Monday Can Be A Perfect Day for Thinking!

It’s one of those Mondays...

It’s a grey day, full of wonderings for me...

Why are so many people, 3 million, following Charlie Sheen on Twitter and buying tickets for his up-coming live national shows? His two in New York at Radio City sold out in 30 minutes...What is he selling? He talks about WINNING, but what is he winning? Are people just eager to see how a celebrity drug addict can continue to hold the public’s attention? Is he a live reality show? What is he offering his audiences?

Meanwhile, in Japan an entire way of life is changing for thousands of people, as everything they’ve loved and owned has been destroyed. They seem to be helping each other survive day to day, which surely is a giant form of winning for them. There’s a generosity of spirit that’s showing up in their daily interactions, that we would be wise to pay attention to. What if...that kind of pervasive tragedy occurred in our country? Would people help each other and share their food and shelter?

What if more people lose their jobs in America? That’s like having a giant personal earth quake here, as families become fractured and can’t maintain their emotional or physical balance and style of living. I've seen and heard more and more personal stories coming from job lay-offs lately, and there doesn't seem to be any cure for this in the near future.

...these thoughts are about how fragile life can become for any of us... I am watching to see how different forms of change effect people and how they choose to survive, I call this "attentive living."

My Japanese Soul Is Hurting Lots These Days.

Whenever I talk about the nine months I spent in Japan, living with a Japanese family, hanging out and working with a Missionary family and absorbing a new culture and a new way of being, I feel as if I'm back in Sapporo again. That time was so super special for me.

And now when I look at the pictures of the devastation that's happening there, I just weep and feel like I've been punched in the stomach. I can't even imagine how changed their lives are going to be.

I've heard back from my Japanese family in Tokyo, who are really alright but shaken up more than they've ever been.
I've asked what I can do. I shall write more about this.

March Brings My Birthday and Thoughts of Japan, as Time Flies.

My birthday's in March, so it's always a special month for me. I wait for it to arrive, always say that I'm going to celebrate all 31 days, and, suddenly, it's April 1st. I know that time is going faster, because I've read that it is so. I think that I can almost feel it's fleeing...I look at the clock one minute, do something quickly, and another hour's gone.

I did have a wonderful birthday week-end this year, though, filled with family and friends. I got to spend time with all three sons during the month, for which I am most grateful.

My 22nd birthday brings back a flood of memories. I was a new bride, and I had the great, good fortune to be able to live in Japan for nine full months. My husband had been sent to Sapporo by the Army. He'd been drafted right after he'd received his degree in economics. The Army made him a telephone repairman. Luckily for us, he got a strep throat, when he was about to be shipped overseas, was hospitalized and re-assigned to the payroll department of the Quartermaster Corp. Lots of economics there. Lucky break.

The Masaki family took us in, let us live in their upstairs, treated us like their own kids, and celebrated us and every holiday that came by. On my birthday in Japan, my mother sent the recipe for my favorite chocolate cake and a very special lady baked it as a surprise. I carry the memories of my time in Japan in my soul.

The cherry trees have already blossomed in Japan, giving that country magical qualities for the month. That phenonmeon is given great attention annually. I've was there at that time of year. It is like fairy land. The Japanese celebrate grandly with parties, picnics, poems, songs. They realize that that display of nature is really something and spectacularly memoralize them with song, drink, togetherness and cameras. It's wonderful. It's a great family time. I shall go again.

The school year's almost coming to a close. People are thinking about their summer vacations, already, and soon June will be here...Oh, Mother's Day does fall in-between. If I had enough resources, I would celebrate this Mother's day by taking my entire family to Kyoto, and the southern parts of Japan for as much time as we all could eke out...

I know my family's full of all ages now, which could make for interesting decisions about what to do and see. I wonder how long some could be away from their texting and social net-working.

It definitely takes some negotiating and listening to travel with family these days. It's best to know that there are lots of different needs and opinions in one's "tribe." Perhaps, it's worthwhile to operate very democratically and take votes on everything. And if the minority doesn't like what the majority wants, they have permission to secede and go where they want, as long as everyone shares at the end of the day. I could handle that. I know that I would win some and lose some. That would be ok, too. I would be savouring everything all over again and with some new eyes.

Tomorrow's another Monday. Best I get ready for it.