For the past year Dave and I have shared one car. The switch from both of us driving our own vehicles to my parking my car in the driveway and always taking his happened quite literally overnight.
Last year, about this time, Seattle had a horrible wind storm and I found myself rushing to make it across the bridge before the DOT determined that crossing the bridge with 50+MPH winds was a bad idea. Miata + Floating Bridge + High Winds = white knuckles. The next morning we awoke to snow. The fate of the Miata was sealed, it would stay in the driveway for then next 11 months while I slowly came to the conclusion that perhaps my days of driving a convertible were numbered.
As I mulled over the idea of giving up my car persona, Dave too was thinking of life with something different then his Subaru. The conclusion to both our issues was simple. We would become a real one car family once and for all.
You'd think that since we were already driving one vehicle that the giving up two cars would be easy. Yes and No. I think the idea of not having a second car available is much more stressful that the reality of what this means to our daily lives. After all, we are in walking distance to shopping, we both have bus passes (although I don't yet know how to ride the bus), and we are getting hooked up with the Flex Car program. But, still it is a bit of a mental adjustment.
Week one has definitely had its pluses and minuses.
Plus - I was sans car on Saturday which was fantastic! I knew I wanted to go to an art sale. I also knew that to do this I would have to walk or take the bus. So I bundled up in hat and gloves and set out with my trusty map (don't laugh.) The great thing about walking is that you get to see (and stop by) all sorts of great shops that you would normally speed past. The other great thing is that since you are walking you can't carry home the fantastic (albeit expensive) 6ft tall metal lamp that you fell in love with.
Minus - Last night was a bit of a puzzle as I had an appointment and Dave had a friend in town. After some wrangling we decided that Dave would drop me off and he and Mick would go to dinner and then I would meet up with them when I was done. Unfortunately our new car also has this very cool smart card feature which means that Dave was able to drive away and not know that he didn't actually have any keys until after he had parked the car. Fortunately, I was not far away so I was able to meet up with them and wave my magic card over the car so that we could get home.
And so it begins, the simple life. With one week under my belt I am looking forward to learning how to take the bus and more opportunities to walk my city. This may be the begining of something really great. I'll let you know.
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
Friday, November 02, 2007
Home grown tomatoes + roasted peppers = Yummy Soup
Dia de la muerta
I just completed my last trip to Mexico. I will miss the friends I have made over the years and the city I have come to know as my second home. In celebration of the Dia de la Muerta I baked a traditional bread and a not so traditional spicy chili chocolate cake. Here are the results.
This cake as a wicked kick ....
Monday, October 08, 2007
a year of planning and transition ...
Last week I celebrated another birthday. The last couple of years I have tried to document the big events and capture them in a blog post that would sum up a life lesson. This year, I started to write and nothing. I started again, nothing. I decided that clearly I hadn't done anything during the past year. Over dinner, I shared with Dave how I have become the human equivalent of a slug. Dave gently reminded me that this was the year of planning and transition.
So, here is my year in summation.
October - April: Planning for the most incredibly wonderful experience of my life thus far. - Marrying Dave.
April - October: Transitioning away from the job that in many ways had defined who I am as an adult.
The lessons I learned this year are more difficult to capture then simply saying I tried something new. And to be totally honest, I haven't completely come to terms what what that lesson is. I think that I am still transforming and it may be awhile down the road before I understand how I have changed as a result of this year. What I do know is that I am exceptionally fortunate. This has been the year of love and friendship and understanding truly what is really important to me. A funny thing happens when you come to a fork in the road. Sometimes, you get to make a choice that will determine the rest of your life.
So here's to another new year.
So, here is my year in summation.
October - April: Planning for the most incredibly wonderful experience of my life thus far. - Marrying Dave.
April - October: Transitioning away from the job that in many ways had defined who I am as an adult.
The lessons I learned this year are more difficult to capture then simply saying I tried something new. And to be totally honest, I haven't completely come to terms what what that lesson is. I think that I am still transforming and it may be awhile down the road before I understand how I have changed as a result of this year. What I do know is that I am exceptionally fortunate. This has been the year of love and friendship and understanding truly what is really important to me. A funny thing happens when you come to a fork in the road. Sometimes, you get to make a choice that will determine the rest of your life.
So here's to another new year.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
you're hired....????!!!!!
The job search / candidate search is kind of like going out on a blind date. Sure that friend of a friend's aunt said that his cousin was nice but what do you really know. Having been on both sides of the table recently I had to laugh when I came across this list of actual expediences recruiters and hiring managers have had with potential candidates. I think my favorite is #13. We should all be able to "phone a friend" if we are not sure what the right answer is.
- Candidate said he was so well-qualified [that] if he didn't get the job, it would prove that the company's management was incompetent.
- Stretched out on the floor to fill out the job application.
- Chewed bubble gum and constantly blew bubbles.
- Candidate kept giggling through serious interview.
- She wore a Walkman and said she could listen to me and the music at the same time.
- Balding candidate abruptly excused himself. Returned to office a few minutes later, wearing a hairpiece.
- Applicant challenged interviewer to arm wrestle.
- Asked to see interviewer's resume to see if the personnel executive was qualified to judge the candidate.
- Announced she hadn't had lunch and proceeded to eat a hamburger and french fries in the interviewer's office.
- Without saying a word, candidate stood up and walked out during the middle of the interview.
- Man wore jogging suit to interview for position as financial vice president.
- Said if he were hired, he would demonstrate his loyalty by having the corporate logo tattooed on his forearm.
- Interrupted to phone his therapist for advice on answering specific interview questions.
- Wouldn't get out of the chair until I would hire him. I had to call the police.
- When I asked him about his hobbies, he stood up and started tap dancing around my office.
- Had a little pinball game and challenged me to play with him.
(I've actually brought my DS to an interview but I think it was relevant.... I think ...) - Bounced up and down on my carpet and told me I must be highly thought of by the company because I was given such a thick carpet.
- Pulled out a Polaroid camera and snapped a flash picture of me. Said he collected photos of everyone who interviewed him.
- During the interview, an alarm clock went off from the candidate's brief case. He took it out, shut it off, apologized and said he had to leave for another interview.
- He took off his right shoe and sock, removed a medicated foot powder and dusted it on the foot and in the shoe. While he was putting back the shoe and sock, he mentioned that he had to use the powder four times a day, and this was the time.
- She threw-up on my desk, and immediately started asking questions about the job, like nothing had happened.
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
Pobre Tomate
At the beginning of the summer Dave and I entered into the "Great Tomato Showdown" with our friends Brad and Lynette. Now, with the summer coming to an end, our tomato plants are taller than I am and dripping with mostly unripened fruit - Fried Green Tomatoes anyone?
The cherry tomatoes were the first to turn red and we guarded each fruit as if it were a rare treasure. In fact, we took the first tomato over to our friends house and carefully carved it into 4 quarters so we could each taste the first tomato of the season. But now... I am beginning to sense that I will soon be drowning in ripe tomatoes. So, while Dave was away I decided to experiment with the first crop and roasted a batch for use later in pasta's, saladas, etc... After three hours cooking in a slow oven the smell of tomatoes permiated through the entire house. The result was a sweet carmalized tomato with just a bit of chew to it. Yum.
I shared the news of our burggeoning crop with Brad and Lynette and they shared that they have moved onto cucumbers instead. I guess that is the end of the "Great Tomoato Showdown." Poor Poor Tomato, you've been upstaged by the cucumber again.
The cherry tomatoes were the first to turn red and we guarded each fruit as if it were a rare treasure. In fact, we took the first tomato over to our friends house and carefully carved it into 4 quarters so we could each taste the first tomato of the season. But now... I am beginning to sense that I will soon be drowning in ripe tomatoes. So, while Dave was away I decided to experiment with the first crop and roasted a batch for use later in pasta's, saladas, etc... After three hours cooking in a slow oven the smell of tomatoes permiated through the entire house. The result was a sweet carmalized tomato with just a bit of chew to it. Yum.
I shared the news of our burggeoning crop with Brad and Lynette and they shared that they have moved onto cucumbers instead. I guess that is the end of the "Great Tomoato Showdown." Poor Poor Tomato, you've been upstaged by the cucumber again.
Monday, July 30, 2007
me translated ....
rarely irritated, positive, tough, non phobic, fearless, likes the unknown, self reliant, high self control, confident, trusting, strong instincts, prudent, optimistic, willful, likes parties, prefers a specialized career, takes charge, altruistic, strong, high self concept, adventurous, practical, thoughtful
personality tests by similarminds.com
personality tests by similarminds.com
Friday, July 27, 2007
never say goodbye - Etna High - ...
And I am amazed to say I don't recognize most of these people.
It would make for an interesting game show. "Name that Classmate."
If they all got older, does that mean that I am older too?
Wednesday, July 04, 2007
in memory ...
Tommorrow we will celebrate my grandmother's life. Although my relationship with my grandmother was often complicated, as a child she filled me with wonder. Her love of the world around her influenced every aspect of who I am. These are the words I will share about my grandmother ...
Sometimes when you split open a rock you discover a magical world inside. A rainbow of colors reflecting off the crystals hidden deep within the earthy crust. My grandmother knew this secret about rocks and my grandmother knew this secret about people. Behind every unassuming crust my grandmother believed something wonderful existed and she spent her life splitting the outer shell to find the crystals inside.
It is hard for most of us to recognize the beauty in front of us. Not so for my grandmother. Throughout my childhood each visit was market by a walk in the woods. There she taught me to see the trees through the forest. I learned how to spot a shooting star among a pile of pine needles and when the wild dogwood would show his fleeting blossoms. It was there alongside the river where my grandmother was the most beautiful. Her spirit glowed and she reflected the wonderment of everything she saw.
On visits when it was either too cold or too wet to go to the woods my grandmother and I would sit at the piano. She would teach me how to roll my knuckles over the black keys to play a simple song and eventually I would bring my lesson books to play for her. Always our time would end with the song Puff the Magic Dragon. I loved the song but hated it when Jackie Horner grew up.
Eventually I too grew up. And, although our time together changed the experiences shared and lessons learned stayed with me.
On Saturday my husband and I headed out to the woods with our dog. It was nearly noon by the time we reached the trail head and although the clouds had parted from the evening's storm, the air was still heavy with the remnants of the summer rain. Test and Dave ran ahead and soon I found myself alone on the path and headed down toward the river. Trillium covered the forest floor and patches of daisies reached toward the summer sun. I could hear Test running ahead, finding a shallow pool and plunging in in search of her stick. Among the trees and with my dog splashing in the distance my grandmother's rock split open. All the treasures hidden within my grandmother were there for me to see.
I could hear the music as it flowed from her fingers and her voice, warm and sweet as she told me stories of the Indian princess locked forever on Mt. Shasta. I could taste her sugar cookies as they dissolved on my tongue, so thin and delicate you could see the Christmas lights shine through as you held them up to your mouth. I could feel her hand wrapped gently around mine as together we guided the paint from the end of the brush into a flower. I could see the blue of her eyes reflecting off of mine and then up into the sky above us. Her spirit glowed and the wonderment of everything she was reflected off of everything I saw.
Many many moons ago, as my grandmother would tell it, our ancestors walked the paths connecting the mountains that surround us. Their spirits now blow in the wind and guide us as we walk along our life's path. Many many moons from now my grandmothers spirit will continue to flow through these mountains. Joined with her ancestors she will seek to show us that treasures that lie just beneath the crust.
My grandmother saw the beauty within each of us. Celebrate this beauty in yourself, seek it out in others, recognize it in the animals, hear it in the rustling of the trees and imagine it waiting to be discovered just beneath the earthy crust of the rocks you pass by.
Sometimes when you split open a rock you discover a magical world inside. A rainbow of colors reflecting off the crystals hidden deep within the earthy crust. My grandmother knew this secret about rocks and my grandmother knew this secret about people. Behind every unassuming crust my grandmother believed something wonderful existed and she spent her life splitting the outer shell to find the crystals inside.
It is hard for most of us to recognize the beauty in front of us. Not so for my grandmother. Throughout my childhood each visit was market by a walk in the woods. There she taught me to see the trees through the forest. I learned how to spot a shooting star among a pile of pine needles and when the wild dogwood would show his fleeting blossoms. It was there alongside the river where my grandmother was the most beautiful. Her spirit glowed and she reflected the wonderment of everything she saw.
On visits when it was either too cold or too wet to go to the woods my grandmother and I would sit at the piano. She would teach me how to roll my knuckles over the black keys to play a simple song and eventually I would bring my lesson books to play for her. Always our time would end with the song Puff the Magic Dragon. I loved the song but hated it when Jackie Horner grew up.
Eventually I too grew up. And, although our time together changed the experiences shared and lessons learned stayed with me.
On Saturday my husband and I headed out to the woods with our dog. It was nearly noon by the time we reached the trail head and although the clouds had parted from the evening's storm, the air was still heavy with the remnants of the summer rain. Test and Dave ran ahead and soon I found myself alone on the path and headed down toward the river. Trillium covered the forest floor and patches of daisies reached toward the summer sun. I could hear Test running ahead, finding a shallow pool and plunging in in search of her stick. Among the trees and with my dog splashing in the distance my grandmother's rock split open. All the treasures hidden within my grandmother were there for me to see.
I could hear the music as it flowed from her fingers and her voice, warm and sweet as she told me stories of the Indian princess locked forever on Mt. Shasta. I could taste her sugar cookies as they dissolved on my tongue, so thin and delicate you could see the Christmas lights shine through as you held them up to your mouth. I could feel her hand wrapped gently around mine as together we guided the paint from the end of the brush into a flower. I could see the blue of her eyes reflecting off of mine and then up into the sky above us. Her spirit glowed and the wonderment of everything she was reflected off of everything I saw.
Many many moons ago, as my grandmother would tell it, our ancestors walked the paths connecting the mountains that surround us. Their spirits now blow in the wind and guide us as we walk along our life's path. Many many moons from now my grandmothers spirit will continue to flow through these mountains. Joined with her ancestors she will seek to show us that treasures that lie just beneath the crust.
My grandmother saw the beauty within each of us. Celebrate this beauty in yourself, seek it out in others, recognize it in the animals, hear it in the rustling of the trees and imagine it waiting to be discovered just beneath the earthy crust of the rocks you pass by.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
my grandmother ...
The last two months have been really difficult. Faced with the prospect of early retirement I found myself wallowing in self-doubt and agonizing over what I should do with my future. Every action I took was painful and I often felt victimized by my own life choices. What if I hadn't chosen this career. What if I had never moved to the city. What if I had ...
Throughout this time I have continued to try to look at the opportunity, face the things that scare me, and realize that the future is undefined. But to be truthful, in the midst of change the life lessons I have collected thus far never seem to be enough to push me forward.
Three weeks ago we were back home and went to visit my grandmother, who was celebrating her 92nd birthday. My grandmother was an extremely talented, beautiful and accomplished woman. Her paintings were detailed and full of life. She was an meticulous musician. Her butter cookies were so paper thin and delicate that you could see the light from the Christmas tree shine through them as you held them up to your mouth. She was an avid naturalist. Up through her late 80s she could still find and hike every trail in the N.Cal mountains and tell you exactly where and when the rarest of the wild flowers would make their fleeting appearance. She wore beautiful clothes and had striking blue eyes that contrasted dramatically against her dark hair. She had a wonderful grandmotherly voice with which she told fantastic stories of Indian princesses and the guardian mountain. And she was unhappy and full of self doubt.
My grandmother, who had so much to be proud of and to celebrate, never rejoiced. There was always something that could have been done better by someone else. A lost opportunity that could have changed the course of her life. A love that was never accepted as true or unconditional.
On Thursday my grandmother was moved into hospice. As the attendants came to help her into her new space she turned her head and said "you tricked me." I believe she was referring to the belief she was going to have to go back to the hospital. But I also wonder if it was a statement about life. "You tricked me." I thought I was going to get well if I had the surgery. I thought I was going to be able to hike in the mountains forever. I though I was going to be in love. I thought I was going to paint. I thought I was going to travel. I though I was going to .... I thought I was going to be happy.
During our visit my grandmother shared that she wished she had listened to her grandmother when she was younger. "She knew so much about history and life, I should have paid attention and asked her to share her stories." As she said this I thought to myself - my grandmother knows so much about history and life. She has shared so many stories with me. She has shown me so much of what can be accomplished. It is from her that music flows from my fingers. It is from her that I can see colors and textures in the sky and translate these onto canvas. She taught me how to tell stories. She taught me how to appreciate the outdoors. But most importantly, she taught me why I need to celebrate and why I need to rejoice in myself and rejoice in my family and friends.
There will always be someone who is more accomplished, smarter, prettier, brighter than I am. There are always going to be moments that I look back on and say - what if? But there is never going to be another opportunity for me to live this life. This one where I can be happy without regrets and qualifiers. This one where I can look upon my family and friends and say wow. They are great! Where I can look at myself and say wow. I am great!
When I have children I will tell them about my grandmother the Indian princess. I will sing to them the songs she sang to me and point to the sleeping princess as we drive by Mount Shasta. We will hike in the woods and I will uncover the shooting stars that are nestled in the pine needles. I will hand my children paint brushes and show them how to paint flowers like my grandmother showed me. And in my memories and those of my children I will celebrate my grandmother's life. And I will say wow. She was great!
Throughout this time I have continued to try to look at the opportunity, face the things that scare me, and realize that the future is undefined. But to be truthful, in the midst of change the life lessons I have collected thus far never seem to be enough to push me forward.
Three weeks ago we were back home and went to visit my grandmother, who was celebrating her 92nd birthday. My grandmother was an extremely talented, beautiful and accomplished woman. Her paintings were detailed and full of life. She was an meticulous musician. Her butter cookies were so paper thin and delicate that you could see the light from the Christmas tree shine through them as you held them up to your mouth. She was an avid naturalist. Up through her late 80s she could still find and hike every trail in the N.Cal mountains and tell you exactly where and when the rarest of the wild flowers would make their fleeting appearance. She wore beautiful clothes and had striking blue eyes that contrasted dramatically against her dark hair. She had a wonderful grandmotherly voice with which she told fantastic stories of Indian princesses and the guardian mountain. And she was unhappy and full of self doubt.
My grandmother, who had so much to be proud of and to celebrate, never rejoiced. There was always something that could have been done better by someone else. A lost opportunity that could have changed the course of her life. A love that was never accepted as true or unconditional.
On Thursday my grandmother was moved into hospice. As the attendants came to help her into her new space she turned her head and said "you tricked me." I believe she was referring to the belief she was going to have to go back to the hospital. But I also wonder if it was a statement about life. "You tricked me." I thought I was going to get well if I had the surgery. I thought I was going to be able to hike in the mountains forever. I though I was going to be in love. I thought I was going to paint. I thought I was going to travel. I though I was going to .... I thought I was going to be happy.
During our visit my grandmother shared that she wished she had listened to her grandmother when she was younger. "She knew so much about history and life, I should have paid attention and asked her to share her stories." As she said this I thought to myself - my grandmother knows so much about history and life. She has shared so many stories with me. She has shown me so much of what can be accomplished. It is from her that music flows from my fingers. It is from her that I can see colors and textures in the sky and translate these onto canvas. She taught me how to tell stories. She taught me how to appreciate the outdoors. But most importantly, she taught me why I need to celebrate and why I need to rejoice in myself and rejoice in my family and friends.
There will always be someone who is more accomplished, smarter, prettier, brighter than I am. There are always going to be moments that I look back on and say - what if? But there is never going to be another opportunity for me to live this life. This one where I can be happy without regrets and qualifiers. This one where I can look upon my family and friends and say wow. They are great! Where I can look at myself and say wow. I am great!
When I have children I will tell them about my grandmother the Indian princess. I will sing to them the songs she sang to me and point to the sleeping princess as we drive by Mount Shasta. We will hike in the woods and I will uncover the shooting stars that are nestled in the pine needles. I will hand my children paint brushes and show them how to paint flowers like my grandmother showed me. And in my memories and those of my children I will celebrate my grandmother's life. And I will say wow. She was great!
Monday, June 25, 2007
a house made of straw ...
When I was little my father used to always tell us the story of the three little pigs. First pig, straw house, kaput after the first huff. Second pig, stick house, huff puff, gone. Third pig, house of bricks, huff puff, huff puff, huff puff....nada. The wolf is still blowing for all I know. The moral of the story is that if you build your house of bricks it won't be blown down by a big ugly rabid dog.
The obvious metaphor to life aside, is there real a reason why we don't build our homes out of straw? Sometimes in life you need to think outside of the box to truly see what opportunities exist. Here is an example from a friend of mine:
As I continue to explore the feasibility of building a straw-bale house , I want to plant a seed/paint a picture. Think of the barn-raising scene from Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. Now see yourself in the picture, only you're hoisting straw bales into position in between dances. Or, allowing for bad backs, administering water or prepping the BBQ for any other free labor I can wrangle. Think of it as an eco-friendly weight resistance workout.
The obvious metaphor to life aside, is there real a reason why we don't build our homes out of straw? Sometimes in life you need to think outside of the box to truly see what opportunities exist. Here is an example from a friend of mine:
As I continue to explore the feasibility of building a straw-bale house , I want to plant a seed/paint a picture. Think of the barn-raising scene from Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. Now see yourself in the picture, only you're hoisting straw bales into position in between dances. Or, allowing for bad backs, administering water or prepping the BBQ for any other free labor I can wrangle. Think of it as an eco-friendly weight resistance workout.
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
then and now ...
As I have mentioned, my high school reunion is coming up. Ironically, today I received a picture taken a little more than 10 years ago (which would have been around the time of the last reunion.) For pure entertainment, here is my age progression:
High School ...
10 years later ...
now ...
Friday, May 18, 2007
life before retirement ...
I've recently been given an opportunity to consider something I didn't think was possible for at least another 20 years - retirement. I did not recognize the opportunity as "retirement" until just last night but now it is starting to become clear that I may well be retiring from my current career and moving onto a new phase in my life. Weird huh.
So anyhow, in talking with a girlfriend (who is also considering retirement) she brought up the idea of becoming a goat farmer. At first I thought she was kidding but then we started discussing the goat cheese industry, the tie to the wine region, and the idea of taking that retirement dream and putting it into play before traditional retirement age.
Today, I received an article, from another friend, about an IT professional who after working for a "real jerk" decided to hang it up and become a painter.
"Originally I planned to do something like this when I retired, but I didn't want to wait that long. Who knows what could happen between now and then? If there's something you really want to do, do it now."
Could it be that the idea of living life each day should expand out to the 8 - 10 or 12 hours a day we spend trying to make money?
I've always said that life is short. Yet somehow, I was also willing to sign over approximately 9.5 years of my life. Sure, looking at it that way is dramatic. But what if someone said to you at the end of your life, I am going to give you 9.5 years to do with what ever you choose. And during those years you will be young, and healthy, and full of imagination. What decision would you make.
Retirement still seems like a scary option. But perhaps in discovering what it is that I want to do, I will discover a way to enjoy every minute of those 9.5 years today so that when they ask me at the end if I need them back, I can say no " I lived them the way I wanted the first time."
So anyhow, in talking with a girlfriend (who is also considering retirement) she brought up the idea of becoming a goat farmer. At first I thought she was kidding but then we started discussing the goat cheese industry, the tie to the wine region, and the idea of taking that retirement dream and putting it into play before traditional retirement age.
Today, I received an article, from another friend, about an IT professional who after working for a "real jerk" decided to hang it up and become a painter.
"Originally I planned to do something like this when I retired, but I didn't want to wait that long. Who knows what could happen between now and then? If there's something you really want to do, do it now."
Could it be that the idea of living life each day should expand out to the 8 - 10 or 12 hours a day we spend trying to make money?
I've always said that life is short. Yet somehow, I was also willing to sign over approximately 9.5 years of my life. Sure, looking at it that way is dramatic. But what if someone said to you at the end of your life, I am going to give you 9.5 years to do with what ever you choose. And during those years you will be young, and healthy, and full of imagination. What decision would you make.
Retirement still seems like a scary option. But perhaps in discovering what it is that I want to do, I will discover a way to enjoy every minute of those 9.5 years today so that when they ask me at the end if I need them back, I can say no " I lived them the way I wanted the first time."
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
I am not pond scum ...
My high school reunion is coming up next month. I received the invitation last night and with the request to choose either chicken or beef was a questioner asking us to identify who we are today. The questions, not unlike those found on a social security form, gave me pause not for what they asked but for what they seemed to say about life and the past x many years.
Where do you live?
Does your family still live in the area?
Are you married and for how long?
Do you have kids, how many and how old?
Where have you traveled in the world?
And then this one ….
What is your biggest accomplishment?
At the same time I am pondering this question, my husband is working on the commencement speech to deliver to his high school alma mater. And, I wonder what really matters about life the day after graduation, 5 years down the road, 10 years 15 or even 20, that can be surmised in a commencement speech or answered on a reunion questioner.
There is a country song that says “sometimes you are the windshield, sometimes you’re the bug.” And I think that’s true. As I have come to discover, life does not provide a guarantee that the success or failure of today will result in future success or failure. Life, evolves and we either make the choice to evolve along with it or fight. Either way change occurs.
So, maybe that is the answer. My biggest accomplishment to date is evolution. I am not pond scum. I am also perhaps not a highly intelligent life form able to understand the wonders of the world. But somewhere in between I think I have been able to focus in on what really matters. And oddly enough I think it may come down to something our friend Flavius once said over beers at the Sloop. “Life is easy, you just do the right thing.”
Life is easy, be happy, enjoy each day, face challenges not with either fear or determination but with a calmness of breath and knowledge that “this to shall pass.” If it is sunny outside, don’t spend the day indoors. If there is warm bread on the table with butter, have a slice. Don’t not plant flowers because you have allergies, carry a Kleenex and celebrate the relief that a sneeze can bring. Lie in the grass and look up at the stars. Lie in the grass and pick out the animals, people and spaceships that fly by you in the clouds. Get a dog. Rejoice when said dog eats through your favorite sweater. She was truly happy while she was destroying it. Get on the ground with your children, things are really cool and interesting from their perspective. Do the right thing. If you have to think about it, or are trying to justify it, it is probably not the right thing. Decide here and now what you want your biggest accomplishment to be and then decide if that accomplishment will matter to anyone you love. If the answer is no, think about it some more.
Where do you live?
Does your family still live in the area?
Are you married and for how long?
Do you have kids, how many and how old?
Where have you traveled in the world?
And then this one ….
What is your biggest accomplishment?
At the same time I am pondering this question, my husband is working on the commencement speech to deliver to his high school alma mater. And, I wonder what really matters about life the day after graduation, 5 years down the road, 10 years 15 or even 20, that can be surmised in a commencement speech or answered on a reunion questioner.
There is a country song that says “sometimes you are the windshield, sometimes you’re the bug.” And I think that’s true. As I have come to discover, life does not provide a guarantee that the success or failure of today will result in future success or failure. Life, evolves and we either make the choice to evolve along with it or fight. Either way change occurs.
So, maybe that is the answer. My biggest accomplishment to date is evolution. I am not pond scum. I am also perhaps not a highly intelligent life form able to understand the wonders of the world. But somewhere in between I think I have been able to focus in on what really matters. And oddly enough I think it may come down to something our friend Flavius once said over beers at the Sloop. “Life is easy, you just do the right thing.”
Life is easy, be happy, enjoy each day, face challenges not with either fear or determination but with a calmness of breath and knowledge that “this to shall pass.” If it is sunny outside, don’t spend the day indoors. If there is warm bread on the table with butter, have a slice. Don’t not plant flowers because you have allergies, carry a Kleenex and celebrate the relief that a sneeze can bring. Lie in the grass and look up at the stars. Lie in the grass and pick out the animals, people and spaceships that fly by you in the clouds. Get a dog. Rejoice when said dog eats through your favorite sweater. She was truly happy while she was destroying it. Get on the ground with your children, things are really cool and interesting from their perspective. Do the right thing. If you have to think about it, or are trying to justify it, it is probably not the right thing. Decide here and now what you want your biggest accomplishment to be and then decide if that accomplishment will matter to anyone you love. If the answer is no, think about it some more.
Monday, April 30, 2007
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