Success!

Dances the upside down Woodstock Flitter - Go Snoopy!

Apparently, I miscounted, for when I compiled everything from Scrivener I had a whopping amount of words over 50,000 for the month of November.

I state proudly for my record, I was a NaNoWriMoRebel -- that means and I quote from the NaNoWriMo forums:

"You're writing a memoir, a script, a nonfiction book about turtles or something else that's not a novel. You're a NaNoRebel, baby! Converse with your fellow outlaws here."

Promise and Commitment

Graphic from my Hemera collection,
TY to the folks who held my old computer for me
without you I wouldn't have this image!

‎"The positive thinker sees the invisible, feels the intangible, and achieves the impossible"   Author Unknown

“glad to have the likes of you in my midst.” From a friend I just made an hour back.

I made myself a promise a short time ago — it seems like forever to me, however, it truly was only about 2 months ago (or less).

Actually it was a series of promises and commitments:

• That I would not fret over situations and circumstances for the month of November;
• That I would expend my energy on me;
• That I would communicate when and how it felt “right” to me;
• That I would not apologize for taking care of myself;
• That I would not apologize for “not being what others expect or anticipate me to be”;
• That I would meet and explore my expectations not anyone else's;
• That I would be myself around those I call my friends, regardless of what I feared my friends might think of me, or if they would drop me as a friend, (I rarely fit into others comfort zones); and,
• That I would express what I feel, see, perceive and am aware of.  Regardless of the fear—that still has some residual life in me, for it was strongly necessary in my survival when I was younger—of what others would “think of me” and most enervating “do to me”.

The month of November is nearly up.

#NaNoWriMo Write-In and The Grinch! Holy Cow!

Vroman's Pasadena 11-26-11 -- Tomorrow is gonna be ROCKIN'!
Special Holiday storytime featuring The Grinch!  10:AM
NaNoWriMo Write-in 9:30am - 12:30pm
 
Come on NaNoWriMos!

Whether you are going to make the 50K words or NOT!  Whether you are a Rebel or a “Proper”!

This (despite all the trials and tribulations that invariably happen to me in November) has been the most tremendous November of my life and I wanna see all you NaNoWriMo people in my area!

I want to breath the same air you are breathing and bask in the creativity, expression, and passion for being that exudes from you.

All I can give you in return is one of my crooked smiles, but I tell you now, I've got plenty of  them, and tomorrow is gonna ROCK!

On top of the write-in that is being touted, they will have at 10:AM THE GRINCH at their holiday storytime (and YES!  I will have my trusty Fidget and Widget with me to have someone take a photo of me with The Grinch!)!  I'm not missing that!  Spoken-word storytellers, whether reading or telling are part of my lifeblood and this is gonna be a DAY!

How do you make a difference?

Silhouette from Dover clip-art

We all want to have others be aware of us in positive ways.  Positive is a nebulous word.  Pick a meaning for you that makes your spirit soar.

For me it's important to make a difference.

In the grandest of my dreams, the difference I make is cosmic.  Felt worldwide, felt universally.

In the reality of my world, the difference I make is sometimes not observed by anyone but me.

We look for the "big" things, often forgetting it's the little things that build the big things.

To All Things a Season

Christina, Lori ...

I have not forgotten our discussion the other evening.  In my research to give you both more information on yule log, the tree of fire, the burning tree, the burning bush and other monickers it's known by, I came across this.

It is an incredible piece of writing and speaks to my spirit.  As you both know, I have no issue with whatever faith a person resonates with, as long as two things are present -- 1) there is no hate/bullying expression involved and 2) I am not proselytized to.  This piece, Pagan-centric, meets my criterion in spades; and I feel comfortable sharing it.  It is as valid for one form of faith as it is another.  And as I am not a faith-believer, it is also valid for those of us who are not faith inclined, in my unhumble opinion.

From my point of view, it moves well beyond an exposition on mid-winter celebration; it gives, if you look deep enough, illustration of how people can transform the world -- yet, you know me ... that's one of my goals, so I'll find ways and means for it in any circumstance I come across.

Friends - my 100th post? Egad!

I am lucky.

The friends I choose to have are absolutely brilliant people.

Are yours?

Why are they brilliant? Without naming names, let me tell you of two of them.

We allow each other to be who and what we are.

No, we don’t do it perfectly. So take that notion right out of your head. In fact, let the concept that things must be perfect sit in a safe place from which you can reclaim it at the end of this tale. Fret not, it will be safe, it is in a container of your own devise, which you can open and close at will.

Moving on …

One example of why these are two people I have allowed within the confines of “close friends”?

Celebrate

Celebrate

I chatted with my therapist yesterday.

Why do you need to know that, you may wonder.

First and foremost — it is imperative to me to illustrate to others (you, if you’re amenable) how we humans can be.

No, that’s actually second in importance.

Teach Your Children

Crosby & Nash 11-8-11 (the same as above, but a link to take you to the YouTube post itself)

ARTIST: Graham Nash
TITLE: Teach Your Children
Lyrics and Chords


You who are on the road
Must have a code that you can live by
And so become yourself
Because the past is just a good-bye

/ C - F - / C - G - / :

Teach your children well
Their father's hell did slowly go by
And feed them on your dreams
The one they pick's the one you'll know by

Don't you ever ask them why
If they told you, you would cry
So just look at them and sigh
And know they love you

/ C - F - / C - / Am - F G / C - F G /

And you of tender years     Can you hear and do you care and
Can't know the fears        Can you see we
That your elders grew by    Must be free to
And so please help          Teach the children
Them with your youth        To believe and
They seek the truth         Make a world that
Before they can die         We can live in

Teach your parents well
Their children's hell will slowly go by
And feed them on your dreams
The one they pick's the one you'll know by

Don't you ever ask them why
If they told you, you would cry
So just look at them and sigh
And know they love you

An Essay -- The Meaning of Life

I've been given the assignment of writing a one page essay.  Being the rebel I am, my fulfillment of the assignment is to perform another person's essay, and it's more than one page.  Yes, I will ultimately write a piece to hand in ... I have another 4 days to get it done.  However, the opportunity to perform this piece is so much more fulfilling personally at the moment.

These words, from The Viscott Method by David Viscott, M.D. have meaning to me.  The paperback I have that contains them has a shredded cover (the moreso since it's been with me since 1984); it is yellowed, and perhaps in danger of falling apart.  But this morning it has served it's purpose, once again.  It reminds me of what I value, some of what I believe, and of a teacher I read often when I was in my 30's.


I am a performer, so it's natural for me to give this to you vocally.  Just imagine you are sitting in front of a radio, listening.


Lost Awareness's Vocal Reading of David Viscott's essay "The Meaning of Your Life"

It was a dark and stormy night ....

It’s 2:am and it’s raining.

It’s 78 hours and 53 minutes until I turn 57.

This is a month when many give thanks officially in the continental United States.  I’m thankful I’m dry, only a little cold, and writing up a storm.

It’s cold outside and my apartment is in the midst of an area where my street peers are huddling, shivering and focusing on surviving.

Did you know that 2 blocks from where I live, a mobile shower appears in the parking lot of a church for my street friends?  The same location houses a food bank to help feed those in my neighborhood.

Are you aware if the same type of love is going on in your neighborhood?

You say you want a revolution?

There are innumerable ways to have an effect upon the world.

Revolution is one of them.

Care to join in a peaceful revolution?

You have skills.

The skills you possess are tremendously important, and you never know for certain how they may play a part in transforming others.

I am in love

I am in love.

Totally unexpected.

Thoroughly surprising.

Wow.

Response Ability

We learn by illustration.  Yes, we learn by words, yet we learn some of our most intrinsic behavior by emulating others.  It's one of the ways we develop some of what we call our "beliefs"; our "standards"; our "ethics"; our reality.

That said, I'm sharing this piece -- for any person who may have some of the same feelings and questions that I do.  My hope?  That by illustrating what I have found, you may feel freed to find a truth for yourself -- whether or not your truth agrees with mine.