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Happy Father's Day 2011

There is no doubt that it is around the family and the home that all the greatest virtues, the most dominating virtues of human society, are created, strengthened and maintained.

- Winston Churchill

 

This is one of my favorite photographs from my family gathering in San Francisco during the Memorial Day weekend. It's a picture of my dad and me, sitting in the window seat of my parents' hotel room, with jackets and bags strewn on the bed. The lighting washes out evidence of the time of day and I was unaware of it being taken, so it feels like a snapshot of a memory.

Just a short time ago, at least in my mind, my dad was the one who went out into the world and brought back information and experiences to teach and entertain his children. Now that we are grown and scattered across the country, and dad no longer ventures too far from home, we bring bits and pieces of our world back to him. Although our roles have been exchanged in that sense, he is the original. We, his children, are the variant years and models. Never is it more apparent, than when we are all together. Line us up and the brand speaks louder than any of the ....enhancements.

It is my wish, that the gleam in his eye is partly due to a reflection of his own image; that he sees a bit of himself in each of his four children and that we bring bits and pieces of his world back to him.

To Fred and all you dads out there, Happy Father's Day

(June 19, 2011)

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Note: I love the above photo for its "my daddy and me" commentary but truth be told, I was actually showing Fred a series of adult cartoons. :D Priceless!

Flirting with Life

Traveling is like flirting with life. It's like saying, 'I would stay and love you, but I have to go; this is my station.'
-Lisa St. Aubind de Teran




I'm physically back in Kona but still seem to saunter in and out of several time zones. I never know when I'll have to lay down and go to sleep, but do so willingly because I know that this will pass within a few days. As I sift through the remains of the past two weeks, this picture underscores the theme of the entire trip. Every day brought us to a new place, every place brought new experiences and so we never ran out of reasons to Cheer.

I'm happy to be home, yet find myself clinging to that expectation of daily wonder and adventure. Like rising after a deep and complete Savasana, I don't want the effects to fade so I'm plotting to experience the same, everyday, right where I live. Cheers!

Photo: Cheers to the Travel Angel with Bellinis at the Hotel Splendido in Portofino, Italy. Left to right: Ann Hill, Caitlin O'Neill, Barbara Uechi & Christine O'Neill.

Flying Away

Not knowing means to be open to all eventualities, to not prejudge a person or situation. If your mind is full of preconceived notions, there is no room for an unbiased view. It is like when your hands are full of objects - you cannot pick up anything new. A closed mind causes separation and suspicion. Like an umbrella, a mind is only useful when it is open.-From "Zen in the Workplace: Approach to Mindful Management", Tricycle, Summer 1996.



A few days ago I turned a year older and gave thanks to a body that continues to improve through yoga. I'm always pleasantly surprised when I move into poses that felt impossible a few years, even a few months ago. Then, during a long conversation with a friend, I caught myself continually moving into position to reply, rather than just listening to what was being said. My mind felt old and cluttered and I felt the urge to wipe away worn out beliefs and opinions. What a perfect time for a vacation!

Tonight I fly to Barcelona and I'm looking forward to new and different sights, sounds, scents and tastes. When in France and Italy, I want to re-view those places once visited, but this time with a wider focus. I'll be spending time with friends I've known for decades (do not read "old") so I'll listen to hear them speak in a different voice, if they choose. Then when I fly back home to Hawaii, I'm going to unpack my memories slowly and fold them neatly away so that they'll always be accessible, but not clutter the rest of my new year.

Photo: A former umbrella shop in Barcelona by Juli Modul

The Wishing Formation

To sit patiently with a yearning that has not yet been fulfilled, and to trust that, that fulfillment will come, is quite possibly one of the most powerful "magic skills" that human beings are capable of. It has been noted by almost every ancient wisdom tradition. -Elizabeth Gilbert

I was sitting at my desk computer a day after flying the friendly skies from New Jersey, back home to Hawaii, and recalled my pre-trip wishes. Although my parents were more than capable of making the trip by themselves, they pinned me with the trip guide nametag and holding that bit of responsibility in mind, I wanted (1) our luggage to arrive along with us, (2) a safe and comfortable journey and (3) a super-memorable visit with my brother and his family. Just those three things.

Well they all came true! Never mind that we sat in the plane in Kona for nearly 90 minutes while a mysterious leak was being investigated (better than springing a leak over the deep blue Pacific). Never mind that my dad forgot his week's supply of meds (his daughter-in-law skillfully got them replaced before the end of the day). Never mind that two taxicabs collided not far from where we stood in Times Square, injuring six people (the six of us were there the day before). Yes, never mind all that, I got my three wishes. My brother Jason, his wife Heidi and their son Kai, must have had more wishes that also came true because we had a wonderful and perfect time.

It all sounds selfish, I know. But I haven't yet developed the power to wish for, and receive, the safety and well-being of the entire planet. Planes still crash, cars jump curbs and some people just can't get along with each other. But I do pretty well within my own sphere of influence and I think with a little practice, I can expand my reach. Imagine what a group of like- hearted-well-wishers could accomplish!


Here's something from Confucius that you won't find in a fortune cookie:

"To put the world in order, we must first put the nation in order; to put the nation in order, we must put the family in order; to put the family in order, we must cultivate our personal life; and to cultivate our personal life, we must first set our hearts right."

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NOTE:
There are many ambitious trials being done to prove the power of collective intent. The Intention Experiment, working with leading physicists and psychologists, continues to study the effects of focused wishing for philanthropic results such as physical and psychological healings and environmental improvements. The Global Coherence project, by the folks who make my favorite emWave device, are in the process of examining "how fluctuations and resonances in the earth and ionosphere's magnetic fields affect or are influenced by human heart-rhythm patterns, brain activity, stress and emotions." They admit that it is a grand quest, but I like to weigh the implications.

Photo: i go2thegym

Mo' Bistros?

Amy Ferguson, owner of O's Bistro, is off to Paris. She promises to stay in touch through her blog, sending us thoughts, photos, and recipes. Bookmark her blog and watch her trip unfold. There's already a Chocolate Mousse recipe on her November 11 post and she's not even done packing!

Photo from my March '06 trip to Paris.

Mologogo

I am sixteen years ahead of my brother Jason, who was born just before I started my senior year in high school. Now that he lives in New Jersey and works in New York, he is 6 hours ahead of me!

I'll never get over being his big sister, a position that no one will ever usurp, and find comfort picturing him as he waits for the train each day: it's sunny and peaceful, like Kona. It all changes when he rolls into New York. The city ignites every latent thought because all of your senses are tested, at the same time.

During my visit, Jason told me about a guy who started with a red paper clip and traded up for a house! Quite creative and energetic, I thought. But wait, that guy has a brother, who's now going to hitchhike through all 50 states in 50 days! What's more, the Hitch50 guys may be followed by viewing the map on their site, via Mologogo. Jason and Chuck Fletcher are responsible for that.

I like the fact that I can view all of that movement and energy, 6 hours behind, in sunny and peaceful Kona. I wonder what Kyle and Scotty's mom thinks of all this?

Chasing Rainbows...

To be interested in the changing seasons is a happier state of mind than to be hopelessly in love with spring.
~George Santayana

I left Kona on Thursday and met my friend Annie, in San Francisco. After an overnight stay, we got up early for a flight to Chicago. We patiently wound our way through the security lines, quickly chewed our breakfast and rushed to the gate only to find our flight delayed by bad weather at Ohare.

After waiting a couple of hours, we finally took flight only to land in Chicago to rain, lightning, hail,and wind. Our connecting flight had left us behind, and the next available flight was cancelled.

The rainbow at this juncture was an overnight stay at the Four Seasons Hotel in Chicago and dinner at Spiaggio's Cafe. Before you think that it was an airline provided consolation, the news in the morning showed other stranded travelers in cots set up at the terminal!

Although we had no luggage, we had an awesome Northern Italian cuisine dinner and a comfortable night's sleep. Shortly after 1:30pm on Saturday, we were successfully in the raining skies headed for Pittsburgh. Once landed, we drove south to Morgantown, West Virginia, where I'll be for a few more days. We are staying at a beautiful lakeside home brimming with happy people and gregarious dogs!

Thunderstorms and lightning bring blue skies and rainbows! I know this to be true.