Sunday, August 23, 2009
Living An Upset Free Life
A Landmark Forum Lesson to be learned.
We were looking forward to this lesson. We left class last week knowing that we were going to learn about how we can live an upset-free life. I came to class feeling quite heroic after prevailing over my first major mishap with my commute on the New Jersey Transit. After three years of living in Tokyo, I had never mastered the public transportation system. I managed to miss the last train out of Shibuya one night which is a whole other story. At nearly 49 years of age, I feel as if I'm finally using the brains in my head, the feet in my shoes, exercising muscles I thought were long gone. Perhaps, "The Forum" makes one feel that way. This was my Phd. I was determined to take this trip from Goshen into New York City once a week for 10 weeks without missing a class. As we were dismissed, about 10PM, we were instructed to apply our newly acquired information into our daily lives. Living a life free of upset begins by recognizing the thwarted expectation.
I know, it will take some time for this new information to sink in . . .
That very evening, I found myself in a Waiting Place and I was unable to stop the escalating upset. I was waiting for the train to go. I had missed the transfer and didn't realize that instead of boarding a train back to Secaucus, I had gotten on a subway which had taken me somewhere far out there in Jersey. The train traversed over wide open spaces of wetland. That's when I knew something was amiss. While waiting and waiting for the subway train to take me back to Newark in order to get the appropriate vehicle to take me to Secaucus, I directed the outburst of my growing frustration toward the gentlemen sitting directly across from me. "When the hell is this train going to go!" I refrained from using the usual four letter expletive to express my anguish, as there was a little person present. The gentleman, who happened to be an Asian man, looked over at me without hint of surprise. Unaffectedly, he simply said, "It is what it is." My jaw dropped. Perhaps my eyes widened. I was to sit with this thought for a moment. Then, without gesture of feeling, the young man said, "you're really lucky if you can get a train at these hours."
Discuss possible thwarted expectations :
FUN WITH VOCABULARY
ex·pe·ri·ence
n.
1. The apprehension of an object, thought, or emotion through the senses or mind: a child's first experience of snow.
2.
a. Active participation in events or activities, leading to the accumulation of knowledge or skill: a lesson taught by experience; a carpenter with experience in roof repair.
b. The knowledge or skill so derived.
3.
a. An event or a series of events participated in or lived through.
b. The totality of such events in the past of an individual or group.
tr.v. ex·per·i·enced, ex·per·i·enc·ing, ex·per·i·enc·es
To participate in personally; undergo: experience a great adventure; experienced loneliness.
Friday, August 21, 2009
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Peaceable : Wrathful No More
The possibility I invent for myself as of this date, August 16, 2009 is the possibility of peaceableness.
I am wrathful, indeed, (but not vengeful).
Slow to Anger shall transform Quick to Anger.
I shall listen for the egotistical lady in red, just waiting in my head
Waiting her opportunity to egg me on, to tempt me and inevitably
snare me!
I shall be the bigger person.
Not the lady in red inside my head,
I shall follow something green and growing inside my heart,
instead.
FUN WITH VOCABULARY
Peaceable
Adjective
1. inclined towards peace
2. tranquil or calm
Collins Essential English Dictionary 2nd Edition 2006 © HarperCollins Publishers 2004, 2006
peacea·ble·ness n.
peacea·bly adv.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Absence of agitation
Abstaining from the use of violence
Amicable
*Conciliatory
Nonagressive
Not disturbed by strife, turmoil or war
*Pacific
*Propitiate
Unaggressive
From the Thesaurus at The Free Online Dictionary based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2008 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
See also
friendly, gentle, mild, amiable, placid, *dovish
Collins Essential Thesaurus 2nd Edition 2006 © HarperCollins Publishers 2005, 2006
Antonyms: belligerent, bellicose, pugnacious, contentious, quarrelsome
I am wrathful, indeed, (but not vengeful).
Slow to Anger shall transform Quick to Anger.
I shall listen for the egotistical lady in red, just waiting in my head
Waiting her opportunity to egg me on, to tempt me and inevitably
snare me!
I shall be the bigger person.
Not the lady in red inside my head,
I shall follow something green and growing inside my heart,
instead.
FUN WITH VOCABULARY
Peaceable
Adjective
1. inclined towards peace
2. tranquil or calm
Collins Essential English Dictionary 2nd Edition 2006 © HarperCollins Publishers 2004, 2006
peacea·ble·ness n.
peacea·bly adv.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Absence of agitation
Abstaining from the use of violence
Amicable
*Conciliatory
Nonagressive
Not disturbed by strife, turmoil or war
*Pacific
*Propitiate
Unaggressive
From the Thesaurus at The Free Online Dictionary based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2008 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
See also
friendly, gentle, mild, amiable, placid, *dovish
Collins Essential Thesaurus 2nd Edition 2006 © HarperCollins Publishers 2005, 2006
Antonyms: belligerent, bellicose, pugnacious, contentious, quarrelsome
Friday, August 7, 2009
Have To / Want To : A Jayme Story
See The Jayme Stories : Don't Rant/Found God --
See Transformations : Have To/Want To
See Transformation : Needing You/Wanting You
HAVE TO / WANT TO
CHAPTER 1
I completed the Landmark Forum on Tuesday evening, July 14, 2009. Jayme couldn't attend my graduation because he had many commitments that were important to him. I let him know, this was something that was important to me, but he stood firm. He knew what he wanted to do. He knew what commitments were important to him at that time. He's always respected my decisions. I've missed many birthday celebrations, many holidays. I'd have missed his high school graduation if it wasn't for my friends at OUBOCES.
Jayme went in for oral surgery the following day, Wednesday, July 15, 2009. We were discussing our plans for the weekend. Jayme had been preparing to attend a weeklong retreat. We celebrated his birthday out on the veranda on July 16th. Max and Yuichi were there. On Friday, July 17, Jayme and I visited Dr. Gil in Rocky Point. Jayme needed the doctor to complete a form for the camp he was going to attend. Coincidentally, Dr. Gil had been completing many of these forms for other kids in the area. Jayme was in a discussion with the doctor about how many of the kids in his group actually come from that area. The area in which Dr. Gil has his practice. Jayme'd been attending meetings with this particular church group up on the North Shore because his girlfriend lives on the North Shore.
CHAPTER 2
"Should I go mom? I really don't want to go, now. Maybe I should go with you instead."
"It's up to you Jayme. Just because you paid the money and you made a commitment, doesn't mean you have to go. You can always change your mind. You don't even have to give an excuse. Your face is hurting. Your extraction may be getting infected. That could be your excuse. Do what you want to do."
When Jayme realized he didn't HAVE TO go, he decided he WANTED to go.
When I realized I didn't Need you, I decided I wanted you!
A phone call about a week later:
"We're on our way home now. Mom, I had the best experience of my entire life. Something happened to me this week mom. It's all good, don't worry. I will tell you all about it when I get home. I don't want you to judge me, mom. I'll tell you all about it when I get home."
Soon after Jayme arrived home, he waited for a private moment and then, he waited until he had my complete undivided attention.
"Mom, I have something to tell you. Please don't go into a rant. I don't want you to go into one of your rants, not now, please. I have something really important to tell you. It's really important to me. Something really important happened to me this week. Please, don't go into a rant about it. This is really important to me, mom."
Silently, I make a promise to myself. All the while thinking, he's decided to have a baby. I'll accept whatever he tells me. We'll simply deal with it.
"Mom . . .," he readies the bomb . . .
"I found God."
See Transformations : Have To/Want To
See Transformation : Needing You/Wanting You
HAVE TO / WANT TO
CHAPTER 1
I completed the Landmark Forum on Tuesday evening, July 14, 2009. Jayme couldn't attend my graduation because he had many commitments that were important to him. I let him know, this was something that was important to me, but he stood firm. He knew what he wanted to do. He knew what commitments were important to him at that time. He's always respected my decisions. I've missed many birthday celebrations, many holidays. I'd have missed his high school graduation if it wasn't for my friends at OUBOCES.
Jayme went in for oral surgery the following day, Wednesday, July 15, 2009. We were discussing our plans for the weekend. Jayme had been preparing to attend a weeklong retreat. We celebrated his birthday out on the veranda on July 16th. Max and Yuichi were there. On Friday, July 17, Jayme and I visited Dr. Gil in Rocky Point. Jayme needed the doctor to complete a form for the camp he was going to attend. Coincidentally, Dr. Gil had been completing many of these forms for other kids in the area. Jayme was in a discussion with the doctor about how many of the kids in his group actually come from that area. The area in which Dr. Gil has his practice. Jayme'd been attending meetings with this particular church group up on the North Shore because his girlfriend lives on the North Shore.
CHAPTER 2
"Should I go mom? I really don't want to go, now. Maybe I should go with you instead."
"It's up to you Jayme. Just because you paid the money and you made a commitment, doesn't mean you have to go. You can always change your mind. You don't even have to give an excuse. Your face is hurting. Your extraction may be getting infected. That could be your excuse. Do what you want to do."
When Jayme realized he didn't HAVE TO go, he decided he WANTED to go.
When I realized I didn't Need you, I decided I wanted you!
A phone call about a week later:
"We're on our way home now. Mom, I had the best experience of my entire life. Something happened to me this week mom. It's all good, don't worry. I will tell you all about it when I get home. I don't want you to judge me, mom. I'll tell you all about it when I get home."
Soon after Jayme arrived home, he waited for a private moment and then, he waited until he had my complete undivided attention.
"Mom, I have something to tell you. Please don't go into a rant. I don't want you to go into one of your rants, not now, please. I have something really important to tell you. It's really important to me. Something really important happened to me this week. Please, don't go into a rant about it. This is really important to me, mom."
Silently, I make a promise to myself. All the while thinking, he's decided to have a baby. I'll accept whatever he tells me. We'll simply deal with it.
"Mom . . .," he readies the bomb . . .
"I found God."
Friday, July 31, 2009
Transformers Transforming
Metemorphers Morphing
METAMORPHISIS
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metamorphosis
Metamorphosis is a biological process by which an animal physically develops after birth or hatching, involving a conspicuous and relatively abrupt change in the animal's body structure through cell growth and differentiation.is a biological process by which an animal physically develops after birth or hatching, involving a conspicuous and relatively abrupt change in the animal's body structure through cell growth and differentiation.
From The Online Etymology Dictionary
http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=Metamorphosis&searchmode=none
The word "metamorphosis" derives from Greek μεταμόρφωσις, "transformation, transforming"
μετα- (meta-), "change"
μορφή (morfe) "form"
1533, "change of form or shape, especially by witchcraft," from L., from Gk. metamorphosis "a transforming," from metamorphoun "to transform," from meta- "change" (see meta-) + morphe "form" (see morphine). Metamorphic, in geological sense, is first attested 1833, in Lyell; rocks whose form has been changed by heat or pressure.
METAMORPHISIS
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metamorphosis
Metamorphosis is a biological process by which an animal physically develops after birth or hatching, involving a conspicuous and relatively abrupt change in the animal's body structure through cell growth and differentiation.is a biological process by which an animal physically develops after birth or hatching, involving a conspicuous and relatively abrupt change in the animal's body structure through cell growth and differentiation.
From The Online Etymology Dictionary
http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=Metamorphosis&searchmode=none
The word "metamorphosis" derives from Greek μεταμόρφωσις, "transformation, transforming"
μετα- (meta-), "change"
μορφή (morfe) "form"
1533, "change of form or shape, especially by witchcraft," from L., from Gk. metamorphosis "a transforming," from metamorphoun "to transform," from meta- "change" (see meta-) + morphe "form" (see morphine). Metamorphic, in geological sense, is first attested 1833, in Lyell; rocks whose form has been changed by heat or pressure.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
