On the death of a Friend…

My Family-of-Choice recently suffered a great loss – one of our Brothers crossed over the Bifrost Bridge very unexpectedly, while his partner was out of town. Chimbai was a pillar of our community, and had been a vital part of Us for well-nigh 30 years (long before I came around!).

In conversation with Twit this afternoon, we came around to “How are you dealing with this?”, and I was able to articulate, for the first time really, how I actually perceive Death ~

I’ve “lost” many people who were very important to me, over the years – parents, other relatives, friends and lovers – and my responses have varied, depending on both the circumstances and my maturity (of course!)

Where I’m at now, I look at Death as the ~ONE INEVITABLE THING~ in every Life: the Reapers (Guides, Valkyries, Angels, whatever name you like) will come for each of us, sooner or later, one way or another,

no matter what we do in the meantime!

I believe in an everlasting Soul, which may (or may not) manifest again on the Earth in a human body.

Meanwhile, the Soul is in another Cosmic Zone, doing things that we, here, have a hard time even imagining: Learning, growing, choosing, teaching, maybe even flitting around and playing harp in the clouds…

I believe that the pain we feel when someone else dies is mostly for ourselves and our loss ~ and that’s Okay. A Funeral is a collective sharing-of-pain, and an opportunity also to share our memories of joy.

Inevitably, Death’s timing really sucks. It seems to “take far too long” or shows up “much too soon”.

~ This was originally written (and shelved) on May 25, 2009.   Since then, we have lost 3 more Brothers from this Plane ~ 2 after long and painful illnesses, and yet another both ‘too young’ and ‘without warning’. We are reeling, both individually and collectively.  We will, each and all, move past this intense and immediate pain, to a place of a ‘dull ache with occasional twinges’. We will each use our own methods, and make our own progress.

And we will suffer through more such losses, until it is our turn, each of us, to BE the loss whom others mourn.

Meanwhile, I will live my life with JOY ~ and celebrate those who have gone ahead ~

Bright Blessings!

 

mmmmmmm…typing while tipsy!

So, today is Mother’s Day, {Happy Mother’s Day! all you Mom’s out there!}and yesterday was the 33rd anniversary of the Mother’s Day when my 2nd daughter was born ~ and WooHoo! she got to be here for it, for the first time since she turned 19! Flew in from Tampa yesterday, for the weekend, because …

The band that DH has been Head Roadie for (for, like, 25 years) and the band who owned the bar where they first started playing Irish music on a regular basis, had a blow-out Reunion concert this evening.

What a rockin’ good time!
(Damn! I can’t play with the fonts and sizes in QuickPress! Oh well – if I could, that last sentence would be about 4 times the size, and BOLD, and maybe even in some exotic typeface – ‘cuz I really Really REALLY mean it!!!)

The Dooley Brothers and Brogue have *always* had a very special magic about them, separately, and especially together – and it’s been close to 20 years since it happened last.
What an extraordinary event, even for the Irish American Heritage Center, where extraordinary events happen on a fairly regular basis!! (links to be added when I’m far closer to sober!)
~~~
Many Thanks, from the corners of my Soul, to all who helped make this evening such a success for me, personally ~ Tengri, and the Lady of the Full Moon, and Mommy and Daddy and Peter, – who helped me channel enough energy to metabolize *enough* alcohol to get us all home safe and sound, and Mori, who knows the way, even when I forget … and my Brother in Minnesota ~Dude, you win! my sh*t-storm-day was already getting better when I talked to you – yours has a ways to go, yet! ~ bunches of Good-Words-Energy to you …
~~~
The whole show, and alot of side stuff and background people was recorded, so there oughta be a CD and maybe a video available down the road, for those who weren’t able to be there …

And, it’s now 4am, and I really need to get horizontal for a couple hours – thanks for reading, and believing in me (*somebody* checks to see if I’ve gotten my nerve back, every once in a while!)! Catch ya on the next go-round!

Bright Blessings ~

 

(Nov. 5, 2008)

At the risk of sounding trite, only because absolutely everybody can say it ~ this IS an historic morning.

Voters across this country have chosen to give Hope and Change a chance to function in America again, instead of the fear and hate which have been so loud, if not strong, for the past decade.

Many news reports have mentioned the Power Shift that Barack Obama’s election shows – but so far, I haven’t seen much notice of the shift in the concept of  Power – as Riane Eisler has discussed in her book “The Power of Partnership” – the difference between “power over” and “power with“,  the shift from Domination to Partnership in all kinds of arenas.

The difference is far more than rhetorical – Barack Obama has spoken and acted mostly from a place of “Power With” since his college years as a community organizer and political activist in Chicago. The most telling line, to me, in his acceptance speech, was

“… to all those who have wondered if America’s beacon still burns as bright –tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity, and unyielding hope.”

We DO still have a mighty long road to travel, and I sincerely hope and pray that we have the courage and strength to travel it together.

 

“The Best Service is No Need for Service”

I just commented on this excellent article (The Best Service is No Service) at destinationCRM.com., for 2 reasons, which became clearer as I wrote -

1) The article itself hits one of my hot-buttons: Customer service should be about fixing the system that caused my problem, as much as fixing *my* particular current problem; and

2) While I haven’t seen any distorted readings of this particular article (yet!), the wording of the title (and their book) simply begs for misinterpretation, by both sound-bite commentators and the anal bean-counters of corporate America.

The simple addition of 2 words to that headline would have made their content clearer AND greatly reduced the chances of misinterpretation: “The Best Service is No Need for Service”.  As it stands,  it practically begs to be used as an excuse to completely eliminate the Customer Service function! Maybe that’s my just cynicism of corporate America coming out, but maybe not…

I found this article while cruising The Livin’ the Dream blog: http://mydreambizblog.blogspot.com/ . It’s mentioned in Leo’s June 8, 2008 post.  {I just posted a comment there, too}

Bright Sunny Tuesday Blessings!

Karen J

getting back on this posting-horse after FAR TOO LONG spent procrastinating!

 

It’s been so long – and it’ll be awhile longer ~

I apologize for not being “here” in the last couple of weeks – I’ve been either Chicken or Busy …

… and it’ll be a couple more weeks. We’re literally on the way out the door to go camping for almost 2 weeks!

I’ll tell you all about it when we get back.

If you really want to know more, right now!, check out  http://www.pennsic.net

Bright Blessings, All!

Karen

 

“To-Don’t” List – Brilliant!

I just read this article on Henrik Edberg’s Positivity Blog -

“7 Ways to Reduce Stress With a To-Don’t List”, a guest post by Liz Massey of Creative Liberty.

It’s given me permission to think about that dreaded, ever-expanding ToDo list in an entirely different way!

Haven’t actually DONE anything with the idea, yet  – been busy writing about it! – but I know it will be very helpful, and just recognizing (once again!) that it’s not only *Okay*, but *GOOD* to say “No” to some thoughts, projects and ideas, and even people!, has freed my mind of a short-ton of crap!

Off now, to actually Do something that’s still on the ToDo list!

 

Points for Me!

So, I’m sitting in the kitchen, trying to write a perfect cover letter to go with my not-yet-updated resume, and I brain-flip over to the movie DH has on in the living room …

2 lines of dialog, and I ask him “Is that Fame?” “Yup!” comes the reply.

Wow! Two lines from Anne Meara, laying out the classroom rules for her incoming freshmen! I haven’t seen that movie in eons – at least 15 years, maybe more. Talk about “culture memory”!

~~~

Time to brain-flip back to the job-hunt! Cross your fingers for me!

 

Today’s Project/Goal/Intention: Connect the Camera!

So, I just spent wa-a-a-a-y “too much time” writing the previous post, but the topic really caught my attention (Look, a Chicken!) and it felt like a good way to be Active, instead of just ReActive, so invested the hour or so, by choice.

Anyhoo – I have this spiffy little Olympus FE-115 digital camera that I got last Fall, and I want to learn how to dump the disk onto the computer. I know it involves

• 1) installing a program, from the disk that came with the camera, then
• 2) deciphering all the jargon (worst-casing, I know – it might be well-written for the rank beginner, but I’m not holding my breath) and then
• 2A) deciding where to put everything – the Olympus management file(s?), the photos, and an unknown amount of “other stuff”.

That’s why I’ve been putting it off all Winter … now I’ve told “the world” about my plans, I’ll be more inclined to follow through!

Hold me to it, please – somebody ask “Where’s the pics, K?” okay?

Bright Blessings!

 

“Hot-desking”? Ewwwww!

This article came to me through BNET Alerts [A terrific resource - they provide a whole day's worth of business-related reading (just what I need right?!), and are related to TechRepublic and ZDNET].

Tele-commuters, Beware!

The latest entry into the “next big thing” race may be something called “Hot-Desking” – where those folks who aren’t at the office 9-to-5, M-F, get to “share” a work space with X-number of others, at the same desk! Apparently designed for outside salespeople, but could be applied to any other part-timers , too.

Is Hot Desking a Cool Idea — or a Catastrophe?

http://blogs.bnet.com/teamwork/?p=224

The link is currently broken, but I have a feedback note on file at BNET – will update it as soon as it’s fixed. [Never did get a response from them, but the above link DOES work, now. 5-24-08]

My comment referred to Cat-bert (the evil HR person in Dilbert), but on reflection, I think the “Pointy-Haired Boss” would be more likely to come up with this hair-brained (as-it-were) scheme! (Sorry, HR people!)

It smacks of “bottom-line-only” thinking, where no one counts the non-direct-dollar cost of a process change/”improvement”.

In addition to the vital collaboration and connection costs mentioned in the article, I can see it taking a half-hour or more for each person to drag out their personal stash, adjust the chair and monitor, find all their files, and get down to business. Times that by 2 or even 3 times a day for the various users, add in the time it takes to put it all away at the end of your shift, and you have automatically generated a daily hour-an-a-half or more of totally non-productive time for each hot-desk!

Plus, really, who gets to monitor the “schedule”? Probably some already overworked, under-appreciated admin-type, who will bemoan this silly added task to her network of friends (and potential co-workers) (including the international thousands of Ask Liz Ryan members!)

Let’s nip this idea in the bud, any chance we get – !!

 

On “Bio-Fuel or Food?”

I just wrote this comment for Greenadine’s blog post Biofuel or Food… .

This is only the tip of several of my pet icebergs – and I need to do a healthy chunk of research before I spout off much more, but here’s what came easily to mind:

Hi Nadine!

Just had to “check you out” after seeing your comment on Mother Earth’s blog !
… and these 2 posts above hit a couple of my buttons ~

I, too, have been getting more and more upset about the newly-popular bio-fuel production methods over the last couple years.

(Full-disclosure: I drive a 2006 diesel-powered VW Jetta. Chose it partly *because* it could be set up to use closer-to-home-made fuel (used fryer oil, even!). Also, partly because of the incredible support community at Fred’sTDIClub.com. Also, because it gets 40+ miles per gallon!)

Anyway, ethanol (when made from corn) actually results in negative energy – it takes more units of work (ergs? watts? calories? dunno the right term) to grow and convert the stuff than burning it in an internal-combustion engine (of the technology currently available) produces for the end-user…
I’m not sure of the numbers for soy-sourced bio-diesel (the most commonly available type in the US), but my problem with the current big-business approach to that product is exactly the same ~

How short-sighted and stupid is it to use FOOD for FUEL!!!

It’s exactly like “eating the seed-corn”, only that’s usually a choice made by one family about their *own* seed-corn. Corporate Bio-Fuel Production is playing havoc with the whole world’s food!

When any raw material switches from being a *by-product* of some other system to being the raison d’être – the economic web is in for a serious shake-up, and that’s what’s happening now.

I don’t know (I’m not an Economist, Jim!) if this mess was or could have been anticipated, but we certainly need to change the direction things are going, and soon! I definitely don’t think that more legislation (way too many “unforeseen outcomes” are likely to result; plus, I firmly believe in Freedom of Choice!) is the way to go, probably more grass-roots pressure on the corporations, and education of the consumers – And, of course, more investigation of alternatives for all the things we get out of petroleum: energy, and petrochemicals (did you know that includes both polyester and nylon? I didn’t, until just now).
But let’s not tar *all* bio-fuels with the same brush ~ the problem is more with the current production systems and economic incentive programs.
~~~

Thanks again for providing the soap-box, Nadine! It’s now bed-time for this new reader!

Bright Blessings!

Karen J.