It hurts my heart.
It frightens me.
I don’t know what to say, but that doesn’t seem to stop me from saying whatever pops into my head.
When some horrific thing like this* comes along, we react. We don’t always react well. We are heart-broken for the carnage, for the terror, for the fear, for the loss. We empathize with the victims and their families. We feel our own sense of safety and security slipping away. We wonder what our country is coming to. We try to make sense of it but how do you make sense of something so irrational? We grasp for straws – for explanations, for some kind of guarantee that it won’t happen again. We wish we could erase the act and go back to feeling safe and secure.
Sadness and sorrow get tangled up with anger and fear.
We react well – with compassion and wisdom.
We react poorly – with judgment and blame.
We react against those who react.
We blame with broad strokes.
We make generalized pronouncements.
We point fingers at those who try to make sense of it all.
We blame anyone who dares to point a finger in a different direction than we do.
We insult the intelligence of those who disagree with us.
We lash out at anyone who lashes out.
Why do we feel the need to speak with authority?
Why do we feel the need to campaign loudly for our position?
Why do we try to dictate how others should react?
Is it because we wish to regain a sense of control or stability or security?
Why do we let fear win over wisdom?
Why do we trade compassion for condemnation?
Why can we not have civil conversation about better ways to prevent such violence?
...
* Referring to the recent shooting spree in Aurora, CO
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Friday, July 20, 2012
sunflowers work
After being terrorized by the neighbor's little dog (who kept circling me and nipping at my heels as I headed out for my early morning walk and then yapped at me for the ENTIRE mile) I find myself a little irritable.
Disconcerted
Jumpy
Grumpy
Frustrated
Gotta' change my mood
Find something to distract myself
To calm me down
To cheer me up
Think about something fun
Something happy
Something wonderful
Sunflowers!
A whole field of 'em!
Oh, how fun
How cool
Yes, that will do it
They can change my mood
I choose to let those sunflowers turn my day around
Yay, sunflowers!
Disconcerted
Jumpy
Grumpy
Frustrated
Gotta' change my mood
Find something to distract myself
To calm me down
To cheer me up
Think about something fun
Something happy
Something wonderful
Sunflowers!
A whole field of 'em!
Oh, how fun
How cool
Yes, that will do it
They can change my mood
I choose to let those sunflowers turn my day around
Yay, sunflowers!
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Two months already?
Two months have passed since we moved out of our big house – our home for so long. Two months of living in a teeny tiny one room cabin after 40 years in a house with 10 spacious rooms. Some of that two months has been lived in an even tinier camper trailer. We are definitely adjusting to smaller quarters and getting along without certain comforts and conveniences.
So how is it going? My answer varies a bit with each person who asks but generally it is going quite well, thank you. We, in fact, rather like most aspects of it. Sure, it feels crowded at times, but there is a measure of joy in the simplicity that may have surprised me a bit.
I am realizing that one of the biggest changes is the fact of outdoor living. Since not all of our conveniences or all of our “stuff” are under one roof, we must venture out into the great outdoors much more often than we used to. That’s rather enjoyable in nice weather and not so fun in the extreme heat we’ve been having recently. Yes, outdoor dining can be wonderfully exotic, but the level of enjoyment can fluctuate with temperature and weather conditions.
I find myself thinking often about shelter. We are taught that shelter is one of man’s basic needs. Having lived most of my life in a temperate zone I am accustomed to the idea that shelter usually involves some kind of insulation. Insulation is a big factor in comfort. Not only were we insulated from cold winds in winter, we were also wonderfully sheltered from the heat by the canopy of trees surrounding the big house in the summer. Through the years that we lived there we were well aware of that blessing and were wonderfully grateful. We no longer have that protection and find ourselves searching for a bit of shade here and there. Oh, how wonderful a big shade tree can be alongside the road when the truck is malfunctioning! It can provide at least a small measure of relief from the sun beating down.
I am pleased to discover that we are doing well, because before the move I wasn't totally confident in my coping skills. We knew certain things would get old really fast and that we would miss specific comforts and conveniences, but the time has slipped by and we are getting along okay. In fact, the idea of ever living in such a huge place again seems to be fading away into the unlikely category. Hopefully that revelation will help us let go of even more of our STUFF - because we still have lots of it to go through and disburse.
Oh, and what have we been doing these two months?
We have enjoyed visiting with daughters and other relatives. For the next few weeks, we're staying close by so we can care for the little sweetie when baby brother is born.
Good times!
So how is it going? My answer varies a bit with each person who asks but generally it is going quite well, thank you. We, in fact, rather like most aspects of it. Sure, it feels crowded at times, but there is a measure of joy in the simplicity that may have surprised me a bit.
I am realizing that one of the biggest changes is the fact of outdoor living. Since not all of our conveniences or all of our “stuff” are under one roof, we must venture out into the great outdoors much more often than we used to. That’s rather enjoyable in nice weather and not so fun in the extreme heat we’ve been having recently. Yes, outdoor dining can be wonderfully exotic, but the level of enjoyment can fluctuate with temperature and weather conditions.
I find myself thinking often about shelter. We are taught that shelter is one of man’s basic needs. Having lived most of my life in a temperate zone I am accustomed to the idea that shelter usually involves some kind of insulation. Insulation is a big factor in comfort. Not only were we insulated from cold winds in winter, we were also wonderfully sheltered from the heat by the canopy of trees surrounding the big house in the summer. Through the years that we lived there we were well aware of that blessing and were wonderfully grateful. We no longer have that protection and find ourselves searching for a bit of shade here and there. Oh, how wonderful a big shade tree can be alongside the road when the truck is malfunctioning! It can provide at least a small measure of relief from the sun beating down.
I am pleased to discover that we are doing well, because before the move I wasn't totally confident in my coping skills. We knew certain things would get old really fast and that we would miss specific comforts and conveniences, but the time has slipped by and we are getting along okay. In fact, the idea of ever living in such a huge place again seems to be fading away into the unlikely category. Hopefully that revelation will help us let go of even more of our STUFF - because we still have lots of it to go through and disburse.
Oh, and what have we been doing these two months?
We have enjoyed visiting with daughters and other relatives. For the next few weeks, we're staying close by so we can care for the little sweetie when baby brother is born.
Good times!
Friday, June 29, 2012
Life on the road: log book
Date: Friday, June 29, 2012
Location: a lovely campsite nestled in the pine trees in my sister-in-law’s yard, West Michigan
Outside my window:
Really hot and oh, so very dry.
The grass is brown and crunchy.
Fireworks may be cancelled around the area.
Miles traveled: None today
Walked: Almost a mile
Hubby is: editing photography online
Recent happenings:
A couple days ago, we…
Visited friends who are preparing to return to Central Asia next week
Wandered around downtown Grand Rapids (Love that place!)
Dined at Bobarino’s in the B.O.B. (Big Old Building)
Met Stacy for “blues on the mall”
Got some great photos, passed out lots of business cards
Shared turtle cheesecake ice cream at Kilwins’
Discoveries:
So far we rather like this life on the road, the sojourn Bob calls it.
Made Me Smile: A brief encounter with street musicians & now e-mail contact with them
Blessings: Our AC is working fine. Yesterday we thought it was dying, but it was a simple power supply fix.
Reading:
Haven’t found time to read the last couple days
Sad, but okay
Watching tonight:
We have netflix waiting for us, but will probably hang with family.
Considering: the schedule for the next few days – family times, beach time and exploration…
Working on: food shopping & prep for family gathering tomorrow.
Accomplishments: Laundry
Looking forward to: the coming days & weeks, more of this lifestyle of exploration and adventure
Location: a lovely campsite nestled in the pine trees in my sister-in-law’s yard, West Michigan
Outside my window:
Really hot and oh, so very dry.
The grass is brown and crunchy.
Fireworks may be cancelled around the area.
Miles traveled: None today
Walked: Almost a mile
Hubby is: editing photography online
Recent happenings:
A couple days ago, we…
Visited friends who are preparing to return to Central Asia next week
Wandered around downtown Grand Rapids (Love that place!)
Dined at Bobarino’s in the B.O.B. (Big Old Building)
Met Stacy for “blues on the mall”
Got some great photos, passed out lots of business cards
Shared turtle cheesecake ice cream at Kilwins’
Discoveries:
So far we rather like this life on the road, the sojourn Bob calls it.
Made Me Smile: A brief encounter with street musicians & now e-mail contact with them
Blessings: Our AC is working fine. Yesterday we thought it was dying, but it was a simple power supply fix.
Reading:
Haven’t found time to read the last couple days
Sad, but okay
Watching tonight:
We have netflix waiting for us, but will probably hang with family.
Considering: the schedule for the next few days – family times, beach time and exploration…
Working on: food shopping & prep for family gathering tomorrow.
Accomplishments: Laundry
Looking forward to: the coming days & weeks, more of this lifestyle of exploration and adventure
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)