I am surrounded, it seems. Every time I turn around...boys. It suddenly occurred to me as I answered the knock on the door to yet another pack of boys, that there is a disproportionate ratio here....or maybe it's just that the boys make themselves noticed more. I suddenly find myself trying to communicate with the male species on a fairly regular basis, which is odd, considering I am working in a field predominantly occupied by women. But my role separates me out and I somehow feel like a magnet.
Case in point. I need support for my technical problems...and they are at my beck and call. I only need hit the submit button on my computer to request assistance and the phone rings. Usually I end up helping them see that I am the only one that can truly solve my problem. But they like to try. Tech workshops? Male teachers...some of whom have showed up every time. They hang on my every word as if I somehow hold the key to all things magical and wonderful.
Tech committee? Tech work groups? Maybe it's the word "Tech." I honestly did not anticipate the exuberance and zeal with which they would come calling. It somehow feels odd, being the female that holds the answers to their questions. What about my questions?
Oh, and might I add it's all ages...young, old, and in between. Where did they all come from? Perhaps it's because I came from a very different world, but I am surprised at the integrity and genuine enthusiasm as well as manners. These boys of all ages are actually polite and considerate, thoughtful and willing to learn and change and grow.
As the second pack of adolescent trick or treaters left my porch exalting in the Reese's and Kit Kats, they exclaimed,"It's our favorite! Happy Halloween! Hey put that back!.." As they admonished each other for being greedy. Dad's with babies, "Hi, we're your new neighbors!" I am besieged with flashy, toothy grins, an occasional wink, and a willingness to be on their very best behavior. Are they trying to impress me? Well, so far it's worked.
Maybe it's because for so long my expectations have been so low, and I have been cloaked in a shroud of darkness and doubt; now I am finally coming out int o the light again, and able to see and appreciate the good that is everywhere. A smile and a happy face go a long way....It is easy to smile now.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Saturday, October 25, 2008
The Field of Dreams
Walking out onto the plush, green, plastic grass, my footsteps disappear-there is no sound. The sun is at my back, high on the edge of the golden, brown leaves, blazing a path that runs toward the goal line. Softly I walk toward the bench and there is no sound. The stands are empty, cold and gray, waiting to spring to life. The score board is black, wiaiting to come to digital life. The lights remain off, towering high above the trees. No need to make a call to Iowa today, it will all be over before darkness falls.
I walk toward the bench, sitting in the late afternoon shadows, and I feel a chill at my back. In spite of the sun's warmth, it is going to get chilly, quickly. I lean back and listen to the silence...for a few more minutes, my face searching for the sun's sinking rays. The field is expansive, green, and silent, waiting for the whistle that will signal the beginning for one team, the beginning of the end for another. It is a field of dreams. The final home game of the season. In just minutes the switch will ignite the scoreboard, counting down the 25 minutes before the game begins.
As the home team makes their way to the end line to begin their dynamic stretching, they are relatively quiet. There is idle chit chat and nervous laughter, but it is not loud. They are not confident or cockey. They are at the same time nervous and excited and edgy. I am finding it hard to sit still, watching silently from my bench. but I stay seated for a few more minutes, basking in the late afternoon glow on this field of dreams.
I walk toward the bench, sitting in the late afternoon shadows, and I feel a chill at my back. In spite of the sun's warmth, it is going to get chilly, quickly. I lean back and listen to the silence...for a few more minutes, my face searching for the sun's sinking rays. The field is expansive, green, and silent, waiting for the whistle that will signal the beginning for one team, the beginning of the end for another. It is a field of dreams. The final home game of the season. In just minutes the switch will ignite the scoreboard, counting down the 25 minutes before the game begins.
As the home team makes their way to the end line to begin their dynamic stretching, they are relatively quiet. There is idle chit chat and nervous laughter, but it is not loud. They are not confident or cockey. They are at the same time nervous and excited and edgy. I am finding it hard to sit still, watching silently from my bench. but I stay seated for a few more minutes, basking in the late afternoon glow on this field of dreams.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Living in the moment
I almost forgot. But then I remembered. How easy it is to get caught up in what happened in the past or what hasn't yet happened. How easy it is to go through the motions, to try to prevent the rats from winning the race. It is too easy to not pay attention, to easy to be too busy, too easy not to notice the small details. And so it is important to remember the most important time is now...the most important one is the one you are with, and the most important thing is to help the one you are with. It is easy to forget if you're not careful....So whatever happens, happens..some things are simply beyond our control. Take pleasure in being in the moment....the moment is the journey, the journey is the moment.
Monday, October 20, 2008
We were there.
It's the season for Fall TV. Are you ready for some football? It's a time to look back and reflect on the year, as we head into the final stretch.The Red Sox are done..defeated brilliantly by the young upstart Tamp Rays..the 'new" rival. Remember the big Tampa Bay brawl at Fenway Park early in the season? Coco rushed the pitchers mound and ended up on the bottom of the pile. What ishappening? Get out your phone! Take a picture! This is great! Who knew that bench clearing brawl would foreshadow the October rivalry...who knew that fracus would be replayed over and over and over again on TBS (they suck) and ESPN, and NECSN(My favorite)Did you know we were there?
Do you remember the first game the Patriots lost in like forever? Actually, since they played the Miami Dolphins in Miami last December, 2007....remember that game? Remember Tom Brady? I can tell you we were sitting at the top of the stadium, in the 80 degree sunshine, and we couldn't believe our eyes....yep..we were there!
Remember the last regular season game of the football season..December 29, 2007: Pats vs. Giants at Giant Stadium? The Pats were down..we were fearing for our lives and thinking bad karma..let's get outta here ..when from the parking lot we heard the stadium erupt in cheers...Patriots fans!!! We were there!! Well, we were actually in the parking lot, does that count?
And who can forget the US Open at Torrey Pines in June? Tiger Woods' last tournament of the year...hitting from the cart path over my head, onto the green of the first hole...on in 2.Who can forget the epic playoff with the relatively unknown Rocco Mediate? We were there....close enough to get pictures of Rocco..close enough to get buzzed by Tiger's golf ball as it wooshed over the gallery's heads.
They are auctioning off pieces of Yankee Stadium....what' s left? That place, steeped in history...layers of chipping paint, concrete, and gritty NY trash. Who knew? Maybe I should've left my mark...maybe I should have grabbed a souvenir. Perhaps I can get a price for my ticket stub on Ebay....Yankee Stadium...The Final Season... we were there.
Do you remember the first game the Patriots lost in like forever? Actually, since they played the Miami Dolphins in Miami last December, 2007....remember that game? Remember Tom Brady? I can tell you we were sitting at the top of the stadium, in the 80 degree sunshine, and we couldn't believe our eyes....yep..we were there!
Remember the last regular season game of the football season..December 29, 2007: Pats vs. Giants at Giant Stadium? The Pats were down..we were fearing for our lives and thinking bad karma..let's get outta here ..when from the parking lot we heard the stadium erupt in cheers...Patriots fans!!! We were there!! Well, we were actually in the parking lot, does that count?
And who can forget the US Open at Torrey Pines in June? Tiger Woods' last tournament of the year...hitting from the cart path over my head, onto the green of the first hole...on in 2.Who can forget the epic playoff with the relatively unknown Rocco Mediate? We were there....close enough to get pictures of Rocco..close enough to get buzzed by Tiger's golf ball as it wooshed over the gallery's heads.
They are auctioning off pieces of Yankee Stadium....what' s left? That place, steeped in history...layers of chipping paint, concrete, and gritty NY trash. Who knew? Maybe I should've left my mark...maybe I should have grabbed a souvenir. Perhaps I can get a price for my ticket stub on Ebay....Yankee Stadium...The Final Season... we were there.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Hold the rope...
This is not an original story...but one that goes back thousands of years. If you were hanging from the edge of a cliff by a mere rope..who would you trust to be holding the other end of that rope? If you can say the names of one or two of your very best friends who you would trust with your life....well, then that would not be enough. Read the following story:
"Every year a professional basketball team wins the championship. Every year a college basketball team wins the NCAA title. Every year the best high school team in Division A on down wins the state crown. All these teams have one thing in common. No matter how tough it became throughout their season they did one thing---they held the rope!
What is “holding the rope”? Imagine that you are hanging from the edge of a cliff with a drop of twenty thousand feet. The only thing between you and a fall to your death is a rope with the person of your choice on the other end. Who do you know that has the guts to pull you to safety? Who will hold the rope? Who do you know that is going to let that rope burn his hand and no let go? How many people you know are going to withstand the burning pain and watch the blood drip from their hands for you?
If you can name two people; that is not good enough, because those two people might not be around when you need them. The next time your team is together, look around and ask yourself; who could I trust to hole the rope? Who is going to let their hands bleed for me? When you can look at every member on your team and say to yourself that they all would hold the rope, you are destined to win a lot of ball games. You see, the team that holds the rope when the going gets tough is winners. When you are down by four points with thirty seconds to go, don’t give up. Yell at your teammates to hold the rope, let it burn, but don’t let go.
Every year there are winners and losers in all sports. Every year the winners hold the rope. You don’t have to be the best team on the floor to win the game. If you play with poise and do what your coaches ask of you and most of all---hold the rope---you will be successful. No matter what sport you play, in order to win, you have to have a commitment to your team. If you are supposed to run three times per week, do it. If you have to lift weights three times per, don’t miss. Once you start letting up at practice or start missing your workouts, you’ve killed the team because you didn’t hold the rope.
Don’t let your team down. You’ve got to hold the rope!"
Hold the rope...a metaphor for life....
"Every year a professional basketball team wins the championship. Every year a college basketball team wins the NCAA title. Every year the best high school team in Division A on down wins the state crown. All these teams have one thing in common. No matter how tough it became throughout their season they did one thing---they held the rope!
What is “holding the rope”? Imagine that you are hanging from the edge of a cliff with a drop of twenty thousand feet. The only thing between you and a fall to your death is a rope with the person of your choice on the other end. Who do you know that has the guts to pull you to safety? Who will hold the rope? Who do you know that is going to let that rope burn his hand and no let go? How many people you know are going to withstand the burning pain and watch the blood drip from their hands for you?
If you can name two people; that is not good enough, because those two people might not be around when you need them. The next time your team is together, look around and ask yourself; who could I trust to hole the rope? Who is going to let their hands bleed for me? When you can look at every member on your team and say to yourself that they all would hold the rope, you are destined to win a lot of ball games. You see, the team that holds the rope when the going gets tough is winners. When you are down by four points with thirty seconds to go, don’t give up. Yell at your teammates to hold the rope, let it burn, but don’t let go.
Every year there are winners and losers in all sports. Every year the winners hold the rope. You don’t have to be the best team on the floor to win the game. If you play with poise and do what your coaches ask of you and most of all---hold the rope---you will be successful. No matter what sport you play, in order to win, you have to have a commitment to your team. If you are supposed to run three times per week, do it. If you have to lift weights three times per, don’t miss. Once you start letting up at practice or start missing your workouts, you’ve killed the team because you didn’t hold the rope.
Don’t let your team down. You’ve got to hold the rope!"
Hold the rope...a metaphor for life....
Thursday, October 2, 2008
So it really feels good to be blogging again. Apparently, I have alot to say. "Has anyone ever called you Chatty Cathy?"
So I have decided to pay attention more to the smaller details in life...to be more observant about things when I am in the moment. Like today I noticed that on my way to work each morning, I am on the road with the same vehicles. One vehicle in particular, an orange VW bug, with a very unique license plate...today I noticed. And I thought, I wonder how many other people are going in the same direction as me. And I wonder where everyone is going? Where the heck are all these southbound people going? Where do they work? And why is the bridge so crowded between 7:30 and 8am every morning? I wonder if the bridge is congested after 8? Or before 7? All very good questions....don't you think?
I am a procrastinator. I know that about myself. it is the one thing I need to really work on because it can be annoying and makes me frantic. I also think it's because I'm a control freak, and by procrastinating I am trying to control the inevitable. I want things to be on my terms, in my time zone. It is not okay, and it is rude. So I am really going to try to be timely and on time. I swear.
My last thought is about how annoying it is to have the MLB playoffs on TBS. Who are they anyways? And who are the annoying sports commentators who apparently know nothing about any of our teams? It's just not right. I miss my NESN boys. There's just too much objectivity. It is boring me to tears. I think I will turn my television to mute and turn on wrko Shaws radio network. I do not need someone describing what I am watching. Tell me stories, make me laugh, make me think. DO not bore me...please.
So that's all for now. I'm still waiting for my power cord to arrive or appear so I can import my itunes library. See what I get for procrastinating? If I had done this back in May, I would not have misplaced the powercord. I would be listening to my Mama Mia soundtrack on my Bose, enjoying life. Until tomorrow....
So I have decided to pay attention more to the smaller details in life...to be more observant about things when I am in the moment. Like today I noticed that on my way to work each morning, I am on the road with the same vehicles. One vehicle in particular, an orange VW bug, with a very unique license plate...today I noticed. And I thought, I wonder how many other people are going in the same direction as me. And I wonder where everyone is going? Where the heck are all these southbound people going? Where do they work? And why is the bridge so crowded between 7:30 and 8am every morning? I wonder if the bridge is congested after 8? Or before 7? All very good questions....don't you think?
I am a procrastinator. I know that about myself. it is the one thing I need to really work on because it can be annoying and makes me frantic. I also think it's because I'm a control freak, and by procrastinating I am trying to control the inevitable. I want things to be on my terms, in my time zone. It is not okay, and it is rude. So I am really going to try to be timely and on time. I swear.
My last thought is about how annoying it is to have the MLB playoffs on TBS. Who are they anyways? And who are the annoying sports commentators who apparently know nothing about any of our teams? It's just not right. I miss my NESN boys. There's just too much objectivity. It is boring me to tears. I think I will turn my television to mute and turn on wrko Shaws radio network. I do not need someone describing what I am watching. Tell me stories, make me laugh, make me think. DO not bore me...please.
So that's all for now. I'm still waiting for my power cord to arrive or appear so I can import my itunes library. See what I get for procrastinating? If I had done this back in May, I would not have misplaced the powercord. I would be listening to my Mama Mia soundtrack on my Bose, enjoying life. Until tomorrow....
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