I don't know about anyone else, but I've found the past few days to be exhausting. Not because I was getting my house and/or affairs in order for the doom-sayers predictions, but I'm exhausted from realizing just how divided we are any more as humans.
Let's face it...folks got pretty snarky.
I figured there would be a few out there who, for whatever odd reason, would do some posturing and "in your face" strutting about, making it very clear to all of us folks of faith that we're just this side of not too bright. But wow...really?
As the day went on today, so too did the barbs, the sarcastic remarks, the generally indignant taunts. The scary part, however, to me was how it was beginning to reach a fevered pitch. I did a lot of online work today that had piled up and it got to the point that I just shut everything down...it got that bad. One guy who I generally consider a reliable and thoughtful resource on my Twitter feed went so far as to post "no rapture=God is dead". I've stopped following him...that's just crossing the line in my book.
What has become of us as a learned society? Intelligence doesn't equate hatred and intolerance. Yet this is what happened this past week. We are quick to point out others' intolerance, yet this happens?
My heart goes out in several different directions today. I feel sad for the people who wanted to believe their leader so badly that they forgot a simple tenet of our Christian belief--NO ONE knows when the rapture will occur. Christ himself said He doesn't know. I'm banking that if He doesn't know that a mere mortal for sure won't. And why do we need to know a time? Anyone who dies for whatever reason is "raptured", so to speak. The mortal journey is over...the eternal one begins. I find that incredibly reassuring and exciting.
My heart goes out equally to those who, as a result of being made to think about their mortality, found a great deal of hate in their hearts and lashed out. It got pretty rough out there, folks. Pretty ugly from the mortals. Yikes.
After multiple distractions throughout the day, I decided to put the top down on Miss Priss and just get out and drive a bit. Did me a world of good. Life got back in a welcomed routine. I went and visited my mom and fixed her hair; I went and bought my needed ingredients to prepare the Friday Night Challenge; I drove through the Ireland flats and got inundated with the aroma of turkey manure being spread on the fields. I felt the sun on my face, the wind in my hair. I heard the birds singing their hearts out. And life came back to normal...what a great word.
I'm a firm believer in God and an afterlife; I find it very reassuring and comforting to know that our journey won't just end abruptly once our bodies give out. I like the idea of greater knowledge, understanding, and discovery down the road. It all makes sense to me.
I truly hope that this past week of events will help us all to slow down, enjoy life, and do a little self-examination when it comes to tolerance. We all come into each others' lives with some form of baggage; equally, we all have things that matter greatly to us. How about we start practicing what makes us feel good to preach. Let's just live and love and accept.
Peace be with you.
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Happy Mother's Day, Mom
I'll admit it freely. I'm one of the luckiest kids on Earth when it comes to parents. I love them now; I loved them when I was a teenager. I knew they were always in charge, but I also knew they were always in my corner. I felt protected without being smothered; I felt free to be creative and unique while being tethered by a common sense. I felt special while knowing I was not the center of the universe. I was raised like a kid, not a science project. I was allowed to get my clothes dirty, to get scratched up, to get my feelings hurt. I was simply told, as a result, to get cleaned up, that a band-aid would fix the scratch, and to let the hurt go and get back out there and have fun. I carry those same truths with me today.
When I was little, we were like most people and pretty well scraped by--I just never knew it. When I got older and Dad got a prized job at the mine running Big Kate, we were doing pretty well--I just never knew it. We were just people, plain and simple. A pretty good way to be.
When Dad died a few years back, Mom lost her best friend in the world. It would have been easy for her just to fold up, too. They had been together for over 60 years; suddenly she was alone. But anyone who knows Mom knows that wasn't going to happen. She's a trooper; she doesn't expect life to be easy, and she doesn't want to be pampered. She'd rather laugh than cry, and she's always reminded us that God didn't promise us a bed of roses for a life. All that reality gave us good roots.
On the other hand, no mom is better at helping kids reach for the sky. During our kid-hoods and now as adults, the three of us kids still invent crazy things, try just about anything, and don't get too excited if we really mess things up while learning something new. Things can be neatened up, cleared up, and cleaned up. Experiencing all facets of life can be pretty messy; truly experiencing all those facets can come out looking like a train-wreck. However...once that new skill is learned, that challenge met, or that creation brought to fruition...fantastic.
Thanks to Mom and Dad, we have common sense roots, we have dreams that never end, and we truly know love.
Mom is 83 and has never been more beautiful. I'm blessed to have her as my mom and honored to have her as my friend.
Love ya, Mom.
When I was little, we were like most people and pretty well scraped by--I just never knew it. When I got older and Dad got a prized job at the mine running Big Kate, we were doing pretty well--I just never knew it. We were just people, plain and simple. A pretty good way to be.
When Dad died a few years back, Mom lost her best friend in the world. It would have been easy for her just to fold up, too. They had been together for over 60 years; suddenly she was alone. But anyone who knows Mom knows that wasn't going to happen. She's a trooper; she doesn't expect life to be easy, and she doesn't want to be pampered. She'd rather laugh than cry, and she's always reminded us that God didn't promise us a bed of roses for a life. All that reality gave us good roots.
On the other hand, no mom is better at helping kids reach for the sky. During our kid-hoods and now as adults, the three of us kids still invent crazy things, try just about anything, and don't get too excited if we really mess things up while learning something new. Things can be neatened up, cleared up, and cleaned up. Experiencing all facets of life can be pretty messy; truly experiencing all those facets can come out looking like a train-wreck. However...once that new skill is learned, that challenge met, or that creation brought to fruition...fantastic.
Thanks to Mom and Dad, we have common sense roots, we have dreams that never end, and we truly know love.
Mom is 83 and has never been more beautiful. I'm blessed to have her as my mom and honored to have her as my friend.
Love ya, Mom.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Plan B
A fairly good idea I've had in the works for awhile now got a few holes shot into it earlier today. Over the past several years, I've learned to not only to accept that things normally don't work in their first draft, but I've more or less learned to expect it. Writing goes through a series of drafts--why shouldn't life?
Time for Plan B.
People have all kinds of reasons for seeing that things just won't work; this is an inherited skill that we humans have honed over thousands of years. We're pretty good at it. However, there are some of us out there that are either too stubborn or too caught up in the "what if" to stop at the first juncture.
We have a Plan B.
Plan B is a lifesaver; it keeps the world moving forward. It doesn't allow for stagnation or, worse yet, losing progress earlier made.
Interestingly, when I returned to my computer and the Twitter feed, a TED talk appeared. TED talks are amongst my favorite things. They're intelligent, forward thinking, and those giving the talks have a Plan B. This particular talk was entitled, "The Antidote to Apathy". I stopped and listened; it was 18 minutes of pure gold. If you'd like to listen and be encouraged and inspired, it's at http://on.ted.com/96iN
Life will hand us roadblocks...we can survive and thrive in spite of them...with a Plan B.
Time for Plan B.
People have all kinds of reasons for seeing that things just won't work; this is an inherited skill that we humans have honed over thousands of years. We're pretty good at it. However, there are some of us out there that are either too stubborn or too caught up in the "what if" to stop at the first juncture.
We have a Plan B.
Plan B is a lifesaver; it keeps the world moving forward. It doesn't allow for stagnation or, worse yet, losing progress earlier made.
Interestingly, when I returned to my computer and the Twitter feed, a TED talk appeared. TED talks are amongst my favorite things. They're intelligent, forward thinking, and those giving the talks have a Plan B. This particular talk was entitled, "The Antidote to Apathy". I stopped and listened; it was 18 minutes of pure gold. If you'd like to listen and be encouraged and inspired, it's at http://on.ted.com/96iN
Life will hand us roadblocks...we can survive and thrive in spite of them...with a Plan B.
Friday, April 8, 2011
Layers of Life
Happily, I am able to head back to the deck to do some meandering today. Specifically, I headed to the hammock on the patio by my office to do some thinking. While taking in all the silence of humans and cacophony of nature, I heard one of my favorite sounds. There was a bird nearby by that was performing in its best voice, which is always enjoyable. But what really set it off was that great sound of a bird back in the woods, singing its heart out as well, but adding that element of a slight echo that filled the surrounding area in the woods. You know that sound? Listen for it the next time you're close to a woods. Fantastic. Nature's sound system.
It's that layering effect that makes everything in life a little sweeter, a little softer, a little easier on the ears and eyes. It puts our lives into stereo. The aesthetic touch that makes a human a little more human.
I've been a parrothead for many year; for those of you who aren't familiar with that odd fellowship, it's the folks who enjoy Jimmy Buffett's songs and stories. I have very few collections since I'm not much on keeping on one subject, but I have amassed quite a bit of Jimmy's music. He's one of those artists that has created some iconic music throughout the years. However, one of my favorite songs he wrote and performs comes from a less than memorable attempt at a musical. This song speaks of those layers of life in a vernacular I can also easily identify with--cooking: "Layers and layers of spices and flavors are finding their way to my brain." When I first heard those words, it made perfect sense to me. It IS all about the layers.
As a lover of being behind the camera, I look at life in layers. It's the photographers' eye that is always looking for the layers through the lens. It's the layers that bring focus to the subject of the shot. Even the extensive void of white or black as a background creates a layering effect that envelopes a specific focal point.
Our lives are richer when we celebrate all the layers. Don't squander time picking and choosing single events; let it all be a part of the sounds, the smells, the sights.
Have a fine day.
It's that layering effect that makes everything in life a little sweeter, a little softer, a little easier on the ears and eyes. It puts our lives into stereo. The aesthetic touch that makes a human a little more human.
I've been a parrothead for many year; for those of you who aren't familiar with that odd fellowship, it's the folks who enjoy Jimmy Buffett's songs and stories. I have very few collections since I'm not much on keeping on one subject, but I have amassed quite a bit of Jimmy's music. He's one of those artists that has created some iconic music throughout the years. However, one of my favorite songs he wrote and performs comes from a less than memorable attempt at a musical. This song speaks of those layers of life in a vernacular I can also easily identify with--cooking: "Layers and layers of spices and flavors are finding their way to my brain." When I first heard those words, it made perfect sense to me. It IS all about the layers.
As a lover of being behind the camera, I look at life in layers. It's the photographers' eye that is always looking for the layers through the lens. It's the layers that bring focus to the subject of the shot. Even the extensive void of white or black as a background creates a layering effect that envelopes a specific focal point.
Our lives are richer when we celebrate all the layers. Don't squander time picking and choosing single events; let it all be a part of the sounds, the smells, the sights.
Have a fine day.
Monday, March 28, 2011
The Hesitancy of Spring
We all reveled in the beauty that was spring at its finest early last week. Daffodils, hyacinths, forsythia, and crocus practically sprung from the ground and scented its surroundings with a fragrance that is unique to this time of year. There was some heat in the sun, and we all reacted accordingly like cats in a sunbeam--we stretched, we smiled, we purred with happiness.
Then came last weekend and reality of how spring can be so hesitant in its ownership of this time of the year. The wind blew, the temperature dropped, the snow fell and covered all the wondrous signs of spring. The green grass became once again a lawn of white; the flowers became white misshapen piles of snow. Our moods went from lightness and warmth and airiness to darkness and chills and the urge to hibernate came once again.
Ah, the hesitancy of spring; it peeks through and gives us hope, only to shy away once again at the first inkling of the forces of winter wanting one more day in the spotlight. Just when we think that spring has regained a foothold over its old nemesis, it disappears and the cold wind, the cold rain, and the dampened spirits return.
Keep the faith, dear friends--every day that takes us one day further into the season of spring brings the promise that the warmth will stay, the trees will leaf out, and our spirits will soar once again.
Then came last weekend and reality of how spring can be so hesitant in its ownership of this time of the year. The wind blew, the temperature dropped, the snow fell and covered all the wondrous signs of spring. The green grass became once again a lawn of white; the flowers became white misshapen piles of snow. Our moods went from lightness and warmth and airiness to darkness and chills and the urge to hibernate came once again.
Ah, the hesitancy of spring; it peeks through and gives us hope, only to shy away once again at the first inkling of the forces of winter wanting one more day in the spotlight. Just when we think that spring has regained a foothold over its old nemesis, it disappears and the cold wind, the cold rain, and the dampened spirits return.
Keep the faith, dear friends--every day that takes us one day further into the season of spring brings the promise that the warmth will stay, the trees will leaf out, and our spirits will soar once again.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Wintertime
Wintertime is a rough time for many people. This winter has been particularly miserable for many with all the ice, snow, sub-zero wind chills, etc. These extremes in weather have caused a great many people to hibernate in their homes, many times against their better judgement. People are social and this weather doesn't encourage sociability. I've seen many folks--young and old and in-between--fall into a true case of the winter doldrums. It takes getting out, getting moving, and getting with others to turn this around. What to do in the meantime?
Remember all those lists compiled (either on paper or mentally) of things that we would be doing once we weren't out doing yard work, home repairs, vacations, etc.? How about tackling that list? Most people just look at the list and decide they're just not in the mood or don't have enough energy to do this. The truth of the matter is that we DO have just as much energy; our brains are just telling us otherwise. We're full of cobwebs this time of year. We need to feel a warm breeze, see a sprig of green, have a few more minutes of daylight. But we DO still have energy.
So...let's use that energy. Look at one item on the list. Re-arrange the photo albums? Clean out a closet and take the clothes to a local charity shop? Pick one job. DO IT. You'll feel great! Your energy will return, you'll turn the corner of cob-webbiness and, before you know it, you'll have many of these chores done just in time to step out into the first warm breeze and feel that spring sunlight on your face.
Have a fine day...
Remember all those lists compiled (either on paper or mentally) of things that we would be doing once we weren't out doing yard work, home repairs, vacations, etc.? How about tackling that list? Most people just look at the list and decide they're just not in the mood or don't have enough energy to do this. The truth of the matter is that we DO have just as much energy; our brains are just telling us otherwise. We're full of cobwebs this time of year. We need to feel a warm breeze, see a sprig of green, have a few more minutes of daylight. But we DO still have energy.
So...let's use that energy. Look at one item on the list. Re-arrange the photo albums? Clean out a closet and take the clothes to a local charity shop? Pick one job. DO IT. You'll feel great! Your energy will return, you'll turn the corner of cob-webbiness and, before you know it, you'll have many of these chores done just in time to step out into the first warm breeze and feel that spring sunlight on your face.
Have a fine day...
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Why Reward the Expected?
I was reading an article the other day and found something to be somewhat surprising and, at the same time, odd. It was a discussion about school-age students and their behavior. It was actually being stressed that kids should be rewarded--and quite often-- for their good behavior.
When did this happen? Time warp...back some 30, 40+ years...we "middle agers" are kids. What on earth would have been thought of our parents if one of them suggested that we be rewarded for behaving? Right. After being laughed out of the room, they might have been shunned, at least for a time, for such an outlandish idea. And, as a result of being expected to behave, we grew up and learned to behave pretty well as adults. We knew we wouldn't always get our way, we knew we wouldn't win nearly every contest or competition, we knew that the world didn't revolve around us, and we knew that our parents truly loved us without the need to prove it in materialistic ways. We knew we were expected to behave--so we did. End of story.
I truly hope that this phenomena doesn't last much longer; it's not healthy for anyone. Not for the parents that become somewhat crazed by listening for every microbit of information that might present itself as a child not being told how wonderful he/she is on an hourly basis. Not for the kids that think that behaving is something that presents itself as a suggestion to be considered. Not for society that continually cleans up the messes of these fractured ways of thinking.
Guess what...no matter who you are, no matter what you are...you have to learn to behave. No rewards. No pats on the back. No atta-boys. Just plain behave.
When did this happen? Time warp...back some 30, 40+ years...we "middle agers" are kids. What on earth would have been thought of our parents if one of them suggested that we be rewarded for behaving? Right. After being laughed out of the room, they might have been shunned, at least for a time, for such an outlandish idea. And, as a result of being expected to behave, we grew up and learned to behave pretty well as adults. We knew we wouldn't always get our way, we knew we wouldn't win nearly every contest or competition, we knew that the world didn't revolve around us, and we knew that our parents truly loved us without the need to prove it in materialistic ways. We knew we were expected to behave--so we did. End of story.
I truly hope that this phenomena doesn't last much longer; it's not healthy for anyone. Not for the parents that become somewhat crazed by listening for every microbit of information that might present itself as a child not being told how wonderful he/she is on an hourly basis. Not for the kids that think that behaving is something that presents itself as a suggestion to be considered. Not for society that continually cleans up the messes of these fractured ways of thinking.
Guess what...no matter who you are, no matter what you are...you have to learn to behave. No rewards. No pats on the back. No atta-boys. Just plain behave.
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