Archive for May, 2010
I never need the news or the calendar to know that it is Memorial Day weekend. I live in Arlington about half a block from an I-66 overpass, a major conduit into Washington, DC. Rolling Thunder comes to town. I hear. And I know.
At any other time the nearly constant hum from traffic on I-66 is a distraction at best or an irritant. I prefer to listen to the songs of birds and crickets and the rustling of squirrels in the leaves. The day this past winter when I-66 was closed because of snow on the highway (a first!) the silence was beautiful.
At this time of year, though, the thunder from the highway is inspiring. In just listening I know what it will look like if I stand on the overpass and look out. The sound is continuous, and it does roll. The sound itself is exciting. And it is inspiring because these thousands of people stand for something. They are dedicated to making visible those Americans who have become invisible, who do not come home at all. I looked at their website and learned that Rolling Thunder is a nonprofit organization with 88 chapters across the country.
For me, Rolling Thunder has come to stand for more than what they intended, they represent what people can accomplish when they commit to a larger goal and band together in resolution. Where do I thunder is a question we might each ask ourselves.
May 30th, 2010
As I read the news this morning and saw that 1300 vessels are being brought into service to skim oil from the surface of the Gulf of Mexico, I thought about the many people who normally work those waters. They know the waters. Their rather fragile livelihood depends on them and has been interrupted by this oil spill catastrophe. Is BP employing these people who have boats, know the Gulf and are unable to pursue their normal occupation? Just a thought.
As I work with organizations I like to notice the value and strengths of the people there, and see how that awareness opens up new possibilities for action for the group.
May 29th, 2010
I want to call your attention to an article in a recent (March 2010) edition of Ode magazine, Great Expectations: How hope therapy can help banish mild mood disorders and boost happiness. The author is Catherine Ryan. The article notes that “people’s emotions often are determined by their expectations for the future.”
Interestingly, I have also been learning recently that people’s moods can affect the possibilities they see, and thus their possibilities for action and for a future. Emotion is central to action in us humans. Try thinking of the day ahead with arms crossed tightly across your chest, what can you entertain? Try thinking of the day ahead with relaxes arms and a smile on your face, do you see any other possibilities? If we see a cyclical quality here we might ask ourselves how we break out of negative cycles and enter positive ones.
Back to the article, which does not promote a “Pollyanna” view of the world or a disregard for negative emotions. It does point out that if we can see a positive road ahead we feel better about where we are today and we are better able to move forward. Not so surprising, huh? The surprise is, I think, that we don’t act on this idea more often.
May 28th, 2010
Let’s create a more relational and appreciative world around us.
Buzzing through our day, do people really see us for who we are? Do we really recognize the people who are part of us getting from here to there? How often do we express our appreciation? to the friend who overlooked our moody response? to the store clerk who made a transaction easy and pleasant?
The I See You Project is dedicated to helping us pause a moment and let someone know that we really see him/her and that we appreciate what that person has just done. Tell that someone what it was and what it meant to you. Then hand him/her a tag ticket to let that person know he/she has been tagged by the project as someone who is appreciated.
The ticket will ask that the person pass it on.
Perhaps in this small way, we can contribute to a milieu of relationships and appreciation.
Find tag tickets here I See You Tags
May 18th, 2010
