the globe rover

Denver, CO

Historical day in the United States of America. Change has definitely come!

44th President of the USA - President Barack Obama

Denver, CO

Anyone who has watched the news todayknows about the amazing story of the crash of the US Airways flight today (story here). What an incredible story of smart thinking by a great pilot (here’s to Sully!), coordinated effort by a flight crew, and a cabin full of people pulling together to try and stay calm and do what was required to get out of a potentially tragic situation. Truly an amazing story of smart decisions and some protective guidance avoiding what could have been a horrific tragedy.

Kudos to Sully and everyone else on US Airways flight 1549.

Denver, CO

I am devastated that two of the kiddos that I follow from the cancer community earned their wings this week.

Coleman Larson was five vibrant years old and fought an amazing battle against Medulloblastoma for the last two plus years. Coleman was an amazing and very wise little boy filled with the spirit of life and faith unknown to many adults. Although I never met him, I have learned numerous lessons from him and his family. I have laughed and cried through their journey since I’ve been following them for the last year. Coleman leaves behind an amazing family - a very wise and devoted mother, Peggy;  a very caring and dear father, Scott; and a loveable and dedicated twin brother, Caden. I am heartbroken with this loss and amazed and so very thankful at the impact this little five year old has had on me.

http://www.carepages.com/carepages/ColemanScott

 

Trooper Dante was a two-year old fighter that has been battling Neuroblastoma. He is an amazing little guy and has had the spirit and determination to keep fighting and making everyone around him smile. He is also leaving behind a brother, sister, and wonderful parents. And again, although I have never met Dante, his smile will be engraved in my memory forever.

http://www.carepages.com/carepages/TrooperDante

 

My desire to help fight Childhood Cancer only grows stronger. These kids shouldn’t have to fight. They deserve more… an opportunity to grow and learn and experience life. I have learned so much from these guys and their parents.

Please help… go to Cure Search or People Against Childhood Cancer (PAC2). These groups are doing a great job but more help is always needed (childhood cancer is still way underfunded).

If there is any silver lining, it is that both these little boys have an amazing group of angels waiting in heaven to take them under their wing and show them the ropes.

My heart and prayers are with Coleman and Dante’s families.

Denver, CO

No matter which side of the vote you were on, if you’re an American, one thing is for sure…change is in the air and on the way for the US.

History has been made.

Denver, COI’d like to tell you about a project I saw on Members Project. It’s called “Project Brain Child,” and with your support it could get funding from American Express. American Express Cardmembers can vote for this project to receive potential funding by going to Project Brain ChildMembers Project is an exciting initiative that brings people together to make a difference in the world. It’s simple. People go online to share ideas for projects — and ultimately vote on which projects will share $2.5 million in funding from American Express.In 2007, Members Project provided clean drinking water to children all across Africa. What will Members Project do this year? The decision is yours. Please get out the vote about this project.Show Your Support
membersproject.com

Denver, CO

It is the one month a year designated to help bring more awareness to a terrible tragedy in our world - childhood cancer. There is so much we can do to work towards a cure. Please take the time to read about childhood cancer (the numbers are astounding). Cure Search is an organization dedicated to the cause. Read about Cure Search and Childhood Cancer Awareness Month here.

I’d also like to encourage everyone to sign the petition that I mentioned in an earlier post to help raise awareness of childhood cancer. The petition was started by a very dedicated father who lost is son to cancer earlier this year. Most people are unaware (as I was until recently) that a lot of the cancer organizations dedicate minimal funding to childhood cancer although it has such a large impact. I was shocked to discover that the American Cancer Society only dedicates 3% of their funding to childhood cancer. Needless to say, there is much work ahead to increase awareness. But we can start today!

Three of the major networks ran a special on Friday night called “Stand Up 2 Cancer” (you can watch the show here on NBC). Although it is a good start, there is still very little focus on childhood cancer.

We need your help.
Sign the petition.
Learn about childhood cancer.
Spread the word.
Increase awareness.
Too many beautiful children are suffering and becoming angels before they even get to grow up.

Please help us work toward the cure.

Denver, CO

To my faithful (three ) readers out there, thank you for the notes asking where I’ve been. There have been plenty of thoughts and adventures to share. But (lack of) time has been the factor. It must be something about trying to work full time, move out of one house, store my stuff in another, and move temporarily into a third (thank you my gracious friend) - this all while managing a complete renovation at not one, but two homes. Needless to say, that sums up my life. The renovation progress is coming along and I have learned a ton (and have a pretty phat set of tools these days). More on the renovations in another post (and all the adventures that has brought so far). But it leaves little time for much else…

I will do better to keep the globe rover following updated. And thanks for being interested!

Denver, CO

pas·sion [pash-uhn]
-noun
Any powerful or compelling emotion or feeling, as love or hate.

I am not much of a fan of the political parties for a lot of reasons (different topic for a different day). But as a citizen I do believe it is my duty to pay attention and learn about our candidates so that I can make an educated decision when I vote in November.

With both the two major political conventions held in the last couple of weeks, I have had plenty of opportunity to listen, observe, and learn. One thing I do love is the passion behind the parties. And especially seeing people of all ages and races stand up for what they believe in. That passion can and does make a difference (in both positive and negative ways although my focus here is the positive). It is uplifting to see the passion behind the parties and the number of citizens displaying their belief in different values or platforms (I observed this firsthand in Denver). Passion shows interest and involvement. Perhaps we need more of this in our country.

So as much as this season of political battles might cause a bit of unrest for me, I am so pleased to see the passion that the people have for their candidates. That belief exemplifies hope which is what we need for a better future. I believe that if you don’t put a stake in the ground and make a decision to support one candidate or the other (i.e. vote), how can you justify having an opinion on what happens in the future of the country?

Cheers to my fellow Americans that have a passion and believe in something!

Denver, CO

This past Friday I participated in the second annual Wash Park Relay for Life benefiting the American Cancer Society. It was a great event and I am so glad that I was able to participate.

First, a note to my family and friends (and you know who you are) - thank you, thank you, thank you! Thanks to the generosity of my family and friends (and in a quick week and a half time period) I was the top individual fund raiser. I literally was brought to tears every time I opened my “progress” page and saw the number of you who donated. Thank you again for supporting both the American Cancer Society and me. I am moved by your generosity and giving spirit.

A little about the event…

The walk is an overnight walk where teams of participants keep someone walking around the park all night from the opening ceremonies at 7 pm on Friday until the closing ceremonies at 8 am on Saturday. The opening began with a researcher speaking personally and professionally regarding the benefits of basic research and the impact on cancer. Then the survivors took a lap around the park which was very moving. Amazing to see so many survivors representing the dreadful “C” disease.

Throughout the night there were great events planned such as luminaries that were placed around the entire track in honor of survivors and in memory of angels; bands; dancers; movies; volleyball; backward lap; fancy hat lap; Miss Relay (for guys) lap collecting money in their handbags; and numerous other events that made the event enjoyable and entertaining. Every team had tents set up in the infield (some simple and some pretty decked out) - there were all kinds of fun stuff like baby pools and corn hole (the game) set up. There was also a DJ that played during the entire event - kudos to him for his energy!

The relay concluded with a Dove release in honor and in memory of all the victims of cancer. It was very special to see the doves fly and circle around the track commemorating so many amazing people.

I can’t wait to get involved in next year’s event and only hope that it will continue to grow!

Denver, CO

A big first and goal long time coming was accomplished yesterday - I purchased my first house! The process was quite an adventure but made so much more manageable thanks to my wonderful agent, Emily (thank you Emily - you are the best!).

I have a ton of work ahead - the house is both units in a duplex that needs complete renovation. The house is in my favorite neighborhood, Wash Park, and on a great block. I am looking forward to going over there today and opening the door to my new house with my own set of keys!

Renovations here I come!

Denver, CO

Over the last year, I have been following the stories of several different children that have been fighting cancer…some losing the battle and some winning the battle. Their stories are amazing. These children have a wiseness and clarity well beyond their years. Their families and friends are dealing with grief that should not be felt by a family. The statistics are staggering.

One of the lives that I have been fortunate enough to have a glimpse into is AJ Piniewski. An amazing 14 year old boy that lost his battle to Burkitt’s Lymphoma. His father has shared with the public a view of the amazing son/brother/friend and is carrying forth the legacy of AJ by pushing for more funding and research for pediatric cancer. He has created a petition that we all need to sign.

Please take a few minutes to read the petition and sign it. The stories are heartbreaking. And it’s time for pediatric cancer to get some attention.

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/CureChildhoodCancer

Denver, CO (not Costa Rica as it should be)

Recently a lot of what I have been reading and listening to has emphasized the lack of importance of stuff and material things. I am not a materialistic person but do find sentimental value in certain “things” that I own. But due to this recent enlightenment I have been trying to detach myself from these things as they do not make nor break the person that I am.

And ironically, I had a cold harsh lesson in this detachment this week. A friend and I were traveling to Costa Rica on Thursday night. We both have nice digital SLR cameras and debated for weeks on whether to take them given the high petty crime rate in certain parts of Costa Rica. But given that we both love photography and knew there would be great photo ops in CR, we decided to take them.

Leaving my house, I was contemplating how heavy my backpack was given all the equipment and personal items I had in it (two cameras, lenses, accessories, iPod, jewelry, etc. etc.). But I consider myself a keen traveler and know how to protect what I take. Except of course, in the “safety” of my own city.

Before heading to the airport, we had offered to take the friends to dinner that were driving us. So we stopped at a local in-town neighborhood for a quick dinner. After our meal, we went back to the car that was parked on the street just outside the restaurant to find the car window busted out and our backpacks gone. Immediately, the trip got delayed as my friend’s passport was in her backpack (thankfully, mine was with me). Her backpack didn’t have a lot in it and the thieves missed her camera in a separate bag sitting on the floorboard. But they got away with a jackpot in my backpack.

So started my lesson in irony and practical application of detachment from things. The cameras and equipment can all be replaced. The only things in there that bothered me were my journal (I didn’t have a blank one so I took the end of my NZ journal which documented the last and probably best week of the trip), my scuba logbook, and a ring my grandfather gave me when I was born. Needless to say, there were so many lessons in this one incident but I have managed to stay away from anger and apply the truth that it is just stuff and does not change me whether I have the stuff or not.

As I look around, I am thankful for the nice things that I have. But I also now realize more than ever that they are just things and they won’t come with us when we die. So I’ll appreciate them while I have them but when I don’t I won’t look back.

A man is a slave to anything he cannot part with that is less than himself.— George MacDonald

The fear of loss is a path to the dark side. … Attachment leads to jealousy. The shadow of greed, that is. Train yourself to let go of everything you fear to lose.— Yoda, Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith

If you look carefully you will see that there is one thing and only one thing that causes unhappiness. The name of that thing is attachment. What is an attachment? An emotional state of clinging caused by the belief that without some particular thing or some person you cannot be happy.— Anthony de Mello

 

 

Red Feather Lakes, CO

This weekend led me on a journey with three friends to embark on meditation and learn the basics of a practice that I have been curious about for a while. My curiosity was peaked last year when I spent five weeks in Southeast Asia through learning about meditation retreats and seeing monks and monasteries around the countries (Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia). Thus, when a couple of friends started talking about trying to find a retreat as they were interested in learning meditation as well, I was very anxious and excited.

Our search for retreats led us all around Colorado and through places that focus on Buddhism, Yoga, and pure meditation. Timing was perfect when I was reading my National Geographic Traveler magazine and came across an article about “Wellness Destinations” and one of the four that was highlighted was the Shambhala Mountain Center in Red Feather Lakes, Colorado. Their intro program to meditation is called “Shambhala Training Level I: The Art of Being Human” and was exactly what we were looking for.

Not knowing what to expect, we set out with a combination of excitement and apprehension as all four of us (Meg, Lysa, Kathleen and I) were new to meditation and had never gotten closer than yoga. Needless to say, the weekend was not at all what we expected but was filled with discovery, pain, enlightenment, and joy.

The discomfort comes from “sitting on the cushion” (a meditation cushion set on a thin mat on a floor) in a position/posture that is unusual for most Americans (cross-legged with a straight back) for hours at a time. We were a bit surprised at the level of discomfort at times but realized it was mostly because we are used to sitting in chairs and slouching quite often. But the discomfort is also a part of the path to discovery and part of the path of meditation (there are reasons behind the posture which I won’t go into here for sake of brevity).

The second challenging aspect was the actual meditation. If you have never tried to sit quiet and clear your mind of all thoughts - I recommend you attempt it. And my guess is that it will serve to be challenging. We were fortunate to get ample explanation about techniques and methods for this type of meditation but actually putting it into practice is difficult. And after spending 3 1/2 hours Saturday morning and 2 1/2 more on Saturday afternoon alternating between sitting meditation and walking meditation (in a small circle inside our room with a meditation position for the hands and a slight gaze downward), we were exhausted and challenged. And it seems that most of the class was on the same page. However, our Saturday evening talk after dinner provided insight into the purpose of challenging us to “stay with it” and practice the meditation. As with most things, meditation comes with practice.

So clearly there were some discomforts and challenges through the weekend. But the best part was the enlightenment and discovery of a new path. Meditation provides many amazing things, the most important of which to me is presence. Through mindfulness, we are able to be present in whatever we are doing and still our thoughts to focus on where we are. This ability allows us to be gentle and fearless at the same time and through intelligence allows us to hear and see the world. One of the principles of Shambhala Training is that every person has basic goodness in us and it is only through our not being mindful of that and ignoring it that we find pain and suffering in our world. Meditation is a tool that allows us to find our basic goodness and return to living there. Thus, the practice of meditation allows us to be present and to hear and feel our world.

The weekend was filled with so many lessons that are so practical yet so challenging to practice in every day life. From learning to not judge others, to not reacting to other’s pain and anger, to learning how to listen to your own mind, to kindness, to openness, to listening and being present, and to basic goodness. We were fortunate to have both a great staff and great group in the class and only wish there would have been more time to get to know everyone.

As I have been learning lately through different tools, being present allows us to be more appreciative and feel the joy in our lives through everything that happens. This retreat was a great tool to help enforce the lesson of presence and is something that I hope to continue. As we discussed on the way home, it is much like eating healthy - it is something that isn’t always fun to do but the results and outcome are so worth the effort. Practicing meditation on a regular basis will be a challenge but it is something that I hope to add to my daily life in order to continue on this path of development and (hopefully) enlightenment.

I’ll finish with a great Zen quote that will serve as my reminder to focus on presence:

“Remain in the nowhere else. Be here.”

Denver, CO

I have just completed class five of the Oprah and Eckhart Tolle “A New Earth” series. In doing some follow up reading on the internet I found two powerful sets of words that I find great meaning and depth in. The first is a poem by David Waggoner entitled “Lost”:

Lost
From Traveling Light: Collected and New Poems by David Wagoner. © 1999 by David Wagoner

Stand still. The trees ahead and bushes beside you
Are not lost. Wherever you are is called Here,
And you must treat it as a powerful stranger,
Must ask permission to know it and be known.
The forest breathes. Listen. It answers,
I have made this place around you.
If you leave it, you may come back again, saying Here.
No two trees are the same to Raven.
No two branches are the same to Wren.
If what a tree or a bush does is lost on you,
You are surely lost. Stand still. The forest knows
Where you are. You must let it find you.

The poem is precisely what “A New Earth” is about…finding contemplative presence and being able to be and accept and surrender. The poem and the book encourage us to listen rather than to seek and come into the present moment.

The second set of words that I really like is a quote by Albert Einstein that encourages much of the same thing. We must separate ourselves from our thoughts and free ourselves from the “prison” of our mind in order to become conscious and see the beauty in all living creatures.

“A human being is a part of a whole, called by us ‘universe’, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest… a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.”

Both are powerful. And full of words I hope to remember and practice daily.

Denver, CO

I have recently become hooked on dictionary.com’s word of the day. I love getting my new word of the day and was stumped to get today’s word:

xen·o·pho·bi·a /ˌzɛnəˈfoʊbiə, ˌzinə-/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[zen-uh-foh-bee-uh, zee-nuh-] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation –noun an unreasonable fear or hatred of foreigners or strangers or of that which is foreign or strange.

The reason I got stumped was a) I cannot imagine anyone being fearful of foreigners (we are all just people after all) and b) I did not know what the opposite of a xenophobic was so I set out to learn another word. I found it along with a great view of myself.

xen·o·phil·i·a /ˌzɛnəˈfɪliə, ˌzinə-/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[zen-uh-fil-ee-uh, zee-nuh-] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation –noun an attraction to foreign peoples, cultures, or customs.

So there you have it…my new favorite word! Here is to us xenophiles!

Denver, CO

I have added a 13th tenet to my driving tenets for the year:

13. Laugh often

“What soap is to the body, laughter is to the soul.” ~Yiddish Proverb

Denver, CO

I am devastated to learn that there has been another mass murder by a mad gunman that shot many people (killing at least nine and injuring many more) before committing suicide.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/12/05/mall.shooting/index.html

This is happening too frequently in our country.

Isn’t there enough tragedy in our country without more self-infliction.

When are we going to get serious about gun control. REALLY serious.

I know there are plenty of arguments for guns. But getting them in the United States is way too easy.

When is enough going to be enough?

My heart and prayers go out to the families of the victims from today’s shooting.

Brussels, Belgium

Thanksgiving, or Thanksgiving Day, is a traditional North American holiday to give thanks to God at the conclusion of the harvest season. (Wikipedia)

In honor of the special day, here are a few of the things I am thankful for:

• family (both immediate and extended)
• friends (both near and far)
• special people that have touched my life that are no longer on Earth
• kindness
• the power of faith
• learning
• the power of words (books and music)
• heroes (those people that make a positive difference in other people’s lives)
• love and connections

I arrived in Belgium Tuesday with no problems despite the French government strikes (including trains, buses, teachers, etc.). The last two days have been spent catching up with Chuck, Michael, David, and Greg and relaxing and preparing for our Thanksgiving meal.

Last night we drove to Ghent to meet a friend of a friend that I have met several times in London. Graeme is a friend and neighbor of Clive (past coworker and friend from the UK). Graeme is an opera singer and is rehearsing for a production in Antwerp and thus, suggested meeting in Ghent. The town is great — filled with character and streets lined with great shops and restaurants/cafes. We met at a little restaurant near the Opera house that had great ambiance and overlooked the river.

Our conversation was fun and energetic (as always with this crowd) and it was great to get to know Graeme a little better. I am amazed at his influence and experience in the Opera world and am fascinated to learn more as I ashamedly know very little about the Opera.

Today is our big day of preparing for the Thanksgiving meal. We were all cooking in the kitchen quite early today to ensure everything will be ready (save poor David who has been banned from the kitchen…). I am excited to eat a traditional Thanksgiving meal including a very large and labored over turkey that was obtained by a friend of Chuck’s. Cooking a traditional meal is a great way to bring togetherness and joy in honor of this special day.

To all my family and friends that are back in the States, I wish you all a wonderful and special day and am sending hugs and good blessings from afar!

Denver, CO

On Thursday night my next door neighbors from my childhood had to make one of the toughest decisions — to allow their beloved Hub to die peacefully without having to endure further trauma to his physical body. It is a choice that we all hope we never have to make. But the courage they showed is admirable and especially knowing that their husband, father, and grandfather is now resting peacefully.

It saddens me to know Hub isn’t with us anymore. And although I live across the country, our families are still living in the same neighborhood where we grew up and I’ve always felt their family was a part of my life (through schooling, marriages, births, etc.). The Evens five kids are all grown up and the family has grown and multiplied. Hub and Jan are great parents and grandparents and have always been happy go lucky. My heart breaks for Jan (or as we called her growing up “Aunt Bee”) as her partner won’t be with her to fulfill their retirement plans. But thankfully, she has a lot of kids that love her dearly and will make sure she still has meaning in her life.

Life and death are such contemplative thoughts. The one thing that is for sure is that we all have an end to our Earthly life. Thank goodness for the special people that enter our lives and have some type of influence on us. Hub is one of those special people and he’ll be missed sorely.

“Love is stronger than death even though it can’t stop death from happening, but no matter how hard death tries it can’t separate people from love. It can’t take away our memories either. In the end, life is stronger than death.”

–Anonymous

Denver, CO

There has been yet another school shooting in Cleveland, Ohio by a fourteen year old boy. That’s a child. Not an adult. With a gun. That was angry. And his anger led him to attempt to murder four plus people and then take his own life.

America is out of control with senseless shootings and killings. There are too many guns and they are too easy to obtain. And too many children are killing others and being killed by these guns (some intentional and some accidental).

Every time I read another story in the news about shootings (which is way too often) I am sickened by our lack of gun control. I wonder if we are ever going to get serious about this issue and do something. Really do something…