Give & take like a baby

 This morning I was thinking and praying as I walked on my way to work, and something a friend and I have been talking about a lot recently came to mind, the open hand - holding what God gives you with an open hand that receives with thanks, but kind of offers back too.

It made me think of little babies, especially around the age when they start to do that thing where they bring you random things or food and want you see or partake and to be as amazed and pleased with the thing as they are. Then they take it back. They they give it back to you again, over and over and over. The child isn't afraid that you'll take the thing or use it against them, but in their innocence, their desire to share overcomes their desire to possess, if even only for a few moments, because the sharing makes the possession more full.

Sometimes I observe things in nature and they make me think that God put them in, just so that we would know that what He is like. This is one of those, I think. It's as though he gave very young children this mannerism for the sole purpose of teaching us the kind of relationship he wants with us- not to fear, not to horde, not to cling tightly, but to engage with him and marvel over simple things...I remember doing this as a child, marveling over the thing I shared, but as an adult having this exchange, my memories feel more deeply joyful, though I was not marveling over the thing, but the child.

Giving Your Life Away

I'm a student of Economics deep down to my soul. As luck would have it, I chose to major in ECON before I knew that. I love efficiency and the art of making things productive. I also grew up in a family that owned its own businesses -- knowing the empowerment and struggle of self-employment as a way of life. Lately life has been giving me a renewed love of small enterprises-- that risky business that costs a little more of your time and brain space, but gives you more than just monetary rewards.

We live in the world of the possible. I can communicate and transact instantaneously across the globe from the palm of my hand, and I'm not even rich. All this possibility, in my mind, sort of begs the question "what do we do with it?"

What am I doing with the best I have? How am I using my brain capacity? Do I write down those brilliant ideas and take the time to give them a shot, or settle back into the sofa for more re-runs of Seinfeld? They say if you do what you love, you'll never work a day in your life. Well, I think you'd probably find a few of your days "work" no matter what field you love, but certainly a lot less of them. It makes me wonder though, how many of us have really researched what it would take to do what we love, or given starting or participating in small business a shot? Do we really know what would it take to create our own wealth from something we have passion for?

Are we trading our dreams for something safer? In our attempt to avoid risk are we sacrificing that stuff that makes us feel alive?

What are your intentions?

People are funny, but usually it's when they don't mean to be. For example, I have a great yoga teacher, she is tiny, very flexible and good at teaching yoga. Also, I like her because she has a thick Russian accent and says "yah" a lot, so that keeps things entertaining.

The other day she came into class and said something like,"so I am going to make you guys work really hard today ok? Jhhussssst khhiiddhhhiiinnhhhgg" in sort of a forced wheeze laugh voice. Except for the wheeze laugh, I would've had no idea that it was supposed to be funny, but apparently that was her attempt at a joke.

However, later while explaining a pose, she said without skipping a beat,"so, for lack of a better term, you are going to put your heel right up in your butt crack, yah?" and I almost fell over laughing, but she wasn't phased. Completely missed it.

There is also another guy I run into at the yoga studio that is worth mentioning in this vein. The first morning I saw him I thought he might have been a hallucination. He is probably 5'8" with a seriously unhealthy amount of muscle mass, longish hair and sort of a confused look on his face to compliment his incredibly tiny stretch knit shorts (this morning they were purple and he had a terrible tanktop burn line). To say the least, he sticks out in a class full of girls with pink mats. You do NOT want to be behind this guy in down dog. The worst part was when I saw him coming out of the building wearing work clothes and realized he had no plans to shower before starting his day.

Now some people, myself included, might initially see this guy as an easy target. However, I tend to wonder if tiny shorts guy has someone looking out for him? Maybe instead of kicking him around, I should realize that he probably just needs a friend. Does he have a mother or a brother to teach him about body odor, personal hygeine, and limiting your personal creatine intake? I wonder what his intentions are? Did he mean to have that hairdo or did he just stop trying? What are his fitness goals? Does he actually like little purple knit shorts, or has he just been deceived into thinking that they are acceptable?

Dear tiny shorts guy, if you are reading this, can I offer you a more substantial workout wardrobe? Some aloe vera? A nice cold shower?

Olly olly oxen free

The market's tough on an aspiring young professional like myself. Long hours. Pressure to talk a big game when you know it's just talk. You can get cut from a hiring pool for next to nothing. Some people have an 'in' and once they get it, it's like "olly olly oxen free!" they

just let themselves go. Maybe it's jealousy or maybe I'm right when I tell myself I'd do better. I any case, a recent conversation made me think of this.

Leoni: "I cannot understand what is happening with Chelsea Clinton's teeth. How is it possible that they look so atrocious and her family has so much money?"

Me: "I know it's like get them fixed or move to England."

Silly salad eaters

I find it astounding that in a city that is supposedly full of some of the most highly educated people in the world, it is quite common for people to pay $4 ($3.86 + 10% DC luxury tax) for a 14 0z. container of iceberg lettuce with a single slice of cucumber, carrot, and a radish with ranch dressing.

Carl Warner

What exactly do these individuals expect to gain by ingesting such "food products?" My guess is that they think it's healthy. Sadly, they've gained neither nutrition their body needs, nor the benefit of lowering their caloric intake.

Conclusion: education does not equal intelligence. I base this on salad pricing.

You know, the little 'a' with a circle around it

Being a young professional can be quite trying at times. For one thing, a large portion of my time is spent performing tasks that could easily be done much more efficiently with simple machinery, like an answering machine (although it lacks a certian charm which I believe myself to posess on occasion). Recently, while executing the most crucial of charges, answering the phone, I encountered a gentleman who was having some trouble.

"I've recently become a client of your firm," He said," and I'm trying to send you some information in an email, but it keeps bouncing back."

"All right sir, what email address are you sending it to?" I ask.

"www.joeslawfirm.com"[name changed for privacy].

[This is the part where I had to go to great lengths to keep my professionalism intact.] "Sir, I am very glad you asked my help because think I can help you solve your problem. What you have actually been trying to send your information to is a website, not an email address. An email address does look quite similar to a website except that it will say 'person@joeslawfirm.com', you know, their user ID and then the little 'a' with a circle around it. So just try adding that first part and call me back if you are still having trouble."

"Oh, yeah, I... that's what I was going to say. I've seen those little ones like that before. I know about the circle, so that was going to be my next try."

The best part of the story is that this man was in his early 30s. I have no idea how that is possible, but yes, it is a very true story.

The note writer

In junior high I was not the most popular. However, I had a few redeeming qualities. One was note writing. Everyone knows that in grade school and junior high it is cool and exciting to pass and get notes from your friends at all times, for all reasons.

Note writing has become something of a lost art as we've grown older. I was good at it. People who didn't even like me told me so, and that's a big deal in junior high. I wasn't good at sports, I was easily one of the most unfortunate looking, but I could write a two pager complete with artwork that everyone in the class loved and would pass around for days.

I have many reasons for making this attempt at sharing my thoughts on the world wide web, but as I go on, I think the old days of sixth grade philosophy, priceless scribble drawn cartoon commentary on the events of the day and my mystical ability to call something what it was in a way that could make my sworn enemies cackle will inspire the vision for this blog. I have no theme, or if I do, it is yet to be discovered.