Category Archives: Personal goals

Metro Manila, Day 1: Joy, in The Midst of Fatigue

0
Posted by on in Assistance, collaborating, Community, distraction issues, impediments, Inspiration, Personal goals, Personal Values, Service Activities, Social, Spiritual, Striving, Travel

September 11, 2024, Manila- The young couple must have been amused, watching me go through the same pockets of my well-worn pack, several times, before finding what was needed for a small task, whilst waiting for the final leg of my flight: Hong Kong-here.

Such things happen, after five hours of sleep on a trans-oceanic journey. I chose to do this, so will take full responsibility. It was still a lovely day. The flight was 2/3 full, and the ambiance was casually business-like. We even had a light lunch served-unusual, on a short hop.

My dear friend was occupied with matters of domestic drudgery, so I didn’t get to see her, but we communicated happily back and forth. There will be much time for get-togethers, in the days ahead. I did visit with one of our friends, after settling in at Ola! Hostel, which will be my Home Base for several days, while I am in Manila. I was able to help said friend with setting up an appointment, next week, to handle a long-standing concern. It took a little bit of memory jogging, to locate the Baha’i Center, after a year’s absence, and being a bit “on fumes”. I finally also was able to sort out the Philippine peso coins from random Euros that somehow got mixed in the Peso jar.

It’s humid here, but not as stiflingly hot as in the height of summer. I will do more walking as, despite the entreaties of a car rental tout, I have absolutely no plans to drive anywhere in the Philippines. The bus, jeepney and taxi drivers have my full confidence-they grew up here and can handle what seems to me to occasionally be chaos.

On this otherwise solemn, and fatigue-filled, day, I felt joy at being back in another happy place.

A Short and Important Day

0
Posted by on in collaborating, Community, distraction issues, impediments, Inner Struggles, Inspiration, Personal goals, Service Activities, Social, Spiritual, Striving, Technical stuff, Travel

September 10, 2024, Hong Kong– What’s today’s date? That was not a “senior moment” question for me. Rather, it was one that was brought into my consciousness by the International Date Line. Longitude is our arbitrary tool for measuring time on Earth, as it helps track the “westward movement” of the Sun. So, we left Los Angeles at 1:15 a.m., PDT and crossed into September 11, a scant five hours into the day. Thus today “lasted” only until 6 a.m., PDT, or 3 a.m., Hawaii Standard Time.

One of my favourite ladies messaged me, with some ideas about at least the first few days of my visit across the waters. My first favourite lady would have turned 96 today. Both took up a goodly amount of my thought and heart energy today. The first favourite was fond of the second, though they never met. Mom just liked what she knew of K’s heart. For that matter, another favourite lady, my late wife, has sent only positive inklings about my newest friendship.

I handled the long flight (13 hours) by getting up and stretching, especially when the knees felt stiff after sitting for a stretch. Five hours of sleep at a time also kept me functional, when the short learning curve of navigating Hong Kong International Airport’s transfer system presented itself. It’s actually not that hard: Just go through security inspection again..This is a great crossroad of the world, and a city that is worthy of a visit, in and of itself-at a later date.

This has been one of the rare occasions when I have become closer to people from mainland China, and it was a pleasant revelation. Chinese people take care of themselves first, by and large, but are not ruthless or crass about it. They are not always intuitive, but I am not sure I would be either, if there were 1.1 billion compatriots underfoot.

Cathay Pacific Airlines has efficient counter and flight staff. The food is varied, and fresh-and in just the right portion size, for a sizable crowd that is mostly sitting for 13 hours. It was not a hard flight; at least not for me.

So a lot was packed into this short day-as it ever will be, as long as I have all my facuties.

A Healthy Spine

4
Posted by on in Assistance, Community, distraction issues, impediments, Personal goals, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving

September 4, 2024- The kids guessed as to my age, early this afternoon: Base was 52 and top was 87. (One guessed closely-72.) These were ten-year-olds, so there we are. When I was ten, anyone older than my Dad (33) was over the hill. These children cut me a lot of slack.

More authoritative was my chiropractic exam-the spine and nerves are in solid state, from top to bottom. This is the last physical exam until next year, save a dental check in December, so with continuance of the current regimen, I will be just fine-as 74 approaches.

Also gratifying, on this short and sweet work day, were having my Home Base minders to dinner this evening, at a quality Italian restaurant; getting in a solid workout at Planet Fitness and learning how to edit a sent e-mail, and send the revision out to all parties, without starting from scratch. Son is back from his annual Reserve training, so there is one less item of concern.

The number of boxes left to check on the trip preparation list is down to three or four: Last day of work is tomorrow, Sportage pre-storage maintenance is on Friday and I will get a fresh haircut in the next day or so. There will be several social and semi-business gatherings, between now and Monday noon; then I will head to Phoenix and beyond.

No Scrap Heap

0
Posted by on in Assistance, collaborating, Community, impediments, Matters of Faith, Personal goals, Personal Values, Service Activities, Social, Spiritual, Striving, Travel

August 29, 2024- “What of us, who are also your friends?”, the voice from 7,500 miles away came, through the medium of the printed Message. This was in reply to my statement that I surely must consult with my dear friend and with Faith community sponsors, before setting an itinerary for service work and other visits, a scant fourteen days from now.

That, however, does not inherently leave anyone out of my life. The Universe has a way of bringing people together when they are supposed to connect. My activities, both here at Home Base I and across North America, especially this year, have fallen into place at precisely the right time for all concerned. I have no reason to believe it will be any different during the upcoming sojourn in the Philippines. The only thing for certain is that, as always anymore, I am determined to not be a burden to anyone. Consultation will help obviate such a state of affairs.

The bottom line is, no one need feel consigned to the scrap heap. We need one another, more than ever, in this time of rapid change, which is likely to only accelerate over the next sixteen months, or longer. Lack of consultation and dearth of appreciation, breed conjecture, false narratives, conspiracy theories and outright mistrust. I will most likely have time to visit with the querulous friend. The visit will fall into the place that it is meant to occupy.

Focus and Count

2
Posted by on in Community, Education, impediments, Inspiration, Personal goals, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving, Technical stuff

August 28,2024- Her head spinning, the excitable teen threw up her hands and announced she was too stupid to figure how to do Scientific Notation. Looking at the arcane samples written on the white board, I could see where she, and several others, had come to that conclusion.

It’s not them; it’s the system of instruction. Focusing on maintaining order, I vowed to look up the matter in the quiet of my Home Base. So, should one want to write the number 168,275,000 in Scientific Notation, it would be necessary to move the decimal point (presently after the right-most zero) far enough to the left that the whole number,1, is followed by .68275000. Then, count the digits to the right of the decimal point. There are eight of them. This translates to 1.68275000 x 10 to the eighth power, or ten with an exponent of 8 . This laptop will not write it properly, but anyone who has had Algebra I knows what I mean. I will write it on the white board for all to see, tomorrow.

Focus and count is also necessary, when trying to make a rational, evidence-based decision that balances a heart conviction. Many men in their late teens and twenties have spoken of wanting to see a decisive, “macho” leader, who will, essentially, make the trains run on time-and shove all obstacles aside. That was tried, nearly a hundred years ago, in several countries of Europe. It’s been tried in several other countries since, with limited results, actually.

Historical evidence shows that human nature gets in the way of a machine-like system that knocks all obstacles to the side. The “macho” leader is still a human being and is subject to whims, fancies, and other emotions, which can and do make him/her go overboard. The leader, for example, may misjudge the nature of a an event or a phenomenon, convincing self and supporters that their way is the only way to get through the morass. The problem itself being complex, there are disappointments, setbacks and unrest that come before its resolution, and thinking outside the box, something often anathema to the authoritarian, to the hidebound elders and the unseasoned youth who support his/her efforts, is exactly what is needed to resolve the issue.

The same thing can happen with a top-heavy bureaucracy, which will, in its turn, bring another call for an authoritarian system. Red-tape vendors don’t like divergence of opinion, either. The fact remains, though, that the universe of problems can only be soothed by exactly such diversity. There are matters that can only be resolved by a trusted executive; others that require limited, but vigourous, debate and consensus and others that demand universal participation.

Many matters require that those involved focus, and count.

Those Others

2
Posted by on in Assistance, collaborating, Community, impediments, Inspiration, Personal goals, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving

August 25, 2024- I went over to a pub where a friend works, but found friend was off-shift. I hadn’t been back there for some time, but enjoyed my usual: Non-alcoholic brew with a BLTA (bacon, lettuce, tomato and avocado). I don’t stay long, as the pace in that particular establishment is quite frenetic, not really a spot for conversations; it’s more for watching football games, or maybe the World Series, in October.

I mention this, because so much of our contact with others is fleeting. I tend to view people as friends, even when I don’t see them often. Some use the term “acquaintances”, which seems to me to be rather cold, though it’s a fair description of store clerks, or random people, with whom I interact maybe once or twice.

I just don’t see people as “others”. Their wants, needs and aspirations are just as valid as mine. This occurs to me in most, if not all, situations-from looking behind me to see if someone else needs to get through a door, turn into a parking lot which I may be crossing on foot, or approaching rapidly, (in which case I need to make a quick assessment of what the person may be trying to accomplish). This last rarely happens anymore. It’s also a good idea to be looking in all four (or five) directions, when driving, as any given motorist could be engaged in any number of tasks, or headed for any number of destinations, experiencing any number of emotions. It is often described as “maddening”, but that is a big reason why I leave a lot of time between leaving where I am parked and where I am headed.

There is also the quality of interactions between my friends and I. Any one of us could be going through a plethora of emotional stresses, which we just might not want to lay on a given person-so taking the measure of a person’s body language, heeding their request to NOT speak of a given subject and cutting her/him some slack when a less than congenial vibe is offered are each key to continuing said friendship, if not strengthening it. Even silence, for a period of time, is not a red flag of impending separation.

I get on better, when not thinking “That’s THEM, that’s THOSE OTHERS, not me”. We’re all in the bubble.

Even Flow

4
Posted by on in collaborating, Community, impediments, Inner Struggles, Inspiration, Personal goals, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving

August 24, 2024- Friend catalogued this past year in his life, as today was his birthday. He spoke of his life having run the gamut of emotions, experiences, trials and tribulations, successes and affirmations. He spoke of how fear was what kept him down and led him down a path of paranoia, isolation and self-defeat. On the darkest of those days, strange things happened in the afternoon: He got a job offer, was accepted into a Masters Program and met a woman who has proven to be a near perfect match. The young man I saw this evening is the polar opposite of the individual I have encountered on this day, for the past three years.

It is breathtaking, what faith in the Divine, and a decision to not focus on what one doesn’t want from life,but rather determine what is wanted, can bring into being. I have been through every one of the ups and downs that my young friend catalogued this evening. Only focusing on what I want, rather than obsessing over avoiding the opposite, has turned things around, to where life is joyful. It is never perfect, but this life is not meant for perfection; that will come in another realm.

Several years ago, the band Pearl Jam performed a song entitled “Even Flow”, about the plight of the homeless. In reading the lyrics, I can attest to the subject of the song as having much in common with a lot of us. Any vision of quality of life that depends on the good graces of everyone else is putting the cart in front of the horse, with all the confusion and frustration that implies.

Realizing that one is a soul who is worthy of respect, of good things and of the love of others is the first step in personal renaissance. The rest is day by day actions, great and small. I look forward to watching, as my young friend builds the life he so wants. I also look forward to what life has in store for me, over the next several years. Water goes around obstacles; the flow remains even.

[Verse 1]
Freezin’
Rests his head on a pillow made of concrete, again
Oh, feelin’
Maybe he’ll see a little better set of days, ooh, yeah
Oh, hand out
Faces that he sees time again ain’t that familiar, ooh, yeah
Oh, dark grin
He can’t help, when he’s happy he looks insane, hm, yeah

[Chorus]
Even flow, thoughts arrive like butterflies
Oh, he don’t know, so he chases them away (ooh)
Oh, someday yet, he’ll begin his life again
Life again, life again

[Verse 2]
Kneelin’
Lookin’ through the paper, though he doesn’t know to read, ooh, yeah
Oh, prayin’
Now to something that has never showed him anything
Oh, feelin’
Understands the weather of the winter’s on its way
Oh, ceilings
Few and far between all the legal halls of shame, hey

[Chorus]
Even flow, thoughts arrive like butterflies
Oh, he don’t know, so he chases them away
Oh, someday yet, he’ll begin his life again
Ah, whisperin’ hands gently lead him away
Him away, him away

Another Banner Day

2
Posted by on in Assistance, children, collaborating, Education, Family, Matters of Faith, Personal goals, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving

August 23, 2024- The little girl introduced herself, about ten minutes after the first group of students came in. When I told her of a newborn baby who shared her name, she shrugged and said “There are a lot of us”.

There was much that was matter-of-fact about this group of children. Even the most squirrely of kids were most responsive when expectations were clearly stated, and most resistant, when they thought I was listening to tattle tales. Those last were discouraged from their snooping and the wayward ones settled down.

Today was a shorter work day, so it took no adjustment to go over and pick up my healed Lenovo, which basically just needed to be cleaned up, internally. We are all set for the next few months, which will be quite full of the unexpected, even aside from my journey across the Pacific.

My family achieved another milestone, of a nature personal to my siblings and me. This is just one less matter that might have been irritating. It was handled professionally and well. It gives me confidence that we are each on the right track in our respective lives.

Another well-lived week has passed, giving more strength for what lies ahead.

Keeping the Cup Half Full

2
Posted by on in Assistance, collaborating, Community, Education, Inspiration, Personal goals, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving

August 22, 2024- There was a reason for no assignments being posted on the board, or left on the desk, this afternoon, for the two classes I was to monitor. The rub came with getting past the Byzantine system of electronic access, with passwords and buzzwords all in place to keep hackers and assorted miscreants at bay. The Administration’s best and brightest was able to get through the maze and all I had to do, when classes changed, was click on a few transitional buttons.

In the end, the two classes were satisfied that their time had not been wasted and the on-line Streamed instructor was happy, as well. Electronic education has survived its pandemic initiator and assumed a worthy life of its own. We could even hear one another, from four buildings away.

The cup remains half full, even if at times the struggle is real- Technical snags, long silences, irritable people and traffic snarls are in everyone’s life. I was taught, a while back, to work at not making any of it about me. Dad found that this was the only way to avoid getting jaded about life. In my own experience, it’s also been spot on.

The notion of walking through challenges, rather than around them, or backpedaling the other way, has also served me nicely. There have been relatively few cases where I have been totally on my own, or when Penny and I were left to our own devices, back in the day. In those instances, I/we made mistakes, but the right thing eventually happened. Seeing life as a half full glass means working through pain, when it comes, and coming out the other side.

God knows this is how one survives and thrives.

Greater Things

2
Posted by on in Assistance, collaborating, Community, distraction issues, impediments, Inspiration, Matters of Faith, Personal goals, Personal Values, Service Activities, Social, Spiritual, Striving, Travel

August 19, 2024- The full moon rose this evening, known as the Sturgeon Moon, as mid-August was traditionally the time when the sturgeon of the Great Lakes, Lake Champlain, Lake of the Woods and Lake Nipigon were at their most prolific. Mid-August has ever been an auspicious time.

2024 has been one long, auspicious ride, and I still sense we have a long way to go. This evening, I was asked to take on a position in our Faith community that, fortunately, may be successfully carried out by electronic communication. It will challenge me to make sure that I am able to readily communicate with my fellows in Faith, in Homebase I, with the Regional Baha’i Council for our five-state region and with the Baha’i National Center, outside Chicago-no matter where else I may be called to serve on a temporary basis.

It can be done, I have concluded, after have an hour to contemplate whilst hosting a Spiritual Feast, this evening. We, individually and collectively, are being called to achieve greater things.

There is an old Irish proverb which goes, “If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always gotten.” We’ve heard that, in modern times, from the likes of Henry Ford and Tony Robbins-and it holds water. Maybe that’s why I have been at my worst when I’ve sat around and wallowed in the mud of stagnation and worn-out routine. I suspect that I am far from alone, in that regard.

The next three weeks will feature a lot of activity close to HB I, but it will be far from routine. Then will come the striking of a balance between maintaining ties, as described above, and service activities in the Philippines. This is only the beginning of such situations, with rapid change, including a fair amount of transitions of all kinds going on in the background.

Many of us may find ourselves being called to adjust our thinking, our practices and our daily routines, as we approach the height of the Solar Maximum, in early to mid-2025. Earth and its creatures, including mankind, are far from being unaffected by what goes on, in and around the Sun. Let’s keep that in mind, as we continue to rise to the challenges posed by unusual climatic events and by the evolving of our human society.

No matter what one is called to do, a way can be found to achieve it.