Project 137

Project 137 created by Patti Digh is an amazing community that I have joined.  I love this group's theme of Love Well, Live Fully, Let Go Deeply and Make a Difference. 

Today is our fifth day and I wrote this haiku for our prompt to let go deeply of our day.

fluttering away


slowly peeling each layer 


kissing each with love

release with each beat 


deeply breathing in meaning 


prayer-like offering

filled with gratitude 


looking forward with joy for 


another sun rise

To Every Season . . .

To every season and to the end of summer time is always a lovely time as the fruits and vegetables ripen.  The farmers' market is full of the bounty of our summertime work, and we can rejoice that we've made it through the growing season.  For me, this season is a great reminder of our vulnerability and our dependency on nature for our livelihood.

When I grew up in San Francisco, I was not aware of the seasons and how our food was grown as I never saw a growing plant amidst the "concrete jungle".  We had only one park in Chinatown where the grass was grown in planters, and of course I never saw vegetables or fruit growing in it's natural state.  I still remember the first time that I found green beans hiding under their bush leaves - it seemed like magic to me - that here was how one of my favorite vegetables grew.  They were perfect and looked just like the ones that we bought in the grocery store!  Or the first time when we happened to be on a ranch and we were allowed to climb trees.  We sat in an apricot tree eating fresh heavy juicy fruit straight from the branches, and the juice from the fruit ran down my face and arms.  I still remember the flavor--rich, sweet and so distinct and I knew I was in heaven.  There has never been another apricot to compare with those that I ate ripe out of that tree.

Although we do not have a large garden or fruit trees in our yard, we are fortunate that our neighbors are generous and share with us their cherries and rhubarb.  Sometimes they ask us to take their overabundance, and we are glad to do so.  So this year we tried some new recipes for preserving the fruit and the cheery and rhubarb liqueur seems to be a success.  We're saving a few bottles to be savored this winter when the snow and temperatures are down, and we know we will be sipping the liqueurs and remembering these lazy hot days of summer.

Such A Time As This . . .

In cleaning out some of my files I came across my handwritten notes and the notes were clearly written in a hurry, abbreviations, and chopped sentences.  The notes were good and I searched for the presentation and found the 2008 Fall Convocation address by our now President Emeritus Bill Robinson.  His presentation inspired me then, and re-reading the transcript inspires me now.

I include the link here:  Such A Time As This . . .

Thank you Bill for this perspective, and I love hearing my name mentioned in this context.

Time for Reflection

As I am preparing for the training of our student leaders, as I am thinking about leadership,
and what I would like to impart to our students, I come back to the book, Tao of Leadership by John Heider.  I find these two very helpful.

12.  Time for Reflection

Endless drama in a group clouds consciousness.  Too
  much noise overwhelms the senses.  Continual input

  obscures genuine insight.

Do not substitute sensationalism for learning.                                  

Allow regular time for silent reflection.  Turn inward and digest

  what has happened.  Let the senses rest and grow still.

Teach people to let go of their superficial mental chatter and

  obsessions.  Teach people to pay attention to the whole body’s

  reaction to a situation.

When group members have time to reflect, they can see more

  clearly what is essential in themselves and others.

13.  Success

If you measure success in terms of praise and criticism, your anxiety will be endless.

Having a good reputation or becoming well-known for your work can be a hindrance to your further development.

Fame is as burdensome as caring for yourself properly.

What is the problem with praise and criticism?

If the group applauds one thing you do, and then you feel good, you will worry if they do not applaud as loudly the next time.  If they are critical, if they argue or complain, you will feel hurt.

 Either way, you are anxious and dependent.

How is fame like caring for yourself?

In order to do good work, you must take good care of yourself.     

You must value yourself and allow others to value you also. 

But if you make too much of yourself, you will become egocentric.

  Egocentricity injures both self and work.

If you can live with the fruits of success and care for yourself

 properly, you will be able to foster success in other people.

But Look! It's All of Us Together

I know, I know the photo is over-exposed

some have the sun in their eyes, some of the faces are shaded

You could have set up this shoot better, yes, yes

But look!  It's all of us together - we just bumped into each other

at the Moscow Saturday Farmer's market! 

We hardly ever have the opportunity to see each other,

for just a while, in the middle of the market!

and there we are all talking at once!  Where are you going, where have you come from,

how long are you staying, what have you been doing, how's the job, 

how's the sabbatical going, how was your sabbatical, what did you do, and more! 

Translating to mean; we love you, we miss you, we're happy for you, 

travel safely, and good luck! and let's get together again!

To have Nick here just before going to work with the bees,

Ivar living in Seattle and commuting to Moscow

Pat beginning her sabbatical with travel plans for the next few months

Katrina and Diego traveling through on their way to Italy and Germany,

and ultimately to Peru for nine months

Wayne NOT playing tennis at the moment

and myself, back to work after a six month sabbatical, and just down for a quick weekend

And here we are all - realizing how fleeting these moments can be,

together enjoying each other, sharing as fast as we can, 

making promises to catch up, to see each other 

at the next cross-roads wherever that may be - Lima? Cuba? Moscow?

So, yes, the photo is overexposed, underexposed, facing into the sun . . . but we're all together!

Last Year This Time . . .

 Last year this time, as we have for many years, we take our dog Zeus (and before him, Fudge, and before him, Sherlock) for their morning walk in this public field.  Bordered by the Palouse River, open for everyone to use, surrounded by the beautiful farm fields and to the east, the Moscow Mountains, this type of public space is as pleasant for us as is for our dogs.

Regular mowing by our city workers, and early 5am watering keeps this field in tip top shape.  We have watched the change of the seasons as the field stays open year-round.

Summer soccer and t-ball for the kids and families with the year-round schedule of games, practices, and work outs.    In the winter, cross-country skiers loop the field creating an informal track to keep us in shape.   Spring thaw and flooding by the river makes it tricky to use the fields and often it will be tagged off-limits until the ground settles.  We abide by these notices, though impatiently, waiting until the fields are in shape as we all respect the desire to keep these fields in the best condition. Late summer and fall allows easy strolls and witnessing of the harvest of the nearby wheat fields.  The life cycle of the seasons allows us to appreciate nature and our precious environment.

The grass today feels luscious under foot, and the trees provide shade on one side of the field as we anticipate 97 to 100 degrees of heat.  We know we will be out again this evening and can enjoy the late day respite from the heat.  I am thankful for this field and the walks that I have taken here allowing me the space to be meditative and rested.  A peaceful environment to work out the daily busy-ness of life.  

I thought of this field when I was recently in the midst of my beloved Chinatown, San Francisco, and realized that I had the advantage of knowing that this place existed for me when I needed open fields, quiet and solitude.

Oh, how lucky we are to live here with our lovely field, spaciousness, and fresh air!

And There I Am

And there I am

Sitting prettily with my ankles crossed

Frilly socks folded down just so,

shiny black patent-leather shoes,

skirt splayed out perfectly around me

A buttoned cardigan fitting trimly

Hands folded peacefully in my lap

Patiently waiting

and there I am

At the age of six with red lipstick

to bring out my best color

Hair easily framing my round face

What thoughts were flying through as I am posed

In place for this portrait

What questions do I have,

 what stories do I have to tell?

and there I am

Could I have imagined all that I would know?

That not everyone would respect me,

I would be violated for just being myself

Unknown,

no consideration for me as a person

And somehow I became an object

not worthy of having dreams

treated because of how I looked

and relegated to the exotic,

not possessing smarts and savvy

And there I am

giving in to the stereotypes for a time

Thinking I was less than,

that something was wrong with being me

And for a time believing

in these false persistent images

No one to tell me,

no one to tell me differently

And there I am

Surviving the lies and the stereotypes

Challenging the reasons for the falseness

Shedding the layers of silence

Heavy for too long, shedding slowly,

Gaining momentum as the stories snake forth,

Building, coiling and springing open

free to strike

And there I am

no longer sitting quietly with hands in my lap,

ankles crossed, patiently, perfectly waiting.

Writing furiously for lost time

 to capture the stories

to record the truth,

to leave a legacy

words spilling like a waterfall,

rushing for the right words,

right phrases coughing,

choking, spewing forth

and here I am.

When Did This Happen?

There’s something in the air

And I have to go

I look down, slowing down

My feet

I look down again

When did this happen?

I see my mother’s feet

Big, wide,

Flat feet

Not particularly pretty

No model’s feet

Toes a little crooked

A bump here, a callus there

The beginning of a bunion

On the right side

Just like my mother’s

I look down again

When did this happen?

Sturdy, farm feet

She used to say

Built for working in the fields

Solid, grounded

Moving forward

Firm, caressing the earth

No nonsense

No time for skipping

No hurry, steady,

dependable feet

She sailed from home to

a new land

Stepping onto foreign soil

no familiar sights, no familiar smells

She walked strange streets

Her feet firm, brave

Reliable and fearless

Carrying heavy loads

Wide feet, spreading safely

Balanced and can-do feet

Always moving

Stretching far and long

With purpose

Through the early hours

Of the morning

Till the last footfall

Of the family in bed

Stepping softly to not disturb

Always finishing to the end of darkness

I look again

Walking with her stories,

seeing her world

carrying her dreams,

My mother’s feet

I look down again

When did this happen?

May, 2012

Truth in Writing

This is powerful, true, honest and beautiful writing.  We friends are rallying around our friend Patti Digh and her family.  She has inspired me in so many ways to live more fully, make strong offers to our world, and continue living the best life that I can.

This is her latest posting, please take a look:  The Tender Gravity of Kindness

Fostering Imagination

In June I attended a four-day training designed for creating a course for our new honors program. The book required for this course is noted below.  If you are not familiar with Parker Palmer's writings, you may want to check out his thoughtful and powerful writings and books.

The Heart of Higher Education:  A Call to Renewal by Parker J. Palmer, Arthur Zajonc, Megan Scribner and Mark Nepo (July, 2010)

During our first day of training, we discussed the above text, and one of the key themes that I am still thinking about is how do we foster imagination in the courses we teach.  How do we help our students sustain the practice of fostering their imagination even after they complete the course, and even after they graduate.  

This concept of how to foster imagination has stayed with me throughout this summer.  As I considered how and what ways we can do this - foster imagination - I came across many interesting items.  The below TED presentation is one of these that I found.

Please click on this link:  Simon Sinek: How great leaders inspire action

Sometimes you just have to get angry

Sometimes you just have to get angry

at life’s unfairness

with everyone telling you it will be OK,

you are so brave, you are so courageous

and we wish something will happen

to make this all OK, 

but for now

you just feel angry

Sometimes you just have to get angry

and know there is no fairness in this moment

that’s just how it feels

no fairness in this moment,

in this moment, and

you just feel angry

Sometimes you just have to get angry

and ask why, why me, why now

there’s no real answer

nothing that will make this feeling go away,

you just feel angry

Sometimes you just have to get angry

when your friend is in need

and all you hear is

health care, no health care

as if this were an academic discussion,

and you know your family is scared

you just feel angry and scared

Sometimes we have to just get angry

I know that this could happen to me

and everyone I know

You get sick, really sick and

you need good medical care, and 

I'm just angry and confused

We have to get angry and work hard,

work harder to set this up right for all of us

Set this up right in our richest nation,

so that our children, our youth, our disabled,

our elderly and everyone, everyone

can get medical attention

so that we don’t just get angry.,

so that we don’t have to just get angry.

We can always do something to help ourselves, to help others.  Please.  This is what I wrote on Patti Digh's website, see www. 37days.com for further information; 

"You get those Big Girl Warrior Panties on Patti, and we writers and more will walk alongside you!  I've got my Wonder Girl Magic bracelets and rope on ready for this fight for Mr. Brilliant to get Spot out!  I am a 12-year cancer survivor and know that there are no guarantees.  I happened to have had medical insurance at that time, and fighting cancer is tough enough without the battle for money.  We'll smash those barriers too.  At the ready and will send what I can when Amy gets the website up.  Your strong offers have made us all better Patti and we're here for you.  I live by the code of the West - no one rides alone."

Some things I’ve done to change my life

I took six months off from my paying job and just returned back to work.  This time allowed me a lot of freedom as I only set out three goals, to develop a writing practice, to make a film with my brother, and to practice self-care.  I am humbled to have done all of these things and more; be inspired and motivated to live my best life, to realign with my ground truth and with true north, and to intentionally gain in my physical and spiritual health.

Inspired by Patti Digh's writing 37 days.com, I accepted her challenge to generate my list of some things I've done to change my life.

1.  Give thanks

2.  Be grateful

3.  Practice yoga

4.  Eat well and only when hungry

5.  Meditate

6.  Write each day

7.  Love more

8.  Serve someone each day

9.  Align with my life vision each day

10.  Be in my flow

I know that I will add things to this list because I will want to attain new levels and new goals.  And there is so much more to learn in this life.  What is on your list?  What do you need to do to reach your highest and best self?  What may be in the way to your finding your flow in life? 

Balance

This moment as I was walking along the Spokane River, and this image helped me to think about balance - what would I need to have balance in my life.  What would staying healthy in body, mind and soul look like each day?  How am I living out my goals and living out my vision each day in our world in honesty and harmony.  And here are my initial thoughts.

B is to begin.  To begin by getting back to my ground truth - what is it that I am all about?  What has meaning and value to all that I do?  Where does self, family, friends, community, world perspective fit into my daily life?  How do I want to live my life?  

A is to align.  To align with my vision, knowing what it is I declare what I am about.  As an interculturalist and living at my higest and best, I am joyful, honest and caring so that I may develop a new mode of communicating that creates and supports a peaceful world. How have I lived my vision statement each day?  Is my daily life an expression of my vision statement?

L is for lean in.  I must lean in and speak up when situations when someone is diminished of their dignity, if someone is maligned for being who they are, if injustice and inequities are present.  If human rights or privileges are denied to anyone.

A is for assess. To take steady measure of what I have accomplished.  It is easy to set goals and forget about them, and so reflecting, assessing, and aligning are good practices to finding balance.  We can lose our direction in our busy and full lives and we can easily forget our accomplishments and make light of our challenges.

N is for never.  Never settle, never accept that we can not exact some change for the better.  No matter how bad or depressing or challenging, never accept defeat.  Begin to renew each day, recharge each day so that we may always do our highest and best work.  

C is for community.  Community does not naturally flourish, and we must give our communities constant attention.  Take time to connect with those we chose to be family and friends and give steady support, guidance, and attention.  Learn to ask for help and learn to include everyone.  When in times of great celebration and joy, and in times of death and trauma we naturally seek each other out.  Remember that we need as much support in those in-between times if we are to flourish and grow, and then we will be ready for the extremes in our lives.

E is for everlasting.  We must believe that we will endure, that all is not hopeless.  That we can direct our legacy and that our purpose, is important and worth living for.  We have something unique to give to our world, to our community, to our environment that is unique in that only we can give it.  And so to live in balance means we plan, we work, we dream towards that everlasting legacy of ours that we gift to our world.  Only we can do this work, this life, this living.  

Find your balance and live each day at your highest and best.

Secret of Success in Creative Work

Sometimes we come across messages that are reassuring.  Whether you are a young and new artist or whether you have spent years at your art, craft or career.  These messages that come along give me pause, appreciation and gratitude--good to be reminded.

Click on this link: Ira Glass on the Secret of Success

Photo from:  http://www.brainpickings.org/ind