Saturday, February 21, 2009

Mt. Vernon Smells Like Popcorn

This little town in the bend of the Ohio River has a hominy mill.  Each month during the processing of the corn into hominy, it smells like popcorn.  When you come into town - it's as strong as a movie theatre lobby.
   My Mother grew up in this little town and told stories of the 1910's and 1920's.  Oneof the finest harbors on the Ohio was right here so the steamboats that would ply the river would anchor at the foot of Main St.   The caliope rattled the air and all would know there would be a performance that night. 
  My Mother was a dramatic talent and I know she learned her love of acting came from these shows.  She was a brilliant pianist and at 12 was playing professionally at the silent movies - following the westerns, the romances, etc.  She went on to play the lead in the high school plays.
   Her father owned the biggest grocery store in town and was blessed by the steamboat business as they would restock at the store.  Cracker barrels and checkerboards were mainstays.
   Another family story was about my Grandfather buy8ing the first electric car in town - and my Grandmother rode the fastest horse in town!  Her railing against the progress of cars was known throughout the community.
   Mt. Vernon grew into a very progressive town - attracting a Johnson & Johnson Research facility, a boiler factory that supplied NASA for the space explorations and a large refinery. 
   I always thought this was a cameo vignette of small town courage and forsight.  I trust you have enjoyed this long ago and far away. view.

Friday, January 30, 2009

Moments 1

Life review shows the brief moments that gave meaning to our whole lives.

I remember growing up in a rural community with one road over a hill between where I lived and the kids I wanted to play with - over the hill.

One evening as darkness came I headed home.  As I saw the top of the hill, there were 8 or 9 kids that lived on my side of the hill.  They had a mean streak and often tried to cause me trouble.  Here they were gathered together in my only path home.  As I walked, leading my bike, I wondered what would happen when I got to them.

I just kept on walking and amazingly, since I didn't break pace, I found myself walking through them - without being touched!

A real life-lesson - there may be a chink in the stone wall that faces us - and the appearance of danger or destruction may fall away.

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Ahh! Imperfection!

Ahh, Imperfection!  I'm a recovering perfectionist - used to HAVE TO finish things, HAVE TO have things in order, HAVE TO have three weeks ahead on my calendar or I didn't think I was doing enough.  NOW - NOW
Life is much more fun.  I'm lucky to know what a whole day will hold, and not be concerned about what's left over.  One observation I made during the transition is that I may come in to a situation at "step 5"  and take it to "step 6" and be satisfied to let go of the rest of the goal - it may not be mine to do. No angst.
    Clearing clutter remains high on my list of "to do's" because of the wonderful space that opens up and the care I feel about filling it in with the current - more interesting - things I need and want. 
   I'm a peaceful and proud imperfectionist - try it - you'll like it.  Cheers

Yo Ho Ho to those who hurt us.

You can rest assured, that those who
have hurt you had absolutely no idea of what
they were doing and what was really going on.




It never occurred to them that you'd become
even more magnificent. That they'd be
invoking your sympathy, adding to your
compassion, and increasing your "sparkles."
And it will still be eons before they can
grasp that you actually welcomed them into
your life and played their little games for
some of these very reason.

A Universal Truth = give it a Hand.

Monday, January 26, 2009

Only the Brave can Forgive

"When I say forgiveness, I do not mean forgetting, or approving, or absolving, or self-sacrifice.  I man understanding.  Being able to say, "I know you did the best you could; if you could have done better, you would have."  without the words getting stuck in my throat, is what I call forgiveness."  Suzanne and Sidney Simon, "Forgiveness: How to Make Peace With Your Past, and Get on With Your Life.

U have often added - with the information you had a the time.  Sometimes there are big missing pieces that affected the behaviour  we have experienced.

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

The Active Stillness

Alan Alda speaks of meditations:
   You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition.  What you will discover will be yourself.

Like any effective action - the muscles must be developed.  The subtle energy develops strongly and surely.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Crying with Joy

How often have we cried with joy?  We saw a beautiful scene - it caught our breath and brought tears to our eyes.  How the strong energy of hope today has brought tears to many of us - Obama is now president! 

My thought is that we all have a certain level of beauty in our inner being - soul? - and when that level is reached and then stretched - we are moved to tears as we expand.

I think I must have heard the Peace Song (Let there be peace, and let it begin with me)  500 times before I could get all the way thru it without having tears.  Just hearing 3-400 people singing it so sincerely was very moving to me.