68 Days and Counting

I have a 90 plan...a plan to achieve absolute freedom and I'm on day 22. It's exhilarating and frightening in tandem...oddly balanced.

Unspoken Words

I make my living connecting words that will inspire people to connect to a mission, so I enjoy, ingest and play with words until they speak what's in my heart, my mind and a deeper place where words begin to form. To say I appreciate a good pun, metaphor or turn of a phrase is a gross understatement. I get tickled often by the arrangement of words, whether spoken or written.

Yesterday, I just about doubled over with delight when I "got" the intended meaning of a lovely young man, who works behind the counter at the corner convenience store. I stop in every day on my way home to get a soda. He's always very cordial, complimentary and tries to engage me, which I usually meet with polite, but guarded responses. Each day, I hand him a one dollar bill and a penny and he gives me back a nickel, followed by the question, "Is there anything else you want?" To which I always respond, no thank you. Yesterday, there was something different in the way he posed his recurring question. His tone of voice, the raising of an eyebrow as the words poured across his lips, the slight pivoting of his head and twinkle in his eye, as if to punctuate his true meaning. I don't blush often, but in that exchange, I blushed, giggled like a pre-pubescent teenager and said, "No thank you."

I just love the unspoken word, the rare exchange that happens when people are awake and aware of each other.

Knock Knock

As news of the Pope's imminent death filled the airwaves, I cleaned house. I opened all the windows and doors and a strong, cool breeze lifted me as I went about the ritual of organizing, throwing out and cleaning. At one point, as I paused to consider my next move, it registered how quiet my neighborhood was. On any given Saturday, it's usually filled with latino music, laughter, dogs barking and the occassional howls and whirs of sirens, airplanes and helicopters. A quick scan from my balcony up and down the street revealed much. My vibrant neighbors were walking together towards the Catholic Church at the end of the street, others joining them along the route. As I scanned the front of their house, I noticed bright red flowers had been added to the shrine. Yes, my neighbors have a permanent shrine attached to the front of their house, to the left of the front door. It is surrounded by white lights (of the Christmas tree variety) and burn perpetually. Actually...I think they have two shrines...one for the Blessed Mother and the other is attached to their front door. It's a 3 foot full color replica of a beer bottle (Miller Lite...I think). These guys have their bases covered.

Abundance

Today, I embrace the vast abundance in the world and the resources I need to be a whole and vibrant person.