Observations

Recent observations:

Men should not wear spandex. Even while running. Really big men should really not wear spandex. Especially while running.

The size of the sandwich they make you at the Au Bon Pain will be in indirect proportion to how hungry you are.

On the days you are running late for work, your cat will find and eat the one rubber band you have not diligently thrown away, guaranteeing that you will spend at least ten minutes cleaning upchuck kitty.

And of course, the one time you want to sneak out past Napolean's radar screen is the one day he take the five o'clock flight instead of the four. Of course, if you happen to be dressed up that day, he'll think you're going on a job interview and maybe he'll give you a better raise...

The Business Card Waltz

I went to a meeting of a new nonprofit group last night, The Taproot Foundation. The idea behind the organization is great -- get professionals to donate their time and their functional skills to help nonprofits accomplish tasks they wouldn't be able to otherwise - build websites, send out annual reports, identify a brand. It's a chance for nonprofits to get pro bono help and a chance for professionals to use their skills for the greater good.

And network.

I hadn't even walked in the door before I was assaulted with the handshakes and the business cards. I was asked, "who are you and what do you do?" but what they really wanted to know was what could I do for them.

We went around the room giving introductions. Why were we here, what interested us in Taproot. The answers ranged from, "I'm unemployed and looking to build up my contacts" to "I want to get a new job and am looking to network" to "I need to beef up my resume to advance my career and I'm hoping to meet new people in the industry."

Well, at least we're honest.

I confess, I was there to meet people too. Except I'm just looking for friends - like-minded people interested in creating a better world in whatever way we can.

I shouldn't be surprised - ask professionals to give of their time and true to any business cost-benefit calculation, they'll figure out what they can get out of it. An extrapolation of Darwinism or The Selfish Gene, I suppose. But it would be nice to labor under the idea that sometimes we just do things because it's the right thing to do.

How are those rose colored glasses working for you, Kalesy?

Acclimating - a dialogue

Mr. Zips and I are slowly learning to co-habitate. He is, at this very moment, in bed and (hopefully) asleep. While I blog. And watch Futurama.

Yeah, Futurama. Bested only by Family Guy. (You can't deny kids Sex Ed. If you do, they get all confused. Just look at Michael Jackson. "The kid in me loves the frosting. But the adult in me loves the kid in me!")

Anyway, it's a happy compromise so long as I continue to kid myself that he wasn't expecting any action tonight. I know he was, but since he wasn't overt about it, I can labor under the misconception that he wasn't.

What was he thinking? I did 7 hours of intense asana this weekend. I can barely move, much less make hot monkey love.

In a somewhat related note, a friend of mine called the other day with the message, "Where are you when I need someone to talk me out of having sex? Call me!"

What was she thinking? Was she really expecting me to talk her OUT of having sex? I mean, seriously.

Kalesy does love her sex. As long as there isn't a long-time companion actually asking me for it.

What's wrong with this reality?

Windbag

As a post script to last post -- Wind people tend to shift perspectives easily, be unable to be tethered to one consistent point, see the big picture but at the sacrifice of the details.

Know anyone who might fit that description?

And to think, all this time I've been calling my boss, Napolean, Mr. Windbag, completely unaware of how right I was.

It's Elemental

Warning: this will be another long, touchy feely post. If you're not into mumbo jumbo, stop now.

Today was another yoga immersion day. And once again I was hit over the head with a giant anvil of awareness. It's not an anvil I am unfamiliar with - I remember it well from my days of herbal classes, even from some of Hiroshi's old speeches. And so I am forced to wonder, how many times must I be hit with this anvil before I finally do something about it?

Deb was talking about adhikara - the qualities, competencies, and entitlement of the student - and how you can deepen your adhikara through self-knowledge and balancing action. Knowing yourself requires that you understand your qualities, which can be tied to the five elements - earth, fire, water, air, ether.

Ding ding ding. We seeing an anvil floating in the air above my head yet?

Earth people tend to be stubborn and steadfast. They do the same thing every day at the same time. (Or, say, the same thing every day of the week at the same time, at the cost of, say, going out to dinner with friends, or having a romantic night at home with Mr. Zips.)

Fire people are fast, quick witted, intense, inclined to transcend boundaries.

Know anyone that matches those descriptions?

Water people tend to be more fluid, more calm, accomodating, sensitive, compassionate.

Know anyone who lacks those qualities?

Deb went on to explain that to increase adhikara, one should not only play to one's strengths, but should cultivate those elements that one might be deficient in.

When I got home, I went through my old journals from herbalism class. I found this note on one of the pages. "Should take jasmine bath. Or maybe hibiscus. Increase water energy. Dampen fire. Come into balance."

Now, I'm sure that increasing my water energy won't fix all my problems. But I'm thinking it could help.

For starters, water is connected to the second chakra, the womb or belly chakra. Medititating on this, I was struck by how often I stand sideways in the mirror and grab my "poodge" (as I call it) and shake my head, thinking myself fat. Perhaps I might shift my perception and see instead a round, firm Buddha belly that, if not able to support a life within me (for I still don't want to breed) than perhaps can engender compassion and nurture for other lives around me.

So, there's clearly work to be done here. And realizing that is the purpose of walking this path of Anusara yoga, is it not?

Now if I could only find a way to embody this knowledge for good - to incorporate it into my DNA so to speak. Because my head's starting to hurt from all this anvil dropping. Damn Acme Labs...