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Thursday, October 28, 2010

The Future Has Arrived

The future has arrived.

We are obsessed with the future, we dream of it, we worry about it, we invest far more in it than we do the present moment. Living in 2010 sometimes I give pause to the idea that this time is the time my parents dreamed about as some far flung time with unfathomable inventions. The fact that I am writing this on my tiny net book and I will post it remotely through basically the air or wirelessly in itself is amazing. I am a little disappointed that I am not clad in a groovy silver jumpsuit, because everyone knows that silver is comfy to wear.

Okay, so the future is not exactly what our parents expected, we are not in the middle of an intergalactic conflict with green tentacled men, we don't have flying cars, and we are still highly dependent of fossil fuels. As I check my email on a phone that suspiciously looks like the data pads from a certain space show I can't help but remember the words of Albert Einstein “Imagination is more important than intelligence.”

Keep Moving Forward

I love the movie Meet The Robinsons, its not just the plethora of jokes and gags, honestly, if you're an adult, this movie has the sort of jokes that are for the kid in you. I imagine the screen writers to have te he'd their way through most of it, saying things like “Wouldn't it be funny if...” Its smart, its funny and one of the most thoughtful in the Disney vault.

Its the one movie that pays the most homage to Walt Disney since his death. Taking a Walt Disney quote and surrounding a movie around it “Around here, however, we don't look backwards for very long. We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths. - Walt Disney “

Right now the focus of a lot of people is “the damn economy” they are so focused on the past and worried about the future that they forget to see what is now. Yes, our economy is in a slump, people are out of work, more people are losing their jobs, yes it is a fact. But the moment you become paralysed with past failures and future worries you give up on that future that has you so worried.

Its not as though not worrying is easy to do, I worry, but I have also learned to let go of the worry. They say that the one way to know that you are on the right track is to check with your emotional barometer, if you are happy, content or can feel the content bubbling up in your soul than you are on the right track. Sometimes its hard to stifle the negative Nelly that lives within all of us, but the best course of action is to just keep moving forward. Do what is within your power and dream of a brighter future, not the one that is born of worry, that focuses on the needless shame of failure.

From failing you learn, from success not so much- Aunt Billie.

It is through failure that we learn the most about who we are, what we can accomplish and how to improve things. It is through failure and struggle that we learn the most. Often people feel shame for failing, as children upon taking our first steps and stumbling I doubt we felt shame for failing. You fell on your little diapered butt, maybe you cried, maybe you laughed but if you walked today, I'll assume you probably got up and waddled your way through life. It is the getting up that matters, and it is the staying down that is the true failure.

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Meet The Robinsons

What's The Story:
Lewis is a brilliant inventor who meets mysterious stranger named Wilbur Robinson, whisking Lewis away in a time machine and together they team up to track down Bowler Hat Guy in a showdown that ends with an unexpected twist of fate.

Memorable Quote:

Aunt Billie: From failing you learn, from success not so much

Lessons:
Keep moving forward
Don't blame others for your mistakes
don't focus on the negative, let go of the past
think things through

Main Challenges:
do a science fair project
make a check list


Attitude:
silly, eccentric, fun, intelligent, heroic, innovative

Challenges:
wear my clothes completely backwards
repeat everything someone says

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Tell Me Lies

Pinocchio is right being bad is fun. Okay so not so bad that I would be arrested but that sort of bad, more of a mischievous bad. Lets be honest here about lying, hmmm even saying it sounds odd. We all lie, some lie for pleasure and sport, others to spare feelings and still others for noble reasons like that they are hiding Jews from the Nazis or something like that. Whatever the reason we all do it.

I must admit, I am a terrible liar. I am far too expressive to allow any of my deceptions to fool even a child. As I ventured out this week wearing my lie detecting nose and lederhosen, I enjoyed lying my fool head off. I think that it was the fact that people knew that I was going to lie to them that made the deception fun.

List of Lies:

I've recently have been cleared to interact with the public again
My sharp, lucid mind has a firm grasp on reality
The dog ate my homework
It wasn't me
I can stop eating chocolate whenever I want to.
Higher taxes help the economy.
I'm from the government and I'm here to help you
This product has a 2 year full coverage warranty
I invented that (Picked up a napkin holder)
I didn't eat that sucker (it was in my mouth as I said it)
I will personally bring jobs to St Thomas

A lot of people laughed at my lies, of course after each lie I did make a whop sound and pointed to my nose. I thought it was only fitting that I lie just as obvious as Pinocchio. I have concluded, just as Pinocchio did, that it is far better to tell the truth than to lie. Lies are just as plain as the nose on your face, and like Pinocchio's nose, they grow each time you tell it. It takes more effort to lie than it does to tell the truth.

FYI: best lie was I'm from the government and I'm here to help you, for some reason no one believed me.

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Pinocchio

What's The Story:
A wooden puppet comes to life in a quest to become a real boy. He must prove himself brave, unselfish and honest.

Memorable Quote:
Blue fairy: You see, Pinocchio, a lie keeps growing and growing until its as plain as the nose on your face.

Lessons:
Trying to take the easy way out gets you into trouble. Don't follow strangers. Being a jackass makes you a jackass.

Main Challenges:
Give 10 lies to random people
Do something brave, unselfish and honest

Attitude:
Friendly, gullible,

Challenges:
Give a little whistle

Friday, October 15, 2010

Follow That Wind

The trouble with listening to the colours of the wind, beyond the abstract nature of doing such is that the wind, well, it can blow off the beaten path. I have, in the past, when “lost” gone in retreat, took a walk in the woods, walked a labyrinth (we have one in St Thomas) followed the whim of birds and squirrels, and been guided to spiritually uplifting sites.

I decided to go for one such walk and allowed myself to journey down a path and wind down roads that I seldom walk when I spotted a path. St Thomas is a charming city it is home to many little gullys and walking trails that lead to some breathtaking vistas. I have wandered many of these paths, but the trouble is that a lot of them follow steep hillsides and slippery slopes.

While chasing the wind, I found a lovely vista that the local fauna beckoned me to discover. Slowly I ventured inching my way down the path, I only really intended to get a better view. I had proceeded in a safe manner or so I thought choosing to stick to the grassy area and avoiding the mud when my foot decided to find a little mud all on its own.

My foot gave way and so followed my rump which hit hard on the muddy earth, not content with its original location it decided to do a little mini slide. Fun. My hands were enveloped in the muck, my butt now the colour of a lovely rich black soil, I hobbled home giggling.

So what did the wind want me to know? Its time to get a little dirty? Sit your butt down? Or perhaps it was just that a wild ride is always just around the corner? Whatever the vague winds message what I can say about the experience is life is full of unexpected surprises and what matters most is how you treat them.

Years ago I probably would have cursed, or cried how unfair the world is because its not supposed to let you fall on your rump. Now I know without a doubt that every fall is an opportunity to shine. Right now I am shining, black and blue but shinning none the less.

Savages!

There is plenty of argument about the legitimacy of Disney's Pocahontas. Though historically quite inaccurate the story just beneath the inaccuracy tells a tale of savage behaviour and self righteousness. With each side thinking that the other is the savage, it brings up a topic for the ages. Each side is completely correct. No matter what your ethnic background you are the product of superstition, hatred and savagery, we humans have relied on this behaviour in order to evolve.

In Pocahontas' time the natives of the Americas were the “savages” and before that it was the Gauls of France and the Turks and the Huns. We humans have a long history with this sort of assumption, we always assume the place of Us against Them. Years after Pocahontas it was the African slaves then the Chinese, the Jews, the Nazi's, Communists and most recently the Muslim community. As long as we continue to hold an Us and Them mentality we will always assume that They are savages and We are righteous.

No matter what our differences are, I have come to realize that we are all savage, I don't mean individually, but humanity as a race is capable of great destruction, all races. We see our differences as liabilities and not the treasure that they are. We become blinded by the “but they started it” mentality and lose sight of the humanity behind the strangers eyes.

Peace begins with one act, Pocahontas throws her self in front of the blade to protect John Smith, Martin Luther King Jr holds rally's and the “enemy” joins in, links arms and peacefully say this human is worth respect. It is always the actions of love, not hate that moves mountains and brings about change.

This is my calling to the next “Savage” to come about, and I am not just talking about the global savages, I mean the ones a little closer to home, the ones in traffic, the ones at the office, the ones who grace the pages of news papers. I will not fight you with hatred; I will not fight you at all because deep in my heart I am sure of one thing; peace begins with me. And by ME I mean all of us.

There is no more savage an act than the act of feeling superior.

Monday, October 11, 2010

Pocahontas

Pocahontas

What's The Story:
Captain John Smith sails to America under the rule of governor Radcliff to find gold, while the natives were scouting out the strange visitors, the visitors panic and start shooting. Several misunderstandings occur between the two peoples as John and Pocahontas try to understand each others customs. A native dies and John is set to die but Pocahontas saves him by putting herself in front of the axe.

Memorable Quote:

Grandmother Willow: Sometimes the right path isn't the easiest.

Lessons:
Just because you don't understand the way someone lives doesn't mean that they are savages.
Listening to nature can guide you. Sometimes the right path isn't the easiest.

Main Challenges:
Listen to nature and try to follow it.
Go talk to a willow tree

Attitude:

Adventurous, brave, honourable, kind,

Challenges:
lacrosse?

Sunday, October 10, 2010

The Real Magic of Arthur

The legend of King Arthur has lasted over a thousand years, in its time it would have been a beacon of hope for the peasants and even nobility. The thought of world peace and harmonious kingdoms ruled by a kind and just king is at the very least alluring.

Why the tales of Arthur stick to this day is that within each of us we still hope for world peace, though many are convinced that some supernatural power, alien, magic, some religious entity are required to resolve wars, strife and crimes.

The real magic is not supernatural it just requires us to see what is already here. Compassion, understanding and love is not supernatural. There is peace on earth , far more peace than there is war, far more people love one another than hate.

Each one of us is the Merlin with the power to pull peace, happiness and greatness from the woodwork. Merlin asks Arthur to use his imagination to make the magic work. The imagination is where the magic is and we all have it, the problem is that we use it for the negative instead of the positive. Think about the last time you worried about something, were you looking on the bright side or like most people fearing the worst?

The reason why kids are so happy is because they use their imaginations to think up an amazing future for themselves and for their world. What happens when they get older is that they are told, repeatedly that the world is a terrible place and that life is hard. We suck the magic right out of children, right out of humanity by believing that the magic of hope is useless. Today, I am here to take it back. Here's hoping to a brighter future shared by all.

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Saturday, October 2, 2010

I'll Choose My Own Key To Sing In, Thank You

I am well aware of my limitations, each week I test them. I found that singing, though I do it often, is not really my forte. I can sing a baby to sleep and entertain myself but I am no performer. If in the future I get hired to sing, let me assure you that it will be for comedic reasons. Dance is more my thing, I do it often, and everywhere.

The problem with me is that no matter what I do it seems like someone out there is trying to out do me, or they can do it too. Perhaps its the fact that I'm the youngest in my family, or the fact that for the first 12 years of my life I couldn't read or write. I was that annoying kid in your class that read like the most painfully long versions of words like “the” and “celebrate” often mispronouncing them as I attempted to decode what my peers had easily mastered years ago. I have always felt less than, inferior.

Anything I could do they could do better. Here's my deep dark secret, I don't like to fail, or look stupid, again, its a my history thing. When I do sing, its usually to myself or around people who don't care if I go a little off key. I sing for my own pleasure not for the pleasure of others. This got me to thinking about all the things we hide from the world. Why is it that if we don't sing like a megastar that we don't sing at all?

Singing is all about joy, its about expressing what's in your heart, so why are we so afraid to do it? Why do I become ashamed of the fact that I am no Beyonce? Why are we so afraid to fail? I have spent most of my life being criticized in one way or another (Remember baby of the family and dyslexic) so you would think that I would be used to it by now.

With all the experiences that I have had in my life you would think that I would know better than to listen to the criticism, but I am only human. There is always a little voice in my head that says, shut up, don't sing, don't dance, and for cripes sake stop grinning like a fool. That voice is the voice of a thousand nay sayers, we all have a voice like that some louder than others. I am grateful for one thing, no matter what that voice says, there's an even louder voice that says, you can do it.

Nothing shuts up a little voice like singing, dancing and grinning like a fool. Tunes on, check, hips swaying look out world I'm about to rock!

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