FRESH STARTS – Monday Mar. 21, 2011
today’s Musing written and published from Cranston in south- east Calgary, near the Bow River valley
Morning walk: -6C/20F, light breeze, fresh snow falling on grungy drifts – whitewashing them for now, brown grass covered in a soft blanket again – Gusta enjoying traction and traffic bursts, as Cranston commutes and invisible squadrons of geese honk from above . . .
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This 9th Musing year, starting today, I have committed to writing and publishing a short story a week. This is a challenge I’m not certain I can deliver, but I will try my best to meet a weekly deadline 52 times to - each Monday morning - publish a new story that is somewhere between creative non-fiction and boldfaced fantasy, derived from experiences and emotions I’ve experienced . . . or wished that I had. This week’s story is titled END OF THE LINE, link to: END OF THE LINE
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How often do you get upset - because someone wasn’t doing their job, someone’s child (maybe your own) wasn’t behaving, or when your partner (or friend, or boss, or colleague or subordinate) isn’t keeping up his or her end of some bargain? Or because your email service is experiencing an ‘unexpected outage that engineers are working hard to resolve, so please be patient’ (as was my experience with my provider this morning, the reason this column is late … and I’m still waiting!) How often do you find yourself irritated when - someone doesn’t do things the way you’re used to, planned for or talks in the movie or cuts you off in traffic? Is there a point to our irritation, or does it just waste/dissipate valuable energy?
Anger and irritation happens to all of us — one of the most human parts of human experience; but really, isn’t it just so simple, in our individual insular worlds – where we only wish change would be accomplished as simply as a minor budget adjustment, or allowing for the passing of a few days?
If only, we could say presto; could repair, resolve or fix a relationship, fix finances and totally change the focus of our lives – genuine regime change. Can’t we? If it were only that simple, there would be a simple answer. Not to oversimplify, but don’t we simply have to say: I am open to it … ? Then we can start.
Hot coffee, cold news; morning papers would lead one to believe that the world is entirely focused on Libya, that Japan is fixed and there will be a federal election triggered in Canada this week.
I perused headlines this morning, recalling my first column eight years ago this day; focused on the U.S. attack on Baghdad, for the overthrow of Saddam Hussein, on signs of spring and observations of critters I saw, including two-legged ones.
Wow. The world changed in eight years. But not much.
I changed. Lots, I think. But, in the eyes of some, perhaps not so much. Did you change much? I’m being peculiar to make my point.
I am but one example, mess in progress, life careening forward, one day at a time, just like you – out of control at moments, but really not doing anything too outrageous.
Hope is irrational.
So is fear.
Not that we can’t be rational while hoping and/or fearful, but think about it – things we do or say when we are off-balance are no more, or less, reliable indicators of what we are made of than things we do are say when we are at ease in every aspect of our lives.
And really, who is ever at ease in every aspect of their lives?
Or would want to be?
I can change some more. You can change some more. Maybe not much, but if we are open to it, then we can start.
Mark Kolke
314,012M~~~
March 20 – l’chaim - Comments Received
Good morning and happy spring. Passionate music selections this morning?? Here is photo of a passion flower to accompany them. Thanks for the music, and make those goals work for you this year. You can do it... so just do it, DG, Edmonton, AB
Congratulations Mark! Eight years – wow! And thank you for the inspiration to start writing my blog, everyday -- four years completed for me, well almost. I started March 10, 2007 but it wasn’t until March 21 that I committed to write everyday. Find me at www.recoveryourjoy.blogspot.com Thanks again my friend for the inspiration – and the continual challenge to write my best! congratulations on your eight years of inspiring and thought-provoking words. Hugs, LG, Calgary, AB
would be wonderful to meet as friends, if you visit the Big Island once you have moved to Maui. Until then, the very best in meeting the woman who is all the delicious qualities you are looking for - both rich alchemy and delectable chemistry. Aloha, CD, Keaau, HI
Whadaryou talking about? I've never seen anyone that 'stays/sticks with' something as much as you do. You're always there every day, every week. Your musings, our Toastmasters club. give yourself a good pat yourself on the back., SM, Calgary, AB
I've enjoyed a variety of articles in your online publication and have received Mark's Musings almost from the beginning. Now I'm looking for a venue for some of my own writing. I'd be very interested to see if either of these fit with you, BT, Calgary, AB
