Fully Present Post 50

I woke up Thursday morning and experienced a sharp, fleeting pain in my chest, deep beneath my right breast to be precise.  I ignored it and went ahead with my routine, including 35 minutes on the treadmill despite the continuation of the fleeting pain in the same place.  Then I went to work and by noon I was in the emergency room. Continue reading “Me and My Chest Pains”

A relatively new colleague commented to me after a meeting that she found me to be upbeat and positive all the time.  She said that I always seem so happy.  I responded by saying that I was happy.  What I should have said was that I am resilient. Continue reading “Being a Bit Resilient”

I wake up at about 4am each morning and the first thing I do is turn on  MSNBC, CNN, or CSPAN Washington Journal.  The moment I arrive home from work each evening, the first thing I do is turn on MSNBC or CNN.  I can’t seem to help myself.  I think I’m addicted to the daily drama and trauma caused by this president. Continue reading “This Addictive Chaos”

The Civil War was largely fought among White people who wanted to preserve their way of life that included slavery and White people who viewed slavery as wrong and wanted to end it.  I posit that today White people are heating up and taking sides for another battle for the soul of this nation.  Continue reading “Whites Are Fighting Again”

I’m a gun owner because California is a community property state.  I’ve never held a gun in my hand and I have no desire to feel the supposed rush of shooting one.  But it is our 2nd Amendment right to own guns and according to CNN, 3% of Americans own 95% of them.  I wonder if the rest of the world thinks we’re a bit crazy, given all the mass shootings by Americans exercising their right to purchase firearms and our unwillingness to do anything about it beyond offering thoughts and prayers to the victims and their families.  I have a few solutions, but I’m doubtful this Congress will do anything to address the root of the problem. Continue reading “America’s Gun Obsession”

I’m beginning to doubt that we Americans are as divided as many would have us believe.  It took the comment of a student the other day to get me thinking about our shared values.  We were talking about the NFL and the national anthem when the student said that he is in love with our Constitution.  I thought, don’t we all value our Constitution?  And isn’t it that Constitution that guarantees us the right to protest?  We grew up saluting the flag with our hand across our hearts as we utter the final words, “with liberty and justice for all”.  But I think too many of us have forgotten the actual values expressed in our defining documents.   Continue reading “Finding Unity in the U.S.”

I work with college students.  Over the course of these 21 years, I’ve noticed a  remarkable difference in their expectations for how they should be treated and what they believe is owed to them.  Gone are the days when a catered event was a simple thing.  In ancient times (15 years ago) students with dietary restrictions simply brought their own food or navigated the food line skipping the foods that didn’t suit them.  Today, a catered event had better provide a vegetarian, vegan, gluten free, and peanut free option or there will be hell to pay.  If only the new sense of entitlement with this generation ended with food options. Continue reading “Entitlements Pending”

People say and do some pretty horrible things.   I understand that under the right circumstances even decent people are capable of the occasional despicable act.  But some people behave horribly so much of the time that they could be characterized as “toxic” and have earned avoidance.  There were times in my life when that had to be my response for my own protection.  Frankly, the idea of forgiving those individuals never enters my mind, but survival does.  It’s sad that the specific people I’m referring to at this particular moment have have chosen a profession that is supposed to protect and serve: police.   Continue reading “When forgiveness isn’t enough”

As prayers and contributions go our to our fellow human beings  in the wake of hurricanes Harvey and now Irma and the 8 plus earthquake in Mexico,  my immediate focus is on being present with one of my daughters.  And yes, I finally contributed to the Red Cross for Harvey and will likely contribute again this week to assist with helping these new victims.

I’m blessed to be informed and sometimes included in the important  milestones in the lives of my adult children.  This weekend is one of those times and so I will pause from my blog today to be fully present as I participate in my business owner daughter’s (Nicole) move into her first official office space for FireStarter Entertainment  in the upscale Warner Center in Woodland Hills, California.

Most people don’t know that long ago I earned a certificate in interior design and worked as a designer. ‘ But my family and close friends know.  For them, I work for meals. And yesterday I got paid at the Ikea Cafeteria for lunch and  Cheesecake Factory for a very late dinner at about 9pm.  Not sure what I have a taste for today, but I have another full day of helping to create a beautiful and functional office space for her agents and clients to enjoy.

I hope you’ll excuse me for this week and instead enjoy one of my previous posts.  I get to be fully present at one of those rare milestones in my daughter’s life and I don’t want to miss a thing.

I consider myself to be a relatively generous person.  I like to give when I am able to meet a need or to encourage a public good.  When it comes to giving money, I’ve even automated my giving on a monthly basis to Women for Women International, Doctors Without Borders, The Boys and Girls Club of Detroit (hometown), PBS, Cal Lutheran University Annual Fund, a Cal Lutheran Scholarship Fund and KCLU public radio.  In stores, I often say “yes” to the receipt round up or extra $$ to benefit the charity of the month.  But when the call came out to donate to  victims of Hurricane Harvey, I have paused to consider it.  Continue reading “Giving Money Wisely”