You cannot accept the authority of the governing bodies that tell you what to teach, how to teach it, and that you will be punished if you do not comply. Our potential is at stake.
For those of you that are now leaving this establishment, I say, do not forget what went on in these classrooms. Do not abandon those that come after you. We are the new future and we are not going to let tradition stand. We will break down the walls of corruption to let a garden of knowledge grow throughout America. Once educated properly, we will have the power to do anything, and best of all, we will only use that power for good, for we will be cultivated and wise. We will not accept anything at face value. We will ask questions, and we will demand truth.
So, here I stand. I am not standing here as valedictorian by myself. I was molded by my environment, by all of my peers who are sitting here watching me. I couldn't have accomplished this without all of you. It was all of you who truly made me the person I am today. It was all of you who were my competition, yet my backbone. In that way, we are all valedictorians.
I am now supposed to say farewell to this institution, those who maintain it, and those who stand with me and behind me, but I hope this farewell is more of a "see you later" when we are all working together to rear a pedagogic movement. But first, let's go get those pieces of paper that tell us that we're smart enough to do so!
Erica Goldson
Athens, NY
There is a story of a young, but earnest Zen student who approached his teacher, and asked the Master: "If I work very hard and diligently, how long will it take for me to find Zen?" The Master thought about this, then replied, "Ten years . ." (The student then said, "But what if I work very, very hard and really apply myself to learn fast - How long then?" Replied the Master, "Well, twenty years." "But, if I really, really work at it, how long then?" asked the student. "Thirty years," replied the Master. "But, I do not understand," said the disappointed student. "At each time that I say I will work harder, you say it will take me longer. Why do you say that?" (Replied the Master, "When you have one eye on the goal, you only have one eye on the path."
This is the dilemma I've faced within the American education system. We are so focused on a goal, whether it be passing a test, or graduating as first in the class. However, in this way, we do not really learn. We do whatever it takes to achieve our original objective.
Some of you may be thinking, "Well, if you pass a test, or become valedictorian, didn't you learn something? Well, yes, you learned something, but not all that you could have. Perhaps, you only learned how to memorize names, places, and dates to later on forget in order to clear your mind for the next test. School is not all that it can be. Right now, it is a place for most people to determine that their goal is to get out as soon as possible.
I am now accomplishing that goal. I am graduating. I should look at this as a positive experience, especially being at the top of my class. However, in retrospect, I cannot say that I am any more intelligent than my peers. I can attest that I am only the best at doing what I am told and working the system. Yet, here I stand, and I am supposed to be proud that I have completed this period of indoctrination. I will leave in the fall to go on to the next phase expected of me, in order to receive a paper document that certifies that I am capable of work. But I contest that I am a human being, a thinker, an adventurer - not a worker. A worker is someone who is trapped within repetition - a slave of the system set up before him. But now, I have successfully shown that I was the best slave. I did what I was told to the extreme. While others sat in class and doodled to later become great artists, I sat in class to take notes and become a great test-taker. While others would come to class without their homework done because they were reading about an interest of theirs, I never missed an assignment. While others were creating music and writing lyrics, I decided to do extra credit, even though I never needed it. So, I wonder, why did I even want this position? Sure, I earned it, but what will come of it? When I leave educational institutionalism, will I be successful or forever lost? I have no clue about what I want to do with my life; I have no interests because I saw every subject of study as work, and I excelled at every subject just for the purpose of excelling, not learning.
John Taylor Gatto, a retired school teacher and activist critical of compulsory schooling, asserts, "We could encourage the best qualities of youthfulness - curiosity, adventure, resilience, the capacity for surprising insight simply by being more flexible about time, texts, and tests, by introducing kids into truly competent adults, and by giving each student what autonomy he or she needs in order to take a risk every now and then. But we don't do that." Between these cinderblock walls, we are all expected to be the same. We are trained to ace every standardized test, and those who deviate and see light through a different lens are worthless to the scheme of public education, and therefore viewed with contempt.
H. L. Mencken wrote in The American Mercury for April 1924 that the aim of public education is not to fill the young of the species with knowledge and awaken their intelligence. ... Nothing could be further from the truth. The aim ... is simply to reduce as many individuals as possible to the same safe level, to breed and train a standardized citizenry, to put down dissent and originality. That is its aim in the United States. (Gatto)
To illustrate this idea, doesn't it perturb you to learn about the idea of "critical thinking." Is there really such a thing as "uncritically thinking?" To think is to process information in order to form an opinion. But if we are not critical when processing this information, are we really thinking? Or are we mindlessly accepting other opinions as truth?
This was happening to me, and if it wasn't for the rare occurrence of an avant-garde tenth grade English teacher, Donna Bryan, who allowed me to open my mind and ask questions before accepting textbook doctrine, I would have been doomed. I am now enlightened, but my mind still feels disabled. I must retrain myself and constantly remember how insane this ostensibly sane place really is.
And now here I am in a world guided by fear, a world suppressing the uniqueness that lies inside each of us, a world where we can either acquiesce to the inhuman nonsense of corporatism and materialism or insist on change. We are not enlivened by an educational system that clandestinely sets us up for jobs that could be automated, for work that need not be done, for enslavement without fervency for meaningful achievement. We have no choices in life when money is our motivational force. Our motivational force ought to be passion, but this is lost from the moment we step into a system that trains us, rather than inspires us.
We are more than robotic bookshelves, conditioned to blurt out facts we were taught in school. We are all very special, every human on this planet is so special, so aren't we all deserving of something better, of using our minds for innovation, rather than memorization, for creativity, rather than futile activity, for rumination rather than stagnation? We are not here to get a degree, to then get a job, so we can consume industry-approved placation after placation. There is more, and more still.
The saddest part is that the majority of students don't have the opportunity to reflect as I did. The majority of students are put through the same brainwashing techniques in order to create a complacent labor force working in the interests of large corporations and secretive government, and worst of all, they are completely unaware of it. I will never be able to turn back these 18 years. I can't run away to another country with an education system meant to enlighten rather than condition. This part of my life is over, and I want to make sure that no other child will have his or her potential suppressed by powers meant to exploit and control. We are human beings. We are thinkers, dreamers, explorers, artists, writers, engineers. We are anything we want to be - but only if we have an educational system that supports us rather than holds us down. A tree can grow, but only if its roots are given a healthy foundation.
For those of you out there that must continue to sit in desks and yield to the authoritarian ideologies of instructors, do not be disheartened. You still have the opportunity to stand up, ask questions, be critical, and create your own perspective. Demand a setting that will provide you with intellectual capabilities that allow you to expand your mind instead of directing it. Demand that you be interested in class. Demand that the excuse, "You have to learn this for the test" is not good enough for you. Education is an excellent tool, if used properly, but focus more on learning rather than getting good grades.
For those of you that work within the system that I am condemning, I do not mean to insult; I intend to motivate. You have the power to change the incompetencies of this system. I know that you did not become a teacher or administrator to see your students bored. You cannot accept the authority of the governing bodies that tell you what to teach, how to teach it, and that you will be punished if you do not comply. Our potential is at stake.
For those of you that are now leaving this establishment, I say, do not forget what went on in these classrooms. Do not abandon those that come after you. We are the new future and we are not going to let tradition stand. We will break down the walls of corruption to let a garden of knowledge grow throughout America. Once educated properly, we will have the power to do anything, and best of all, we will only use that power for good, for we will be cultivated and wise. We will not accept anything at face value. We will ask questions, and we will demand truth.
So, here I stand. I am not standing here as valedictorian by myself. I was molded by my environment, by all of my peers who are sitting here watching me. I couldn't have accomplished this without all of you. It was all of you who truly made me the person I am today. It was all of you who were my competition, yet my backbone. In that way, we are all valedictorians.
I am now supposed to say farewell to this institution, those who maintain it, and those who stand with me and behind me, but I hope this farewell is more of a "see you later" when we are all working together to rear a pedagogic movement. But first, let's go get those pieces of paper that tell us that we're smart enough to do so!
Erica Goldson
Athens, NY
How To Be Alone
\http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7X7sZzSXYs
Outright perfection!
So excited to spend tomorrow alone on my day off! What not to do:)
How To Be Alone by Tanya Davis
If you are at first lonely, be patient. If you’ve not been alone much, or if when you were and you were not okay with it, then just wait. You’ll find it's fine to be alone once you’re embracing it. We can start with the acceptable places, the bathroom, the coffee shop, the library, where you can stall and read the paper, where you can get your caffeine fix and sit and stay there. Where you can browse the stacks and smell the books, you're not supposed to talk much anyway so it’s safe there. There is also the gym, if you’re shy, you can hang out with yourself and mirrors, you can put headphones in. There’s public transportation, we all gotta go places. And there’s prayer and mediation, no one will think less if your hanging with your breath, seeking peace and salvation. Start simple. Things you may have previously avoided, based on avoid being principles. The lunch counter, where you will be surrounded by “chow downers”, employees who only have an hour and their spouses work across town, and so they, like you, will be alone. Resist the urge to hang out with your cell phone. When you are comfortable with “eat lunch and run”, take yourself out for dinner to a restaurant with linen and silverwear. You’re no less intriguing a person when you are eating solo desert and cleaning the whipped cream from the dish with your finger. In fact, some people at full tables will wish they were where you were. Go to the movies where it’s dark and soothing, alone in your seat amidst fleeting community. And then take yourself out dancing, to a club where no one knows you, stand on the outside of the floor until the lights convince you more and more and the music shows you. Dance like no ones watching because they are probably not. And if they are, assume it is with best human intentions. The way bodies move, genuinely move to beats, after-all, is gorgeous and affecting. Dance till you’re sweating. And beads of perspiration remind you of life’s best things. Down your back, like a book of blessings. Go to the woods alone, and the trees and squirrels will watch for you. Go to an unfamiliar city, roam the streets, they are always statues to talk to, and benches made for sitting give strangers a shared existence if only for a minute, these moments can be so uplifting and the conversation you get in by sitting alone on benches, might have never happened had you not been there by yourself.
Society is afraid of alone though. Like lonely hearts are wasting away in basements. Like people must have problems if after a while no one is dating them. But lonely is a freedom that breathes easy and weightless, and lonely is healing if you make it. You can stand swarmed by groups and mobs and hands with your partner, look both further and farther in the endless quest for company. But no one is in your head. And by the time you translate your thoughts, an essence of them may be lost or perhaps it is just kept. Perhaps in the interest of loving oneself, perhaps all those sappy slogans from pre-school over to high school groaning, are tokens for holding the lonely at bay. 'Cause if you’re happy in your head, and solitude is blessed, and alone is okay. It’s okay if no one believes like you, all experiences unique, no one has the same synapses can’t think like you, this be me. It keeps things interesting; life’s magic things are rich. And it doesn’t mean you aren’t connected, the community is not present, just take the perspective you get from being one person in one head and feel the effects of it. Take silence and respect it, if you have an art that needs practice stop neglecting it, if your family doesn’t get you or a religious sect is not meant for you, don’t obsess about it. You could be, in an instant, surrounded if you need it, if your heart is bleeding, make the best of it, there is heat in freezing. Be a testament.
Outright perfection!
So excited to spend tomorrow alone on my day off! What not to do:)
How To Be Alone by Tanya Davis
If you are at first lonely, be patient. If you’ve not been alone much, or if when you were and you were not okay with it, then just wait. You’ll find it's fine to be alone once you’re embracing it. We can start with the acceptable places, the bathroom, the coffee shop, the library, where you can stall and read the paper, where you can get your caffeine fix and sit and stay there. Where you can browse the stacks and smell the books, you're not supposed to talk much anyway so it’s safe there. There is also the gym, if you’re shy, you can hang out with yourself and mirrors, you can put headphones in. There’s public transportation, we all gotta go places. And there’s prayer and mediation, no one will think less if your hanging with your breath, seeking peace and salvation. Start simple. Things you may have previously avoided, based on avoid being principles. The lunch counter, where you will be surrounded by “chow downers”, employees who only have an hour and their spouses work across town, and so they, like you, will be alone. Resist the urge to hang out with your cell phone. When you are comfortable with “eat lunch and run”, take yourself out for dinner to a restaurant with linen and silverwear. You’re no less intriguing a person when you are eating solo desert and cleaning the whipped cream from the dish with your finger. In fact, some people at full tables will wish they were where you were. Go to the movies where it’s dark and soothing, alone in your seat amidst fleeting community. And then take yourself out dancing, to a club where no one knows you, stand on the outside of the floor until the lights convince you more and more and the music shows you. Dance like no ones watching because they are probably not. And if they are, assume it is with best human intentions. The way bodies move, genuinely move to beats, after-all, is gorgeous and affecting. Dance till you’re sweating. And beads of perspiration remind you of life’s best things. Down your back, like a book of blessings. Go to the woods alone, and the trees and squirrels will watch for you. Go to an unfamiliar city, roam the streets, they are always statues to talk to, and benches made for sitting give strangers a shared existence if only for a minute, these moments can be so uplifting and the conversation you get in by sitting alone on benches, might have never happened had you not been there by yourself.
Society is afraid of alone though. Like lonely hearts are wasting away in basements. Like people must have problems if after a while no one is dating them. But lonely is a freedom that breathes easy and weightless, and lonely is healing if you make it. You can stand swarmed by groups and mobs and hands with your partner, look both further and farther in the endless quest for company. But no one is in your head. And by the time you translate your thoughts, an essence of them may be lost or perhaps it is just kept. Perhaps in the interest of loving oneself, perhaps all those sappy slogans from pre-school over to high school groaning, are tokens for holding the lonely at bay. 'Cause if you’re happy in your head, and solitude is blessed, and alone is okay. It’s okay if no one believes like you, all experiences unique, no one has the same synapses can’t think like you, this be me. It keeps things interesting; life’s magic things are rich. And it doesn’t mean you aren’t connected, the community is not present, just take the perspective you get from being one person in one head and feel the effects of it. Take silence and respect it, if you have an art that needs practice stop neglecting it, if your family doesn’t get you or a religious sect is not meant for you, don’t obsess about it. You could be, in an instant, surrounded if you need it, if your heart is bleeding, make the best of it, there is heat in freezing. Be a testament.
Virgin Blogger
Hi friends! I'm just so excited and happy today to be beginning the blogging era of my life! And many thanks to Chandra for this inspiration! We figured - why the heck not. Everybody's doing it. Even if we only follow each other. Even if we only write as if for our own eyes. Even if we only write other people's well put together words. Even if we only post pictures of mountains we've climbed. Even if we only post once a month. Even if we just share our latest fitness goals or favorite yoga pose. Even if we just want to play with the different design templates. Here we are! Much love and gratitude, Carrie, xox
PS - Happy October!
PS - Happy October!
Gusts Of Gratitude
“It is not happiness that makes us grateful; it is gratefulness that makes us happy.”
(Benedictine monk and spiritual teacher, Brother David Steindl-Rast)
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