The new PC yes post corona The intro

 POST CORONA —SOME THOUGHTS ABOUT CREATING  THE TOOLS TO SEEK PEACE AND JOY

As Yogi said “Some things are hard to predict—especially the future.”  If you don’t know  Yogi...I’m not  talking about  the bear in the old cartoon...and if you remember  that cartoon then heavens to (sp) Mergatroid” Sweet Polly Purebred maybe you’ll agreee that we should all grab a can of spinach, pop it open and swallow—-the pandemic  wouldn’t stand a chance.   Unfortunately that’s about as realistic as  it would be to live in a pineapple under the sea or sing songs with a purple dinosaur.  

Alright  Marty—let’s get back to the future shall we... and speaking of that many, many, folks have felt the disruptive force of this pandemic and the road ahead doesn’t look very clear.  Roads? Where we’re going we won’t need roads! 

Alright... on with the show... no more outdated  pop culture—yeah right...

Seriously—raise your hand if you are ready to create the new normal?  Now raise your hand if you aren’t quite sure how we are getting from here to there or even where we are now?  Now raise your hand  or an eyebrow if you either want to build the tracks, drive the train, or sit  in the club car and listen to the piano man while the businessmen slowly get stoned... Okay everybody got their hand up?—because that’s the place we start counting  everyone who will be on the post corona train.  How do I know this...it’s already left the station.

The next four entries will be stuffed full of  thoughts about possible  places the post corona culture might land and offer some questions  that are spinning. Around in my head and are probably about to land (hopefully on that  witch...because everyone can use some ruby slippers as we figure out how to skip down the yellow brick road and even  more so when we decide our future lies beyond the yellow brick road.  

 Now let us begin... Topic  One

Post Corona notions of seeking peace and joy “at work.”  Topic Two-The difference between God and Google—why it maightnot be  as great as you think.  Topic Three Finding our place in the Post Corona “Matrix” or the Mankind Machinehead Mixture.  Topic Four To Every Season Learn, Learn, Learn—and it’stimetobreakdown and time to build up  so what stones must we gather together? 

 

Topic Five—Jesus and Buddha walked into a Bar... and after they  both looked at my IPhone here’s— a summary of predictions.

Topic. One Preview Question—

Would you rather be a blacksmith or a keypunch operator?  

Follow the white rabbit and we’ll share more soon 

teaching your children to count and think?

 Counting  is not a numbers game...in seeking peace and joy

For a couple of days now I have been logging  into my bank’s app to check to see if/when my insurance payment gets deducted—it changed a couple months ago and just like Elon, and Bill  I’m usually not aware of  nor do I worry about. A few dollars  here and ther.  Oh there’s  one difference they’re rich and  will always be and I’m not and will never be—except if you count friendship, a sense of spiritual worth, and the will to grow...and then I’m rich and don’t really care about them all that much they can hire someone to care about them if they need to.  so..yep I have have been thinking about  “counting” as in what counts, what we count, and how we “teach people—especially  kids— to count and I thought I’d add up some notions and drop them into this little sheet that spreads the word..even though that doesn’t mean this is a spreadsheet and you won’t be looking for a small shelf in the rock to jump oss when this is done so we can’t say this entry will be a ledger either?  

So..here goes 5,  4,3,2, 1....

Let’s try an experiment... how many shoes do you own?  Time limit two minutes... Okay times up ...if you have more shoes than two minutes  worth you’ve over estimated how many feet you will ever own.  

Okay now How many containers  that hold liquid do you have in your fridge right now.   

Question..do you have dehydrated  stuff in your fridge?Because if you don’t then unless yo have empty food containers in your  ice box then every item in your fridge probably  contains liquid in the form of water,juice,oil, etc...etc..etc...

Oh you say..you didn’t include  this things...??? Well why not?  You haven’t been taught to think of these things  as “liquid containers?”  

So when we teach our kids how to count it seems we are saying things like count the number of squares  on this page or blue things and thus telling them what a square is and how it is not a triangle and how it is blue and not red.  But squareness and blueness are not numbers nor can they be “counted without an agreement  about what they are or what those words mean.  So even the best “counters” in the world have to engage in the task of finding meaning and agreeing with someone else about this meaning?  Now how much fruit. Do you have?  Did you automatically start by thinking “I’ve got two bananas—one orange and what’s an avocado..and did you remember that tomatoes count because they are technically a fruit?  Hmmm?  

So...what’s the peace and joy angle....?  I’m thinking that in this period of home schooling  when we are figuring out how to teach each other things... it might be. Fun to admit we make decisions about what counts as what and that together  we can discuss this.  We  can teach our kids that numbers  aren’t important...it’s what  gets included  in or pushed out of the group that “counts before you get out your abacus  or scanner.  also  you can maybe find the blessings in getting to define the way  you spend time at home. In new ways and maybe  we can think about how we conceptualize  our home spaces, our social media, and our relationships  with classmates. And co-workers.  Maybe we can teach our children that choices  are made when people count things and that they have choices too.  Maybe we can consider  how putting labels on things just to count them  may not be the best way to value things...because that gold star on the fridge. Isn’t  quiet the same as the stars  over your head in the sky and yet if you were asked to count how many stars  you can find at your house or apartment wouldn’t you count both?....

Maybe you have as blessing as there are stars in the heavens if we choose to count the ability. To read, talk, taste, feel, and the list goes on....

anyway here’s some counting  Google and others. And I have done for fun and I want to count my blessings that you folks have  given me the gift of being aboe to share.  The following are “estimates based upon how the world counts data in the media age.  

in the. Past  25 months and one week this blog  and it’s companion podcast have been listened to and viewed by an estimated audience or views of 23,500 to 28,000 engagements (reads or downloads.  By the “attention numbers” on the podcast and the average reading speed of  adults the “audience has spend a combined  total. Of 4.6 to  nearly 7.7 years of your collective time—this is the conservative  range and This stuff is viewed by people in an average of 16 countries  a quarter.  These numbers don’t include how often you may share your disgust with my offerings with your friends, family, or enemies but what I want to say is thanks ...I can’t put a number on how grateful I am to each of you for sharing  my inner thoughts for  a few moments either once or often.   Each of your souls or spirits counts in my book.  

I’ve got a little mini-series coming next week.. and it’s a little “heavy so I’ll have to include  a little non-sense  post or two in the four or five entries... 

Anyway...You are not a number unless you choose and if you do chose...well you are number one!  By the way this post  contains  just shy of 1000 words but who is counting?  

Galileo popcorn on the beach?

 GALILEO — POPCORN. — AND  THE BEACH

So it was only 388 years ago ...(we’ll get back to that.... when Galileo  presented his “scientific” findings  to the Pope and thus the rest of the world more or less proving that man wasn’t  at the center of the universe...although some men still haven’t read the memo.  Now in standing by his lifetime of work, his purpose, his quest for knowledge he knew full well he would be charge with and convicted of heresy and loose his freedom if not his life.  His punishment was perhaps one of the world’s greatest  injustices in recorded history and yet this act of a martyr has inspired many to remember it will never Beas important  to share what  you think you know as. To let people know that  you  understand it’s important.to know that one thinks. 

Now we feel like we have tough decisions... consider  what Galileo  was up against..yet he stood tall and said...I have used my  gifts, my talents, and my heart and soul to seek out answers to questions and have honored my curious spirit and it is worth all the risk.  Now Galileo was settling a debate started by Ptolemy and Copernicus..which had far greater implications than paper vs. plastic or tastes great vs. less filling.  As far as seeking peace and joy goes... well the lesson may be to celebrate taking the risk to be curious.   Maybe, if only for you,  the universe  will gain lessons and meanings that will be epic.  Taking a differentby exploring with empathy may lead to options that allow you and your network to reframe challenges and expand solutions.  And all it takes is the ability to admit that you don’t necessarily need to  be the center of attention?   

oh  back to the “only 2388 years ago”. Conservative estimate  indicate that mankind/humans emerged about 200,000 years ago so 400 years  give or take  is about a wink of an eye.  Now if you believe in creationism your time frame may vary and yet 400 years  ago is still but.a tick on god’s eternal timex.    Popcorn

Yes this blog has discussed Galileo. And popcorn before.. however Republicans have discussed  all the flaws in Democrats before and vise-versa, so let’s all just chill.  History tells us that a couple years before  Galileo on this day Americans (the native kind) showed Pilgrims  this food that when heated  long enough turned. What had seemed to be hard and useless  corn into something  good to eat...a new treat.   Now history  will probably show that  this happened when Sitting Bull and George Washington  were streaming Forrest Gump on the Mayflower...and that’s how history. Goes, however the “peace and Joy” point is...sometimes  you have to be patient and persistent  in order tho get  to the transformation point where something doubtful turns to something  fun and wonderful.  Also it helps if someone else is there to say... hey..We’ve seen this happen  before and we’ll help you make it happen if you’ll join us and believe.  So in 1630 this popped into existence for us... what is about to pop into existence in 2021?   

 

The Beach...

Well a lot of snow was melting outside today, although not quite enough enough to plan a trip to the beach quite yet.  So if you miss the beach...think about what the beach  is going through... 

“That’s ridiculous”  you think—well probably, however what if we did imagine for a minute what the beach thinks?  Do we think the beach cares where we sit?  Does the beach worry  about  how tan we are?  Does the beach care if are six pack glistens or that bikini still shows off just the right things in the right places?  Maybe if the beach doesn’t worry about it—we might let it slide  a minute and just enjoy the wonders  of the water, the sand, and the sunshine.   We don’t. Seem to worry that the beach isn’t a mountain or a cornfield?

The point is..how many times  might it be easier to seek peace  and joy  if we took the perspective  of the beach instead of the perspective  of the “show” of going to the beach?  Maybe between now and the time when most of us can go we can identify  how many times we go to the beach each week and don’t ever enjoy the waves.....just a thought.

O

Maybe we should all go postal?

 HEY WAIT A MINUTE MR. POSTMAN

In no particular order here is a random sample of the mail...

1. IMPORTANT  Information about  my Health Care Coverage
2. A Special Offer to Guard. Against  Costly auto repairs
3. The Cable/Internet Bill
4. An ad from the Local  mega-department/food/pharmacy/bank/liquor store reminding me “the more.you spend the more you save!
5. Oh and some important tax information —although it was due by January 31 and we’ve already filed...

so first..thanks to anyone who sends things that do not fall into any of the categories above.  Next—let’s talkpost office.  

As the census  taking effort and the COVID  challenge reminds us it’s tough to build an effective communication network and maybe we’ve forgotten that the postal service that. George Washington signed into existence  231 years ago is still going strong.  

You can look at the info provided in the link below to find ore, however the postal service delivers mail to every city in the country and that’s over 140 BILLION WITH A B  pieces of mail last year alone.  Postal service has gone from  it’s humble beginnings  to what we have now by incorporating steamship/boat  delivery, railway transit and actual sorting of mail while in train transit, air mail.  the use of vacuum tube  delivery in some major cities (going underground).  Oh and we can’t leave out. The pony express—although  it only functioned for  about 18 months in the second part of the 1800’s.  

So what’s any of this have to do with peace and joy and the seeking of said?  

Well... “connecting”... 

and.  Building a Network...

And using the network and making sure it stays “healthy.”   

The deal is... often seeking peace and joy means connecting with, communicating within and nurturing. A network of spirits/people. Who will help. Each of us stay curious instead of being afraid and help us form complex solutions.  These networks  may be our family, friends, classmates, co-workers drinking buddies, softball/bowling team... The combination of people  can go on and. On.  Some people in our network are old friends, some newer, some frequently connected with and some  who you can pick up the phone and talk with as if it were yesterday you spoke with them even when it’s been  years.  

The point is... we have to give positive spiritual and actual energy to having these. Networks because  that’s what makes them valuable.  On the postal site (see the link) it brags about  how many. Post offices have historical status.  Well that’s a double-edged sword because that means we may be undervaluing the community value and just letting this network be taken for granted.  

To summarize...

Sometimes our well meaning and functional networks get clogged with useless stuff and yet it doesn’t mean  our support and giving networks are a waste.  If the post office can change and impact so many then maybe our  “seeking peace and joy” networks can change and grow even though it will have some. Glitches.  Maybe we undervalue some of our network and take some of it for granted.  so maybe we should  take a moment to count how many positive thoughts we have had about  new and old friends or experiences and ponder  how many more good thoughts we want to deliver to how many  others.  Will we use a steamboat, a train, a jet or the good old pony express to keep our network well?  As for me...I’ll try to stand and deliver and for now I’m  signing off 

SWAK?  Well maybe a. Hug....

Ps.   According to this  I may have already won $50,000 a year for life! I hope the check  is in the mail. https://facts.usps.com/wp-content/uploads/pf20_interior_book_508_ALL.pdf

Ash Wednesday commentary or just dust in the wind?

 WHAT DO THESE ASHES MEAN?

When I was young and my heart was an open book...oh wait this isn’t  a musical. Entry...well not really.  Today is Ash Wednesday.  Now as a rule.I keep my religion out of these posts although my spirituality  is usually on fairly open display.  Having said this my excellent boyhood  education is the fruit of  the Catholic services of the Sisters of Perpetual Punishment and excellence in Education.  seriously ... along with doctrine I was taught how to learn, what it felt like to exercise enough patience and effort to gradually understand  science, mathematics, and to a lesser extent the humanities.  I also learned a thing or two about human nature and social justice...oh and community—so thanks for all that...but let’s get back to Ash Wednesday.

Now  of all the parables and prayers offered  by Jesus and his ancestors or apostles you won’ find anything about ashes.... There is however the notion that we come from dust and to dust we shall return.  ...Now back to when I was younger..

There were countless times when I was being told—“wipe that dirt off your face—and other parts”. Yet here is a church event that puts dirt on... I remember thinking “wow this is strange..every other day I’m supposed to make sure I washed  things off but today I’m supposed to keep this dirt on... I could go on and on about how rules of the church create some inconsistencies and even this ashes thing didn’t start until about  1100 C.E. (Well is was A.D. then)

Okay when I was a kid I seem to remember ashes being given to remind people. That they were only here for a while and that their body would be returning to dust.  This was a reminder that we shouldn’t seek out the glory of bodily and worldly things.  It was awake up call for people to pay attention to matters of t spirit and to back off on the superficial stuff.  Now that’s a  purpose I can go for.  

First, to remember  that most material things including this frigid weather are temporary.  Also that without the cognitive spiritual substance—your soul—you are pretty much the stuff that winds up  near the curb after a dry hot summer week in the Midwest.  (Do you feel warmer  yet?—

It’s  (in my view—saying since it’s temporary  pay attention to it right now because these current circumstances are a limited time offer.   It’s time to cexperiment enough to recognize your gifts, grow them, and share them.  

Okay that’s what the ashes mean to me..

Now..back to the top..maybe this has to be a music post after all...

Here are some lyrics I’ve been working on to kick off this lent or transition  to Spring.

Be humblethere’s no worldly  need for  your cape and mask

Just use your gifts and help those who struggle with their task

Where there are people thirsty  pass around your flask

Don’t shout “hey look how saintly I’ve become” that’s not too much. To ask

Don’t wonder. What’s the most you’ll get  for the least that you must do?

Don’t  fret  about where  they’ll put  the big bronze bust of you

Set aside who must be blamed  so that solutions  are discussed

Pay attention give  your gifts with joy till all tha’t left is dust

Now .. go wash that dirt off your face...oh buff not  “that” dirt... 

Stay Warm.

Encore what’s love got to do with it my favorite love songs

WHAT’S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT?

A handful of readers called me out for not wearing my heart on my sleeve enough yesterday when featuring  “love songs.”  Well from time to time I’ll respond to a comment or too directly, however, I only wear my heart on my sleeve in personal conversations most of the time. Now  I will wear my kidneys in my back pocket and my lower intestines on my umbrella...but anyway...

I don’t have a single favorite, yet I can point to five songs that speak to me in  significant ways...Here goes.

1. Best song in the “Boy I screwed up category....t award goes to 

Barry Manilow for Mandy (who came  and she gave without takin’).  Now Mandy was t name of his dog, butI must say when you mess up somethng you regre hisis a killer tune.

2. In the category of  people you fall in love with but will always reamain out of reach.. the winner goes to... Brandy...by the looking Glass.  

Of course there is  that situation gone bad and the winner. In that category has to be...Soft Cell...for Tainted Love...because once I ran to you and now I run from you...

Then we come to that fleeting moment of love song... you know that time when  you just share a single connected moment of promise... a smile, a nod of the head...a brief hand on the arm sort of thing...

The undisputed champ in that category goes to  James Blunt for You’re Beautiful.

Before the big reveal... Ithink the group that hits the most high notes for love songs. Is The Carpenters ...at least for me and there are some songs that  get me every single time... like Total Eclipse of the Heart and Come to My window...There is the song I like to  sing the most and that’s a tie... between All I know by Arr Garfunkel and then with his pal Simon we have a Bridge over  troubled water... ...My all-time favorite don’t ever bug me again song to sing to sing is Good-bye Yellow Brick Road which leads me to  my favorite  of all time in any category...

So what’s my song?   Well your song of course.   No that’s not a cop out... Imean...Elton John’s  song. “Your Song.”   Now it’s not always my favorite  and like I said. There are so many... 

as far as a movie...romance... well it falls in the adventure/romantic comedy realm and you can criticize  it “as you wish” however...it’s “inconceivable” that I’d have  any other  favorite than one that features the dread Pirate Roberts...

Yes. The Princess Bride...

There are others of course, however get to know the things I offer and you may live happily ever after.... or if you are just thinking about love rather than hate...well that’s a winner...

Peace, Love, and  Joy

What is the greatest love song of ALL time?

 BEST LOVE SONGS OF ALL TIME...

Well forget that....there’s no way  one person can claim to write anything  intelligent and universal  about that topic.  You see claiming any set of words and  melodies fits this best insults everyone who has heard the sweet  joyous and sometimes sorrowful tunes that lift or break one’s heart.  

There are songs about looking for love  and sometimes in all the wrong places.  Of course there’s  songs  about how long you’ll love someone like until the twelfth of never or till the stars fall down and there’s. Songs  about how deep you might  love somebody.  Then again there’s “finding” love songs and people begging you to ‘find me somebody to love.”  Love will keep us together as long as we are willing to stop in the name of love and we will climb the highest mountain for love.  In fact we will do anything for love but we don’t do that?   Love is all around and love is in the air and of course your love for me is  real and Iill always love you.  We had a show about the love boat, but we’d all better get on board the love train. 

Like most of you “I can’t help Fallon in love—because foos rush in.”  Who hasn’t found themselves walking in the rain in the snow when there’s no place to go while you feeling like a part of you is die...in?  Of course  from time to find  people roll on down the road to the love shack and believe they are the love machine.  Oh sure  from time to time love s a battlefield and we’re. Lookin’ for a lover who won’t drive. Us crazy?  

Of course this has been a little silly and yes the world needs some silly love love songs and what’s wrong with that? 

So ..let’s  get down  to the bottom line...seeking  peace and joy is about  learning  to feel the love within and to connect to the love in others and we bring meaning to the events in our lives.  Is love the only meaning we need to learn about?  Probably not... but for most questions love is the answer and as far as topics for songs go... well maybe the  Beatles were right... Money can’t. Buy you love...but perhaps Love is all you need

Happy VD

You are not going to believe this well maybe

 SEEING WHAT. WE BELIEVE- A HUMAN EXPERIENCE—OF SEEKING PEACE AND JOY

Nearly everyone  I know of a certain age—an age I’m pretty familiar with claims that February 9, 1964 they were seated in front of a television to witness the debut of John, Paul, George, andRingo.  Well... I’m not sure  everyone who says they  saw. This really did, and yet I do believe they actually believe they did at this point.  Are these people liars?—No—why?   wellthat’s simple.  Human beings especially when we aren’t living in the moment just don’t  pay attention.  We take in information filtered by  the things we think we should pay attention to and  in the context of what we believe we are about to see or what we should have seen.  Every.psych 101 student has seen the two faces or a vase picture right?  See the  picture above... and  well maybe you’ll say it’s both and not get too upset.  Why is it then many of us get so upset when  two or more of us see the same thing...live the same experience and assign two completely different  meanings?  

Seeking Peace and Joy is often  an invitation to assign alternate meanings and to experiment and to extract  lessons and wisdom from the multiple perspectives this offers.  It is possible to train your mind, heart, and soul to experiment. With different  viewpoints and then to  say. “Here is what I believe.”  It is easier to limit the. Scope of what you see by only looking. To prove  what it is. You believe—just watch any media—social or otherwise.   It is easy to be angered by those who have limited  what they are willing to see, and yet, maybe being sad  that so many people limit the beauty and depth of their. Experiences in such a way.   Perhaps if we all could  loosen up.on the label  mentality  people would  build flexible identities or at least flexible  processes used to create their identity.  Maybe then we could create expanded communities and accept  a broader range of purposes.  Imagine a world where  success was rarely measured by how much money one has or what work  one has chosen.  What might happen if the  most social status was given to people. Who were willing to ask the most interesting  questions or present the most  creative cultural symbols like music, dance, etc.  

So the server brings out the. Dessert  menu and your dinner companion  orders  the peach  cobbler and you order  double chocolate thunder cake.  Which of you ordered the wrong thing?  Neither, of course, because  different doesn’t have to be right or wrong in every single case now does it?   And if it does seeking peace and joy is going to  be a chore as we will be doing it with one eye shut, one ear plugged, no taste buds and reading only stereo instructions instead of enjoying the whole amazon bookdstore.  

Well... speaking on being. Open to something ... don’t forget to check out  this link... and create away!!!

 

https://peaceandjoy505.libsyn.com/paj-community-culture-feature-black-river-burlesque-revue

Working at Home or living at Work?

 WORKING  FROM HOME OR LIVING AT WORK? — AND SEEKING PEACE AND JOY

 Well back in  2019 BC —no not ancient times “BC” =  Before. Covid—about 4% of the U.S. workforce  reported  working from /at home.  By mid 2020 that  figure had skyrocketed swelling to  42% by  some estimates.  This percent  may have fallen slightly, however, recent data are hard to come by and the number is changing constantly.  I think we can say with some degree of certainty:

• A lot of folks are. Still getting. Up, and putting on their “GOOD”  sweats
• Using their  own  computer equipment through their own internet connections
• Listening to their  cat or dog provide feedback rather than their whining  co-workers  complaining about traffic 
• Trying to find a better. Zoom background
• Letting their. Kids  watch more videos—and
• HAVING A VAGUE SENSE  OF ANXIETY THAT THIS “NEW WORK SITUATION”  WILL NEVER LEAD TO A “NORMAL LIFE AGAIN.” 

Well... the peace and joy entries aren’t generally designed to give straight advice, but  this may border on an exception—or the questions here might suggest that—you know because they are. “Are yyou still beating your kids?” Kinds of questions.  

On the other hand you should never  be afraid of questions you  cannot  answer as you should fear having answers you cannot question.  

Question. One..

What  have you learned about your old. Work routine?   Do you miss getting details from. Your friends. At work over coffee or soda?  Do you miss  seeing. Someone across the room roll their  eyes when  “that certain. Person”  has to provide.”their” input?   Are these habits  you have at work that you just can’t replace at home?  

Question Two...

What. Have  you learned about  workflow?  how  do the interruptions you create at home or cope with  differ from  those  scheduled and unscheduled interruptions you have. At work?  If you find that you have to schedule interruptions at home, how refreshed are you when you return to your work tasks?  Do you feel less like an employee and more like a project worker at home?   

Question Three

How has your work network changed?  

Do you still communicate. With co-workers or is it a deal where you mainly  only as the boss questions that you would generally shout across the hall to get answers for?  

Well  in the process of seeking peace and joy inside ant outside of work one of the things  that becomes  evident is how we pay attention to what happens moment after moment and what is happening in our “work” moments has probably changed more dramatically that we could have ever imagined.  So here’s an idea.  Open a new document and answer some of the questions. Above and then simply  indicate whether.the changes in things make you feel better or worse?  Next to all the  activities the n write down how  you could make them better... not so that you can control things, but so that. You understand your  expectations of  what a great workplace would be like.  Then write one sentence  suggesting  what you  would propose  to make  your work better in relation to  any given activity and. How you might suggest that idea  in the work setting.  

https://peaceandjoy505.libsyn.com/paj-community-culture-feature-black-river-burlesque-revue

For example:  Having a “zoom” coffee break a couple of times  a week to keep informal relationships  strong.  Maybe having one  dress-up  at home contest where  you had a theme like “dressing. Like a pirate” day or interrupting  a project meeting  on the phone to have a “whose dog can bark the loudest contest.  

Maybe you could even go so far as to suggest that your employer  give. You a stipend for  internet, computer equipment upgrades, and a little something to take your. Family. Somewhere nice when you can because you have driven. Them nuts.  

Now...let’s go one further... instead of feeling anxious about returning. To “normal” maybe think of this as training.... Training?  yes..if you can work from  that corner in your basement then you can work from a tent near that lake in Colorado or from your car in the Florida Keys (sp)... 

If there are  remote work opportunities it removes the issue of having to  settle for a crap job just because. Your  partner has to live somewhere for their job or because your kids are in school some place.  Yes... train to be mobile, an assassin ...a project superstar.   Gee and let your employer  that “you can  do what you are doing anywhere and for anyone giving them.the opportunity to understand. Your real value.   

Anyway... this whole post has about  building a workplace  culture...how to understand the one you have and the one you want.  You also have a chance and maybe a responsibility  to build a community culture too.... and having said that  here’s a brief  podcast  featuring  folks building  our culture in Port huron.  However..since it’s digital and so is their. Performance this time... you can enjoy it wherever you are... so click the link and e-mail-blackriverburlequeandrevue@gmail.com

https://peaceandjoy505.libsyn.com/paj-community-culture-feature-black-river-burlesque-revue

Hey Mr. Hemingway where do our taxes go?

 HEMMINGWAY, TAXES, & HAPPY THOUGHTS?

Well we are in  what can best be described by accountants as “tax season.”  Here in my lower intestine of the woods (why should the neck always be featured?) we did our tax prep and some electronic filing.  Much like life tax prep is complicated  and needs to be simplified if possible.  It seems like  completing tax forms is pretty much a parallel  activity. To writing as described by HEMMINGWAy. Now I haven’t found  the original source for this, however  my memory serves me that he once said... 

“Writing is simple...you just sit down and bleed...”  And spit is with filing your taxes.  

Then there is. The question—“what does the government do with  the money?   

Well it seems  lawmakers like to argue over  what the government  will do with it, and yet, if you really sit down and think about it before you complain,  maybe the outlook would be different—for some of us anyway.  

You see we  have great assistance  in forgetting  that there is a difference  between politicians and what they do and what government is.  maybe we should look behind the curtain and pay attention for a second.  Politicians are the  people we choose to run the government or at least decide  the rules by which it will run and the things it will attempt to do. The government  or more correctly governments are. The organizations that spend funds to do the things we decided we couldn’t do by ourselves.  Have you ever taken a trip across any large segment of our country?  If so then you might realize that no individual  could have  built the roads you were driving on and maybe you can understand that t group of citizens got together and decided we needed  different roads and someone  to build them.   Have you ever seen a fire in your neighborhood?  Congrats for hiring a bunch of people trained to come put it out.  Have your children or did you  attend. A school?  In almost any case your neighbors a or the members of your religious community decided to raise up a school and hire some teachers.  

So before  you complain about taxes and politics...maybe ..just maybe... smile because some pretty cool things —we take for granted- are “government.  Even better is the fact that. We came together  to decide how, when, where, and with what...to do. A crap load of things.  

So here it is....tax time and while you may  not agree with the penalty for early withdrawal of pension funds, you might feel good that some of the funds go for things people.still agree upon and still work together to make better.  Plain and simple ...the fact that we have a civilian government and we have agreed to do so much with it holds out promise that people in your community can agree on other things that might help you find peace and joy... 

So get out that 1040 Schedule  A and start thinking about what you are doing for your neighbors and what they are doing for you.   More soon  

The mid winter mystery reaches a resolution

 MID-WINTER MINI-MYSTERY —PART IV 

The last few entries have provided a glimpse  into what some actions and outcomes might be.  Now it seems  one object, one choice remains.   You may be  thinking this mystery  has been a farce.  After all, the possible outcomes of some of the  options has seemed a bit  off the wall.  well who among you predicted the pandemic?  Who among you predicted we would have devices that we carry in our pocket that could give a satellite map? Be a television, store a library full of books, and make phone calls from a majority of the places on Earth oh and float in the bathtub?   Oh wait skip that floating thing?

Well you see we can’t always be certain about what seems possible or maybe even probably which means wee don’t have to be too quick to judge right?   Okay let’s try our final option —and I hesitate to call anything a single or final option...spiritual  human beings  are far more capable  than I am when it comes to creating. Potential... Having said this....

Choice IV  

So notbering sure  how much  water it would take to  get to the edge of the sandy landscape and  not being sure  you can make it without help you consider the object that could  get you to safety quicker and. With. The ability to contact help .  So you pick up the mirror and  head out into the blazing  sun.   About. An hour into the journey you are elated as you are fairly certain you hear the drowning of an airplane motor.  You  look up but it is very hard to see in the mid day sun.  You can hear a plane. And yet not see it.  You hold the mirror. Directly above your head in hopes  someone in the plane can spot you.  Unfortunately you soon hear the sound  of the plane growing.softer  and softer and then you see it...off to the right and not really high in the sky....THE PLAE THE PLANE!!!  You try to angle the. Mirror  so that the sun shines on it and toward the plane.  The motor noise grows yet fainter and you feel devastated.   This is,however, not the first time you have heard the plane so you rally thinking you  may have another shot at it.  

About three hours later you are definitely getting weaker and just when you are ready to stop moving forward you hear a faint engine noice once again.... THE PLANE THE PLANE!!!   You once again hold up the mirror hoping the sunlight will shine up and the plane will spot you.  You look  over where you saw the plane before.  No luck.  You think—well sometimes the past is not the best place to find the key to pressing success.  You  start turning around and way off to the left you see a trail of  plane exhaust.  You spin your mirro that way and you are faster this time and you are pretty sure  the light you offered landed on the surface of the plane  a long way off as you  see a glint of light shine back at you just ever so briefly.  But then the plane doesn’t change course.  In fact, it seems to turn away and head off  in just the opposite direction.  You can’t go on .... You sit down in the sand and you stare into the mirror and start talking to yoursaelf.  You curses at your. Mistakes, you wonder  how you  got here.  You think back on  everything  you have done till now and what it has meant.  You see the lines of worry and age that this journey has  given you and  you start to look for the face of the youth. You once were.  Then you start to think about  how much you have learned and how much you  have grown.  You think about the lives you have impacted and the lives you would impact if in the unlikely event  you should survive.  You think about what others will say when they find you are gone.   You think about how your actions have and could  help others.  These thoughts bring tears, laughs,and smiles.   

When you  remember  a final positive event. It seems to give you a little strength so you pick up the mirror—stand up—and walk forward....for a few steps and then you fall.  The mirror  slips from your hands as you are face down in the sand.  You know you will not make it Fromm the desert now so you decide. To sleep until you eternal rest comes.   You  are son weary, you feel a bit empty.  You surrender.  

So none of the choices is your salvation?.... Well the truth is I can have no idea what your truth is, however, you will make choices and the outcomes will vary—-oh wait  you aren’t dead yet just close...when  you hear  what sounds  like  a loud Darth Vader breathe and  then  a soft thump  some 35 yards away maybe.  

You summon most of what is left of  your strength and turn your head spotting a rainbow colored hot air balloon.  The pilot and her partner  climb from the basket  with a bottle of water and a blanket.  They set you up and make you take a few sips.   They then roll you onto the blanket and  grab  you and your mirror, they load.  You into the3 balloon and off you go.  

In a matter of hours you are landing in the. “Queen- dom” where  the mirror will make you a welcome guest.  

Moral of the Mystery

Moving forward to seek peace and joy often requires  you to spend some time doing reflection wwith a mirror of your choosing .  Help in your journey may seem obvious and. Make a loft of noice, but it may be far away and hard to to connect with.  It may leave you feeling like you failed  when in fact the helper just wanted to be seen as helpful, but not really  ready to get down on the. Ground and walk along.  Sometimes  help is closer than you think and it is likely to find you from time to time if you are willing to persist and  understand that quiet  help can be the best.  In the end... seeking peace and joy is a long journey with lots of possible twists and turns.  You may never. Find the outcome. You seek, and yet little objects may temporarily  help you feel like you are living a rich life—mostly when you don’t compare your objects  to those  held by others.  Sometimes what you have will be what others need and sometimes you will know where others can  get what they need so be generous with your abilities, gifts, and wisdom.  If you work with people who don’t trusts each other be careful. With your promises.  

Finally, whether you are standing in the middle of the desert waiting for your ship to come in (Sheryl Crowe) or floating in the ocean waiting. For the train... you are rarely alone and there are  almost always options so keep moving and creating possibilities.  

for For some reason I am quite thirsty...so more tomorrow