...after all, it's only natural

I knew it was coming, it was inevitable. I've been having pretty great times for the most part, and the last two or three days have been a counter to that. I've felt kinda bummed, to be honest.

I notice it most at work and in my physical fitness arenas. Work wise, I'm simply not into it right now. I don't mind doing the behind-the-scenes stuff, but the field work, honestly, sucks for me right now. As for my physical wellness, well, it's been a lot of discovery where barriers are concerned. I'm either far more self-aware than I have been, or things are generally pretty messed up. I've been going to my massage therapy student's case study sessions diligently, buying into the programme. I've been going to yoga regularly, buying into the programme. I'm also incredibly stiff and sore these days, and far more aware of what's "wrong" with my body. I doubt any thing's changed for the worse, in fact in many areas I'm feeling much better, however... the more work I do, the more I feel needs to be "fixed". There is forever an additional challenge to face, and that's all part of life, but I seem to be super-aware of all of it.

I also have a bathroom that's driving me nuts... a well-meaning room mate helped me far enough to turn the place into organized chaos, and I've felt like I've been living in a construction zone for four months now. I think only diligence and time or a heap load of money is going to bring it around.

Had a great visit with my friend Norm today - super busy he is, and said he'd be all over helping me fix it all up if it weren't for his own projects at home, his travel and of course family. Gawd, they're as tired as I am. I think Dr. Mike was right - there's an epidemic in Calgary, and it takes the form of burnout.

At least yoga class was uplifting tonight.

Perils of a Catholic Upbringing concluded

Here it is - the previous post complete...

As I walked down the busy sidewalk, knowing I was late for Mass, my eye fell upon one of those unfortunate, homeless vagabonds that are found in every city these days.

Some people turned to stare. Others quickly looked away as if the sight would somehow contaminate them.

Recalling my old pastor, Father Mike, who always admonished me to 'care for the sick, feed the hungry and clothe the naked,' I was moved by some powerful inner urge to reach out to this unfortunate person.

Wearing what can only be described as rags, carrying every worldly possession in two plastic bags, my heart was touched by this person's condition.

Yes, where some people saw only rags, I saw a true, hidden beauty.

A small voice inside my head called out, 'Reach out, reach out and touch this person!'






...so I did.






I won't be at Mass this week.

Perils of a Catholic Upbringing

...this just in by email - take heed.


As I walked down the busy sidewalk, knowing I was late for Mass, my eye fell upon one of those unfortunate, homeless vagabonds that are found in every city these days.

Some people turned to stare. Others quickly looked away as if the sight would somehow contaminate them.

Recalling my old pastor, Father Mike, who always admonished me to 'care for the sick, feed the hungry and clothe the naked,' I was moved by some powerful inner urge to reach out to this unfortunate person.

Wearing what can only be described as rags, carrying every worldly possession in two plastic bags, my heart was touched by this person's condition.

Yes, where some people saw only rags, I saw a true, hidden beauty.

A small voice inside my head called out, 'Reach out, reach out and touch this person!'



...what happened? Stay tuned...

Pokled and proded

Last week my massage therapist was ill and as a result we missed an appointment... the one I had scheduled for my birthday, January 28. On January 27 I called the massage therapy school both where I used to go and where my massage therapist trained. I had asked if there were a cancellation for Wednesday and in fact there was, so I took advantage.

Turnes out it became a double bonus. The girl who was my student therapist on my birthday knows and trained with my regular massage therapist and sent her well-wishes to Allison. Yesterday night R. phoned to ask if I would be willing to be her case study client for her second-year term. I had been asked before, but with no follow up. R. stepped up to the plate right away and booked me in.

What this translates to is essentially three treatments per week for four weeks. The trade off is of course time (which, you'll notice as per my previous post I am not trading for money, but for wellness. A bonus is that the treatments are indeed free of charge.)

I went in this afternoon for the initial assessment. It was far more lengthy than I had anticipated. An interview led to a physical assessment: range of motion tests, plum-line symetry evaluation and some overall health questions. I've also been asked to get before and after-treatment xrays. So, I've emailed my chiropractor to ask if these could be taken in his office this week.

The evaluation today has me excited because I'm learning as much if not more than my student therapist. Since having taken up yoga, I'm far more self-aware when it comes to what my body is doing and not doing, and I'm sure that to a student of massage therapy, that must be a bonus. I feel like I'm engaged in the whole process, and it's been a long time since I've felt that way going to a Western M.D.

Treatments start on Wednesday this week, and I'm excited. The drawback is that if I were of average, basic, healthy symetry I would not have been asked to be part of the student project. I guess being screwed up helps! So, if you have scoliosis, high arches and dozens of trigger points throughout your body, I encourage you to check out your local massage therapy school. You may get to be a test subject, and in this case the benefits promise to be fabulous.

Never trade your time for money... and simple math

Thought about a couple things today when I woke up:

As I opened my eyes I was inspired to post, and they say that when the inspiration hits you're best to act... whoever the "they" are. Well, "they" weren't as tired as I was at 6:30 this morning, so "they" didn't act, I did. By sleeping. The words at 6:30 came to me freely, and now closer to 9:30, and much more rested, I am strangely far less eloquent.

The point of the title is this: I was thinking about how precious time really is, and how much of it we spend chasing the almighty dollar. It is rare that you hear about someone who truly enjoys their work, and often the story is closer to

"I have to go to work",

rather than

"I don't work, I simply do, and what I do I enjoy. Oh, and by the way, I make a living at it."

I've heard it said,

"Choose a job that you enjoy and you'll never work a day in your life."

True, dat, to a point.

We've probably all worked at one point simply for the money because we need it to survive. Suck up the circumstances and remain focused on how much money is coming in... that'll make us feel better.

Not.

In the end if the soul isn't satisfied, the mind, body and spirit aren't either. At the end of our days can we look back and say,

"I had a full, rich life"

or will it be,

"Look at all the money I can leave behind!"

So the way I figure it, if we trade our precious time simply for the money, we're losing out. But, if we use our time to experience everything we can and the benefits include getting paid for our endeavours, we're happier.

Point number two: On Wednesday last week I turned 39. When I woke up this morning I figured out why 40 is considered 'over the hill'. If you do the math, 39 is your 40th year. 40 is, indeed, 'over the hill' - contrary to what I believed before that it was only at 41 that you rounded the top. I can rest assured, however that the rules have changed. 40 is the new 30, which means I'm 29 and holding.

Simple math. Love it!

Haggis, Hockey and Viagra

Raised an eyebrow yet?

Thought so.

What, you may ask, do these three have in common?

Well, my experience of course! Now, before you go getting all kinds of crazy ideas, here it is:

Yesterday was January 25 - Robbie Burns Day, of course, and alas, I did not have opportunity to sample some haggis.

I did, however, get to attend a Calgary Hitman game at the Saddledome with my niece and her cub pack. I didn't do a head count, but I'm guessing we had maybe 15 in our group - kids and adults.

The game was Calgary VS Regina, and off the top Regina scored the first goal. We tied it up by the end of the first period, and N. and I went to get a beverage. We returned to our seats right as the second period started. I observed that not only was our timing perfect, it also took as long to get a drink from the concession, practically, as an entire period of play.

Crazy.

Calgary went on to score on power plays, and it was the observation of one of the other adults in our group that "Saskatchewan isn't all that disciplined." OK by me - it gave Calgary an advantage of which they took advantage!

By the end of the third period, we had the game all but wrapped up: 7 to 4. Oh, and by the way, Wendy's restaurants gives everyone a coupon for a free Bacon Classic if Calgary scores 5 or more goals in a given game... mmm... Bacon Classic...


Preparing the ice prior to the start of the game



Charging the crowd to give away prizes

This photo shows the scoreboard near the end of the game:



What else do you see?

Does the electronic billboard advertising strike you as odd, for an all-ages event on a Sunday afternoon?

It did us, and although we chuckled about it, (the adults, that is) I, for one, was a bit shocked - although I wouldn't have paid it any mind at any other time. All companies must advertise, but I wonder if they'd considered their target market?

I think what might have shocked me more however, would have been questions from young, inquisitive minds...

The value of methodical procedure

I remember hearing a story years ago about a neurosurgeon who, in an attempt to focus all his necessary energy on his patients and work, would organize the simple things in his life down to ritualistic routine. He would drive the exact same route to work every day, at the very same time, so that he wasn't spending any unnecessary energy on unexpected surprises. I remember thinking to myself that he must not live in Calgary because the weather patterns here would drive nuts. I also remember thinking it was a bit over the top. But I began to think of the reasoning behind this kind of organization because it twigged to me the other day just how much energy I was spending as a result of not being precisely organized.

Over the last number of weeks I've been tired. Really tired. I looked back on all the things I've been doing since we flipped our calendars over January One, and... no wonder! I've been keeping appointments, taking classes, moving stuff, doing business and keeping hobbies - seemingly all at once. And I like it. A lot. Every so often, however, I've hit this wall of frustration when I'd inadvertently set my keys down without thinking where, gathering items for a meeting and doing the same thing - mostly out of haste.

On Wednesday, a friend told me that I sometimes tend to look for immediate results in my approach to things. Our particular discussion was centred around yoga. I was sorta complaining that some things that I've wanted to achieve physically through yoga haven't been happening as I have expected. Funny, because when I talk about these things I tend to talk about them in an critical, assesing sort of a way, whereas when I'm actually in the studio DOING postures and stretches, I'm very much about 'letting things happen' and not 'making things happen'. It could be poor word choice in my discussions, or maybe I truly am impatient, who knows?

Last week at the pottery studio I discovered something very first-hand that, after the fact was blindingly obvious: The minute I 'let go' and allowed the wheel to provide the physical force necessary to centre the clay, it was indeed centred. I could push and pull and twist all I wanted, but gentleness brought about a centredness that was very much something of a natural order. I let go my grasp, and naturally the clay went into its centred position, ready for me to open it.

"Interesting.", I thought.

I very gently opened the clay body and raised it - careful not to pinch, but rather guiding it - no more, no less - to a raised cylinder. Taking my fingers, pointed straight down, I used one on each side of the cylinder to shape it into a bowl from the inside.

Know what I ended up with?

You guessed it, a popcorn bowl! The ever-elusive popcorn bowl that I've wanted to make for the better part of a year now, happened.

Sadly, my popcorn bowl met its demise in the trimming stage a few days later when I inadvertently powered up the wheel to full-blast rotation trying to dislodge the foot pedal from underneath the wheel. My poor bowl landed side-down on the concrete floor.

Poor bowl.

The lesson was invaluable, and it applies to everything. James Keelaghan once sang the words,

One thing that I learned that day
You can whip and you can curse,
But you'll get as good a ride
If you use gentle, lovin' words.

Indeed.

So yesterday I started practicing focused, thoughtful and gentle action. It tends to take more time to achieve things, but one look at my desk this morning and I was sold on not only the strategy, but the belief.

Namaste, all - and speak some gentle words today -- see what happens.