Life and other distractions

Greetings my friends!  I must apologize for not posting for a while.  The nerve of mundane business and fun dragging me away from my sharing.  I do hope you'll stay with me, even when I disappoint at times.  We all know no one is perfect, but we seem to look for that in others, perhaps believing we can do the same.  Oh, we don't blame others for their failures, especially the little ones.  Still, we hold on to those who are most consistent, strong in character, unfaltering in faith and determination.  Self-help gurus encourage us to surround ourselves with positive people, solid and simple advice.  Ah, that we could be the positive people others seek.  Now that's what I call a GOAL.  Alas, we cannot do that for a living (although some have tried), but selflessly, we could inspire others to realize great success.  Wait, if surrounding ourselves with positive people will lift us to success, being a positive person must put us on the fast track to that same success.  Oooooo...and we'll be those people others want in their personal space.  Sounds like a vicious cycle to me, a deliciously vicious cycle fueled by the joy of consistent accomplishment and the confidence of support and inspiration in times of need.  With the vision of a challenging double-Dutch, neverending jump-rope session, I'm going in, my friends.  Join me?

The Examined Life

In traditional form, my classes prepare for exams by thinking about hope, about ways to refresh the spirit when the world weighs heavy, oppressive, daunting, even dark and depressing.  I love these discussions, filled with revelations and discovery.  Oh sure, some scoff and roll eyes, but in the end, everyone has a moment whether he or she realizes it or not.  Guess it all comes from so many moments in my own life, especially once I realized how I could tap into that happiness, that pleasure, that saving grace simply by closing my eyes and remembering.  Oh yes, I use personal examples and literature (from "Tintern Abbey" to "Birches") to prime the pump, to fire up the brainstorming, but soon unique bits and pieces of real life fly through the air and meet with puzzlement and wonder and most of all, affirmation and connection.  Even those who don't speak up find their wheels turning, their wills bending, their resistance fading.  They may not give in or even embrace the concept today, but the seed, the seed nestles into that safe, fertile corner where the mind and heart converge.  One day, hopefully, when they need it most, that seed will blossom forth and yield that fragrant flower of hope, of refreshment, that welcome subtle perfume wafting through on second wind they didn't think they had.  If only a handful come to that realization, what a difference an insignificant (in life terms) Comp exam could make!  Kipling captured it:  "If you can force you heart and nerve and sinew / To serve your turn long after they are gone / And so hold on when there is nothing in you / Except that will that says to them, 'Hold on!'"  We all have that capability in us.  Sometimes it just happens, but how nice to know the button to push, the key to turn, the password for access, and if we want, we can collect an arsenal of glorious weapons that not only do no harm, but keep us safe in the light.  Lay on, darkness.  You are no match for us.  Funny, just as I prepared for this lesson, the end of a "House" episode lent me yet another petite parable.  The story concerned a lotto winner who promised himself he would not end up tabloid headline.  He stayed true to his ways and searched for a long-lost love to share his wealth.  Now, even his best friend tried to dupe him, but in the end, he kept his faith and it paid off.  House, the ever-grumpy and cynical comments:  "He'll still lead a miserable little life."  His colleague counters, though:  "No, he'll always be hopeful, so he'll always be happy."  Not only do I agree with the latter, I live it.  No, I'm not happy every moment of every day, but I KNOW I will be...soon.        

Not to worry

Oh my gosh.  I must tell you, my friends, that I had most of a wonderful entry typed and saved, and one little stray keystroke erased all!  Now, I could throw up my hands and say "It wasn't meant to be," but I think the universe was testing me.  The post is about refreshing the spirit and keeping hope alive.  Now, you would never know if I didn't tell you, but how would that look if I just gave up posting this morning?  Soooooo, I'm giving you this for now, and I'll be back with the full post soon.  Nothing like an actual happening to make a real point!!

Ah, perspective!

This morning I woke to droplets on my windowpane.  Now, it's the weekend, and normally, we want sunshine for our outside playtime.  However, with the recent drought, those raindrops please us more than four Sundays of sunshine and soft breezes.  Funny how life and nature illustrate the power of perspective.  Now and then, we must all sit back and savor the positives in our lives from all different angles.  Sometimes we lose sight of the common things, the basics so vital, so precious in our lives.  Everything from food and shelter to friends and family weave into the fabric of each day, strong and steady, unfaltering.  We appreciate them, of course, but one thread pulled or broken or missing stops us in our tracks and makes us value our whole tapestry, the big picture AND each pixel that creates it, that keeps it whole.  (How's that for mixing ancient and modern metaphors?)  Ah yes, can you tell the rain has touched my soul, has given me the gift, not only of refreshment and new birth, but of humility and gratitude for each tiny and grand aspect of my life?  Could I survive loss?  Of course, but at this moment, I revel in all I'm privileged to hold dear, all I'm blessed to hold in my arms, to hold in my heart.  You, you all...how precious you are to me!  Amen.  Amen.

Full swing spring

I sauntered into the yard yesterday and stopped in my tracks, amazed by what I saw.  Here in Oklahoma we've been wishing for rain and worrying about wildfires, and yet, all of nature has found a way to break into bloom and blossom.  Incredible!  This always reminds me of how resilient nature is and that human beings are a part of it all.  This little stretch in April brings back memories of some dark days from Waco to OKC to Columbine to the Gulf Coast, and even Tienanmen Square in China.  Each event represents a challenge we've faced and faced down to survive and thrive once again.  Now, I'm all for the media and all its coverage and opinions and slants and spins and flapping of the jaws, although I sometimes question the lopsided negativity concerning, well, just about everything.  No matter how positive the news might be, many seem to follow up with "BUT just around the corner things could get worse."  Oh how lovely the prospect of taking a few moments to revel in the good news.  Heavens, that might lead people to be optimistic, to plan vacations, to relax and enjoy, to believe the future still holds promise and possibility.  Oh my, that might also impact the economy, encourage large companies to start hiring again and people in general to invest and spend and generate demand and then more jobs and...oh my goodness...sounds like a snowball effect of GOOD.  Yes, yes, I know it's more complicated than that, but all rolling snowballs and full blooms start small.  How did snow sneak into this blog about spring?  Ah yes, the analogy.  I'll just end with one of my favorite quotes:  "O Wind, if Winter come, can Spring be far behind?"  Shelley knew that the seasons validate optimism every year.  Humanity has been learning from nature since time began.  Why not take a hint and follow the path of the snowball or the spring bud?  Roll and grow large or burst into a blossom of positives, savor it for even a short time and see what happens.  I already know!

Sunshine, a drug of choice

Seriously, few things intoxicate my soul like a sunny day.  The rays literally get under my skin and ooze back out as smiles and boundless energy.  This weekend, I spent most of each day out in the fresh, spring air.  From pruning to planting flowers and veggies to riding bikes and motorcycles to just sitting on the back porch and occasionally sharing a comment with my neighbor (shades of "Home Improvement"), I could feel my muscles and nerves and blood having a barn dance to celebrate, doing a jig to that music only nature can play.  Extreme, you say?  Not to me.  It's been happening for years, and I think happens to everyone.  Sadly, not everyone has learned to recognize, tap in, and let 'er rip!!  Spring fever does not HAVE to make us skip school and work.  It can makes up skip TO school and work.  Try it out.  Get outside, soak in the FREE energy, let it build up inside you, and then watch how it can make every aspect of your life richer and even easier in the most important ways.  Gotta open up and embrace it, though.  Only YOU can let it in and make it happen.  Get yourself under the influence.  Just say "YES!"  You've been challenged, my friend.  As the song says, "I hope you DANCE!"  (From the inside out...)

Just a little dust up, thank you

With more than just a little frustration, I've been watching this latest haggling over the budget.  Now except on my "other" blog (Since When and Who Said), I don't really comment on politics or other touchy subjects, so I'm just using the moment, the situation to make interesting point about how wonderful our country is.  Yes, that's what I said.  We've had all sorts of controversy, people piling into the streets with signs and bullhorns, talking heads from all angles and opinions shouting and arguing and yes, getting a little carried away now and then.  I get a bit twisted myself at some commentary, at how people take a seed of truth and run in all sorts of directions with it until it's unrecognizable.  Nonetheless, what makes me rejoice even in the face of aggravation is how utterly free we are, not only to express ourselves, but also to go places and do things and enjoy each other and make plans and dream and work and all the while to know it's all possible.  Sure, we have obstacles, problems, setbacks, even tragedies, but we're also free to recover to regroup to heal and comfort each other and to have hope again.  Sometimes I think we forget that not everyone in the world has that.  Freedom and democracy give us that precious commodity known as possibility.  We have our flaws, no doubt, and because we have this marvelous openness, we must tolerate disagreement and bickering and even some ugliness, and sometimes we get stuck and lost and confused, but if we look at history, we always find our way back on track.  On top of it all, we constantly air our dirty laundry in front of the whole world.  Do we enjoy that?  No, but it's part of what makes us who we are.  Lord knows, we could hide some of this nonsense, but how we're out there and everyone's seeing "how we make the sausage," so to speak...that just makes me smile.  Here we are, World, working our way down the road, stirring up dust and scuffling with great enthusiasm.  Keep watching, though.  America will emerge from that swirling cloud, stronger and brighter and ready for the next battle.  Oh, the fight's not over by a long shot.  As long as this is still America, we'll have a wide variety of opinions, voice them loudly, and continue hammer out some sort of agreement.  I hope that never stops.  Through adversity and challenge we grow and improve and sometimes even learn a lesson.  So tonight, I'm celebrating.  I'm so grateful to have been born here, to live here, to enjoy the benefits of this country.  Some struggles along the way?  Worth it.  Worth it.  Worth it!!