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Be Here Now
This time of year, things always seem to get busier, and time goes faster. It’s not true, of course. We just add a bunch of extra stuff on top of an already committed schedule, and viola, every bit of white space on the calendar is consumed. No matter what the import of the date on the wall, it is in fact the day–not the date–that matters most. We each only have this one. This one day. This one moment. To identify and remove the distractions between ourselves and the moment is the launching point for real connection and authenticity. Truly, what greater gift do we have to give than our attention? The ironic…
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The Christians and The Pagans
Tolerance is one of those words that seems to be said more frequently in the inverse than directly. While logic dictates that the ways we could be intolerant should be equal to the ways in which we’re tolerant, intolerance always seems to get top billing. Harsh words, actions, or worse catch our attention. But taking a step back, the division took root in our prior thinking. It begins the moment we shift from acknowledging the differences between us to judging them. We attribute a negative value to them. Consider, one of the first things we do upon making someone’s acquaintance is to compare notes on those things we have in common. We do this with little things like sharing…
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Worry
Approximately twelve times a year, I get to sit on an airplane. Setting aside the felt absence of my loved ones and the general inconveniences of travel, I love flying. The magnificent feat of air travel never fails to inspire me with a sense of wonder. I love having my head in the clouds, literally. I shared this with a friend recently to which she immediately responded, but don’t you worry about the plane crashing?? Actually, I don’t. But her comment made me think about the idea of worry…and worry as distinguished from fear. Worry is “to torment oneself with or suffer from disturbing thoughts; to fret”. It comes from Middle English weryen “to strangle, bite…
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Hallways
Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end. – Semisonic, Closing Time When faced with an exciting new beginning, we may be inclined to ignore some other beginning’s end. Excitement is more palatable than grief. Alternatively, when we are forced to face a sorrowful ending, we can’t always recognize that it is also a new beginning. This is the way of life. Seasons change. Children grow. Relationships evolve. We are in a constant state of flux transitioning from one phase to the next. Sometimes these transitions are obvious and remarkable–a snowfall, a driver’s license, an engagement ring. Other times, it’s more subtle–only clear in retrospect. For example, it’s difficult to discern the exact moment adolescence begins. There…
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You Be You, and I’ll Be Me
No matter how I am dressed, what I look like or what I am doing, I strive to always be me. – Steve SueWing, a community organizer, family man, marathoner, friend, and occasional drag queen Have you ever tried to be someone else? If you’ve spent any time in grade school, junior high, or high school; if you’ve ever worked in a large corporation or a small non-profit; if you’ve ever sung in a band, played on a team, or been in relationship, chances are you’ve attempted to deny some aspect of your nature. Countless stories of masquerade are born of the human desire for acceptance mingled with our ubiquitous self-doubt.…
