Sunday, June 9, 2013
Saturday, June 8, 2013
Take today
Feel like the world don't love you
They only want to push you away
Some days people don't see you
You feel like you're in the way
Today you feel, as if everyone hates
Pointing their fingers, looking at your mistakes
You do good, they want great
No matter what you give they still want to take
Give your love and they throw it back
You give your heart they go on attack
When there's nothing left for you,
Only thing that you can do, say
They only want to push you away
Some days people don't see you
You feel like you're in the way
Today you feel, as if everyone hates
Pointing their fingers, looking at your mistakes
You do good, they want great
No matter what you give they still want to take
Give your love and they throw it back
You give your heart they go on attack
When there's nothing left for you,
Only thing that you can do, say
Today, today, live like you wanna,
Let yesterday burn and throw it in a fire, in a fire, in a fire,
Fight like a Warrior***
Some things you should let go, they're only gonna pull you down,
Just like weight on your shoulder they are only gonna make you drown
We all swing high, we all swing low,
We all got secrets people don't know
We all got dreams we can't let go,
We want to brave, Don't be afraid
Ohh
Your heart is too heavy from things you carry a long time,
You been up you been down, tired and you don't know why,
But you're never gonna go back, you only live one life
Let go, let go, let goooooo, Let go, let go, let goooooo,
Today, today, live like you wanna,
Let yesterday burn and throw it in a fire, in a fire, in a fire,
Fight like a Warrior
***Warriors can apparently beatbox like no man.
Friday, June 7, 2013
The Mountain
"Something that I often hear is, 'Why
does it matter if you're the first black person to do this? The mountain
doesn't care if you're black.' And it's true. Once you're on the mountain, it
doesn't care if you're black. But by the time you're at the base of the
mountain with the skills that you need, you're 75 percent of the way there, at
least, and it's that road to get to the base of the mountain that I think a lot
of people don't appreciate"
- Adina Scott, a member of Expedition Denali, a team of African-American climbers who plan to summit Mount Denali in Denali National Park this month as a way to inspire youth of color.
I feel this way about snowboarding too (And why I am so glad Burton has Chill). The opportunity to practice a skill, talent, hobby is often much more important than whether any person in particular gets to...go fishing...go hiking...sit by a campfire...see an opera...ride a horse...visit a new city...read a book.
Though any new experience can give the soul new eyes, it's a matter of investing enough in individuals' access points to new experience, in general, overall, that really opens doors.
Since many people invested in me for decades, especially in my academic investment, but also through the arts, athletics, travel, and in sharing their spirits enough with me to have picked up some small doses of life wisdom here and there, I now know that I can do what I aspire to do. Maybe not right away - training, planning, saving, and other hurdles may need to be jumped, but over time, I can get there.
Allowing kids to develop this sense of agency in themselves as they grow takes more than circumstantial exposure to a field trip or perk; it takes long-term investments in young people as individuals, and the willingness to advocate for systems change, so that when a child has a dream - any dream - there's a way for that will to be realized.
- Adina Scott, a member of Expedition Denali, a team of African-American climbers who plan to summit Mount Denali in Denali National Park this month as a way to inspire youth of color.
I feel this way about snowboarding too (And why I am so glad Burton has Chill). The opportunity to practice a skill, talent, hobby is often much more important than whether any person in particular gets to...go fishing...go hiking...sit by a campfire...see an opera...ride a horse...visit a new city...read a book.
Though any new experience can give the soul new eyes, it's a matter of investing enough in individuals' access points to new experience, in general, overall, that really opens doors.
Since many people invested in me for decades, especially in my academic investment, but also through the arts, athletics, travel, and in sharing their spirits enough with me to have picked up some small doses of life wisdom here and there, I now know that I can do what I aspire to do. Maybe not right away - training, planning, saving, and other hurdles may need to be jumped, but over time, I can get there.
Allowing kids to develop this sense of agency in themselves as they grow takes more than circumstantial exposure to a field trip or perk; it takes long-term investments in young people as individuals, and the willingness to advocate for systems change, so that when a child has a dream - any dream - there's a way for that will to be realized.
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
Whenever
Whenever I start to suffer - not for the good, but out of that boredom, that entitlement, that self-pity that finds me, usually after 6pm on work days...or that which sometimes creeps in between fun times on weekends or, let's be real, in heavy traffic, or long waits, or when someone criticizes me, I try to think of something along these lines:
I have a lot of faith in life, and a large part of that belief system tells me we only get one. One life to be everything that we are, tell people we love them, to appreciate all that's here and won't be here tomorrow.
As I've explained before, opening up is hard for me. Letting people know just how much I value them, and not only them, but the experiences I get to have with them sharing our weird cross-section of humanness, has been a real challenge.
It's taken me a while to realize that people accept me. People still love me when I'm bad or wrong, still value me when I can give them nothing but imperfection. Now that I'm starting to get that, life is starting to feel like a vacation after all.
Too short. Never enough pictures. But sweet.
I have a lot of faith in life, and a large part of that belief system tells me we only get one. One life to be everything that we are, tell people we love them, to appreciate all that's here and won't be here tomorrow.
As I've explained before, opening up is hard for me. Letting people know just how much I value them, and not only them, but the experiences I get to have with them sharing our weird cross-section of humanness, has been a real challenge.
It's taken me a while to realize that people accept me. People still love me when I'm bad or wrong, still value me when I can give them nothing but imperfection. Now that I'm starting to get that, life is starting to feel like a vacation after all.
Too short. Never enough pictures. But sweet.
Monday, June 3, 2013
Sunday, June 2, 2013
My list of small wonders for the day
life.
friends.
song.
hot dogs.
yowza yogurt.
anniversaries.
the last unicorn.
strawberries in season.
porches.
bare feet.
life.
friends.
song.
hot dogs.
yowza yogurt.
anniversaries.
the last unicorn.
strawberries in season.
porches.
bare feet.
life.
Saturday, June 1, 2013
Truth. Beauty.
The only thing that can make a truth more beautiful, and a beautiful thing more true, is when that truth is our truth, and that beauty is our beauty.
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