Category Archives: Personal goals

Practice Noble Things

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

August 11, 2024, Phoenix- This was the opening sentiment, expressed as a chant, by a devotional singer, as our second day of study of a document on bringing our Baha’i communities’ actions into sync with the true needs of society unfolded.

My main task, this morning, was to take notes for a breakout session, so I determined to be a lot more careful in my printing and to use the cursive writing that was instilled in me by Mom, at a very young age. Practice noble things.

My dear friend, across the ocean, told me of concerns she has. Her troubles are my troubles, so I will do what I can to bring resolution to those that I can, and find help for the things that are beyond my capacity. Practice noble things.

At the end of the gathering, several of us joined the volunteer kitchen staff and made sure the food was stored or prepared for distribution to the unhoused, the coffee and tea were dumped and the vessels cleaned and that the chairs were properly put back. Practice noble things.

Once back in Home Base I, tomorrow and for the next four weeks, there will be activities that will bring to bear a determination to- Practice noble things.

Small and large; commonplace and novel; with friends, family and all those extended kin that we call acquaintances and strangers-Practice noble things.

Scottsdale Flow

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

August 10, 2024, Chandler, AZ- The flow in question was one of ideas. A group of us discussed the various ways in which the Teachings of Baha’u’llah fit into addressing the needs of any given society. We are gathered in this two-day symposium, not to offer piecemeal, or even easy, solutions, to the problems plaguing mankind.

Our take is more holistic, and generally distributes power and resources more evenly, though with things like money and property, even distribution needs to be arranged voluntarily. Grabbing the wealth of a person or family creates other problems-mostly related to the party from whom the wealth was taken, turning around and seeking vengeance. There is also the matter of the recipient of an easy take not valuing the loot.

Profit sharing, cooperative ownership and unconditional philanthropy work better. Other issues, especially with regard to land rights and environmental protection, need to proceed, but with clear explanations well in advance of the actual procedure being carried out. In all that transpires, Baha’u’llah says “The best beloved in My sight is Justice”. That process recognizes that the wealthy, the traditionalist and the conservative-even the reactionary, is as much a child of the Divine as the impoverished one, the change-agent and the progressive-and vice versa. Either one, or both, can be in the wrong, if there is not good-faith acknowledgement of the opposite number’s valid points and a willingness to recognize and accept where one might be in error. The key lies in the balance.

The gist of Baha’u’llah’s Teachings it that all are equal in the sight of God and that each individual is responsible for own spiritual search, and growth. Those factors, alone, when more widely accepted, will lead to a climate of fairness, self-responsibility and personal agency. These are all requisite to the peaceful world we all claim to cherish.

Eights and Aces

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

August 8, 2024- The number eight was in serial mode, in a few places today. I went off towards breakfast at 8:18 and this evening, when I pulled out of the carport, the odometer read 808080. Of course, this is the eighth day of the eighth month and the digits of 2024 add up to the number 8. It is a lucky, powerful number-except for Wild Bill Hickok, when he held that infamous hand.

Eight requires its holder to take informed action, which may have been why Sheriff Hickok took a bullet, as he allegedly was sitting with his back to the saloon door. Awareness of surroundings, now, as then, is the only way one can confidently move forward-whether on one’s feet, or sitting.

For me, today was a day to set a definite agenda for the final 4.5 months of 2024, knowing that the biggest item on the list will very likely have implications for the rest of my earthly life. Every atom of the Universe seems to be telling me to head for the Philippines next month, with full confidence. The last time I got such a strong message, I found myself alongside the woman who helped me get rid of a fair amount of personal baggage and embrace the Faith of Baha’ullah.

So the rest of August will see several faith-based gatherings, medical check-ups, Tagalog lessons (online) and a renewed fitness push. September and October will start and end with service activities here at HB I, but will mostly be across the Pacific, with similar service activities and building friendships. November and December will find me back in Arizona, with the focus largely dependent on what happens across the ocean.

I know one thing: The right thing will happen. I will be in a good place, come January 1, 2025. I will not sit with my back to the door, gamble or no gamble.

DIM

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Posted by on in collaborating, distraction issues, impediments, Inspiration, Personal goals, Personal Values, Social, Striving

August 2, 2024- The acronym, in times past, could have been used to appeal to my awareness of surroundings. Yes, there was a time when I was often so lost in thought that ” The tree just jumped out at me” or “That sidewalk rose up and tripped me” would not have been an inconceivable remark.

That was then, this is now. Do It Myself is a reasonable goal for me to set, with small projects, given time and You Tube. Project numero uno is to repair a gouge in Sportage’s paint job. I have already done the sanding and purchased touch-up paint, which comes in the proper applicator. I will check You Tube, to see if there is any intermediate step, between wiping the freshly washed surface and applying the paint.

This evening, a novice driver backed into hapless Sportage and the rear molding is cracked, but there is no dent and no damage is underneath-I checked very carefully. So, another You Tube check is in order, as the damage doesn’t come to much more than 1/4 of my insurance deductible. The kid was apologetic and gave me his information, but I think that JB Weld can take care of the cracked aluminum.

Essentially, I am more confident in my early seniority-and why not? I have watched plenty of robust and mature adults take care of fairly small matters. I can do the same, whilst knowing when to get outside help, or seek expertise.

Now if only world hunger were a You Tube fix!

Safety First

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

July 29,2024- It was once known as the “Loneliest Highway in America”; not any more.

Several times today, an “intrepid” driver would attempt to pass several vehicles, along Nevada’s long section of U.S. 95. Most had to be let back in, either a third or half-way through the queue, usually with an approaching semi-trailer truck as the impetus. At least the drivers had two things going for them: 1. They weren’t trying to pass on a a double yellow; 2. There was no ad-hoc scold trying to block them from re-entering the line.

Back in the day, we were taught not to try and pass anyone on a two-lane highway, unless there was at least a half-mile of visible clearance: No approaching vehicles on a straight shot; no curves or hills; no animals or road debris. That was still mostly in evidence, yesterday, but there were also the heat (not everyone has quality AC), schedules (“I need to be in Las Vegas by 5 p.m.!”) and cranky family members, who couldn’t be necessarily counted on to be patient until Eddie World, or Circus Circus, was reached. There was also the detour effect: Many travelers were on this route because I-5 and I-84 (the major north-south routes in the West) were closed in spots, due to raging wildfires. So, too was US 395, essentially from Mono Lake northward, due to the smoke from the Park Fire.

My route between Prescott and Carson City has usually followed U.S. 95, with several favoured stops in the routine. They were made today; Breakfast at Red Hut, on Carson’s south side; lunch (which doubled as supper) from Beans & Brews ( a small cafe run by students and staff from Tonopah High School), an ice cream break at Eddie World (Beatty’s answer to Buccee’s) and a gas pit stop at one of three stations in Metro Las Vegas. Others, like wildlife viewing at Walker Lake, checking in at the Alien Store, Amargosa and a meal at Westside Lilo’s, Seligman were foregone.

It has been a rewarding and affirming series of visits, even if not all problems were resolved to the satisfaction of everyone I visited, but life is a process, not an event, and I, albeit an eternal optimist, saw positivity.

Now my focus is largely on Home State matters, on downsizing at Home Base I and making sure all is ready for my 1-2 months across the Pacific.

Frizzle-Frazzle

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

June 18, 2024- I saw the word ‘paradise’ on someone’s post, this afternoon, and was moved to play Bruce Springsteen’s “Paradise”, from his album, “The Rising”, his 2002 response to the attacks on September 11, 2001. He sings three verses, depicting three different souls. Yet, when I first listened to the song, I thought of my wife, Penny, even then living under a cloud. Somehow, we’d have one another, for another nine years. She died in 2011.

I have not been triggered by this song, or anything else-not even anniversaries, until today. This afternoon, hearing those words hit me hard. Part of it is the aloneness that I choose, so I can’t point fingers. Yet, it is made harder by the silence.

Silence has always bothered me, after a week or so, from those to whom I feel especially close and after a month or two, from everyone else I love. I guess that’s why I am online so much, especially since Penny passed. It is also why I treasure living in a town where I can walk to where there are people whose companionship I value. Today, it was Planet Fitness and Wildflower Bakery. Other times, it is Raven Cafe, , or Zeke’s,or the Farmers Market -or Rafter Eleven, if I feel like a short drive.

When I was a teen, there was a cartoon about a time traveling wizard who sent his protege to distant places. When it was time for the episode to end, the wizard’s mantra was “Frizzle-Frazzle, Frizzle, Frome, time for this one to come home”. So often, I have faced the “frizzle-frazzle” of grandiose plans falling apart, and have “come home” to reality, with a straight face. I am sensing that my latest grand, feelings-based plans may be “frizzling” and “frazzling”. It’s that silence again. We’ll see, in a few days, or a few weeks.

The Biggest Picture

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Posted by on in Assistance, collaborating, Community, Family, Inner Struggles, Inspiration, Personal goals, Personal Values, Service Activities, Social, Spiritual, Striving, Travel

June 17, 2024- The first question from friends’ mouths, here in Home Base 1, is not “When’s your next trip?” It is more like “What was your favourite part?” There are several, to which I have alluded here, and am glad to recount again, for those who don’t read this blog. Certainly. time with Mom was priceless. So, too, were visits with siblings and cousins, New England and my little family in Texas. The two visits with the Miqmaq elders in Eskasoni are up there. Making a connection with Kathy’s friends in Newfoundland is huge. Food- in St. Pierre, Twillingate, Botwood, Margaree (NL), Whycocomagh, Shediac, Middleton (MA), Nahant, Downingtown, Ruleville and Grapevine will stay sweetly on my palate.

I was asked further questions about the deeper gratitude. The changes that have been wrought within me, surfacing in the past year or so, are grist for those. I can think more clearly, have more attention to detail, show more methodical work habits and have a better Body Mass Index. What gives? I can’t say enough about the strengthening, deepening of my Faith. Improvement of a diet and exercise regimen has its place. Feeling deeply in love, after thirteen years of widowhood, can’t but help. Deepest of all, however, is self-acceptance, the realization, at long last, that no matter what happens in any of the above areas, I will be okay-or more than okay.

The biggest picture takes me forward, doing the work that I was meant to do, all the way from infancy. Stay around, if you would.

Gratitude, ’24

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Posted by on in Assistance, collaborating, Community, Family, Inner Struggles, Inspiration, Matters of Faith, Personal goals, Personal Values, Service Activities, Social, Spiritual, Striving

June 16, 2024-It was a fine pancake, sausage and scrambled eggs breakfast, this morning. Thank you, American legion Post 6. My gratitude list, though, is both more basic and more complex than a simple meal.

My most essential and enduring gratitude is for my parents-the father I honoured today, and have tried, with varying degrees of success, to live up to; the mother who clings to life, knowing at some level that she is still very much needed. My three siblings, each a testament to their legacy, embody the best of what Mom and Dad have tried to instill in us. Son is a reflection of the best of his late mother, and of myself.

Penny’s spirit, along with my Dad’s-and of her parents, still are my blessed guides, steering me towards the Light, even when fatigue and self-doubt have taken over. I am ever grateful that she led me to the Baha’i Faith, the Teachings of which will continue to sustain me-for all eternity.

I am grateful for all the people I have met, both in the Prescott area, across the continent of North America and across the globe. The lessons learned in the course of both work and travel have helped, at long last, to make me feel the inner strength that was probably inside me all along, and to become a person of value to community and humanity as a whole. All this has brought me to a place of sublime love, which I also suspect has been welling inside me all along. It has made me realize how important friends are; how much I need to show grace, even to those who I might think have turned away; it has made me value a new special person in my life and not want to shy away from , or bury, my feelings towards her.

So, I am grateful for Prescott, for the wider Arizona, the Southwest, the United States as a whole, for North America. I am grateful for Europe and east Asia-particularly for Brittany and Normandy, for Alsace, and Luxembourg, for the Belgian Flanders, for a swath of central Germany, for South Korea and for the Philippines. I am grateful for all I have not seen of this world, and for the friends there, who faithfully read my posts and show their love in different ways. I am grateful for opportunities to serve- and for those who serve me.

May this sense of gratitude continue to grow, in this special year of getting away from comfort zones, and in the years yet to come.

Mending Fences

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

June 15, 2024- The sun came up, fierce and hot, on this first day of relative time off. There is still the work to be done here at Home Base I, yet nothing will draw me out of state until mid-July, unless I get that call from Massachusetts.

I had the honour of spending a couple of hours sharing stories of life, and thoughts, with someone with whom I thought I had fallen out of favour. No such thing had happened, as it turns out. The Red Cross booth drew passing attention, and one person wanted to have smoke detectors installed. Mostly, though, it was just M T and I, sharing stories of our departed spouses and of those who have won our hearts, more recently.

It was a joy to get back, a short time later, to Farmers Market. My good friend M M told of her own brief time away, which does my heart good, and I offered to help for a few hours each day, clearing the area around her forever home. That offer will stand, for the month or so that I am here, as well as in August, which also will mostly be spent around HB I. The young people who run the Market were glad to have me back, albeit only for few weeks.

After a few hours of rest, it was time to head over to a place from which I had banished myself, for a couple of years now: Synergy of Sedona. S R had sent me an invitation to the Saturday evening portion of their 6th Anniversary celebration, so it was time for self-imposed exile to come to a close. It was an entertaining mix of genres, on the stage: Jazz, folk, spoken word and poetry slam-even a comedic recounting of a lady’s post-divorce westward “drift” , as she put it. The plea for a “divorce shower” was half in jest, half in earnest; and you know, it makes perfect sense. When someone’s life is completely upended, why not a life change registry? I had plenty of help, after Penny passed on, but a divorcee’ ,oftentimes, only encounters the Wall of Shame.

The feeling I got from S R, though we only spoke in greeting, was that whatever it was that transpired, two years ago, had long since flowed into the ocean of bygone and had sunk to the bottom. I may not beat a path to Sedona, all that often, but knowing the door is open does my heart good. Mended fences can stay up.

Camp Notes, Day 2

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

June 8, 2024, Bellemont- “Life is tough; but you are tougher.” So says the logo on one of the campers’ t-shirts. This pretty much some up this group of campers, and though they are uniformly respectful and helpful to us, the staff, it is clear that many of them have been through quite a life, already. That is what draws them to this faith-based camp. Even those who are church-goers say they are looking for something further, in their spiritual quest.

So, they are engaged in both scriptural study and in developing communications skills-“Don’t run from a conversation”; “Engage, no outrage” and “Be the grace you want to see” are phrases I’ve heard tutors and animators use, these past three years. A troupe of budding Afro Beat dancers is among the campers, and there is no shortage of potential basketball stars, both male and female. Every key “racial” group is represented here and yet there is no conflict, no seething anger. Acceptance of rules is the norm, though it is also accompanied by questioning. These are, after all, teenagers.

Staff is uniformly competent, to the point that, besides handling sudden requests from campers and tutors, I have relatively little to do, during the day. I have taken on the role of primary dish washer, and function as security, making sure whatever needs to be locked, gets locked. Lights go on and get turned off. It is a combination of “staycation” (“praycation”?) and collective grandparenthood.

The weather has not been as hot as predicted, but that may change by the middle of this coming week. Stay tuned.