I am a compulsive list maker. I am always building lists in my head of things to do, things I've done, things to buy, things I don't need, ways to be more simple, why the internet is awesome, places I want to visit and what kind of person I want to be. I really can't stop it. I guess words are my way of creating something real. Just by putting it into word form, it seems more attainable, more imaginable, more...mine. Every year I think of a list of things I want to do differently in the new year. Go to the gym, work out, weed the flower bed. Or, things I want to do more of. Give food to the neighbors, write personal thank you notes, be in the present moment with my boys. But this year I have decided to take all my lists and all my words and boil them down into one word. Yes, just one word to describe who I want to be, how I want to live, in what way I want beauty to be made manifest in the world through me. That word is cherish. As I sat at the bagel shop in Claremont this morning with my 5 year old Jackson letting the sun dapple across his nose as he powered down a chocolate chip bagel, I sipped my coffee out of an environmentally friendly (I hope)cup and cherished the moment. Even though I was going to be late for work, and walk in late to a meeting and start my day late...i sat, and breathed and cherished the sun, my boy and life. Slow down. Cherish.
Friday, January 9, 2009
Leaping about
I am a compulsive list maker. I am always building lists in my head of things to do, things I've done, things to buy, things I don't need, ways to be more simple, why the internet is awesome, places I want to visit and what kind of person I want to be. I really can't stop it. I guess words are my way of creating something real. Just by putting it into word form, it seems more attainable, more imaginable, more...mine. Every year I think of a list of things I want to do differently in the new year. Go to the gym, work out, weed the flower bed. Or, things I want to do more of. Give food to the neighbors, write personal thank you notes, be in the present moment with my boys. But this year I have decided to take all my lists and all my words and boil them down into one word. Yes, just one word to describe who I want to be, how I want to live, in what way I want beauty to be made manifest in the world through me. That word is cherish. As I sat at the bagel shop in Claremont this morning with my 5 year old Jackson letting the sun dapple across his nose as he powered down a chocolate chip bagel, I sipped my coffee out of an environmentally friendly (I hope)cup and cherished the moment. Even though I was going to be late for work, and walk in late to a meeting and start my day late...i sat, and breathed and cherished the sun, my boy and life. Slow down. Cherish.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Exploding stars
I just learned that all components of life are created in the center of exploding stars. I really had no idea.
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About Me
- Jean
- 1,971 miles from Nashville where my identical twin lives.
- I was raised on a Mennonite Farm in Illinois. From the cornfields I made my way to inner city Philadelphia to live and work with kids who were the poorest of the poor but the brightest kids in the world. Later I took food and clothing to the homeless and prostitutes on the streets of NYC who opened my eyes to real poverty of spirit. Later I created fundraisers for AIDS patients, taught 2nd language learners about poetry, film and beauty and finally came to higher education to meet some of the most innovative, courageous and funky grads you could ever meet--at a place called Pitzer College. I live for moments of beauty and flashes of enlightenment. Sometimes life is just burnt out ends of smokey days (T.S. Eliot)or an ordinary cup of coffee. And sometimes it's that delicious misty morning overlooking Lake Atitlan in Guatemala in 1984 that I can never get out of my head. Ever. Either way, this story is going some where. Come along, if you like.
