To My Daughter

Because Dr. Seuss puts it together better than I can...

Oh, the Places You'll Go! by Dr. Seuss

Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You're off to Great Places!
You're off and away!

You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.
You're on your own.  And you know what you know.
And YOU are the guy who'll decide where to go.

You'll look up and down streets.  Look 'em over with care.
About some you will say, "I don't choose to go there."
With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet,
you're too smart to go down any not-so-good street.

And you may not find any
you'll want to go down.
In that case, of course,
you'll head straight out of town.

It's opener there
in the wide open air.

Out there things can happen
and frequently do
to people as brainy
and footsy as you.

And when things start to happen,
don't worry.  Don't stew.
Just go right along.
You'll start happening too.

OH! THE PLACES YOU'LL GO!

You'll be on your way up!
You'll be seeing great sights!
You'll join the high fliers
who soar to high heights.

You won't lag behind, because you'll have the speed.
You'll pass the whole gang and you'll soon take the lead.
Wherever you fly, you'll be the best of the best.
Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.

Except when you don't
Because, sometimes, you won't.

I'm sorry to say so
but, sadly, it's true
and Hang-ups
can happen to you.

You can get all hung up
in a prickle-ly perch.
And your gang will fly on.
You'll be left in a Lurch.

You'll come down from the Lurch
with an unpleasant bump.
And the chances are, then,
that you'll be in a Slump.

And when you're in a Slump,
you're not in for much fun.
Un-slumping yourself
is not easily done.

You will come to a place where the streets are not marked.
Some windows are lighted.  But mostly they're darked.
A place you could sprain both your elbow and chin!
Do you dare to stay out?  Do you dare to go in?
How much can you lose? How much can you win?

And IF you go in, should you turn left or right...
or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite?
Or go around back and sneak in from behind?
Simple it's not, I'm afraid you will find,
for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.

You can get so confused
that you'll start in to race
down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace
and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space,
headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.
The Waiting Place...

...for people just waiting.
Waiting for a train to go
or a bus to come, or a plane to go
or the mail to come, or the rain to go
or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow
or waiting around for a Yes or a No
or waiting for their hair to grow.
Everyone is just waiting.

Waiting for the fish to bite
or waiting for wind to fly a kite
or waiting around for Friday night
or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake
or a pot to boil, or a Better Break
or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants
or a wig with curls, or Another Chance.
Everyone is just waiting.

NO!
That's not for you!

Somehow you'll escape
all that waiting and staying.
You'll find the bright places
where Boom Bands are playing.

With banner flip-flapping,
once more you'll ride high!
Ready for anything under the sky.
Ready because you're that kind of a guy!

Oh, the places you'll go! There is fun to be done!
There are points to be scored.  there are games to be won.
And the magical things you can do with that ball
will make you the winning-est winner of all.
Fame!  You'll be famous as famous can be,
with the whole wide world watching you win on TV.

Except when they don't.
Because, sometimes, they won't.

I'm afraid that some times
you'll play lonely games too.
Games you can't win
'cause you'll play against you.

All Alone!
Whether you like it or not,
Alone will be something
you'll be quite a lot.

And when you're alone, there's a very good chance
you'll meet things that scare you right out of your pants.
There are some, down the road between hither and yon,
that can scare you so much you won't want to go on.

But on you will go
though the weather be foul
On you will go
though your enemies prowl
On you will go
though the Hakken-Kraks howl
Onward up many
a frightening creek,
though your arms may get sore
and your sneakers may leak.

On and on you will hike
and I know you'll hike far
and face up to your problems
whateverthey are.

You'll get mixed up, of course,
as you already know.
You'll get mixed up
with many strange birds as you go.
So be sure when you step.
Step with care and great tact
and remember that Life's
a Great Balancing Act.
Just never forget to be dexterous and deft.
And never mix up your right foot with your left.

And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.)

KID, YOU'LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!

So...
be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray
or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O'Shea,
you're off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So...get on your way!

A-hauntin' J-Land

There's some haunting going on in J-Land. J-Landers banded together to visit journals and spread tricks or treats. Do not be TP-ed. Visit as many J-Landers as possible and bring goodwill and the goodies!  

My son is part of a local theatre production, "Stage Fright ." They put together a "Fright Night" haunted house to raise funds for the performing arts foundation in our community. He is a zombie prison guard for the "Josea's Jailhouse Rock" segment. He is the hideous creature below.

           

 Happy Haunting!!!!

Awwwwwwww!

                   

                                      My son and his homecoming date.

On Being Old and Wise

Everyone goes through a period where the imminence of old age can be fearful. An 85-year old lady shared this essay with me. I felt very privileged to have read it. I want it to be a part of my legacy to my children so I am copying it to my journal. I told her that she alleviated my fear of being old and that she is the epitome of growing old gracefully. Now, I can look forward to growing old and wise. Thank you, Joann.

  

“The other day a young person asked me how I felt about being old. I was taken aback, for I do not think of myself as old. Upon seeing my reaction, she was immediately embarrassed but I explained that it was an interesting question and I would ponder it and let her know.

 

Old age, I decided, is a gift. I am now probably for the first time in my life, the person I always wanted to be. Oh no, not my body. I sometimes despair over my body but I do not agonize over it for long.

 

I would never trade my amazing friends, my wonderful life, and my loving family for less gray hair or flatter belly. As I’ve aged, I’ve become kinder and less critical of myself. I’ve become my own friend. I do not chide myself for eating an extra cookie or for not making my bed or for buying that silly cement gecko that I did not need but looks so avant-garde on my patio. I am entitled to overeat, to be messy and to be extravagant. I have seen too many dear friends leave this world too soon, before they understood the great freedom that comes with aging.

 

Whose business is it if I choose to read until 4 AM and sleep until noon? I will dance with myself to those wonderful tunes of the 50’s and 60’s and if the same time I wish to weep over a lost love, I will.

 

I know I am sometimes forgetful. But then again, some life experiences are just as well forgotten and I eventually remember the important things.

 

Sure, over the years my heart has been broken. How can your heart not break when you lose a loved one or when a child suffers? But broken hearts are what give us strength and understanding and compassion. A heart never broken is pristine and sterile and will never know the joy of being imperfect.

 

I am so blessed to have lived long enough to have my hair turn gray and have my youthful laughs forever etched into deep grooves on my face. So many have never laughed and so many have died before their hair could turn silver.

 

I can say, “No” and mean it. I can say, “Yes” and mean it. As you get older, it is easier to be positive. You care less about what other people think. I do not question myself anymore. I’ve even earned the right to be wrong.

 

And so, to answer the question, I like being old. It has set me free. I like the person I have become. I am not going to live forever but while I am here, I will not waste time lamenting what could have been or worrying about what will be. For the first time in my life, I do not have to have the reason to do the things I want to do. If I want to play games on the computer all day, lie on the couch and watch movies for hours or if do not want to go to the beach or a movie, I have earned that right. I have put in my time doing everything for others so now I can be a bit selfish without feeling guilty.

 

I sometimes feel sorry for the young. They face a far different world than I knew growing up, where we feared the law, respected the old, the flag and our country. I never felt the need to use filthy language in order to express myself. And they too, will grow old someday. I am grateful to have been born when I was, into a kinder and gentler world.

Yes, I like being old.”

 

From Dee's Log

Sandi tagged me. I think the game goes like this: Find your 23rd entry then note the fifth sentence in it. 

Link here to read it.

The fifth sentence is: I like being mysterious. I still do.

The entry was about being the Editor's pick. Needless to say, I did not send them a picture so I was not featured. I was too young of a blogger to be comfortable with the limelight then. I think one of my blogger friends nominated me as a lark.

Today is Vince's birthday. He is my favorite blogging poet. For some unknown reason, he is keeping this a secret to the blogging world. Please stop by and wish him a happy birthday.

Had a busy week again. Most of it was spent at the local Red Cross office. I am going to spare you with depressing news from that front because I know you are being bombarded by the new devastation from Hurricane Rita. The center is still processing about 2,000 cases a day and we've seen a few from Texas already.

Hubby was home for the weekend. I just dropped him off at the airport. He will be in Charleston, SC for the next two weeks so if  I do not update next week, do not worry, chances are I packed my bags and went on a road trip to SC because I miss him.

I had a really nice weekend. I went to the local Seafood Festival and had my fill of grilled mahi mahi, calamari, and seafood alfredo. The place was also packed with crafters and artists booths. I spent my money on a basket of bromeliads and I took a card from a local artist so I can visit her studio and buy some of her lovely flower watercolors.

I also spent a lazy evening with hubby watching movies. He watched my indie films and I sat through his macho films. Case in point, I rented "Broken Wings" and "Before Sunset" while he had "Sahara" and "Hostage."

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

End Transmission.

Count Your Blessings

Visage de la Paix -Picasso

Life is never boring at the Red Cross Office. The case management supervisor from Washington, DC left a couple of days ago and she asked me to take over her job. It’s not a hard job. I supervise between 30-50 volunteer caseworkers and review their finished casework before I send it to the headquarters. The management team lavishly praised me for putting together a system that gives an up to the minute report of number of cases processed. The FEMA guys want these numbers and they are relieved that they do not have to wait till the end of the day to get the report.

 

Somehow, I am glad I am out of the firing line. The face to face encounter with the hurricane victims was getting the best of me. I had to take a long break one day after an interview so I can hide and cry. I interviewed an 85 year old woman from New Orleans who was originally from Germany and has no living relatives that she knows of in the US or in Germany. Her neighbors took her with them to evacuate to our hometown when water started rising in their neighborhood. She said she watched her car float away from her garage. Her husband died last year and left her a home and a car.  They did not have any insurance on the home nor the car because they were on fixed income. I started getting teary eyed when she said, “I am 85 years old and I lost everything I have. I am too old to start all over again. Who would hire me at my age? Where am I going to live now?" I hugged her and reassured her that I will do everything in my power to help her. I processed her case and gave her some referral to other community services and gave her my name and contact number so I can help her further if the other agencies fail to assist her. I kept my dignity and did not bawl while she was there but I did a quick getaway to the restroom as soon as she left so I can cry. And cry, I did. 

 

On the lighter note, I would like to share my all time favorite poem. I stumbled in it when I was in highschool and it helped me form some of my present convictions. I also love the tittle. It sounds so exotic and mysterious.

 

Desiderata

Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs;
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment
it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.

Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.

Max Ehrmann, Desiderata, Copyright 1952.

Dee, Reporting for Duty!

I am alive, well and still living in Hurricane Alley. Life had been a little busy. I am spending a lot of my time at the local Red Cross office doing disaster relief case management and outreach. I was on the six o'clock news on the local channel yesterday. Channel 3 came and videotaped our training session. I was not compelled to watch the news just to see myself so I did not tune in. I stopped watching TV a week ago because it saddens me to see the hurricane devastation.

Disaster relief work is emotionally taxing but intrinsically rewarding. I get teary eyed . I hear the victims' sad stories and I hugged and will be hugging a lot of them. I always try to portray a professional but compassionate demeanor so I have yet to bawl infront of my clients. I usually take a break when I start feeling emotionally overwhelmed.

In other news... emeraldcalf tagged me via e-mail. Here's my contribution to the new blog craze:

7 Things I Plan To Do Before I Die:
1. Travel in at least one country in all the continents. I've been to three and I traveled all over North America. Four down, three more to go. Hello, South America; Antartica; and Africa!!!
2. Join the Peace Corps and help people in the third world countries for 2-5 years after my retirement. Yes, I am an egalitarian.
3. Take courses in Quantum Physics to indulge the mad scientist in me. "Quantum foam, makes you roam."
4. Finish post-graduate school just because. I do not wish to join the ivory tower team.
5. Compile a book of my essays and poetries for my children. I want to leave them something simple but priceless, a piece of me.
6. Buy a Harley and hit the road with hubby in the backseat. Nope, he will not be allowed to ride it by himself.
7. Learn to play violin and rock like Vanessa Mae with it. I'll be Granny Mae!

7 Things I Can Do:
1. I can speed read and remember most of what I read.
2. I can understand mathematical concepts.
3. I can crunch numbers like a seasoned accountant.
4. I can bake anything and everything with love.
5. I can sew, crochet, landscape and whip up a themed dinner.
6. I can travel anywhere in the world with confidence.
7. I can be generous with my time, money and other resources to people I love and causes I believe in.

7 Things That Attract Me To The Opposite Sex:
1. Smiling face and eyes.
2. Brains and techie persuasion.
3. Sense of humor. I enjoy a banter with the witty and sarcastic.
4. Taste in food, arts and culture.
5. Loves to travel.
6. Generous and loving heart.
7. Open and honest communication style.


7 Things I Say Most Often:
1. I love you, kid!
2. Have you eaten?
3. Do you want cookies?
4. Goodnight!
5. Good morning, sunshine!
6. Thank you.
7. Yes, sir!/ Yes, Ma'am!

7 Celebrity Crushes:
1. Harrison Ford
2. Kurt Cobain
3. The Ramones (Yes, all of them!)
4. Thomas Dylan
5. David Bowie
6. Albert Einstein
7. Bob Dylan