Tuesday, November 29, 2011
i get it
i've come to understand the proper etiquette of text messaging...i need to always send one less message than usual
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
void
the hardest thing about divorce, when there are kids from the union that is broken, is that individual parents become unable to help their kids solve some problems. certainly there are problems that kids encounter for which the parents are not able to solve. it's just that in a divorce situation there are problems for which each parent lacks sufficient credibility in helping resolve because of the fracture of the original union. while one parent may be able to help in addressing issues for the kids that may pertain to other portions of their life, anything pertaining to the other parent is a matter for which the other parent is rarely, if ever, able to really help in bringing about a resolution...the divorce fractures a level of connectedness that isn't able to be bridged with sufficient validity. the parent is left to trust in the kids. and, in actuality, that is the best gift to share with a child of any age. it just doesn't feel all that sufficient.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
fit
every so often i find myself in situations/places in which, though by my own choice, i am not best suited. currently that such situation/place is on the board of directors of the employee assistance society of north america. oh, i believe i have already made some contributions to mission and operations of the association. yet, i am amongst a group of thinkers and visionaries who are generally good at giving directions though not so inclined to jump in an do the work directly. and that is only appropriate...directors give direction to those who implement the directions. i have now been on three advisory boards...one a board of education, one a board of a christian theatre company. in all three experiences, i have found myself too involved in operations and unable to maintain the focus of the discussions of each board...those being discussions about building membership and raising money. to that end, i find myself increasingly unfit for the functions of the church committee i am part of that deals with a sistering relationship with a community in el salvador. oh, i am very passionate about the people of that community, just as i was very passionate about the students and the mission of the theatre company and the profession to which i find my career. yet, directing at an association level is not my proverbial cup of tea. i am a grunt, better suited to the trenches and leaving the directions and strategic plans and goal-setting and fund raising to a group of folks to which i am not best suited to engage
Sunday, August 9, 2009
divine presence
what does God smell like?
the experience of church is to be a sensate experience.
we taste and see.
we do a great deal of listening.
we touch.
but what is the true essence of God?
the experience of church is to be a sensate experience.
we taste and see.
we do a great deal of listening.
we touch.
but what is the true essence of God?
Sunday, March 1, 2009
economic function
much ado is being made of the economic crisis in contemporary u.s. society. blame is extending from greenspan to bush to corporate greed to obama. the conservative radio talkshow folk...particularly limbaugh and belling...contend the conservative republicans cannot continue to allow the plans by the democrats to be conspiring to enable government takeover in the vein of socialism.
the situation is more than a bit of a mess. i do not argue otherwise.
i am wondering the outcome of concerted thought and planning if we were to not see this current situation as a result of anything but perhaps as a function. if we believe the current economic perils are a function, i contend that we are forced to direct our minds to effective problem-solving and limit blaming, perhaps. we are in a time in which change is necessary. there are comparisons in this situation that resonate elsewhere. much has been made of how there are essentially 14 ruling families in el salvador. the poverty of the masses serves as separation from the ruling rich. the ruling rich, while rather hidden from public view, run the country...government is more than a bit of a puppet of the ruling rich. how is that much different from the ruling class in the u.s. i contend there are a few financially powerful folk in the u.s. and they direct the way of our country. why is os much made of warren buffet...trump...to name just two of the minority of multi-billionaire folk who control the bulk of our economy. why is it that financial and automotice ceos can command salaries and benefits and investments that put them out of touch and out of reach of the average person. there is no way i will ever have the ear of a politician if he/she is also going to have discourse with the few with money.
what i like about obama is that the excessive rich are going to take an economic and tax hit. the common man is going to be given a break. that smacks of the majority being served.
call it what you wish, i call it equalized representation...for once.
the situation is more than a bit of a mess. i do not argue otherwise.
i am wondering the outcome of concerted thought and planning if we were to not see this current situation as a result of anything but perhaps as a function. if we believe the current economic perils are a function, i contend that we are forced to direct our minds to effective problem-solving and limit blaming, perhaps. we are in a time in which change is necessary. there are comparisons in this situation that resonate elsewhere. much has been made of how there are essentially 14 ruling families in el salvador. the poverty of the masses serves as separation from the ruling rich. the ruling rich, while rather hidden from public view, run the country...government is more than a bit of a puppet of the ruling rich. how is that much different from the ruling class in the u.s. i contend there are a few financially powerful folk in the u.s. and they direct the way of our country. why is os much made of warren buffet...trump...to name just two of the minority of multi-billionaire folk who control the bulk of our economy. why is it that financial and automotice ceos can command salaries and benefits and investments that put them out of touch and out of reach of the average person. there is no way i will ever have the ear of a politician if he/she is also going to have discourse with the few with money.
what i like about obama is that the excessive rich are going to take an economic and tax hit. the common man is going to be given a break. that smacks of the majority being served.
call it what you wish, i call it equalized representation...for once.
Saturday, December 6, 2008
corn on the hand
My son took piano lessons for a year or so when he was in elementary school. Though I think the real reason he stopped taking lessons was because he has music talents beyond the limits of the classical style of music training, the precipitating event was his disgust with the teacher...Sister Agnise...and her penchant for blowing snot bubbles from her nose during his lesson time.
I took piano lessons for a much longer time period...I believe I endured the experience for about 5 years (before graduating into organ lessons...first taken to prepare to play for my oldest brother's wedding but eventually becoming a way to honor my mother and her delight in my playing...some day I might talk about the reason I quit organ lessons...enough said for now that it involved bondage).
My first piano teacher was my aunt...my Dad's youngest sister. It would have been ok in many ways except I was really not one of the favored nephews for my aunt...she preferred my older brothers.
My second and last piano teacher was Mrs. Vogt. She was a classic Fine German HausFrau. She believed in hard work, lots of practice, and timing. I eventually grew to loathe piano lessons...it all had to do with a 13 page piece called Riverboat Sonata...a piece involving three movements that I was to play for the Annual Recital. I had to memorize the piece.
My sister and I took lessons together. Sharon had some interest in piano but not much. While one played the lesson the other did school homework or tried to ignore Mrs. Vogt's youngest daughter. The first one to play the lesson had to call home for our pick-up time (this is a key piece...you NEVER wanted to be the first one to play).
Mrs. Vogt expected a lot of her students.
Mrs. Vogt expectorated a lot.
Mrs. Vogt was one of those kinds of people that were very juicy when they talked.
Mrs. Vogt LOVED to count out the timing of a piece when we played. The only problem was that she ALWAYS spit when she said the word "two". Timing for her was best represented by this: "One, Spew, Three, Four".
I remember many lessons. Two in particular are pertinent here. My sister had to play first one day and, being the first one to play, had to make the phone call for our pick-up after the lesson. I remember looking at my sister as she spoke on the phone and she was in near shock, trying to talk into the phone while avoiding a huge piece of potato that was stuck to the mouthpiece of the phone. I wanted desperately to laugh but lessons were serious business and you NEVER wanted to make a mistake in your lesson.
The other vividly remembered lesson was while I was playing the "Beautiful Dreamer" movement of the Riverboat Sonata. While loathing the song and enduring the millionth rendition of the piece, Mrs. Vogt nailed me on my poor timing and started her counting. One, Spew, Three, Four, One Spew Three, Four, One, Spew, Three, Four, One...and then it happened...at the word Two...she spit out a piece of food...it was corn...and it landed wetly on my right hand. AND I HAD TO CONTINUE PLAYING, with that wet piece of corn stuck on my hand...on top of my hand. And Mrs. Vogt never noticed it...she was so engrossed in my piece. I wanted to laugh and throw up.
And I finished the piece and we got picked up and the piece of corn was flicked into the wax plant in the corner of the room.
I took piano lessons for a much longer time period...I believe I endured the experience for about 5 years (before graduating into organ lessons...first taken to prepare to play for my oldest brother's wedding but eventually becoming a way to honor my mother and her delight in my playing...some day I might talk about the reason I quit organ lessons...enough said for now that it involved bondage).
My first piano teacher was my aunt...my Dad's youngest sister. It would have been ok in many ways except I was really not one of the favored nephews for my aunt...she preferred my older brothers.
My second and last piano teacher was Mrs. Vogt. She was a classic Fine German HausFrau. She believed in hard work, lots of practice, and timing. I eventually grew to loathe piano lessons...it all had to do with a 13 page piece called Riverboat Sonata...a piece involving three movements that I was to play for the Annual Recital. I had to memorize the piece.
My sister and I took lessons together. Sharon had some interest in piano but not much. While one played the lesson the other did school homework or tried to ignore Mrs. Vogt's youngest daughter. The first one to play the lesson had to call home for our pick-up time (this is a key piece...you NEVER wanted to be the first one to play).
Mrs. Vogt expected a lot of her students.
Mrs. Vogt expectorated a lot.
Mrs. Vogt was one of those kinds of people that were very juicy when they talked.
Mrs. Vogt LOVED to count out the timing of a piece when we played. The only problem was that she ALWAYS spit when she said the word "two". Timing for her was best represented by this: "One, Spew, Three, Four".
I remember many lessons. Two in particular are pertinent here. My sister had to play first one day and, being the first one to play, had to make the phone call for our pick-up after the lesson. I remember looking at my sister as she spoke on the phone and she was in near shock, trying to talk into the phone while avoiding a huge piece of potato that was stuck to the mouthpiece of the phone. I wanted desperately to laugh but lessons were serious business and you NEVER wanted to make a mistake in your lesson.
The other vividly remembered lesson was while I was playing the "Beautiful Dreamer" movement of the Riverboat Sonata. While loathing the song and enduring the millionth rendition of the piece, Mrs. Vogt nailed me on my poor timing and started her counting. One, Spew, Three, Four, One Spew Three, Four, One, Spew, Three, Four, One...and then it happened...at the word Two...she spit out a piece of food...it was corn...and it landed wetly on my right hand. AND I HAD TO CONTINUE PLAYING, with that wet piece of corn stuck on my hand...on top of my hand. And Mrs. Vogt never noticed it...she was so engrossed in my piece. I wanted to laugh and throw up.
And I finished the piece and we got picked up and the piece of corn was flicked into the wax plant in the corner of the room.
Saturday, November 8, 2008
as chance would have it
i have broken more than a few light bulbs in my life. some i have stepped on, particularly the christmas tree lights that always seem to be under foot while wrapping the tree. some i have broken whilst screwing the bulb into the socket. some i have broken while up on a ladder reaching on tiptoes from the second to last rung straining to get the bulb into a staircase fixture. some i have broken opening the package and the bulb drops out unexpectedly. some have broken simply because they were broken in the package when i bought it from the store.
every once in a while i will have the experience where i will step on the light, or screw the bulb in too tight, or drop the bulb whilst up on the ladder, or it will drop from the package unexpectedly...and the bulb will not break...no matter how heavy the step or great the fall.
every time i have a bulb that does not work from the package, no matter what i do with the bulb, it will not work.
there are some guarantees...few actually.
there are many surprises...many actually
every once in a while i will have the experience where i will step on the light, or screw the bulb in too tight, or drop the bulb whilst up on the ladder, or it will drop from the package unexpectedly...and the bulb will not break...no matter how heavy the step or great the fall.
every time i have a bulb that does not work from the package, no matter what i do with the bulb, it will not work.
there are some guarantees...few actually.
there are many surprises...many actually
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
