No Smart Phone Required July 31, 2014
Posted by nrhatch in Gratitude, Humor, Magick & Mystery, Mindfulness.comments closed
The other day, BFF and I were driving down the road.
After recounting a story of no import to this tale, I launched into a German accent: “Und zen, vhat ve have here iz . . . ”
I often parody and parrot voices ~ French, English, Southern, Joysey, Longysland, Irish, Scottish, Bahston, Canadian, Monty Python, etc.
German, however, is NOT in my usual repertoire.
BFF stared at me.
I stopped talking (since I didn’t really know where I was headed anyway) and said, “what’s up with the look?”
He laughed, “You’re a mind reader . . . with a very bad German accent to boot.”
“Why do you say that?’
“Seconds before you switched from speaking in your normal voice to your still-needs-work German accent, I had a passing thought: Who wouldn’t want to chat with my little Einstein?”
“Really?”
“Yup. As soon as I thought Einstein, you switched gears to German.”
“Cool! I’m a mind reader . . . AND a little Einstein! ”
This is NOT the first time I’ve picked up on one of BFF’s thoughts. And I trust it won’t be the last.
It’s always fun to get a wink from the Universe reminding me that we are all connected to the World Wide Web . . . even if we don’t own a Smart Phone.
Aah . . . that’s better!
Related posts: Sometimes You Just Know * Pretty Swift, Eh?
Embracing Opportunities July 30, 2014
Posted by nrhatch in Gratitude, Happiness, Mindfulness, People.comments closed
I came across this quote the other day:
I don’t believe that we have an *obligation* to help every single person we encounter.
I do believe that there is an *opportunity* to help every single person we encounter.
Every. Single. Person.
~ Paul ((( The Ripples Guy )))
Kindness echoes. Compassion fills our bucket, drop by drop.
* Do not overlook any good actions, thinking they are of no benefit; even tiny drops of water in the end will fill a huge vessel. ~ The Buddha
Aah . . . that’s better!
Related Posts: Making Positive Waves ~ The Ripple Effect (T4D) * Kindness Is My Religion (Streams of Consciousness)
Why Are You So Annoyed? July 29, 2014
Posted by nrhatch in Happiness, Life Balance, Mindfulness, People.comments closed
Sometimes we get annoyed at others because they are exhibiting a trait we have not fully integrated and accepted as part of ourselves.
Sometimes. But not always.
Other times our annoyance is for other reasons entirely:
* I get annoyed (to use a gentle word) with animal abuse, child abuse, and elderly abuse because those actions are morally wrong, not because I share the abuse trait with abusers.
* I get annoyed at bullies and line cutters and liars and cheats and polluters and litterers because I am acting as “unpaid advocate” for the “little guy” whose rights they are trampling.
* I get annoyed when people are late, time and time again, not because I share that trait, but because they are being selfish. In essence, they are saying that their time is more important than mine.
A flicker of annoyance, standing alone, does not always mean that the object of our annoyance is acting as a mirror for something we need to work on.
As Don noted in The Clowns Around Us, there are those who hijack what could have been genuine heartfelt productive discussions by deflecting, rather than reflecting.
Instead of staying on point, they derail the intended conversation with a joke or off-color remark.
Saying, in essence, “Look at ME!”
I see any number of people who don’t share that trait getting annoyed when someone presses the *disconnect* button on an interesting exchange.
As noted in the comment thread on Don’s post (well worth a read), many of us are starved for genuine conversation and connection in our daily lives.
We long for opportunities to discuss matters of genuine import, to engage in the civilized exchange of ideas, and to offer compassion to those in pain.
So we may feel a flicker of annoyance when someone derails the exchange.
A flicker of annoyance (like other emotions) is a signal designed to get our attention so we can choose how to respond to the situation at hand.
Once noted, we must decide whether to take affirmative action or “let it go” and get on with the day.
The third option (stewing in our own juices while doing nothing to change the situation) is almost always a non-productive use of time.
Aah . . . that’s better!
“I’m Melting!” July 28, 2014
Posted by nrhatch in Art & Photography, Books & Movies, Nature.comments closed
Chasing Ice is a fascinating look, via time lapse photography, at the rate glaciers are melting in Iceland, Greenland, Alaska, and Montana.
Some of the footage is beyond beautiful, especially the nightscapes that capture the juxtaposition of Earth, Air, Sky, and Water.
Those that deny that climate change is happening may change their tune after watching this film.
One Shell Oil Executive did.
He jumped over the chasm from denying climate change to working for solutions.
It’s not about saving the planet. The planet will survive.
It’s about whether we’ll be here to witness it.
Aah . . . that’s better!
For more information: Extreme Ice Survey
Am I Showing My Age Bias? July 27, 2014
Posted by nrhatch in Happiness, Health & Wellness, Humor, Mindfulness.comments closed
Poets and Writers sent the following Fiction Prompt a few days ago:
Some people slow down in their golden years, taking it easy and enjoying the family and friends gathered around them in the comfort of their community, while others try to continue to live like their younger selves.
This week, write a story about an older person who still has the mindset and physical stamina of a twenty-something. How does this affect her interactions with her peers? What are her secrets? Is she one of those people who wishes to live forever, or does she simply make a habit of staying healthy?
Think about how a person’s biological age and true age are related and what happens when they are in conflict.
As I read “what are her secrets,” I sensed a dose of age bias on the prompter’s part ~ an unspoken message that continuing to “live like [our] younger selves” should be the goal of our golden years.
Why? Wasn’t that the job of our younger selves?
What’s wrong with slowing down and taking it easy, while enjoying family, friends, the comfort of community . . . and the occasional cigar?
Do we need to head to the clubs for drinking, dancing, and revelry on Friday and Saturday nights, staying out ’til the cock crows, in order to crow about it to our peers?
Is there a continued benefit to waking with hung-over head on Saturday and Sunday mornings? If so, I missed the memo.
I am delighted I no longer have the mindset of a twenty-something. At that age, I was not nearly as content as I am these days.
There’s a line in Desiderata that I love: “Take kindly the counsel of years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth.”
I agree with that sentiment . . . One Hundred Percent!
The daily decisions I face are made with accumulated wisdom. I can’t think of a single one my present self would defer to my twenty-something self . . . not on matters of fashion, food, movies, books, bars, clubs, or how to spend my leisure time.
That said, having the physical stamina of a twenty-something would rock!
Aah . . . that’s better!
If you knew an “older person” with the mindset of a twenty-something, would you want to know his secret?
Or would you encourage him to get counseling?
Don’t Mess With Nuns July 26, 2014
Posted by nrhatch in Humor, Joke.comments closed
Wikipedia ~ Saint Scholastica
A private Catholic school faced a unique problem.
A number of 12-year-old girls had started using lipstick. After putting it on, they would press their lips to the bathroom mirror, leaving dozens of little lip prints.
Every night the maintenance man removed them; the next day the girls put them back.
Sister Mary decided something had to be done.
She called the girls to the bathroom and explained that the lip prints caused extra work for the custodian, who had to clean the mirrors.
The girls yawned.
To press her point home, Sister Mary asked the maintenance man to show the girls the effort required to clean the mirrors each night.
He took a long-handled squeegee, dipped it in the toilet, and cleaned the mirror.
Problem solved!
There are teachers and there are educators!
Don’t mess with nuns, they are wicked smart!
Aah . . . that’s better!
E-mail from unknown author (sent by Joe M.)
A One-Of-A-Kind You! July 25, 2014
Posted by nrhatch in Happiness, Humor.comments closed
Another year older?
You ought to be proud
You ought to get boisterous,
noistrous, and loud!
Just think of the things
you know how to do
The sorts of things no one
can do except you
Your brain’s full of wherefores
and who’s whos and whys.
You think someone else
has tried the same tries?
You’re one of a kind,
you’re uncommonly rare
You can’t be replaced
’cause there isn’t a spare
Okay, you’re another year older, it’s true . . .
But how many people
can say they are YOU?!
No one, that’s who!
Aah . . . that’s better!
Source: Hallmark Dr. Seuss Card (sent by Betsy L.)
This is the other side of the coin from yesterday’s post. You may not have a grand and glorious purpose to serve, but you do have a “job” to do.
Just Be . . . YOU!
Who’s Pulling Our Strings? July 24, 2014
Posted by nrhatch in Mindfulness, People, Spirit & Ego.comments closed
What’s behind the urgent urgings?
* Hurry up. You’ll be old, fat, and out of touch soon.
* Do now. Do Do Do.
* Step outside your comfort zone.
* You’re expanding or contracting.
* Don’t die with your music still inside you.
Why not?
If Mozart had never been, would the world collapse in on itself?
What does it tell us about ourselves if we clothe the naked Emperor in our musings?
If I don’t share my words with the world, will they die un-uttered?
Or will the Universe find some other puppet to speak them out?
Aah . . . that’s better!
We are encouraged to believe we are, each of us, unique. One-of-a-kind. To what end? To contribute to the greater good of all?
Or, perhaps, to feed our Egos. To feel important. To believe that we all have a grand purpose.
But do we?
Taste of Pine Avenue ~ Garden Project July 23, 2014
Posted by nrhatch in Food & Drink, Home & Garden, Sustainable Living.comments closed
For a different type of community garden, check out the Taste of Pine Avenue Garden Project, featuring nutritious food grown in raised bed gardens outside shops in Anna Maria’s quaint business district:
In the garden: Okinawa Spinach, Edible Hibiscus, Katuk, Moringa, Ethiopian Kale, Roselle, Chinese Spinach, and Seminole Pumpkin.
Aah . . . that’s better!
For Recipes, like Peanut Butter & Jelly and Katuk or Moringa Muffins:
Perfect Island ~ Growing Edibles
For more information:
ECHOnet.org * Echo’s Guide to Summertime Garden Vegetables
Related posts: The Historic Green Village
Big Brother IS Watching You! July 22, 2014
Posted by nrhatch in Humor, Joke, Life Balance, Mindfulness.comments closed
Do you ever get the sense that Big Brother is watching?
The sneaking suspicion that someone is recording every move you make?
Every step you take?
On your journey from Here to There.
Do you feel as if someone is peering over your shoulder?
Gauging your progress in getting from where you are to where you want to be?
Well don’t look now, but . . . you’re right!
Big
Brother
IS
Watching
You!
You’re being scrutinized like a bug under a microscope!
And while Big Brother is watching YOU . . . I’m going to make a run for it!
Aah . . . that’s better!
Related posts: Privacy is Dead * Privacy Risks of Smart Phones * Häagen-Dazs & Pretzel: A Fractured Fairy Tale
Spirit Lights The Way 