Friday, June 24, 2011
Who Am I?
How can I express myself as a reader, writer, and individual in a mere eighteen words? Click the image to find out!
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
A Whole New Movie!
I am staring in my own personal movie all the time. I am the heroine. There are villains, supporting actors, a romantic lead... Somehow, every song on my iPod speaks to me personally, giving my movie a soundtrack that is always perfect.
But wait! Doesn't everyone have a movie? I may be one of a series of supporting actors! We all have history. We all live with our memories, joy, and pain. The world is so much bigger than me! When I take some time to step outside myself, even for a moment, something beautiful happens; I remember my humanity. I snap out of my self-possessed stupor and engross myself in another's movie.
After reading through the plethora of suggestions to heighten the "six senses" in Daniel Pink's book, A Whole New Mind, I decided that I wanted to do everything. Of course, then I realized that I had to get a blog post finished quickly, so I would have to start with one. I do own the fact that I am a bit dramatic and self-absorbed, so an exercise I need... reality check! Just look how many times I have used the word "I"! It was time for me to reach out, connect, and listen to someone besides myself. I thought of my sister-in-law. I would be surprised not to find her picture next to the word "mom" in a dictionary. She's warm, loving, and completely super-human in her ability to mother three boys without having a nervous breakdown. But, what do I REALLY know about her? Do I know what moves her? Do I know her adventurous side? Do I know which memories make her tick? So, knowing I needed to get a blog post done, I took the only natural recourse available to me; I literally attacked her with a video camera at her son's baseball game. I "[whipped] out the tape recorder" (well, actually the iPhone) in an effort to enhance my sense of "story" (121).
First, I should make it clear that I have known Stefanie for more than twelve years. Naturally, I should already know everything there is to know about her, right? Pahleease! Who sits down and spouts out a life story at the dinner table? What do I know? The events that have unfolded in the past twelve years. We all seem to live in the here and now all the time, as if our past mistakes, triumphs, and mundane experiences have absolutely no bearing on our day-to-day lives. My first question- How did you and your husband meet? The on-camera "mutual friend" evasion turned into an off-camera story that told me so much about her personality! The picture in my head- a good girl who set standards for her own behavior, but who would help out a friend-in-need without judgment, and a bad boy that proved to be too tempting! Loving it! Of course, that "bad boy" turned out to be pretty great in the long run. My brother-in-law is a terrific husband and loving father.
If my romantic heart yearned for a boy-meets-girl type of love story, though, I was quickly brought to heel. The love story that prevailed in this interview was between mother and daughter. I have met Stefanie's late mother. I know of her kindness and compassion, and I loved her as well, but I hadn't grasped the full impact that she had on Stefanie's life. When asked about her best and worst memories, Stefanie quickly answered both questions with thoughts of Brenda- beginning with the Christmases spent giving to local families in need and knitting stockings for the people she cared about, and ending with the heartbreak of Brenda's last breaths when cancer claimed her as its victim. It was clear that Stefanie's story- the one that runs central in her life- tells of the impact of a mother's love.
This impact has spread into all aspects of Stefanie's life. It has become her motivation for being. When asked about her goal in life, Stefanie responded that she hoped to be "at least half the caring Christian, mom, friend, and role model [her] mom was to [her] and to everyone that was blessed to know her." This drive has pushed her to give herself to her kids and her community in a way that makes me, honestly, feel a little lazy! After watching her own mother succumb to illness at a young age, Stefanie knows that we must make the most of life while we are living it. She eloquently stated, "You aren't promised tomorrow, much less your next breath." Perhaps that's why this self-described "not a gutsy gal" flew with my husband in the Skycoaster in Gulf Shores a few years ago! But her biggest adventure? Being a mom. How could it be anything else? Her own mother shaped so much of her life. No one knows better than Stefanie the power a great mother can hold. She will ultimately teach her children to live. To love. Is there any role that could be more fulfilling, or terrifying, than that?
Perspective. We all need to find it periodically. What truly moves the people in our lives? What really moves me? Only when I listen to the stories of my own life and those of the people around me can I come even close to grasping what's "real" in the world. So, am I all finished heightening my "six senses"? Not even close! I have signed up to volunteer. I will watch my daughter play and revel in her curiosity and wonder. I will thank God for a new blessing every single day. I will attempt to do something that I am not good at and take pride in every mistake I make. I may even read The Art of Happiness by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Howard C. Cutler, M.D. (241) because, come on, who doesn't want to read a book that will tell you the secret to happiness? Most importantly, I will remember that my creativity and compassion are the aces in my deck of talents. These mental muscles need to be exercised with a P90x-like regiment, for these right-brained strengths will be the factor in my success as a teacher, a parent, a friend, and a person.
But wait! Doesn't everyone have a movie? I may be one of a series of supporting actors! We all have history. We all live with our memories, joy, and pain. The world is so much bigger than me! When I take some time to step outside myself, even for a moment, something beautiful happens; I remember my humanity. I snap out of my self-possessed stupor and engross myself in another's movie.
After reading through the plethora of suggestions to heighten the "six senses" in Daniel Pink's book, A Whole New Mind, I decided that I wanted to do everything. Of course, then I realized that I had to get a blog post finished quickly, so I would have to start with one. I do own the fact that I am a bit dramatic and self-absorbed, so an exercise I need... reality check! Just look how many times I have used the word "I"! It was time for me to reach out, connect, and listen to someone besides myself. I thought of my sister-in-law. I would be surprised not to find her picture next to the word "mom" in a dictionary. She's warm, loving, and completely super-human in her ability to mother three boys without having a nervous breakdown. But, what do I REALLY know about her? Do I know what moves her? Do I know her adventurous side? Do I know which memories make her tick? So, knowing I needed to get a blog post done, I took the only natural recourse available to me; I literally attacked her with a video camera at her son's baseball game. I "[whipped] out the tape recorder" (well, actually the iPhone) in an effort to enhance my sense of "story" (121).
First, I should make it clear that I have known Stefanie for more than twelve years. Naturally, I should already know everything there is to know about her, right? Pahleease! Who sits down and spouts out a life story at the dinner table? What do I know? The events that have unfolded in the past twelve years. We all seem to live in the here and now all the time, as if our past mistakes, triumphs, and mundane experiences have absolutely no bearing on our day-to-day lives. My first question- How did you and your husband meet? The on-camera "mutual friend" evasion turned into an off-camera story that told me so much about her personality! The picture in my head- a good girl who set standards for her own behavior, but who would help out a friend-in-need without judgment, and a bad boy that proved to be too tempting! Loving it! Of course, that "bad boy" turned out to be pretty great in the long run. My brother-in-law is a terrific husband and loving father.
If my romantic heart yearned for a boy-meets-girl type of love story, though, I was quickly brought to heel. The love story that prevailed in this interview was between mother and daughter. I have met Stefanie's late mother. I know of her kindness and compassion, and I loved her as well, but I hadn't grasped the full impact that she had on Stefanie's life. When asked about her best and worst memories, Stefanie quickly answered both questions with thoughts of Brenda- beginning with the Christmases spent giving to local families in need and knitting stockings for the people she cared about, and ending with the heartbreak of Brenda's last breaths when cancer claimed her as its victim. It was clear that Stefanie's story- the one that runs central in her life- tells of the impact of a mother's love.
This impact has spread into all aspects of Stefanie's life. It has become her motivation for being. When asked about her goal in life, Stefanie responded that she hoped to be "at least half the caring Christian, mom, friend, and role model [her] mom was to [her] and to everyone that was blessed to know her." This drive has pushed her to give herself to her kids and her community in a way that makes me, honestly, feel a little lazy! After watching her own mother succumb to illness at a young age, Stefanie knows that we must make the most of life while we are living it. She eloquently stated, "You aren't promised tomorrow, much less your next breath." Perhaps that's why this self-described "not a gutsy gal" flew with my husband in the Skycoaster in Gulf Shores a few years ago! But her biggest adventure? Being a mom. How could it be anything else? Her own mother shaped so much of her life. No one knows better than Stefanie the power a great mother can hold. She will ultimately teach her children to live. To love. Is there any role that could be more fulfilling, or terrifying, than that?
Perspective. We all need to find it periodically. What truly moves the people in our lives? What really moves me? Only when I listen to the stories of my own life and those of the people around me can I come even close to grasping what's "real" in the world. So, am I all finished heightening my "six senses"? Not even close! I have signed up to volunteer. I will watch my daughter play and revel in her curiosity and wonder. I will thank God for a new blessing every single day. I will attempt to do something that I am not good at and take pride in every mistake I make. I may even read The Art of Happiness by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Howard C. Cutler, M.D. (241) because, come on, who doesn't want to read a book that will tell you the secret to happiness? Most importantly, I will remember that my creativity and compassion are the aces in my deck of talents. These mental muscles need to be exercised with a P90x-like regiment, for these right-brained strengths will be the factor in my success as a teacher, a parent, a friend, and a person.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)