I had a few items that were not delivered by Instacart, Tuesday afternoon, so I grabbed No. 17 for the half-mile trip to Town & Country to visit Trader Joe’s and Kroger.
I would rather clean public restrooms than step foot inside Kroger, or most other stores. Today was a reminder of why I loathe shopping and manuevering amid the hoards of humanity in such situations.
STAY TO THE RIGHT
As a child, “stay to the right” was pounded into my brain. Mother oft reminded me with a story of how critical staying to the right was when walking up the stairs or through the hallways at Wendell L. Willkie High School that would later become Elwood Junior High School before I arrived on that particular campus. At our 1894-built Washington Elementary School with the wide GONE WITH THE WINDesque marble staircase that split off at the main landing was my first experience of staying to the right.
I stressed this to my sons and on our hikes through the various local hiking trails they often heard my “to the right” as we approached oncoming fellow hikers.
Today’s Kroger visit was frustrating and several times, exasperating. Applying “stay to the right” was completely nowhere in the process for most folk’s shopping adventures. I did note that those around my age, and older, followed this practice. Perhaps “staying to the right” is a generational practice.
The practice of “goodwill toward fellow man,” I am convinced, is not a part of the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday preparation. The day before a holiday I do expect busyness; I do not expect, nor accept sheer rudeness. When needing to pass in front of someone studying items from across the aisle, I was raised to say, “pardon/excuse me.” Several times, this morning, each of my “pardon me” was met with huffs or grumbles. How sad.
The parking lot was not much better.
As I stood waiting for the crosswalk to clear of cars where some obviously under 50er folks used the safety space to load their groceries when a car was driven to the curb, a gentleman pushing a short-cart hit a drain and he partially fell over the flipped cart. Fortunately, the man was not injured, just embarrassed. The driver of a car directly in front of me was trying to get around one of the cars being loaded with groceries just as the gentleman’s cart mishap occurred. The 20-something-year-old lady threw up her arms and shouted, “this is fucking great!” She then placed her elbow on her window sill, forcing her head against her clenched fist. After a few seconds of waiting, she turned her head and caught me staring at her, shaking my head. I could see her physical demeanor melt into an embarrassed fold.
While fellow shoppers hurried to assist the man, the lady loading her groceries left her cart right there at the curb, got in, and her husband tapped on his horn to clear those assisting the man so he could get through.
The hatefulness I observed during the moment kicked me in the gut.
I have read comments of others on various social media posts claiming these behaviors began with the past quarantine. Oh, no! These behaviors have been around us for a long time. I do believe too much is blamed on the quarantine to escape personal responsibility and abandon appropriate behavior.
Be kind.
Stay to the right.
Use your damned turn signals.
And let’s get the world back on track so that we no longer need masks because I hate not sharing my smile, another strong instruction by Mother, with others.
In September 1971, my paternal great grandfather, Virgil Barmes, died.
A year, or so, later, I went with my grandparents up to the smorgasbord in Decatur, Indiana, The Back 40.
As we were dining, my grandmother gave out a slight gasp and covered her mouth with her hand.
“Leroy, look over there in the corner.”
Grandpa Leroy and I both looked in the direction of Grandma’s attention. There sat an elderly white haired gentleman who looked identical to Grandpa Virgil. It was too uncanny a resemblance and we were all quite shocked.
The three of us leaned in for a quiet discussion and seconds later, when we turned our gaze back to the gentleman, he was gone. The table where he was eating was cleared.
That memory stayed with all of us for many years. Forty-nine years later, it’s still very real to me.
Several years ago, approximately twelve years after Grandpa Leroy’s death, I was in the Kroger produce section when I caught my breath at the sight of my Grandpa Leroy. The face and entire body was identical to my grandfather.
I had my phone in hand to read my shopping needs and grabbed a photo of him after he’d turned around. Even the tuft of white hair on the back of the gentleman’s head was identical to Grandpa Leroy.
What is more, the gentleman was wearing a jacket identical to one my grandfather owned that Mother gave to me. He was also wearing slacks similar to those Grandpa Leroy wore.
As I maneuvered my cart through some customers in order to get to the other side to take a shot of his face, I discovered he was gone.
The moment reminded me so much of the other moment at The Back 40 so many years ago.
When I showed the photo to Mother, she gasped with, “Oh, my God! That looks like Dad.” We both agreed, that maybe… it probably was.
And, yes, I definitely believe seeing my great grandfather and grandfather were both visits… I love those visits!
I was so blessed with a number of uncles and still cherish all the memories.
My mothers younger brother, Ronald, was 12 years old when I was born. He lived with my grandparents just around the corner on the opposite end of the block from where I grew up. We spent a good deal of time together and I was probably the only three or four year old who was well schooled in the record albums of The Smothers Brothers, Bill Cosby, And much to my mother’s dismay, George Carlin.
There were a number of photos of the two of us taken in those old photo booths at the mall. This photo was from 1965.
This is not my writing. This is from the wonderful site, DailyOM.
It is when our lives are full and busy that we need our daily meditation to help center us for the day.
Ironically, when we get busy, the first thing that tends to get cut back is our meditation practice. We have less time and a lot on our plates, so it makes sense that this happens, but in the end it doesn’t really help us. Most of us know from experience that we function much better when we give ourselves time each day to sit in silence. And the more we have to do, the more we need that solitary, quiet time for the day ahead. As a result, while it may sound counterintuitive, it is during busy times that we most need to spend more time in meditation rather than less. By being quiet and listening to the universe, we will be given what we need to get through our day.
Expanding our morning meditation by just 10 minutes can make a big difference, as can the addition of short meditations into our daily schedule. The truth is, no matter how busy we are, unless we are in the midst of a crisis we always have five or 10 minutes to spare. The key is convincing ourselves that spending that time in meditation is the most fruitful choice. We could be getting our dishes done or heading into work earlier instead, so it’s important that we come to value the importance of meditation in the context of all the other things competing for attention in our lives. All we have to do to discover whether it works to meditate more when we are busy is to try it.
We can start by creating more time in the morning, either by getting up earlier or by preparing breakfast the night before and using the extra time for meditation. We can also add short meditation breaks into our schedule, from five minutes before or after lunch to a meditation at night before we go to sleep. When we come from a place of centered calm, we are more effective in handling our busy schedules and more able to keep it all in perspective. If more time in meditation means less time feeling anxious, panicky, and overwhelmed, then it’s certainly worth the extra time.
This is not my writing. This is from the wonderful site, DailyOM.
Our past can read like a document on what not to do, but we have the present and our future to make a change.
When we look back at the past, knowing what we know now, we often find it difficult to understand how we made the mistakes we made. This is because once we learn new information, it is nearly impossible to reenter the headspace we were in before we learned that information. And so we look back at parents who spanked their kids, for example, and wonder how they could have thought that was a good idea. Similarly, our personal pasts are full of mistakes we can’t believe we made. We did things then that we would never do now, and this is precisely because we have information now that we didn’t have, or weren’t able to access, then.
From ideas about how to raise children to how to treat the environment, our collective human past sometimes reads like a document on what not to do. In many ways, this is exactly as it should be. We learn from living and having experiences. It is from these past actions that we garnered the information that guides us to live differently now. Just so, in our personal lives, we probably had to have a few unsuccessful relationships or jobs, learning about our negative tendencies through them, in order to gain the wisdom we have now.
In order to live more peacefully with the past, it helps to remember that once we know better, we tend to do better. Prior to knowing, we generally do our best, and while it’s true that from the perspective of the present, our best doesn’t always seem good enough, we can at least give our past selves the benefit of the doubt. We did our best with what knowledge we had. Beyond this, we serve the greater good most effectively by not dwelling on the past, instead reigning our energy and knowledge into our present actions. It is here, in this moment, that we create our reality and ourselves anew, with our current knowledge and information.
This is not my writing. This is from the wonderful site, DailyOM.
During the day, we can monitor our thoughts to see if we’re investing our energy where it is useful.
Our thoughts are powerful forces in the creation of our experience of life. You may be able to recall a time when frustration that was based on a misunderstanding completely evaporated when your understanding changed. This is because our interpretation defines our experience, and it can change in an instant. Our only true reality is the present moment, so rather than merely accepting that life is happening to us, we can harness the power of our thoughts to actively create a positive reality. For example, we can choose to appreciate beauty around us rather than focusing on traffic or look for admirable qualities in the people we deal with rather than focusing on the negative. By choosing how to interpret and define each moment with your thoughts, you truly create your reality.
Throughout the day, we can monitor our thoughts to catch ourselves in the middle of investing our energy elsewhere — such as into belief in limitations — and instead pull our focus back to the infinite possibilities of the present. Taking a deep breath will help us center our thoughts on being in our bodies right now. Regular meditation allows us to gain mastery over our minds so that we can still our thoughts to focus on the pureness of being. If we mentally dwell on the past or the future, we may miss the experience of living in the present moment. Setting and visualizing goals is wonderful, but we can bring our thoughts into our current experience by taking steps to create them now.
Our minds are powerful tools that we can harness to create our reality. Through them we move the unformed energy of the universe into form, which gives us direction for our words and actions. Each thought is like a stone dropped into a lake, sending ripples out into our world to affect all they touch. We can choose our focus and how we invest our energy, which gives us the power to design our lives to be whatever we choose in each and every moment.
If you show up for yourself in your life, the universe will show up for you.
The way we walk into a room says a lot about the way we live our lives. When we walk into a room curious about what’s happening, willing to engage, and perceiving ourselves as an active participant with something to offer, then we have really shown up to the party. When we walk into a room with our eyes down, or nervously smiling, we are holding ourselves back for one reason or another. We may be hurting inside and in need of healing, or we may lack the confidence required to really be present in the room. Still, just noticing that we’re not really showing up, and having a vision of what it will look and feel like when we do, can give us the inspiration we need to recover ourselves.
Even if we are suffering, we can show up to that experience ready to fully engage in it and learn what it has to offer. When we show up for our life, we are actively participating in being a happy person, achieving our goals, and generally living the life our soul really wants. If we need healing, we begin the process of seeking out those who can help us heal. If we need experience, we find the places and opportunities that can give us the experience we need in order to do the work we want to do in the world. Whatever we need, we look for it, and when we find it, we engage in the process of letting ourselves have it. When we do this kind of work, we become lively, confident, and passionate individuals.
There is almost nothing better in the world than the feeling of showing up for our own lives. When we can do this, we become people that are more alive and who have the ability to make things happen in our lives and the lives of the people around us. We walk through the world with the knowledge that we have a lot to offer and the desire to share it.
In a long-term relationship, it is often necessary to get back to basics and come back to center with each other.
Anyone in a long-term relationship knows that the dance of intimacy involves coming together and moving apart. Early in a relationship, intense periods of closeness are important in order to establish the ground of a new union. Just as a sapling needs a lot more attention than a full-grown tree, budding relationships demand time and attention if they are to fully take root. Once they become more established, the individuals in the union begin to turn their attention outward again, to the other parts of their lives that matter, such as work, family, and friendships. This is natural and healthy. Yet, if a long-term relationship is to last, turning towards one another recurrently, with the same curiosity, attention, and nurturance of earlier times, is essential.
In a busy and demanding world full of obligations and opportunities, we sometimes lose track of our primary relationships, thinking they will tend to themselves. We may have the best intentions when we think about how nice it would be to surprise our partner with a gift or establish a weekly date night. Yet somehow, life gets in the way. We may think that our love is strong enough to survive without attention. Yet even mature trees need water and care if they are to thrive.
One of the best ways to nourish a relationship is through communication. If you feel that a distance has grown between you and your partner, you may be able to bridge the gap by sharing how you feel. Do your best to avoid blame and regret. Focus instead on the positive, which is the fact that you want to grow closer together. Sometimes, just acknowledging that there is distance between you has the effect of bringing the relationship into balance. In other cases, more intense effort and attention may be required. You may want to set aside time to talk and come up with solutions together. Remember to have compassion for each other. You’re in the same boat together and trying to maintain the right balance of space and togetherness to keep your relationship healthy and thriving. Express faith and confidence in each other, and enjoy the slow dance of intimacy that can resume between the two of you.
Most humans are not born consciously knowing what their purpose is. It must be found through exploration.
Most living things belong to a particular soul group and are born knowing their purpose in life. An animal will spend its day foraging for food, taking care of itself and its young, and creating a home. No one tells an animal to do this, yet it instinctively knows how. Humans, for the most part, are not born consciously knowing what their purpose is.
Purpose gives our life meaning. When you discover your purpose, you can live your life with intention and make choices that serve your objective for why you are here on the planet. Finding your purpose is not always easy. You must embrace life wholeheartedly, explore many different pathways, and allow yourself to grow. Your purpose is as unique as you are and will evolve as you move through life. You don’t need anyone’s permission to fulfill your purpose, and no one can tell you what that purpose is. Finding and fulfilling your purpose can be a lifelong endeavor. To figure out what your purpose is, ask yourself what drives you — not what forces you out of bed in the morning, but what makes you glad to be alive. Make a list of activities that you wish you were involved in or think about a career path that you would love to embark upon. These are the endeavors that can help you fulfill your purpose and bring you the most satisfaction.
Picture yourself working on projects that don’t interest you or fulfill your purpose, yet they help satisfy your basic survival needs. Imagine how living this way each day would make you feel. Next, picture yourself devoting your time to projects that spark your imagination, inspire, excite, and satisfy you. More often than not, these activities are some of the ways that you can fulfill your life purpose. Time spent on these endeavors will never feel like a waste. Live your life with purpose, and you will feel significant and capable because every action you take and each choice you make will have meaning to it.
This is not my writing. This is from the wonderful site, DailyOM.
We can avoid giving away our power on a daily basis by listening to our own voice of knowing.
In many ways, we are taught from the time we are children to give away our power to others. When we were told to kiss and hug relatives or friends of the family when we didn’t want to, for example, we were learning to override our inner sense of knowing and our right to determine for ourselves what we want to do. This repression continued, most likely, in many experiences at school and in situations at work. At this point, we may not even know how to hold on to our power, because giving it away is so automatic and ingrained.
To some degree, giving our energy to other people is simply part of the social contract, and we feel that we have to do it in order to survive. It is possible to exchange energy in a way that preserves our inner integrity and stability. This begins in a small way: by listening to the voice that continues to let us know what we want, no matter how many times we override its messages.
Other examples of how we give away our power are buying into trends, letting other people always make decisions for us, not voting, and not voicing an opinion when an inappropriate joke is made. But with not giving our power away we must also be aware of the opposite side, which is standing in our power but being aggressive. Being aggressive is a form of fear, and the remedy is to let our inner balance come back into play.
As we build a relationship with our power, and follow it, we begin to see that we don’t always have to do what we’re being asked to do by others, and we don’t have to jump on every trend. All we have to do is have the confidence to listen to our own voice and let it guide us as we make our own decisions in life and remember the necessity for balance.
This is not my writing; it’s from the wonderful site, DailyOM.
Every person on this planet has a story to tell, something that makes them unique, adding to the whole.
It’s easy to forget sometimes that everyone has a story to tell if we take the time to listen. We are so accustomed to hearing the stories of people in the news that we sometimes lose track of the fact that the random stranger on the bus also has a fascinating story about where they came from and how they got to be where they are. The sheer variety of paths taken in this world, from farmers to CEOs to homeless people to world travelers, is indicative of how much we can learn from each individual. Sometimes the shy, quiet person at work has the most amazing life story and the biggest dreams, it is up to us to take the time to find out.
Some people travel a path of wealth and privilege, while others struggle with only themselves to rely on, and both have great stories to tell. Each person learns lessons, makes choices, and develops a unique perspective, which only they can claim and share. Even two people who have had very similar lives will have slightly different experiences, leading them to a different point of view, so each person remains a treasure trove waiting to be explored. When we take the time to ask questions and listen, we find that every person has a fascinating story to tell and an utterly unique perspective from which to tell it.
Bearing this in mind, we have the opportunity to approach the world around us in a new way. There is never any reason to be bored at a party, or on the bus, or in a conversation with a stranger. When we retain the spark of curiosity and the warmth required to open someone up, we always have in front of us the makings of a great story. All we have to do is ask.
This is not my writing; it’s from the wonderful site, DailyOM.
When we remove obstructions in our path, our light can more easily come forth.
There are times when we may not feel at our best and brightest. At those times we can take a look at what we might do to let our inner light shine to the fullest. Because we are physical, mental and spiritual beings, we need to determine where our spiritual light is being filtered or blocked. We can work from the outside inward, knowing that we are the only ones with the power to dim our lights, and as we clear away the layers we can get out of our own way to feel the warmth of our own light shining again.
As vehicles for our mind and spirit, our bodies require proper maintenance. Caring for ourselves is like polishing — helping to clear away the accumulation of physical debris that keeps us from operating at our fullest capacity. A simple shift in our thoughts can positively affect our mental state, moving from complaints to gratitude and applying the powerful light of love to any shadowy thoughts. A change of scenery can allow us to see the world in new ways too.
Once we are free of our restrictions, we can become still and connect to the power at the center of our being. It is always there for us, but when we forget to connect, or siphon our power in too many directions, we cannot make the most of our energy. Starting from the inside out may direct us to take the right steps for our journeys back to the light, but sometimes it can be difficult to find the stillness if our bodies and minds are in the way. As we practice steps to keep our energy flowing freely and without obstruction, we shine our light brightly, illuminating our own paths and making the world around us glow as well.
This is not my writing; it’s from the wonderful site, DailyOM.
To protect ourselves from taking on any negative energy from people or situations, we can learn to shield.
There are times when you may find that being around certain individuals or groups of people leaves you with feelings of discomfort. It may be that spending time with a particular friend feels draining or that dealing with a specific coworker exhausts you. Being around toxic or angry people is also draining. And you may even find that being surrounded by a crowd of people lowers your energy levels rather than perks you up. This is not that unusual. Each of us radiates energy and is capable of being influenced by the energy of other people. It is important to learn how to shield yourself, so you don’t unknowingly take on someone else’s energy. While some people know how to instinctively protect themselves from being adversely affected by energy, most of us need to discover and practice the technique that works best.
There are a number of ways to avoid being affected by people’s energy. Shielding is one preventative technique you can use. Center yourself and envision being enveloped in a cocoon of loving and protective light. This protective layer should allow you to consciously regulate the energy around you. The intent to shield oneself is all you need for this technique to work. You can even create a trigger word to assist you in quickly creating a shield. Say this word each time you create a new shield, until the word and the shield become automatically associated in your mind. If you run into a person whose energy you find draining, you may want to cleanse your own energy field after your encounter. Sage, cold showers, singing, mineral water baths, spending time in nature, and a simple break to recharge are all ways to accomplish this.
While it is important to know how to shield yourself from energy, there are those energies that you may not want to shut out. The energy of laughter from a newborn baby, the feeling of joy radiating from someone in love, and the frequency of calm emanating from an enlightened teacher are just some of the energies coming from others that you may want to have around you.
DailyOM: This is not my writing but a copy from the site, DailyOM.
Sitting with our sadness takes the courage to believe that we can bear the pain and we will come out the other side.
The last thing most of us want to hear or think about when we are dealing with profound feelings of sadness is that deep learning can be found in this place. In the midst of our pain, we often feel picked on by life, or overwhelmed by the enormity of some loss, or simply too exhausted to try and examine the situation. We may feel far too disappointed and angry to look for anything resembling a bright side to our suffering. Still, somewhere in our hearts, we know that we will eventually emerge from the depths into the light of greater awareness. Remembering this truth, no matter how elusive it seems, can help.
The other thing we often would rather not hear when we are dealing with intense sadness is that the only way out of it is through it. Sitting with our sadness takes the courage to believe that we can bear the pain and the faith that we will come out the other side. With courage, we can allow ourselves to cycle through the grieving process with full inner permission to experience it. This is a powerful teaching that sadness has to offer us — the ability to surrender and the acceptance of change go hand in hand.
Another teaching of sadness is compassion for others who are in pain, because it is only in feeling our own pain that we can really understand and allow for someone else’s. Sadness is something we all go through, and we all learn from it and are deepened by its presence in our lives. While our own individual experiences of sadness carry with them unique lessons, the implications of what we learn are universal. The wisdom we gain from going through the process of feeling loss, heartbreak, or deep disappointment gives us access to the heart of humanity.
DailyOM: This is not my writing but a copy from the site, DailyOM.
Expressing ourselves honestly in any relationship is essential to our well-being.
When we are in a relationship where we feel listened to and understood, we count ourselves lucky because we know how rare that experience is. We reserve our most intimate selves for the people who, along with us, cocreate an open space where we feel free to express ourselves and listen without judgment. These relationships, which thrive on open communication, can mean the difference between existential loneliness and a deep sense of belonging. We all long to feel heard, understood, and loved, and clear communication makes this possible.
Sometimes problems arise in the process of expressing how we feel, but it is always worth it to do the work. Even in our less intimate relationships, expressing ourselves honestly is essential to our sense of well-being. Whether at home with family or in the outside world, successful communication requires some forethought; otherwise we risk blundering through our relationships like the proverbial bull in a china shop. However, too much forethought can stifle us or cause us to pad our words so extremely that we end up saying nothing at all or confusing the matter further. The good news is that there are many methods that can come to our rescue, from meditation to visualization to journaling.
If the person we need to communicate with is open to sitting in meditation together for a set period of time before speaking, this can be invaluable. When we are calm and centered, we can count on ourselves to speak and respond truthfully. We can also meditate on our own time and then practice what we need to say. A visualization in which we sit with the person and lovingly exchange a few words can also be a great precedent to an actual conversation. If writing comes easily, we can write out what we need to say; it may take several drafts, but we will eventually find the words. The key is to find ways to center ourselves so that we communicate meaningfully, lovingly, and wisely. In this way, we honor our companions and create relationships in which there is a genuine sense of understanding and respect.
DailyOM: This is not my writing but a copy from the site, DailyOM.
All the joy and passion you can envision can be yours right now, rather than in a future point in time.
The time we are blessed with is limited and tends to be used up all too quickly. How we utilize that time is consequently one of the most important decisions we make. Yet it is far too easy to put off until tomorrow what we are dreaming of today. The hectic pace of modern existence affords us an easy out; we shelve our aspirations so we can cope more effectively with the challenges of the present, ostensibly to have more time and leisure to realize our purpose in the future. Or we tell ourselves that we will chase our dreams someday once we have accomplished other lesser goals. In truth, it is our fear that keeps us from seeking fulfillment in the here and now — because we view failure as a possibility, our reasons for delaying our inevitable success seem sound and rational. If we ask ourselves what we are really waiting for, however, we discover that there is no truly compelling reason why we should put off the pursuit of the dreams that sustain us.
When regarded as a question, “Why not now?” drains us of our power to realize our ambitions. We are so concerned with the notion that we are somehow undeserving of happiness that we cannot see that there is much we can do in the present to begin courting it. Yet when we look decisively at our existence and state, “Why not now, indeed!” we are empowered to begin changing our lives this very moment. We procrastinate for many reasons, from a perceived lack of time to a legitimate lack of self-belief, but the truth of the matter is that there is no time like the present and no time but the present. Whatever we aim to accomplish, we will achieve it more quickly and with a greater degree of efficiency when we seize the day and make the most of the resources we have at our disposal presently.
All the joy, passion, and contentment you can envision can be yours right now, rather than in some far-flung point in time. You need only remind yourself that there is nothing standing between you and fulfillment. If you decide that today is the day you will take your destiny into your hands, you will soon discover that you hold the keys of fate.
DailyOM: This is not my writing but a copy from the site, DailyOM.
Take the time to reclaim your creativity, and watch your life blossom as a result.
As children, many of us entertained fantasies or even goals of being an actor, singer, dancer, artist, or musician. In some cases, we received enough encouragement to develop our abilities in those creative arenas, but somewhere along the way we stopped. This stopping may have been due to circumstances beyond our control or to our own unconscious acts of self-sabotage. Being creative can be scary in a world that seems to value logic over imagination and practicality over dreaming. We can forgive ourselves for shutting down or turning our attention away from our inner artist, but perhaps we can also take steps to reclaim our dreams.
In certain times and places, developing a creative ability was considered an important part of being a well-rounded human being. It was not necessary to be a professional or a masterly genius, because the act of creativity was valued in and of itself. Its gifts are manifold — from the sheer pleasure of allowing our imaginations free reign to sharing and enjoying the fruits of our labor. Children share drawings and songs freely, without self-consciousness, and there is no reason why we cannot do the same thing. You may already be remembering some lost form of expression, such as making jewelry or writing songs. Your soul may be responding with an energetic lift as it feels its way back to a time when it was allowed to express itself freely. Your brain, on the other hand, may be throwing up obstacles, like the idea that you are too old or do not have the time.
The truth is, you are not too old, and if you have time to pick up a pen, you have time to make a doodle or write a haiku. Recognize that the obstacles you find before you have arisen from a place of fear and that they will wane in power every time you do something creative. Each creative act takes you deeper into a realm of beauty and magic, a realm that you have every right to return to and reclaim.
I always know Wright State University’s Department of Theatre, Dance, & Motion Picture will deliver top-notch products with any show I attend but when director/choreographer Greg Hellems’ is at the helm, along with Pam Lavarnway on scenic design and Matt Benjamin’s lighting design, The Acropolis is just another Grecian hill.
Today was such a treat!
My bonus-sister, Laura, and I had lunch at a Mexican restaurant across from Wright State’s campus, then we moved across the road to be greeted by a former student, David Emery, director of WSU’s box office, and by former student, senior musical theatre student Tommy Cole, serving as an usher. Our seats in Row K were incredible.
MAMMA MIA was energetic and fun. My former student, Ana Smith was Rosie Mulligan and knocked “Take A Chance on Me” off the island and back onto the mainland at Cape Sounion, tipping the Temple of Poseidon onto a new angle. All the ingredients of a great show were present and used beautifully.
In January 2019, I sat in front of Pam and John Larvarnway at The Victoria Theatre as we prepared to watch Dayton’s Muse Machine’s production of MAMMA MIA. They described their planned June vacation to Greece where Pam would bask in scenic ideas for Wright State’s own production of MAMMA MIA that was scheduled for Spring 2020.
Sadly, the set pieces sat backstage awaiting their next call as the waves of the Covid quarantine settled upon us.
October/November 2021, those set pieces were finally recalled for production duty and Matthew Benjamin added a wonderful lighting design and plot that brought everything to a perfect picture. It was beautiful, throughout. The orchestra and crew kept the show energized and moving.
Following the show, I got to see a great theatre family, Jim & Ann Seybold and their eldest daughter, Beth Rush, and her darling daughters, Kate and Ava.
Beth Syabold Rush & Darin
Kate Rush, Beth Seyboold Rush, & Darin
The big surprise was seeing my former student, Marisha Osowski, who traveled nearly two hours from Ohio Northern University where she is studying musical theatre, to cheer on Ana and the others.
Darin & Ana Smith
Darin & Marisha Osowski
Darin & Tommy Cole
This is what sheer happiness feels like… with Tommy, Marisha, and Ana!
Ahhh… spending time with Laura… seeing dear friends, the Seybolds and Rush ladies… seeing a fantastic show… seeing former students, David, Ana, Marisha, and Tommy… this is my kind of daily production.
In August 2021, I sent in my tube of spittle to have my DNA analyzed. The results are not surprising.
ETHNICITY ESTIMATE:
81% German, Irish, French, English, and Scottish.
10% Wales.
5% Norway.
4% Other.
DNA COMMUNITIES:
Virginia Settlers. 1700-1950. Connected to regions of Germany, England, Ireland, and Scottish. This is connected to the Potomac River Valley Settlers, the Shenandoah Valley, as well as Lower Midwest & Central Kentucky Settlers.
Delaware Valley & Chesapeake Settlers. 1700-1975. Connected to Northwest Europe and includes Midwest Farmlands Settlers.
AREAS OF SETTLEMENT & MIGRATION:
My paternal Jolliffe ancestry from France and England migrated to Chesapeake, Virginia, and the James River Valley area of Virginia, settling in the Kanawa Valley region of Virginia, now Charleston, West Virginia. My line moved on through lower Ohio, settling in Butler County, Ohio before migrating to Eastern Indiana. ** This is correct information!
My Barmes (Bermes upon their 1834 arrival) came from Bavaria, Germany arriving in Maryland before migrating immediately to East Indiana. ** Again, this information was previously verified.
Other family lines from Europe settled in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Delaware.
This was such a FUNtastic night of great music from an era of rock music that seems like it was yesterday-ay-ay-ay.
The Beatles beat me to a US premiere by seven months and their music has been a part of my life since we both arrived in 1964. Tonight was such a nice retreat, not back in time, but seeing how popular and powerful their music still is, especially with all the high school teenagers in the Kettering Fairmont High School Orchestras.
The Newbees, a vintage-modern rock band, led the way tonight, accompanied by the four orchestras and three conductors. The musical chemistry and camaraderie between The Newbees and teenage musicians was invigorating and so much fun. The audience was genuinely thrilled at the start and their joy and participation continued its escalation to the last downbeat and through the bows. The front lobby was electric-filled as guests exited Fairmont’s beautiful auditorium.
I love concerts where young musicians are brought alongside professional musicians. Last month, the lead Fairmont High School orchestra shared the stage with Dayton’s own, Jim McCutcheon, famously known as “The Guitar Man.” I believe this is essential in education: creating and providing incredible experiences for students. There are several suburban school programs from around The Miami Valley that are able to promote such experiences.
Thank you, KFHS Orchestra conductor Rich Wright, the associate conductors, the Fairmont High School orchestra musicians, and The Newbees for creating and sharing such an incredible night of music.
Last May I arrived at the gates of Woodland Cemetery and Arboretum, prepared to tackle the hills to capture some of the fresh springtime foliage. Sadly, even with the assistance of my cane, I could not make it past Erma Bombeck’s gravesite just inside the gate.
Today, armed with new determination and no cane, I not only mastered the climb to pay my respects to the Wright Family but managed to make it to the pinnacle, the highest point in the area that showcases one of the most brilliant views of The Miami Valley and Dayton.
Ther Dayton RTA (Regional Transit Authority) offers free rides on The Flyer which travels from Riverscape on Monument Street down to the southern edge of The University of Dayton’s campus. I grabbed The Flyer to downtown Dayton where I hopped off to walk through the neighborhood of The Historic Oregon District, one of my favorite haunts with or without my camera.
I looked into one of my favorite eateries but it was filled and I didn’t want to walk a bit longer to China Buffet east of Dublin Pub. I took advantage of the great weather and walked on to the bus terminal to grab No. 17 back through Kettering to be dropped off about 100 feet from The Haasienda. The Quartet was so excited to see me!
It was a fantastic day and while I feel accomplished in climbing the hills of Woodland and reaching 7,613 steps for the day, I know that each day brings new advantages and sometimes, setbacks. Still, it was an invigorating day!
This is not my writing. This post is from DailyOM.
Pain can serve as one of life’s great teachers, but it’s vital to move through it and not become stuck.
Pain comes and it goes. It is just one component to the grand cycle of life. And when experienced as such, pain can serve as an important teacher. It is when we get stuck in our pain that it becomes detrimental to our well-being and development. If you notice that you feel closed-off, resentful, heavy-hearted, or that you try very hard to avoid being hurt again, there may be a part of you that is still stuck in pain.
We can get stuck in our pain for many reasons. As children, it was natural for us to cry, throw a tantrum, and let the experience move through us. By fully feeling our pain in this way, our emotions would wash us clean, leaving us open and available to new experiences. With age, though, we might have determined that expressing emotion was no longer appropriate, and so we developed a variety of coping strategies to deal with our discomfort. We may have learned to stuff our feelings down or to run away from them. Perhaps we began thinking that staying closed and unwilling to try new things would keep us safe from heartbreak, safe from rejection, and safe from failure. We may have even gotten so used to being in pain that the thought of being without it scares us. But, if we continue to hold onto it longer than necessary, we are expending a lot of energy that could instead be channeled into making our life experiences more positive.
If you notice that you are continually connecting with the same familiar patterns of pain, consider embracing your feelings and letting go of your hurt. Whether your pain is from childhood or from an experience last week, see if you can give it room to move. When it does, you will reconnect with a wonderful source of your own vital energy.
This is not my writing. This post is from DailyOM.
Our true selves exist whether we acknowledge them or not, often buried under learned behavior.
Identity is an elusive concept. We feel we must define ourselves using a relatively small selection of roles and conscious character traits, even if none accurately represents our notion of “self.” The confusion surrounding our true natures is further compounded by the fact that society regularly asks us to suppress so much of our emotional, intellectual, and spiritual vibrancy. Yet we are, in truth, beings of light — pure energy inhabiting physical bodies, striving for enlightenment while living earthly lives. Our true selves exist whether we acknowledge them or not, often buried under fears and learned behavior. When we recognize our power, our luminosity, and our divinity, we cannot help but live authentic lives of appreciation, potential, fulfillment, and grace.
At birth and throughout your childhood, your thoughts and feelings were more than likely expressions of your true self. Though you may have learned quickly that to speak and act in a certain fashion would win others’ approval, you understood innately that you were no ordinary being. There are many ways you can recapture the authenticity you once articulated so freely. Meditation can liberate you from the bonds of those earthly customs that compel you to downplay your uniqueness. Also, communing with nature can remind you of the special role you were meant to play in this lifetime. In order to realize your purpose, you must embrace your true self by letting your light shine forth, no matter the consequences.
Rediscovering who you are apart from your roles and traits takes time and also courage. If, like many, you have denied your authenticity for a long while, you may find it difficult to separate your true identity from the identity you have created to cope with the world around you. Once you do find this authentic self, however, you will be overcome by a wonderful sense of wholeness as you reconcile your spiritual aspect and your physical aspect, as well as your inner- and outer-world personas. As you gradually adjust to this developing unity, your role as a being of light will reveal itself to you, and you will discover that you have a marvelous destiny to fulfill.
This is not my writing. This post is from DailyOM.
Nearly all creative possibilities are related to the muses that inspire us.
Inspiration is an intangible yet inseparable part of the creative process. Nearly all creative possibilities are related to the muses that inspire us. The ancient Greeks believed that all creation, whether artistic or scientific in nature, was motivated by goddesses who served as the literal embodiment of inspiration. These were the Muses — the givers of the creative spark. We still rely on muses to drive the creative process, though ours may take a diverse range of forms. People we meet, intriguing ideas, movies, books, nature, and cultural ideals all have the potential to awaken our imaginative minds. When we are touched by our muses, we understand viscerally that we are capable of producing our own unique kind of greatness.
Many people move through life unaware of the presence of their muse. This lack of awareness can be compounded by the fact that we may have one muse that remains with us throughout our lives, multiple muses that inspire us concurrently, several muses that come and go as necessary, or a single muse that touches us briefly at specific moments. You will know that you have found your muse when you encounter a force that makes you feel courageous enough to broaden the range of your creativity. The presence of this force will erase your self-doubt and motivate you to give your thoughts and feelings form. Should your muse continue to elude you, however, there are steps you can take to increase your chances of falling under its inspired influence. If you surround yourself with people who support you, keep a pen and paper handy, immerse yourself in culture, and brainstorm frequently, you will soon reconnect with your muse.
Once you have identified your muse, embrace it by giving yourself over to the creative inspiration it provides. No matter what you are moved to create, you will find that neither fear nor criticism can penetrate the wonderful bliss that goes hand in hand with the act of taking an idea and turning it into something the whole world can enjoy.
The Haasienda on Shroyer... 