WITHOUT DISTRACTION - Monday June 21, 2010

today’s Musing  written and published from Cranston in south- east  Calgary, near the Bow River valley

 

Morning walk: 9C/48F, clear, calm; our exercise uneventful until Gusta discovered a lap dog wearing one of those lamp-shade type protective collars which Gusta has never seen before – that little thing barked like it was a hundred pounds, so we just moved along, leaving that little lion to roar in its backyard kingdom.

 

It was a happy father’s day; in addition to numerous readers sending kind wishes (thank you), I had calls from both daughters, dinner (roast chicken, roast vegetables, apple pie) with my dad, got some work done, read some, watched U.S. Open golf some . . . and sorted out some issues, I hope, with a dear friend. It was a good day.  

 

Starting a day, a week, a season seems such an auspicious moment – welcome summer Monday – worthy of a respectful pause and some thought about our purpose, methods and expectations without distraction.

 

How do we(I mean you!) start this week, this summer season with a sense of purpose that will lead to accomplishment, enjoyment and a satisfied feeling?

 

Distractions affect our vision, hearing and spirit; we can focus our vision and tune out the noise, but what about our spirit?  There seem to be distractions and distortions everywhere.  In being alert and watching for so many opportunities, we are more effective when we focus on what drives our spirit. 

 

Spirits get lifted, or let down; get supported or dashed on rocks. What we do consciously seems to have so little to do with that.

 

I think the problem, if it is a problem, of protecting our spirit from outside forces is more easily addressed if the inside forces of spirit are strong, stronger than those outside forces. 

 

It seems to me that: the resolve button, the sense of purpose button, the thrill button and the living life with purpose button …. all need to be set to the full ON position, because then there is nothing that can get in our way, those adverse and negative forces on spirit cannot affect us in any measurable way.  If we are into pushing buttons, those are the ones we should push . . . to ON.

 

I think we get ready for this every day – with the attitude we bring to our tasks and efforts, to the person we bring into the room at every meeting . . .

 

Try this; do it for yourself, but if you can’t, then do it for me.

Each time you say hello to someone or walk into a meeting today – take some ‘first day of summer’ with you . . .

 

Living with or without a lifted spirit is more obvious than the clothes we wear or car we drive – it shows the world whether we are in an undesirable situation, or on a journey of joyous living. You know it’s true. You see it on everyone else, so don’t think they don’t see it on you!

 

~~~

ALERT - archived poetry

Getting used to it again, this living alone takes

getting used to; wish I wasn’t doing so much

of this getting used to as I consider

reaching out - to wonder if or

when I will find love or if,

when I am not looking –

love will find me,  just

come up to smack me

on the head some

day, just when

someone’s

smile is

wider

than

mine

~~~

 

Mark Kolke

321,604

 

RESPONSES/COMMENTS ALWAYS WELCOME; send to: dailycolumn@markkolke.com

 

 

June 20 Comments

 

June 20 - SECOND CHANCES – Your reference to the efforts of grandparents having a "second chance", realizing what they may have missed was so poignant and relevant to our Hawaii culture. It is VERY COMMON here to see grandparents raising their grandchildren, and in many cases, they did not truly raise their own children, as their parents did. I never thought about this in terms of this being their "second chance". When, however, a "second chance" is not presented thru grandchildren, your concept that "it is never too late to re-look, re-think, re-try" is very insightful.  There is the thinking, then the important doing phase, and you are a great motivator "Dr. Mark"...thank you for always sharing, SY, Honolulu, HI

 

June 20 - SECOND CHANCES - Great poem, Mark. True, clean, with a happy ending. May your life continue too as the poem is, FO, Kaunakakai, HI

 

June 20 - SECOND CHANCES - Hi Mark, First of all, Happy Father's Day! :)  Hope you're doing something fun & your life ---in how much you matter to your children---is being celebrated today. Enjoy!, PF, Honolulu, HI

 

June 20 - SECOND CHANCES - It has been many years since I had a father, but one of daughters took me out to lunch today. Another one called me from her home in Vancouver. Yes, my four surviving children have done well for themselves, managing to get good educations without my help, as I did without my parents' help (that is not to say that it should be so. In fact, I think I shirked my duty there) I have many regrets about my shortcomings as a father that I can do nothing about now.....the deeds are done, or not done....but I do not dwell on them. I praise the successes of my children. And so it goes for another year, EG, Calgary, AB

 

June 20 - SECOND CHANCES - Hope your dinner with your Father is memorable! You are such a sweet writer, a very thoughtful person, and I am sure a really nice friend. Cool and cloudy today so it is a good day to catch up with office stuff. My grandson is zzzzzzzzzing just now and I have him overnight tonight.  We just played soccer in the field (so much fun) and visited a real bunny rabbit who lives next door. All the best, AF, Vancouver, BC

 

June 20 - SECOND CHANCES - Hope you had a nice father's day before it becomes summer solstice (I  have 20 minutes here in Hawaii before it's the 21st!).  Parenting.  We could all do it differently.  Better?  Who's to say.  All we can do is  be the best parent we can be today.  And, somehow my boys know that I am and love me for that. As far as picking fruit and vegetables, interesting analogy, and I  tend to agree, sometimes I exercise more discretion with fruits than  the breathing, living kind of choices.  Whoa!!!  Wait a minute.  I know better.  So do better.  Thanks for pointing this out, JK, Kailua, HI

 

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Bollywood-style dancers, Asian balancing acts and Brazilian martial artists representiadfng some of the 14 foreign countries in which Wal-Mart operates. joy 2-21