at the starting line

yesterday, in class, kris read a passage from an article i read a few months back in the march/april issue of clyde's journey mag. of course, it had whole new meaning now, including that i've since met & practiced with the author, psalm isadora, a beautiful yogini and skilled teacher. the article stems from her travels in india and her feelings of inadequacy when confronting so much suffering.

tomorrow i start my job in buffalo. true to my nature, i have absolutely no idea what im in for and absolute certainty that i should be doing it. a longer glimpse (a stare? ;) last weekend prepared me for its many problems, similar to those facing cleveland and other rustbelt cities. it takes reminding oneself that you cant fix it all in one day and you will only undermine yourself trying. so i picked this inspiration out of psalm's writing for the next leg of my own journey:

"You do the work that is in front of you. You do the work that wants to be done. You do the work that has begun itself and just asks for you to go with its flow. I know this.
Today, I will do the work that is in front of me. I will do what I can here and now. And maybe I will have made a difference, and maybe not. But I will have stayed present to the circumstances and genuine to myself. That is all I can ask, to move lightly with love, and to help... To do the work that is in front of me, the work that is asking to be done. Inshallah."

inshallah,
c.

starry night

late night topless driving
already tomorrow
who can think of sleep?
in the midst of such beauty

heart swell

back roads
savor the experience
of summer euphoria
swerve around lightning bugs

senses heightened

warm humid air inundated
with smells of sleeping trees
so strong sudden succulent
mouth waters

gone in an instant

gaze turned upwards
stars twinkle & fall
make a wish
catch it on your tongue

today's love courtesy of

anais nin:

old friends:
- And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.
- We don't see things as they are, we see things as we are.

today's newness
- Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage.

mmmm,
c.

i like men named george.

one thing...

"The whole problem with this idea of obscenity and indecency, and all of these things -- bad language and whatever -- it's all caused by one basic thing, and that is: religious superstition. There's an idea that the human body is somehow evil and bad and there are parts of it that are especially evil and bad, and we should be ashamed. Fear, guilt and shame are built into the attitude toward sex and the body. ... It's reflected in these prohibitions and these taboos that we have." - george carlin

rip george.

led to another...

"take your seat. sit tall. sit proud, without guilt or shame. happiness (and this human body) are your birthright." - marni

c.

random thought of the day...

a picture of the Roman Forum inspired the thought: why do we always tear down the *entire* building? what will be left of our architectural history besides photographs?

full moon rising

tonite's full moon rising is supposed to be amazing. moon should peak gigantically over the horizon about 9pm, round these parts. get yo'self to see it!

summer solstice is friday. how to appropriately mark the longest day of the year and the true beginning of summer? you can go to the 108 sun salutation celebration at edgewater on saturday... fun starts at 5pm, sun salutes at 6pm, followed by a group meditation and drum circle. im sure it will be amazing, powerful energy - at sunset, no less.

(tangent: watched sun set over lake erie last week by myself. overwhelming thought at the moment it dipped: THIS is the best part of being alive. amen!)

if you've never gone to the 108 party, no worries. you dont need to do all 108 and they are usually presented in varying levels... a round of 10 with knees/chest/chin, 10 with cobra, 10 with upward dog... increasing in intensity. you can do 1 or 109. it's yoga: NOBODY CARES!

quote for the day... speaking to why i always say 'failure is not an option.' it's all mental construct, baby!

So you have failed? You cannot fail. You have not failed; you have gained experience. Forward! — St. Josemaria Escriva

full moon giddy,
c.

zen koan

"leap and the net will appear." - Zen saying

abbreviated june blog posting:


i leaped.


someone's response to the above was: "leap. you're young. you will bounce, not break. cartilage, not bone." indeed! i imagine he has no idea the seeds he planted with such a response!

so i...
sold my house.
put everything i own in storage.
accepted a new job.
resigned from existing job.
am startled to find how little stuff i really need as i live in the space of the transition.

i'm not yet ready to say where i'm going... but let's just say that my move will necessitate a change in the title of this blog... ohmy! never thought i'd see the day!

i jumped. it's your turn. what's holding you back?

still trusting,
c.