Outrageous Costume

As children, our imaginations are what defines us. Everyday is a new, extraordinary adventure. One day we might be knights slaying mighty dragons, and the next we might be astronauts defying gravity. Nothing is impossible because everything is possible in our imaginations.

But then we cross a magical line and suddenly our identities are not marked by pretending to be someone else. Anxious to enjoy the privileges that come with being of age, we take off our costumes and put our antigravity boots back in the closet of our minds.

I don't think we realize the choice we make as preteens, we just want to be adults. We start to think about money, dating and sex. We pay bills instead of playing until the day has stretched past twilight. It's all a part of maturing into an adult. So why does growing up mean that you have to leave your imaginary escapades behind. The simple answer, of course, is that it doesn't.

This past weekend, I was invited to an outrageous costume party, and for a few hours Saturday night, the two worlds collided. Fully grown, mostly well adjusted adults gathered in a backyard and played dress up. When new people would walk into the party, everyone would excitedly turn to see what the outrageous costume would be. And there were nothing but smiles to go around.

Living the Dream

Every once in a while a story inspires me. And I don't mean the regular every day kind of inspiration, I mean the really big kind. The kind that makes your chest swell; that makes you shake with excitement and pride. The kind that flushes out any doubts or fears that may be consuming you. The kind that gives you the confidence and hope to believe that anything really is possible.

Sometimes it's a movie that gets me. Sometimes it's a poem or a news artcle. While the general theme of the stories may differ, the one thing that they all have in common is a character that acts remarkably, and not surprisingly with the values that I hold closest to my heart. They have a giving nature, are prone to self sacrifice and always make the right (tough) decision.

This past weekend I found inspiration by means of a phone call: Justin Jude was named Oregon's Best Singer/Songwriter 2007 at the bite of Portland. When I first met Justin, he was beginning his quest to break into the Portland music scene. He played gigs in noisy cafes and empty coffee shops just trying to be heard. In the three years since then, he has not only been heard, he has started gaining recognition for his musical talents.

Justin is the gold standard of remarkable people from my perspective. He is thoughtful, compassionate, genuine and a devoted friend. It makes my heart swell with happiness to know that good fortune is deservedly headed his way.

Spirit of the Game

There is little doubt that competition inspires tremendous accomplishments, both individually and as a team. Whether competing head to head or in pursuit of records, athletes, businessmen and even scholars use competition to drive them to higher achievement.

But what happens when a competitive spirit is so overwhelming that it compels one to cheat? What is a little doping in athletic competition, or a little slander in a political campaign? In its simplest form, that’s nothing more than a tactic to end the day as the best man.

In light of recent sporting scandals (doping in the Tour de France; Barry Bonds pursuit of Hank Aaron’s home run record) I find myself asking the question, “When the purity of competition becomes tarnished does it become meaningless?” Isn’t the reason we watch the game to see human struggle and achievement happen before our eyes? If that’s the case, does it matter if everyone is juiced, so long as the playing field is even?

The answer for me is a resounding YES! It does matter! In my mind, competition has little to do with winning. It is the means that allows us to measure our abilities against someone else’s. In its purest form, it is a healthy way for us to become better people. In its ugliest form, it’s egotistical and keeps us from reaching our goals.

Reflections

As far as I can tell, inspiration comes from either external or internal factors; that is to say either you are inspired by the people, places or things your come across in your journeys, or you are inspired by something you discover within yourself.

It isn't a far stretch to say 99% of inspiration is external. It's the reason we travel to the far reaches of the world. It's why we go to museums, why we eat at fancy restaurants and why we go to concerts/shows/movies. Inspiration is readily available in the world, all you have to do is open yourself up to be inspired (which is itself not always an easy task).

While it is easy to find inspiration around us, I think it is more meaningful to find inspiration within. Digging into the depths of the self to get a truer sense of who you are and what you really want out of life.

I have spent much of the past month trying to think of the five things I want to be/do in the next five years to make myself feel more whole.

Here's my list:

1. Spend 5% of my time building / enhancing my community
2. Live a 75% green and organic and healthy lifestyle (I would guess I'm around 20% currently)
3. Visit friends and family in places I've never been (stay for free!)
4. Meet family I've never met and learn about Gosselin/Austin heritage
5. Live within biking/walking distance from work.

What are your five?

Angel-A

From: ISeeColor

Starring: Rie Rasmussen, Jamel Debbouze, Gilbert Melki, Serge Riaboukine, more cast. Directed By: Luc Besson, Released By: Sony Classics.Theatrical Release Date: 05/25/2007
Run Time: 88 min. Genre: Comedy, Romance. Rating: R


WOW, I love Paris in the spring time, I love Paris is the fall, I love Paris in a movie that somehow manages to show you Paris, in black and white, where you don't miss color. That's right! Feast your eyes with a movie, that manages to make black and white beyond dark, beyond light, and beyond beautiful.
We are all familiar with how Ansel Adams adressed nature this way. I can only imagine how much he would have loved this movie.


The use of black and white allows any image to stand out from each other's backgrounds. As opposites, black and white make for strong bonds (he is a solid shape through muted shades of gray) and clear distinction (she is striking black and white contrast, with her skin, her hair, her dress). The movie uses this expertly to lace together a vibrant city and the difference between the character's personalities, while making each one stand out in an outstanding way.



For those of you who love photography, art, and cinematography, it is a must see. For those of you who need to look at something new, its a must see. We saw it at The Sundance Film Festival and we were thrilled to see the trailer at the theaters, this month in the midst of Die Hard #3, Harry Potter: The order of the Phoenix and Transformers.


Angel-A is magical, stunning, and of course, a very sexy blanc-noir piece of art. The story is charming. I wont reveal it, but, considering that my favorite Christmas movie is It's a Wonderful Life, I loved this french version.

Zoo Tunes

What an odd paradox a zoo is. Children eagerly and excitedly go to see animals display the nature they have learned about. The very nature zoo animals have long since forgotten.

From an early age, children are taught of the ferocity crocodiles, the playfulness of baboons and the grace of swimming penguins. They learn about habitats, food chains and mating rituals. Instinct and survival. They see films of lions on the hunt, pictures of hummingbirds in mid-flight, and read stories of packs of wolves living and working together as a family.

But stories, film and pictures don’t do the animal world justice. The true scale of wild life is best taught by seeing it first hand, something that is not easy to do when living in a metropolitan area. So every day millions of children around the world visit zoos to see for themselves living specimens of the animals they’ve learned about.

Unfortunately, for a center designed to showcase animal life, within its walls there is surprisingly little of it. Sad, unresponsive animals live quietly in rooms sculpted with cement and plastic to resemble the habitat most have never seen. Their faces are soft and unemotional as they mindlessly nibble at food scattered by their zoo keepers. Their quietly captive expressions reveal their instincts have been regrettably breed out of them.

As a child I used to love to visit the zoo. I wanted to see how tall giraffes were, how big elephants were and how fast a cheetahs were. Now on the rare occasion I do visit, I try to focus on the excitement that these animals, even in their catatonic state, give to children. I desperately try to give purpose to their lives. And when I leave, I feel abundantly thankful for my own freedom.

Ad of the week 6-22

Conde Nast Traveler: June 2007

Comment: And more bacon.

Serendipity

Definition: 1) an aptitude for making desirable discoveries by accident. 2) good fortune; luck.

The first time I ever encountered this word, was reading “Serendipity” by Stephen Cosgrove to my son, age 2…maybe 2 ½. It is a story about a young sea monster who finds her purpose in life: a guardian of the sea. He requested this book over and over and I found myself rolling the syllables off my tongue and enjoying the sound. But more than that, I like the whole idea of “discoveries by accident”.

In the 23 years since, I have found myself finding “serendipitous” moments and savoring them for what they are. And thinking to myself “That was really serendipitous”, again, savoring the word and what it means.

Tonight, on pure happenstance, as my husband was manipulating the remote to get us to PBS and the “Snooze Hour” (as my son calls it), he just “happened” to hit the channel that had a showing of Great Performances and Sting, singing 16th century ballads (Songs from the Labyrinth, music by John Dowland) . The music was phenomenal and, of course Sting, sings beautifully. We ate dinner to the most beautiful music I’ve heard in a long time. And it made me think of the term “serendipity”.

I have been reflecting on my last year, when my husband and I took a “year” off and traveled the West and a little bit of Europe. It made me realize that serendipity is out there, you just have to act on it. Our taking this trip was not serendipity. We planned, worked and saved to make it happen. Serendipity is finding a perfect camp spot and taking a narrow, hazardous dirt road to find a gorgeous valley in Colorado. It is also driving though a small town on the 4th of July, realizing that you are part of a parade through town, but not stopping to enjoy the experience. It is finding a vendor in Amsterdam who, while shooing pigeons off her bread, is willing to speak broken English to find out where you are from and enjoy the picture you share with her. (We didn’t buy any bread!) It is bemoaning the fact that you have to rush from Fairbanks to Whitehorse because the snow is pushing you southwards and you don’t have the time to stop and enjoy what you are discovering. It is finding a bar in a small town on the Dingle Peninsula in Ireland, that just happens to have a local Irish band playing for that night only and enjoying an evening of Irish music & dance. It is finding a ruin in the fog and you are the only ones there. It is arriving home, ready to take off again, but he perfect job is there waiting for you. What do you do?

If nothing else, listening to Sting tonight made me realize that Serendipity is every much that pink sea serpent…something wonderful to stop and enjoy…and share.

SWM Seeking Creativity Space

We all have places we go to find our inspiration. Whether we need a creative boost, need the chance to think or simple want to see cool new things. I know I can name at least five places I seek creativity. Can you?

1. Random Order Coffee House: When I need to focus on writing I go to my favorite little coffee shop on Alberta which features Free Wifi, the perfect amount of white noise and really really good blue berry muffins.

2. New Seasons: What can I say? I'm inspired by food...Good food. Especially when I'm making a meal for family or friends.

3. The Kennedy School Soaking Pool: For five bucks, I can sit in a pool of warm water. I close my eyes and let the thoughts bubble to my head. Only problem is no way to write them down.

4. Gifford Pinchot National Forest: When I need to clear my mind of all the craziness in this world, I need to get back to nature. A weekend camping in the Gifford Pinchot, a day hike past waterfalls or a drive on a winding road and I'm refreshed and ready to hit it again.

5. Google Images: Nothing like a Google image search to open my eyes to creative things in the world. My only advice: be careful how you word your searches...

Conscious Commuting

On my way home from work last Tuesday, I found myself caught in what has become an all too predictable traffic stand still. A burly guy in front of me was flicking his cigarette out the window of in his oversized truck. A harried looking business woman in the mustang next to me was shouting orders on her cell phone. The couple in the huge SUV behind me were putting a DVD on for their kids. I was tuning my radio to try to figure out why I-5 northbound was a stand still at 5pm on a TUESDAY. That's when it dawned on me. It's always like that. The major traffic arteries are always jammed in Portland at 5pm on a week night. There are thousands of people that commute to and from work at the same time I do, every day.

That night I found myself wondering why I commute. I know that the emissions that my fuel efficient Toyota Corolla produces cause environmental damage. I know that the rising cost of gas wreaks havoc on our economy. I know that my high blood pressure is due in part to a stressful commute. And yet every morning I get into my car and travel from my North Portland home to my Tualatin based office. Thousands of people make the same decision every day and drive to and from work and it is hurting Oregon. We're hurting Oregon.

I assume most people choose to commute for the same reason that I do: I choose to live in close proximity to my lifestyle rather than live close to work because I would commute far more to play that I do to work. I would love to live close enough to my office to walk or ride my bike, or even take mass transit. But to do so with my current job is unreasonable. So there I sit, at 5pm every weeknight. I'm caught in traffic with seemingly half of Portland and I'm hurting Oregon. As an eco-conscious, socio-economic aware Oregonian, I hate my dilemma. But what can I do?