Laughter is the Best Medicine 3/30/11
Funny things that (I think) are worth sharing!
- The Tragedy of First Position
- An ill timed wedding picture
Oh my!
Puerto Vallarta…
I wound up in Mexico for the second time this year (definitely not a bad thing). One of my favorite things in PV was the art. There were some great galleries and really cool public art. Here are some of my favorite pics from the trip…
“In Search of Reason” by Sergio Bustamante, 1999
Face of the large figure from “In Search of Reason”
This piece by Sergio Bustamante has two parts. The first thing you see is a tall ladder rising up to the sky with two hooded figures that look like children. Then you see a larger figure near the base who is apparently calling out to them.
The next set of statutes that I really liked were the figures in “La Rotunda del Mar” by Alejandro Colunga. Here the sculptures were part science fiction sea creatures, part human, and part chair. The “chairs” provide a surreal place to sit and look out at the ocean.
“La Rotunda del Mar” by Alejandro Colunga, 1997
Here is a closer look at the top of a few of the figures
Here are some non-art pics…
I took this pic at the botanical gardens at the Hacienda Del Oro
Driving around PV
La Iglesia de Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe
View from the Hacienda de Oro
An Approach to Writting
I just finished a series of books by the same author, so I decided it was time to learn about this woman. I googled her and found her homepage. I was obviously disappointed when the “news feed” was touting about her book that was soon to be released in 2009. It is 2010. And the book they were promoting was the first of the series.
I enjoyed the books and I was hoping to get a shred of the wit, depth, and silliness that I found in the books. I continued to dig through the website. After going through the “Home”, “Contact Me”, and “Books” pages, I was losing hope. Halfway through the “About Me” page I finally found something promising.
The author was explaining how the first novel came to be. She had an idea that wouldn’t go away. So she decided to write the book for herself. I loved that idea. Yes, I know that it is very simple and in hindsight I’m sure other authors do this all the time, but it was like my very own “aha” moment. Something clicked. The idea of writing a story for your self takes off a tremendous amount of pressure. What’s ironic is that I already paint this way. I paint scenes and portraits for myself, and I found that the paintings that I enjoy the most are typically the ones that others like the best too. I’ve just never made that connection with writing. It feels very freeing.
So here’s to writing what we want to just for ourselves!
Airports: Kind of a great place to be
I think I did everything I was supposed to do to get to my flight on time but here I am, sitting in a seat where I will remain for the next 5 hours and this seat is not on a plane.
My 5:00 am shuttle was not leaving on time. I glance at my watch and try not to appear too nervous in front of the various men in business attire. I think, “okay, arriving a few minutes won’t kill me. The shuttle location is only minutes from the airport”. Then a woman with Adidas sweats and a soccer ball got on the shuttle, then an other, and another. We were taking an entire soccer team. This is not good. This is worse than a few minutes late. This-is-bad.
One by one each passenger gets off the shuttle in their appropriate drop off until I am the last one left. We swerve into my drop spot and I run to the electronic kiosk. I did my e-check-in at 4 this morning, but the kiosk won’t let me get my ticket. The machine says “see attendant”. Looking around I don’t see any obvious attendant, so I ask the nearest guy wearing an official looking polo what I need to do. He explains that he is not an attendant and that I will have to go upstairs to the offices to speak with someone.
I run upstairs and ask another polo shirt man where I need to go, he directs me to a long line. I try (as nicely as I can) to explain that my flight is leaving soon. He grabs my itinerary and says with a grimace, “oh, you’re not going to make that” and directs me back to the line. While waiting in line I learned that there was some sort of security issue and passengers were not permitted to enter the terminal. (I have actually no idea if that was really the case, but that’s the explanation that was traveling through the lines).
An hour and two lines later, I get to my terminal. My flight is long gone and I’m in a foul mood. At the very least I need some coffee. I wheeled my rolling bag down the walkway like a mad woman and then something reminded me to breathe. I already missed the flight, there is nothing I can do to change that. I’m certainly not going through the security mess again. So for now I’m just stuck here.
I get a cup of coffee and, for once, I can dink it leisurely. And right next door to Starbucks is a bookstore. A decently stocked bookstore. So, I’ve just magically gained 5 hours of leisure coffee drinking, reading, and people watching. Really, what the heck is there to be mad about? This is kind of a great place to be.
Why Do We Put Ourselves Last?
This is not a rhetorical question. Really, why do we put ourselves last? Sometimes I think I treat myself like an overworked parent might treat their child.
We all know this process: Child wants time with parent, parent puts other priorities before child, parent feels guilty so they buy things for the child. Child is temporarily ok, but never really happy or fulfilled.
Now let’s change roles…You want time for yourself, but you put other priorities before taking care of yourself, you feel guilty that you haven’t taken care of your personal needs, so you buy yourself things to make you feel better. You are temporarily ok, but never really happy or fulfilled.
How does that sound? About right? It sounds pretty accurate to me right now.
I’m working, and when I’m not working I’m still thinking about work and the problems there and possible solutions. Then, when I absolutely have to do something else, its a freaking chore (laundry, closet cleaning, grocery shopping, bill paying, etc). I’m not actually doing anything for my physical well being.
I woke up this morning hungry and achy. So instead of jumping right back into the work problem that I fell asleep thinking about, I made breakfast. A healthy breakfast. And coffee. I love coffee. I stretched my aching muscles and I thought, why don’t I start everyday like this. Why don’t I give myself at least 30 minutes a day for myself? Not 30 minutes a day to cram in a quick workout video but 30 minutes a day to sit down and ask myself like a parent might ask a child, “how are you doing? What’s going on in your life?”
A Small (Free) Thing that Enriches my Life
Don’t fret, this isn’t going to become a review blog, BUT this is one thing I really wanted to share. I love The Moth. The Moth is a non-profit story-telling organization. All of the stories are told live without notes. Since I don’t live close to any of the Moth stages, I enjoy these stories from the comfort of my own home via podcasts.
Last night while making dinner (correction: last night while Mr. T was making dinner and I was surfing the web) we were listening to this podcast. It sparked some interesting conversation, so I wanted to share it. In case the link changes the podcast by Jaime Johnson called “Fable of Fortune” aired on 3/15/10. Jaime’s story is only 18 minutes, but it made me laugh, almost cry, and learn something. Not a bad way to spend 18 minutes. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
So, why blog?
I was proud of the final revisions that I made to my employers budget tool, but after spending hours looking at 8 pt font with rows and rows of numbers and formulas, I was done. My eyes were dry, my shoulders stiff, and I had maxed out my capacity for purely analytical work. I needed a creative outlet. I needed to think about something totally unrelated. So I wrote a blog.
Reasons why I blog:
The right side of my brain is atrophying...
1. It’s an opportunity to exercise the other half of my brain. My 9-5 work is very analytical and I feel like I’m continually flexing my left brain muscles, while my right brain is shriveling up like a rotten potato.
2. It helps me keep things in perspective. For example, I thought my budget tool was the greatest thing since sliced bread, but the reality is that the budget tool will really only impact a few small businesses and the 50 or so people who work there. If I’m really generous I could say that it would also impact their families, but even that is not earth shattering.
3. Maybe, someday, one of the blogs will generate some revenue. I actually like my 9-5 (most days) so I’m not looking for a quick escape from work life realities. But it is still fun to fantasize about a life spent working from home in PJs. Wouldn’t you agree?
Have I Become a Travel Snob?
I knew the hotel wouldn’t be top-notch, but this was disturbing. There were shards of broken glass lining the top of the walls outside the hotel. Yes, this is where we will be spending the next week. Holy Shit.
High tech hotel security
Needless to say, that I didn’t have any pleasant surprises when I actually saw the inside of the room. There were two beds with basic white sheets and matching blue comforters, a rattan-type dresser, a bathroom (I’ll spare you the picture of the shower), a large fridge and a closet. Hmm.
I tossed my bag on the bed. I wasn’t about to unpack. My clothes would stay cleaner in my bag than in the dresser drawers. But there was an island to explore and I didn’t want to waste any time.
As each day came and went, I would like to say that the hotel grew on me, but that would be a lie. I even told my hubby that the new lingerie I bought for the trip would be staying in my bag until there was a room worth of it. Poor guy.
On the last day of the trip Mr. T and I were at the ATM trying to determine the correct conversion rate and how much money we would need to cover the hotel bill…the grand total $230 USD. Really. I think our monthly cell phone bill is more than that. Yet that same amount of money provided us with a home base for seven days while we explored a tropical island that took us 14 hours to get to. We ate and drank like royalty, explored ancient ruins, swam with sea turtles, stingrays, colorful fish of every shape and size, and saw some of the most beautiful sunsets I’ve ever seen. One day we took a boat out over the reef, we jumped out and explored the reef. Mr. T and I held hands under warm turquoise water while we watched hundreds of fish swirl into a tornado like cone from the depths of the reef up toward us. It was an amazing experience.
As we counted out our money during check out I realized something. Given our budget we had two choices, we could stay in a nice all-inclusive hotel, or save money on the hotel and totally live it up during the day (and into the night). Given those circumstances, I would happily chose our crappy hotel any day.
Gorgeous day on the beach
Four Secrets to a Joyful Life
I was sitting in a restaurant yesterday trying to keep my laughter to a reasonable level. It felt like the more I held my laughter in, the more my eyes watered. Like the joy and exuberance had to somehow come out of my body (I’m just grateful it didn’t come out in the form of water shooting out my nose or a fart). So I sat in my booth and choked out laughter and tears while directly across from me, my grandmother did the same (thankfully, she didn’t fart either).
Once the laughter subsided I took a moment to recognize how lucky I was to have this woman in my life. While I was pouring over The How of Happiness and reading The Geography of Bliss, my grandmother commented that she could be happy anywhere. And I believe that. She has taught me (by example) a few secrets to living a joyful life. And I added a fourth.
1. Courage and joy work in relation to one another. Anais Nin said that “Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.” I think that in my grandmother’s case, her courage to try new experiences is part of the source of her joy. She will be 70 this year, and she makes a point to get out of her comfort zone on a regular basis. She travels to new cities on her own for weeks (and sometimes months) at a time. I’m sure that there are times when she is fearful, but she never lets the fear keep her from new experiences.
2. Treasure what you already have. My grandmother treasures things she already has in the same way I might oggle over a shinny new espresso machine at Williams-Sonoma.
3. Maintain close friendships. My grandmother is not a socialite. She has a few close friends, but she makes a point to talk with each of them almost daily.
4. Get outside. (This one is mine) Nothing helps me keep my life in perspective better than being in the great outdoors. It helps me recognize that the earth will still keep spinning regardless of my latest life crisis. I also get an added boost of endorphins from the walking, hiking, climbing, or bike riding that brought outside.
A Moment of Genunine Patriotism
Honestly, when I think of the word patriotism I think of over-sized, American made trucks, country music and standing up for the National Anthem with my right hand over my heart and my left holding a large beer at a ball game. When I look back over the course of my life, I’ve only had a handful of genuine moments where I felt truly proud to be an American and it had nothing to do with trucks, country music or baseball.
Last week a few friends were over on a weeknight. We were talking about local news and we got on the topic of the large Buddha that was temporarily in town. I’ve never been to a Buddhist monastery and I wanted to go check it out. Apparently this night was the last night the jade Buddha was going to be in town, so we all piled in our friend’s tiny car and he drove us to the site. After a short and bumpy drive we pulled off to the side of the road which was lined with cars. We walked up the winding path that led to a large outdoor area with the jade Buddha seated like royalty under a colorful fabric awning. There was a variety of rugs laid out in the space directly in front of the jade Buddha as well as a small container that seemed to be filled with burning incense. While I was taking in the scene, I realized that I got separated from my friends and so I moved off to the side to watch for them.
While scanning the area, I noticed in the crowd a young woman and a small girl. They were just outside of the large carpeted space in front of Buddha. The woman slipped off her shoes and helped the little girl do the same. Together the pair walked onto the carpet and sat down before Buddha. It was a cold night, and the little girl was in a large pink parka, but the cold didn’t seem to bother her. She watched the woman next to her and mimicked her movements. The woman appeared to be praying, and the young girl did the same.
It was a beautiful moment, and I was startled to feel a blooming sense of joy and pride. I was so happy that this woman could share her beliefs with her young daughter freely and without fear of any harm or persecution. It was at that moment that I was truly grateful for the freedoms in our country and I was genuinely, from the bottom of my heart, proud to be an American.
The Jade Buddha for Universal Peace
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