“To pay attention, this is our endless and proper work.”
Mary Oliver
Latte Art
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This mornings latte art -
Our work…
“Our work, rather, is to help reawaken the sense of the sacred that is already deep in the human soul,
John Philip Newell
our primordial relationship with nature, our ancient mother love of the earth.
We can be part of its rising again.”My recovery is moving along, slowly but surely. I am sleeping in later but I am sleeping restless. They have me sleeping with an oxygen concentrator at night which could be the culprit. I also do take naps throughout the day but I will rest when my body lets me know. I am going to venture out to the coffee shop in the morning. Since I can’t drive yet Jeff will pick me up and we will make a frontal attack on Mugs on Laurel. We are not giving them any warnings, either. We have had intermittent clouds and sunshine today and reached 60 degrees. The sun has set and I am enjoying an Earl Gray Tea. I hope you had a good day!
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Doing the Work of the World
Dew covered grass at the meadow’s edge Sometimes I wish I could photosynthesize so that just by being, just by shimmering at the meadow’s edge or floating lazily on a pond, I could be doing the work of the world while standing silent in the sun.
Robin Wall KimmererI’m not sure we can be doing the work of the world unless we know
we are a part of the world rather than apart from the world. -
Why I write…
…I write to better understand myself and my relationship with everything else. If my writing does indeed influence the world in a positive way, either now or in some future time, I’m all for it. And if for some reason it doesn’t, I’m okay with that too. But before any greater analysis is made, it’s important to keep in mind that my work helps me understand who I am. What happens after simply happens.
Robert LaxI practice my photography and writing to understand myself and the world around me. It’s interesting to think that we do not know just how many people read our blogs. Could be less than ten or over a hundred. I’m not actually interested in knowing those numbers. So, I write on this blog and I journal to better understand myself and my relationship with the world around me. If my writing touches someone or helps them understand themselves or me, then it has been worth the work.
We have had a nice gentle rain the past 24 hours providing much needed moisture.
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Good luck, my friend!!
This is Curtis, one of the irregulars at Mugs and actually worked for Mugs at one time. He’s an awesome young man with a beautiful soul which is why I like to hang with him. He graduates this month with a degree in Construction Management. He’s already had a couple of interviews for jobs that hopefully will pay him millions of dollars. I personally hope he finds a good job locally so I can still meet with him once in awhile and also so he can be close to his family. Good luck, my friend!!
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Congratulations Daryian!!!!
Daryian and I I was excited and proud when I heard that my oldest grandson, Daryian, was now a manager of his own PF Changs restaurant in Denver. However, I am going to confess that I also stepped into my fears and imagination as a grandpa. My first fear was for his safety in the big city. Next came the fear the store would fail, or they’d work him too long and hard, causing burnout, or having to handle difficult employees, or having a demanding manager above him. Then my imagination went the other way where the restaurant would be successful. He’d then permanently move to Denver, getting caught up in the success, venture into alcohol, drugs, and loose women. I wouldn’t be there to protect and guide him in any of this, as if I could. After a few deep breaths and some quiet time with prayer, meditation and my journaling, I was able to laugh at myself. What I learned from this is that as a grandparent it’s difficult to allow grandchildren the experiences and all the lessons they need in life to become healthy adults. We have no capacity to control another’s life or to interfere in their lives. I do wish him all the success he deserves. I couldn’t be a prouder grandpa! Congratulations Daryian!!!!
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No Longer Just Fantasy
“You cannot find peace avoiding life.”
Virginia WoolfThere is a tendency for me to live in my head, that world of dreams, make believe and fantasy. It began early in my childhood. As a young man I would lay in the grass, gazing into the blue sky, dreaming of another time and place. I could also lay on my couch and fantasize of being the newest rock start or sports hero. We all dream dreams but none of us are able to live in those fantasy worlds because they only exist in our minds. Even as an adult dreamland can be a place I go when avoiding life, not wanting to face it. When I do, I find no peace. However, when I engage in life, face it’s challenges, put in the work towards fulfilling them, these dreams are no longer just fantasy but become reality. And, with that I find peace.
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Working Hard
Hard at Work This is Sky, my sisters cat, working hard at being a cat on a hot day. 🙂 And, so am I as I head back to the skies for another trip. Unfortunately, for me anyway, only the passengers get a chance to do this on the aircraft.
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A Job or Work?
Cake “The job is not your work; What you do with your heart and soul is the work.”
Seth GodinI work as a flight attendant for a regional carrier. At this stage in life it’s not a career nor do I see it as just a job. I do not make much money, I spend half my month in hotels, and spend long hours with passengers, from every walk in life, in a long metal tube, a tubicle.
My work history was in the high technology field. The last few years of that working career had more focus on the time clock than the tasks at hand. I was just doing my job, a cog in the system. Early on my career I enjoyed going to work. On those mornings I was bringing something to offer rather than taking home a paycheck. On those days I wanted to make something happen, make the day different. And, on those days I usually came home feeling good because I had accomplished something or learned something new. I came to work to give of myself and darned if I didn’t receive something in return. So some mornings I showed up at my job and some mornings I came to work.
At the present time, I do not show up at the airport because it’s a job but because I want to come to work. The day it feels like a job to me, I need to find another place of employment. I believe that holds true with my photography. I do not want to get caught up in the struggle to make money with it as it may just become a job. My hope is to pursue it because I want to work at it, offering what vision and craft I can to this media. Hopefully I have something to offer. We all have the opportunity to use our photography to make a difference. If I can make money at it then that’s icing on the cake.
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I Show Up
Office View In a conversation with a fellow flight attendant, Rhonda, she told me how much she enjoys her work. And, it shows through her works ethics, how she interacts with passengers and, most importantly, she is someone I want beside me if the stuff ever hits the fan. Working as a flight attendant fits her. It offers her something that tugs at her heart and keeps her coming to work. I can relate to all of that as a photographer. I’ve often asked myself why I spend time seeing the world through a cameras viewfinder then post processing those images. To some that’s a waste of time, yet to a photographer something tugs at our hearts and holds us as willing captive tin it’s grip.
I’ve been at this flight attendant work for almost 4 years. I seldom share why I show up at the gate at 4:45 in the morning when it’s 20 degrees outside and then present a safety demonstration to passengers who would rather I shut-up and let them sleep. (Now that’s grumpy, Earl!) Well, I do it because of the people. It doesn’t matter their age, gender, color, culture, status or if their grumpy. They are people wanting to safely get from here to there and placing their trust in us. So, I show up.
Another reason I do it is because of the views. As my conversation with Rhonda continued along I heard myself tell her how I moved from working in a cubicle to working in a tubicle. And, oh how that view changed dramatically. n all honesty the cubicle had no view while flying has breathtaking views that change constantly. I don’t always get a chance to check out the views but every once in a while I can take a quick peek out the window and let out a long “Aaahhh” along with those passengers (who are awake). The above image is an example and was taken with my iphone. So, the views are another reason I show up.
I want to make sure you understand that I do not do this work for the money. I repeat I do not do this work for the money. The simple reason for that is because there isn’t any to be made. But, I show up anyway because of the above reasons and few others that I won’t bore you with now.
