Memorable Lyrics

From the fabulous Matt Alber:

End Of The World
I don’t want to ride this roller coaster
I think I want to get off
But they buckled me down
Like it’s the end of the world
If you don’t want to have this conversation
Then you better get out
Cause we’re climbing to our death
At least that’s what they want you to think
Just in case we jump the track
I have a confession to make
It’s something like a cork screw

I don’t wanna fall, I don’t wanna fly
I don’t wanna be dangled over
The edge of a dying romance
But I don’t wanna stop
I don’t wanna lie
I don’t wanna believe it’s over
I just wanna stay with you tonight

I didn’t mean to scream out quite so loudly
When we screeched to a halt
I’m just never prepared
For the end of the ride
Maybe we should get on something simpler
Like a giant balloon
But I’ve got two tickets left, and so do you
Instead of giving them away to some stranger
Let’s make them count, come on
Let’s get back in line again and ride the big one

Don’t you want to fall, don’t you want to fly
Don’t you want to be dangled over
The edge of this aching romance
If it’s gonna end, then I wanna know
That we squeezed out every moment
But if there’s nothing left can you tell me why
That it is you’re holding onto me
Like it’s the end of the world

Resolutions 2011

This year I will strive for more proportionality. In my physical, mental,
emotional, social, and spiritual health.

I will seek ways to bring balance in all that I do.

I will have more integrity, following through with all commitments.

And I will be more creative...embracing who I am as an artist and educator.
I will take more photos.

And, I will run faster and have more fun.

And fewer martinis. Maybe.

Here is one of my favorite poems. It is by Mark Doty.

Long Point Light

Long Point's aparitional
this warm spring morning,
the strand a blur of sandy light,

and the square white
of the lighthouse-separated from us
by the bay's ultramarine

as if it were nowhere
we could ever go-gleams
like a tower's ghost, hazing

into the rinsed blue of March,
our last outpost in the huge
indetermination of sea.

It seems cheerful enough,
in the strengthening sunlight,
fixed point accompanying our walk

along the shore. Sometimes I think
it's the where-we-will be,
only not yet, like some visible outcropping

of the afterlife. In the dark
its deeper invitations emerge:
green witness at night's end,

flickering margin of horizon,
marker of safety and limit.
but limitless, the way it calls us,

and where it seems to want us
to come, And so I invite it
into the poem, to speak,

and the lighthouse says:
Here is the world you asked for,
gorgeous and opportune,

here is nine o'clock, harbor-wide,
and a glinting code: promise and warning.
The morning's the size of heaven.

What will you do with it? 

Wandering Around an Albuquerque Airport Terminal

by Naomi Shihab Nye

“After learning my flight was detained 4 hours, I heard the announcement: ‘If anyone in the vicinity of gate 4-A understands any Arabic, please come to the gate immediately.’

“Well -- one pauses these days. Gate 4-A was my own gate. I went there. An older woman in full traditional Palestinian dress, just like my grandma wore, was crumpled to the floor, wailing loudly.

“Help,” said the flight service person. “Talk to her. What is her problem? We told her the flight was going to be four hours late and she did this.”

“I put my arm around her and spoke to her haltingly. Shu dow-a, shu-biduck habibti, stani stani schway, min fadlick, sho bit se-wee?

The minute she heard any words she knew -- however poorly used - she stopped crying. She thought our flight had been cancelled entirely. She needed to be in El Paso for some major medical treatment the following day. I said no, no, we're fine, you'll get there, just late, who is picking you up? Let's call him and tell him. We called her son and I spoke with him in English.

“I told him I would stay with his mother till we got on the plane and would ride next to her -- Southwest. She talked to him. Then we called her other sons just for the fun of it. Then we called my dad and he and she spoke for a while in Arabic and found out of course they had ten shared friends. “Then I thought, just for the heck of it, why not call some Palestinian poets I know and let them chat with her. This all took up about 2 hours. She was laughing a lot by then, telling me about her life. Answering questions.

“She had pulled a sack of homemade mamool cookies -- little powdered sugar crumbly mounds stuffed with dates and nuts -- out of her bag -- and was offering them to all the women at the gate. To my amazement, not a single woman declined one. It was like a sacrament. The traveler from Argentina, the traveler from California, the lovely woman from Laredo--we were all covered with the same powdered sugar. And smiling. There are no better cookies.

“And then the airline broke out the free beverages from huge coolers -- non-alcoholic -- and the two little girls waiting for our flight, one African-American, one Mexican-American -- ran around serving us all apple juice and lemonade and they were covered with powdered sugar, too.

“And I noticed my new best friend -- by now we were holding hands – had a potted plant poking out of her bag, some medicinal thing, with green furry leaves; such an old- country traveling tradition. Always carry a plant. Always stay rooted to somewhere.

“And I looked around that gate of late and weary ones and thought, this is the world I want to live in. The shared world. Not a single person in this gate -- once the crying of confusion stopped -- has seemed apprehensive about any other person. They took the cookies. I wanted to hug all those other women, too.

“This can still happen, anywhere. Not everything is lost.”

Do not cling to life; just let the moment be

now two old ladies sit peacefully knitting,
and their names are sometimes and always

"i can't understand what life could have seen in him" stitch
-counting always severely remarks;and her sister(suppress-
ing a yawn)counters "o i don't know;death's rather attractive"
—"attractive!why how can you say such a thing?when i think
of my poor dear husband"—"now don't be absurd:what i said was
'rather attractive',my dear;and you know very well that
never was very much more than attractive,never was

stunning"(a crash. Both jump)"good
heavens!" always exclaims "what
was that?"—"well here comes your daughter"
soothes sometimes;at which

death's pretty young wife enters;wringing her hands,and wailing
"that terrible child!"—"what"(sometimes and always together
cry)"now?"—"my doll:my beautiful doll;the very
first doll you gave me, mother(when i could scarcely
walk)with the eyes that opened and shut(you remember:
don't you,auntie;we called her love)and i've treasured
her all these years,and today i went through a closet
looking for something;and opened a box, and there she
lay:and when he saw her, he begged me to let him
hold her;just once:and i told him "mankind,be careful;
she's terribly fragile:don't break her,or mother'll be angry'"

and then(except for
the clicking of needles)there was silence

31 Ways for 31 Days. Coping with Holiday Stress

“When we come into the present, we begin to feel the life around us again, but we also encounter whatever we have been avoiding. We must have the courage to face whatever is present / our pain, our desires, our grief, our loss, our secret hopes our love / everything that moves us most deeply.”

Jack Kornfield

To be healthy we should not avoid stress, but rather develop a friendlier relationship with it. Here are 31—one for each day of December—ideas or thoughts about how to build a relationship with stress.

1. Stress is a part of life. Today, give it a name, an identity. Let it know that it has a home, but not free reign. Set rules for stress. Make it a respectful friend. You don’t need to love it; just get along.

2. Throw off regrets. Stress often talks us into believing that life would be better if we had made different choices. Maybe so; maybe not. For now, you only have this moment. Put regrets into a box and out of the way. Embrace today.

3. Frankl said, “The last of the human freedoms is the freedom to choose our spirit in any circumstance.” He was right. Today, choose an uplifting, inspired spirit of living!

4. Remember the compassion within your heart. Take time to write a thank you note to someone just for being them. Surprise a friend with your love.

5. Learn something new today. A poem, a song; learn a dance step or a card trick. Stress is reduced when our minds rejoice in their ability to learn.

6. Be creative today. Paint, journal, blog, make angel wings in the snow. Make cookies.

7. Get physical. Exercise of any level helps blood move and awakens our senses. Do what you can—a little or a lot. Tap your fingers to music—anything. Love your body and its abilities.

8. Make a list of heroes and “she-roes.” Who in your life has made a difference? How did you grow because of your relationship with them? Were they a teacher? A member of the clergy? A co-worker? Maybe you have many! Write all of their names down and celebrate your relationships.

9. Feel. Stress often comes about due to our tendencies to shove difficult feelings aside. But feelings don’t go away. They might hide in your stomach, your neck and shoulders, your head. Feelings are a part of our life. Make friends with all of them. Say, “Hello, sadness. I see you’ve come by for a visit. What shall we talk about…well, it’s time for you to go now.”

10. Watch a comedy. Laughing releases all kinds of great endorphins, chemicals, and energy. Watch cartoons (the really good classic ones!). Or an episode of your favorite old sitcom like I Love Lucy or something.

11. Meditate, pray, or take a trip into nature. Remember that your life is part of an immense and wondrous world. Listen to your inner spirit; listen to your breath. Be quiet and still. Count snowflakes or pine trees or stars. Be thrilled at the world.

12. Let go of something that has led to stress. A memory of anger, hurt, or sadness. Write it a good-bye note and be done with it. Liberate yourself from one thing that has been lingering.

13. Clean a messy closet or junk drawer. Put something in order. Throw away useless papers or other items. Tidy up!

14. Donate something today. Your time, or a pie, or a loaf of homemade bread or cookies. Bring joy to someone’s life. Give someone a smile. Open the door for someone you don’t know.

15. Start a book or see a movie that you’ve been thinking about. It might be a book or film that you’ve seen before—a favorite—or you might take a gamble on something new. Make learning something new an adventure!

16. Write the title of your autobiography. What would the story of your life be called? Then outline the names of the book’s chapters. What would Chapter 1 be? Chapter 2? What Chapter are you in now? What will be next. It’s YOUR story, so make it anything you want it to be!

17. Read or write some holiday cards. By now you’ve probably received a few and sent a few. Who else should get one? Maybe the nice clerk at the grocery store? Or the mail delivery person? Which cards have you received that have special messages in them? Write a thank you note.

18. Call an old friend. Just say, “Hi! I was just thinking about you and wanted to say Happy Holidays!” Bring a conversation of joy to someone. Oftentimes, giving someone something relieves stress. Stress, our new friend, has to make room for our other friend, Generosity.

19. Go to the Grand Rapids Public Museum, Art Museum, Frederick Meijer Gardens, or some other place where you can see great art. Be blown away by creativity. Have fun; people watch!

20. Go to one of the malls and watch kids on Santa’s lap. Oh, the line and the fuss—and those faces. Watching children reminds us of how miraculous life is.

21. Set some goals. Maybe just one for today, maybe for the week or for the year. Remember that your life is a journey. Plan a route. All kinds of obstacles may come your way (that happens to everyone), but always have a plan!

22. Go through this list and journal about what you’ve done so far. How is your relationship with stress? Healthier? Worse? There’s always room to grow. We often want things to get better and better. But they don’t—they get better and worse, and better and worse. Our ability to be fascinated by unexpected things will get us through. Sometimes the best thing to do is smile and say, “Wow! I didn’t see that one coming!”

23. Remember the words of Walt Whitman, “I am larger and better than I thought. I did not think I held so much goodness.”

24. Kabir wrote,” Are you looking for the Holy One? I am in the next seat. My shoulder is against yours.” Today, recognize the beauty of the world, of spirituality in everyone. See yourself in a world of purpose and good intentions.

25. Think of all the people you love. Close your eyes and hear their laughter! Call them or email and let them know how much you love and appreciate them. Think of all the people who love and appreciate you. Call or email them and thank them for their support. Embrace your world family. Try for at least one an hour!

26. Make a list of all things that have brought you joy throughout your life and up to this very minutes. Celebrate the miracle of your life.

27. Have a chat with your mind. Stress often comes about because we talk ourselves into believing the worst. But we can equally just notice the moment. It has been said, “The mind has no dignity. It will think anything. And then talk us into believing it!” Remind your mind that most things are alright.

28. Write thank you notes. For holiday gifts, or visits, or anything. I often find that taking stock of what I am grateful for takes longer than I planned! Set time aside to write simple, but heartfelt notes to those who have been kind to you.

29. Forgive someone today.

30. Come up with a list of common stressors. Rank them in order to the very big ones to the ones that are small, but irritating. If there are things that can be gotten rid of, then do that! But many of them may not go away so easily. Come up with a plan on how to live with them. Let them know that you will make room for them, but that they are not in control. Create your life.

31. Do nothing. Set time aside today to sit quietly and be amazed by December. Tomorrow is a new year!

Proportionality

It is wise to honor life's sequence of reality moments, much in the same way we conduct or play a piece of music. Attending to the complexity of rhythm, including giving careful attention to the rests so that they have their fully intended durations, their values.

Our breath, our reality becomes skewed and distorted when we hurry some passages, give into the temptation to repeat especially enjoyable or easily played passages, or skip yet-to-be-mastered sections.

Melody becomes disjunct, disjointed--a song interrupted. And then, in our panic and anxiety we lose harmony, blurring the tonalities with poor pedaling. The piece of music that is our breath huffs and puffs and loses its clarity.

But, like the pianist who stays centered and reflective, who pays attention to his breathing and disallows the momentarily bruised ego of a bad performance to draw him into a retreat of denial, we each can regain our rhythm. We can listen for the melody of life until our song is heard again.

Through practicing proportionality we can bring our harmonious being into full sonority.

Today, slow your pace, listen to your inner music, allow time for the rests; sing the song of this moment.

Overwhelmed

Briefcase stuffed too full
Everything is important
And so, nothing is