Catch the Bagel

It was a warm summer day. Folks were gathering outside to enjoy the sun. The church service had ended and I was at my favorite spot selling cake and bagels to hungry congregants. I love feeding people. Finally the end of my volunteer shift came. All the cake had been gobbled up and all but one of the bagels. This last bagel was huge. It was also a trick bagel. Bagel purists would look at it with a squinchy eye. "What are the brown specks in the bagel?" they would ask. Some thought ma"Maybe the specks were blue berries. "Were they?" Some thought they might be raisons. I would solumny shake my head and then lower the boom. The brown specks were chocolate chips. Now some of you might say "Oh chocolate chips. O.K." But not bagel purists! Nobody who truly appreciates bagels would EVER eat one with chocolate chips. I can't explain exactly but you just do't do that to a bagel. So the huge bagel sat there all alone on the plate. Warming in the sun, until...

As I gazed at the dwindling crowd and thought it was time to pack up, I noticed a pair of big brown eyes peeping over the ledge of the table. They were staring at the chocolate chip bagel. Then, before I could do anything but smile, a little brown hand snaked over the table to the plate where the bagel sat, and snatched the bagel off the plate! The little fellow then grabbed the bagel with both hands, it was almost as big as his little face and sniffed it. At that point, all thoughts of retrieving the bagel fled from my mind. To further cement my decision not to interfere, he then took a big bit out of it. The bagel was his.

Then a woman with a look of horror came running toward him. His mother I presumed. I quickly assured her he could have the bagel, for free. He'd already taken three bites out of by then.

I thought about the little guy a lot as time went on. I admired his determination, his commitment to grabbing what he wanted. He didn't ask permission. He didn't hesitate or second guess himself. He didn't do all the things grown-ups do that keep us from achieving or getting what we want in life. He was single minded, clear and gutsy. I thought about the times I hesitated, questioned myself, doubted myself. I wondered what would happen if I just reaching out and grabbed it, whatever "it" was? What if I stopped second guessing myself or doubting myself or questioning my abilities, my gifts, my dreams and just WENT for it? Granted I wouldn't get everything I wanted but I'm guaranteed not to get it if I let self doubt and fear overcome me. That little boy had nerve! He grabbed that bagel and enjoyed it immensely. He was munching on it all the way down the street as his mother towed him to the car to go home. If he can do it why can't we who are so much smarter (?), bigger and more equipped? Why not?

Painting with Passion

Why would a singer talk about painting, unless she is also a painter. Painting and singing jazz have one big thing in common. They are both creative efforts. Another thing they have in common is that skill is involved. Yet, without passion, skill is enjoyable but lacks a certain essence that only the heart can bring.

Several years ago I saw the Picasso exhibit at Seattle Art Museum. The one painting used to advertise the showing was marvelous. It was rich, abstract, striking, energetic and colorful. It was unique among the paintings being shown for reasons I couldn't quite identify until I left the gallery. Then it came to me, I could literally feel Picasso thinking as he designed and painted the abstracts in the gallery. He was well known, as you may know, for his cubistic approach to form, especially the human figure. However, the painting of the woman used in advertising the show, although abstracted, still had a separate energy that caught my attention. Picasso had had many mistresses, probably all of whom he had painted. This mistress, however, was said to be one who had her own mind and Picasso couldn't control her. So rather than feel his thinking as he abstracted her form, I imagine what I felt was his emotions about her. Those emotions made the painting far more compelling to me than the more thoughtful ones. That is a long way around making the point that skill is important but to be most impactful, a creative endeavor also needs passion!

Just Sayn'

Dim Sum Friday

I love having bits of this and that to eat! It's like going to a Dim Sum restaurant and discovering what's on the carts! I love all those choices.

I have been an appetizer fan ever since my father used to bring my sister and me hors d'ouevres from the parties he and my mom went to. I would pop out of bed when they came home to see what he had brought! My favorites were the little bar-be-qued hotdogs,deviled eggs and cheese squares! I still like deviled eggs and cheese to this day.

So this is an assortment of thoughts...bon appetite!

Be Here Now

You are out to dinner with a friend. The cell phone is on the table. The friend glances at it frequently. Now they are taking a call. Now they are talking. Now they are still talking. Finally, they hang up and keep glancing at the phone. You ask if here is an emergency or some other problem? Nope. Just addicted to the phone.

When I've told people I know, that I find having to compete with their cell phones annoying, they give me an amazing amount of excuses as to why they and others do it, including having attention deficit disorder or needing to be in touch with ALL of their friends ALL of the time. Really? How do YOU feel about that Dear Reader?

On the Bright Side

I mentioned before that I have declared this year to be the best year of my life. I did this once before and it truly was the BEST year of my life when I looked back on it. I also looked back on the year after that and discovered it was pretty darn good too! But setting an intention to make this the best year makes me more conscious of how good my life is right here and now.

When I woke up this morning I asked myself "What work do I need to do this morning?" My energy went down. Then I asked myself "What do I need to do that would bring me joy as I did it?" Writing this note to you, Dear Readers was the answer. So here I am, enjoying communicating with you.

Back to Be Here Now

Part of making this the best year of my life is being fully present to each moment. Wherever I am, whatever I am doing, being fully into it. Sometimes I say to myself "This is as good as it gets!!" And it brings me into the sweetness of that particular moment. Compare that to saying "Geez Loueez, I wish this were over so I could do something else". When we do that we are setting ourselves up to experience unhappiness. I like "This is as good as it gets". It makes me happy. What about you Dear Reader?

Off I Go

That's it for now. The best criticism of the bad is the practice of the better.

Carpe Diem, Mes Amis!! Pamelagrace...signing off from the road to immeasurable happiness!!