Rumours that kill...

I caught a story on the news today that made me weep. During a religious pilgrimage in Baghdad, rumour of the presence of a suicide bomber began to make its way across a crowded bridge. The ensuing panic and stampede resulted in 700 -800 people dead and hundreds more injured. All this vibrant life, ended by a rumour. That's terrorism at its "best" (and therefore at its worst), in my opinion. Terrorism is not a person, nor is it a faction. It is not anything we can see or touch. It is a strategy of fear that simply cannot be stopped with bombs or weapons. There is only one thing that works against fear, and that is Love. That may sound too simple; Truth often does. Just think about it on a much smaller scale: when we were kids and experienced fear, where did we find relief? Most often, in the embrace or presence of someone who loved us.

There can be no war on terrorism, especially not using military means. It just doesn't make sense. And today, physical weapons were not even needed to kill hundreds of people just like me. All it took was a rumour.

Man, our world really needs a hug right now. My heart weeps...

The end of an era in Westboro...

These be sad days in Westboro... After 30 years, Andy's Restaurant on Richmond Rd. is closing its doors. One of the finest of its genre - the venerable greasy spoon diner - Andy's is being replaced with a mexican food restaurant. Mexican?! Will they serve me mushy scambled eggs & glistening breakfast sausage on Saturday mornings? Will the waitress remember that I take decaf with milk... and that I prefer tomato slices to homefries?! I doubt it.

Andy's has become part of my weekend routine ever since I moved to this neighbourhood. Why would I make breakfast at home when I could go to Andy's with a book, a friend or a Hubby, and have someone else cook for me - all for a whopping $4.30 plus tip?! Not surprisingly, Andy's is also a meeting place... less than two weeks ago, we stopped in for a quick breakfast and ran into friends we hadn't seen in much too long. We'd been trying to coordinate getting together, but to no avail. Yet we all found time for breakfast at Andy's.

Whether I was reading a book, sharing time with a friend, or just listening to the ambient sounds of Life and conversation, Andy's had become a home away from home. Andy & Mona: enjoy your well-deserved retirement and know that you'll be missed. But you still have four more days and you can expect me at my usual time!

Comment spam - blech...

Turns out that there is a phenom known as "comment spam". I should have known. Following my first incidence of advertising garbage being posted in my comment section, I've added a word verification feature. This simply means that you'll need to tap in a few more keystrokes before being able to post a comment. Sorry for the inconvenience, but t'is the world we live in, friends!

Stepping Forward...

In the day or two following my last post, I can't tell you how many times I thought about going back and deleting it. I know there aren't a lot of people who even read this blog, but I still had an uncomfortable reaction to putting myself out there. What would people think of me, knowing that I'm not always the confident person I purport to be? Would this not affirm that I am indeed a fraud?! Two steps forward, one step back. Speak your Truth, then take it back. I've heard this pattern described as that of the spiritual journey. When there is a spiritual breakthrough of some sort, no matter how small, the ego becomes afraid of losing its control and it reacts. The internal tapes begin to play: What have you done? You've let the mask drop and others will see the True you - warts n' all! Do you really want that?!

As scary as it feels, I want to answer YES. The mask just gets too heavy to carry around... And the interesting thing is that, many times, I realize that the mask wasn't needed anyway. There are those blessed days when my insides DO match my outside... when I am confidently rooted in the knowledge that I am a beloved child of God. I look around and, as my friend Zio says: It's All Good.

Feeling our pain moves us into shadow, where we reclaim the denied parts of ourselves. This leads to developing a voice that grows increasingly authentic and full-throated with each newly claimed aspect of our identity. We are no longer speaking from a foundation of self that is riddled with fault lines. The more unified we are, the more authenticity our voice contains. We voice ourselves into being. (Helen LaKelly Hunt in 'The Hero's Journey", Spirituality & Health, October 2005)

Speaking Truth...

In the last 24 hours, I have had at least two people entrust me with their Truth. One of them spoke of a deep shame carried around for over 30 years; I am truly humbled by her trust in me. The other, although more public with his pain and sadness, continues to inspire me to choose honesty & integrity.

A few days ago, I too shared a deep shame with another and was rewarded with tears of relief. And now that it's out, and I can step back and look at what I'm carrying inside - a nagging sense that I will never be enough just as I am. When accepting a compliment from another, there is often a silent, critical voice that says: ...but if you only knew what a fraud I am, you wouldn't say that. Now that it's been out-ed, I can better see it for what it is: an illusion... an illusion based on unrealistic standards set by no one else but me. And so, the task of simply letting go of that illusion begins. It won't be easy; that false voice has been deeply whispering those un-truths for a long time. But it's time to give way to a stronger Voice.

This reminds me of something I wrote a few years ago, when reflecting on the God of my own understanding...

You are the Voice that whispers;
You are the Voice that roars;
You are the Flame that dances with joy and rage.

A heartfelt thanks to those who have the courage to speak their Truth...

Fêtons le 15 août...

BONNE FETE DES ACADIENS!!

I tried to teach my 19-month old niece the song Viens voir l'Acadie this morning. Unfortunately she was stuck on "moo-moo, e-i-e-i-ohhh!" Maybe next year.

In the meantime, learn more about my culture - either in English, ou ben encore mieux, en français.

Have you hugged an Acadian lately??

More Philly Delights...

Wow! Day Two in Philly was quite something...

Did you know Philadelphia has one of the (if not THE) most extensive Mural Arts programs in the U.S.? I did a walking tour yesterday and was amazed at what I saw. One of the most fascinating was a series of mosaic murals by Isaiah Zagar, using everyday, cast-away objects. Such expression! As my own neighbourhood of Westboro is showing signs of murals here & there, I'm inspired about what this artform can add to a community...

And the biggest treat of the day? Last minute tickets to see the Bolshoi Ballet perform Spartacus!! It was performed at the Mann Centre for the Performing Arts and I was there. What an adventure, considering that we didn't know it would be an outdoor venue and we didn't even have our tickets before we asked the taxi driver to drop us off out there. What an amazing evening of dance, music and new friends.

Oh yeah, and I did a workshop on data and variation analysis. That IS why I'm in Philly afterall... :-)

TTFN...

Greetings from Philly...

Greetings from sweltering Philadelphia, PA. Arrived this morning, a day before my conference workshops begin. This was an unexpected trip, but one I'm grateful for nonetheless. I've never been to Philly before. First impressions? It's a weird one, but I can't help but notice how many smokers there are! I've been walking around most of the afternoon and have had a hard time avoiding breathing in second-hand smoke. Bizarre. And no cool public toilets like they have in Boston.

My second first impression :-) is the architecture. Wow! So many phenomenal buildings... No wonder I feel light-headed: I've spent most of the afternoon looking up! Or maybe it's a simple case of dehydration.

Went to see the Liberty Bell. Not too sure what all the fuss is about. It's a bell - and it's cracked t'boot. The security to get in to see the Bell was incredible... it rivalled Parliament! I suppose it's because it's the same entrance way as Independance Hall, where the Declaration of Independance was signed. In any case, I've been in Philly for less than 6 hours and I've seen the Liberty Bell and the LOVE sculpture in JFK park. You know, the one with the LO on top, and the VE on the bottom? Pretty cool.

Time to go and cool off now. Did I mention it was sweltering in Philadelphia?!