The world is run by those who show up. Just sayin...
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Remembering When...
None of us will ever forget where we were on Sept. 11, 2001. I had just climbed in my car, headed for work as a contract writer with a high tech gaming company in Redmond. By the time I hit the freeway, I was in tears. I spent the entire morning listening to the radio and reading news online. It was not a day to write glowing reviews of silly computer games.
One thing I remember in the hours, days and weeks after the attacks was how nice people were to each other. No one cut off the car in the lane next to them in their rush to get to work. No one tailgated their neighbor in an attempt to get their kid to school on time. Everyone in the grocery store, the gas line, the coffee shop seemed to take an extra moment to make eye contact with the person next to them. To smile or at least nod. We had become a community. The sadness and devastation had pulled us together, united us against a horrible act that was beyond something we had ever imagined could happen.
But as the weeks turned to months and months turned to years, that feeling slowly ebbed away. Gone was the eye contact, the extra gesture of generosity, the “no, you first” attitude. Many people resumed their rushed, “don’t bother me” attitudes. Road rage and violent crime again topped the news. And now, as we slog our way through an ailing economy and witness our friends, relatives and co-workers lose their jobs, health care and even their homes, and as we watch the devastation in Haiti, can we pause for a moment? Can we take a deep breath and remember to smile at the young mom in the grocery store who is trying desperately to quiet her screaming child? Can we slow down and let the car next to us merge? Can we stop to help the confused, elderly gentleman on the sidewalk instead of averting our eyes?
I guess I just wish it didn’t take a crisis to pull us all together and make us care about our community.
And speaking of community, if you have the capacity to help Haiti, a member of our global community, please see my last entry on some very worthy organizations.
-- Post From My iPhone
One thing I remember in the hours, days and weeks after the attacks was how nice people were to each other. No one cut off the car in the lane next to them in their rush to get to work. No one tailgated their neighbor in an attempt to get their kid to school on time. Everyone in the grocery store, the gas line, the coffee shop seemed to take an extra moment to make eye contact with the person next to them. To smile or at least nod. We had become a community. The sadness and devastation had pulled us together, united us against a horrible act that was beyond something we had ever imagined could happen.
But as the weeks turned to months and months turned to years, that feeling slowly ebbed away. Gone was the eye contact, the extra gesture of generosity, the “no, you first” attitude. Many people resumed their rushed, “don’t bother me” attitudes. Road rage and violent crime again topped the news. And now, as we slog our way through an ailing economy and witness our friends, relatives and co-workers lose their jobs, health care and even their homes, and as we watch the devastation in Haiti, can we pause for a moment? Can we take a deep breath and remember to smile at the young mom in the grocery store who is trying desperately to quiet her screaming child? Can we slow down and let the car next to us merge? Can we stop to help the confused, elderly gentleman on the sidewalk instead of averting our eyes?
I guess I just wish it didn’t take a crisis to pull us all together and make us care about our community.
And speaking of community, if you have the capacity to help Haiti, a member of our global community, please see my last entry on some very worthy organizations.
-- Post From My iPhone
Monday, January 18, 2010
We Need to Care
I am tired of hearing people say, "Why should we care?" Why? I'm too tired to even answer that question. Instead, here's HOW you can care, in case you've been avoiding the media:
Haiti Relief
Doctors Without Borders www.doctorswithoutborders.org
American Red Cross www.redcross.org
Mercy Corps, Portland www.mercycorps.org
Northwest Medical Teams, Portland www.nwmedicalteams.org
World Concern, Seattle www.worldconcern.org
World Vision, Federal Way www.worldvision.org
If you receive unsolicited e-mails seeking donations for the relief effort, remember to be careful because there are jerks out there who use fraudulent messages to solicit contributions.
There!
More later...
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Wasted Time
Last night I watched the most anticipated SYTYCD season finale (Yey Russell!!!) As part of the show, JLo performed a song about her shoes. Literally. For four minutes, she sang the same line about putting on her shoes (in her famous three note range). That's four minutes I will never get back. Yes, I am bitter.
-- Post From My iPhone
-- Post From My iPhone
Location:University St,Seattle,United States
Monday, November 23, 2009
Holidays already. Really?
Happy Thanksgiving week, everyone! Can't believe the holidays are already here. And WHY do we say that every year? I guess as you get older, time passes more quickly. This year, I am amazed by a few things:
- How ecstatic I was to see my son skip from house to house on Halloween, dressed as an adorable Harry Potter.
- How annoyed I was to see several houses with Christmas lights on days after Halloween.
- How crazy the world is right now (no explanation necessary. Think economy, random shootings, desperate people... you get the picture).
Things to contemplate... small town living, fresh starts, the importance of family.
Yeah, I am a sap around the holidays. We'll stuff ourselves on Thursday, decorate for Christmas on Friday and I get to run another marathon on Sunday. Yey!
Peace to all.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
What Matters
think I've always had a pretty good head on my shoulders. I mean... I forget where my car keys are, I sometimes forget where I'm going and head in the wrong direction. But when it comes to what matters most, I've got that down pat.
Sometimes though, we get caught up in the "stuff" of life. The expensive toys, trips, goodies. It's easy to do, especially when those around you are also caught up in the same stuff. Yeah okay, I'm being vague. But lately, life has reminded me that much of that stuff really doesn't matter. What matters is the family that surrounds me, the light in my five-year-old's eyes when he reads a book or wins a game, the hug from my husband when we've both had a difficult day. Stuff can't do that for you. I've also been reminded, by said five-year-old, that you can derive immense pleasure from the simplest things in life. The color of fall leaves, stars on a clear night, the innumerable uses of scotch tape.
Stuff doesn't matter. Love, family, fall colors, hugs. That's what matters. Who needs the car keys? For that matter, who needs the car? I think I'll go for a walk.
Sometimes though, we get caught up in the "stuff" of life. The expensive toys, trips, goodies. It's easy to do, especially when those around you are also caught up in the same stuff. Yeah okay, I'm being vague. But lately, life has reminded me that much of that stuff really doesn't matter. What matters is the family that surrounds me, the light in my five-year-old's eyes when he reads a book or wins a game, the hug from my husband when we've both had a difficult day. Stuff can't do that for you. I've also been reminded, by said five-year-old, that you can derive immense pleasure from the simplest things in life. The color of fall leaves, stars on a clear night, the innumerable uses of scotch tape.
Stuff doesn't matter. Love, family, fall colors, hugs. That's what matters. Who needs the car keys? For that matter, who needs the car? I think I'll go for a walk.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
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