imagine

As I return to work this week after a break, I must remember the importance of imagination. That is really what it is about... I hope to inspire and ignite the mind. My wife and I saw this wonderful sculpture in Kirkland on Saturday and I hope to keep it in mind for the rest of the year. On the previous mention of synchronicity, I did read a modest mention of a red ball in an article in Wired magazine over the weekend. I will keep my eyes open.

red rubber ball

After rediscovering the song Red Rubber Ball by The Cyrkle on iTunes, I have been hearing it on and off in my head for several days... Watching The Prestige (on Thursday?) I noticed the role that a small red ball plays in the theatrics of the transported man trick... I am keeping an eye open for more synchronicities.

spring is...

this too...

...shall pass... Going through a very rough couple of days with work. Life completely off balance and I fear I am falling. This candle - a gift - is to remind me that this is but a moment and will transform into something better...

a magnificent shimmering light

This weekend invited me to step back from my stress and remember to try to live in the moment. It is so hard for me to do. Walking through a parking lot in the light rain on Saturday afternoon I spotted the beautiful thin-film pattern. The way light manifests itself is truly wonderous.

Oh the shark bites!

Yesterday I was fascinated that this toy from my wife’s old office could bring such joy to a group ranging in age from sixteen to eighteen years old. For a magical 40 minutes one could hear exclamations of surprise and fear as these young adults took turns pressing down a tooth. It was a wonderful time.

flow within to create movement

battery, magnet, wire... yields motion

Fearful

A surge of adrenaline as I notice a blind spot… Closing one eye and then the other to see if it is really there… Looking around the room at walls, books, my laptop or TV screen, any text to see if it is really there… If the spot is growing it will soon no longer stay hidden and I must face the inevitable fact that I am experiencing stage 1 of “my” type of migraine.

Hope of Spring

Today has been wet and rainy... After the sun on Thursday and Friday we have returned to the normal experience of Winter in the Pacific Northwest. However, the promise of Spring is all around in the form of sprouting bulbs and small buds on the trees. Amid such budding branches I spotted this nest outside of my school. May it provide a warm and safe home for a family of birds this Spring...

Before the Darkness

Afternoon light appeals most to me. Looking out of the front window this afternoon I saw the warm rays of the setting sun as they illuminated a huge cloud in the distance. Soon afterward darkness settled over the landscape. I hope for a sunny day tomorrow.

Wonder in the Dark and Cold

Upon opening the freezer door I am sometimes rewarded by the gift of an ice spike or two in my ice cube tray. It never seems to be more than two, and I always thought that it might have something to do with a slight vibration in the fridge. I investigated online and found that the occurrence of the spikes has more to do with the quality of the water and the ambient temperature than anything else. I hope that I continue to find the wonder and beauty in such discoveries.

Remembering

Saturday was a beautifully sunny day – a jewel amidst many days of clouds and rain. Lizzy and I decided to take advantage of the gift of sun to head down to an Old Town beach and search for sea glass. Breathing in the fresh air and soaking up the sun reminded me of the importance to connect to nature and to release the stress which has been building in my life. As the water crashed into the ruins of an old factory, I carefully walked along a narrow path uncovered by the low tide. I discovered no physical treasures – just the realization that I must walk on the beach and in the woods often.

Try, try again

Last time I ventured into these waters was about 9 months ago after my Dad’s visit. Now I am writing again about the visit of a parent – this time my Mom. I am blessed to have both parents alive and (relatively) healthy. It has been wonderful to see each of them in turn. I was to see them at their home in Colorado during the Winter holidays, but the weather interfered. Mom’s visit inspired a trip to our local Museum of Glass – a wonderful place with some fantastic art. I was impressed by my Mother’s knowledge of glassworks due to her work in sales for a company that specializes in ceramic crucibles for use in the glass and mining industries. It was great to see her and I hope to see both Mom and Dad again soon!

A moment to cherish and an opportunity to breathe…

Today was a special Father’s Day for me as I was able to spend it with my Dad for the first time in several years. For sixteen years I have lived far from my parents and it was through the love and thoughtfulness of my Mom that my Dad secured a ticket for his quick jaunt to see my wife and me. It is a great and special opportunity to reconnect in a very personal way and to be able to listen to his great stories and funny adventures. Thanks, Dad! (Thanks, Mom!)
While he is here I am constantly offered the choice between worrying about my upcoming summer work and living in the moment. It can be a challenge for me. I hope I reach a point where I do not regularly fear being unprepared for my job… This time with my Dad is such a special gift. I must remember this and put the *living* of each second ahead of worry about future moments.

Tipping Point

With all of the press surrounding An Inconvenient Truth, I was reminded of the concept of the “tipping point.” On the radio I heard Al Gore interviewed regarding the film and he mentioned that the term can describe the moment at which human consciousness about a problem reaches critical and a majority of people suddenly become aware. It could also be used to describe the point at which a runaway reaction of the environment begins, although I do not know if it is used in this context in the film (I have not seen it.). In my own life I have wondered about a personal tipping point that was reached sometime in my last job. Up to and surrounding that point I see a fuzzy haze and I do not know what specific event or events triggered the change in my personality that has led me to become a more impatient and agitated person. I remember a specific moment on a specific day at which I felt extreme contentment and joy. “This is where my life should be.” I also remember wondering about how long it would last. Something(s) having to do with my work – something(s) that invited me to feel powerless and helpless. I don’t have clarity on what triggered the tip… I know that after that point and ever since, I am more easily frustrated by the everyday mishaps that are simply life. When something minor in the scheme of things trips me up, I wonder why I have negative emotion and do not easily let things slide. Why is it so hard for me to take my wife’s advice to simply breathe? Why do I resist and lash out? I am sorry that she only knows me after the tipping point because our relationship suffers for my lack of perspective and inability to roll with the punches. I cannot easily put aside the concerns of the day or tomorrow or next week and just live. The artwork that she created for me for my birthday reminds me to live in my life. That is my goal…

An unusual setting

Yesterday’s beautiful weather temped me to take my lunch to a magic spot about 5 minutes from school. With iPod in shirt pocket I made a triple check of class times and then headed out to a trail along Puget Sound. Once there I settled upon a vantage point overlooking the water and the Olympic mountains in the distance. The clarity of the air allowed for a spectacular view of the snowy peaks. Right below me construction continued on what I think will be a huge golf course. Just raising my gaze above this site I am privileged to witness birds soaring over the waves before landing in the tops of towering Evergreens. To cap off the lunch experience, I listened to the song "Into the West" from Return of the King. This evocative tune was appropriate as I thought of the contrast between the timelessness of the mountains and the changing landscape below me.

Difficult choice made easier with time

A memory that plays on the outskirts of my perception was formed on a warm summer night when I was nine or ten years old. I fondly recall the darkness, but do not remember stars. From the roof of my house I was preparing to watch fireworks launched from the tallest local hill. The hill was toward the West and off to the far East a thunderstorm was raging. It was far enough away that the thunder could not be heard, yet the lightning bolts could be seen and the clouds would light up spectacularly on the horizon. I was torn between the two options – watch the blazing and magnificent fireworks show, or gaze in awe at the awesome natural display. I think I finally compromised and watched a little of both. If I were given the option of reliving that night, I would take my new iPod (a gift from my parents for my birthday) and settle in to watch the majesty of the electrical storm. I have an idea for the music I would program for such a night…

Inspired (and a little afraid) of superposition

In Unison

Where once only toes were covered
Now an entire foot submerged

Waves unite and rise in
Celebration of the passing craft

Likewise swiftness is rewarded with a
Crack like thunder

Or a
Soft blue glow

The lightest free charge
Beats light

[as diversions provide opportunity]
In a race through water


In sympathy with the toe in my poem, I begin my participation in Poetry Thursday - somewhat fearful of the waves. Watching the NOVA episode Einstein's Big Idea provided a bit of the inspiration for the poem. Einstein's fascination with light resonates with me. I did not know that the use of c for the speed of light may be an association with the latin word celeritas (swiftness) - this may provoke an interesting teaching moment.

Mystery and brisket

On the outskirts of Austin, Texas I remember a strip mall bookstore that used to be part of an independent chain. I heard that they were bought out by Barnes & Noble, but in the early 90’s the store already had very much the same feel as a B&N. For some reason that place makes me think of night and lights and film noir. I am sure that I never bought a pulp novel there, nor is there any conscious reason why such an association exists. The memory is strange. Sometimes on an evening when the sun sets early, my thoughts tend toward a stylized thriller set in the 40’s or early 50’s. Maybe the loneliness of the place lends itself to such mental connections. If I continue far past this bookstore I may reach The Salt Lick barbeque restaurant in Driftwood, Texas. I probably visited there even fewer times than I visited that bookstore, yet I have a slight yearning to travel that road again.

The difference a year makes

At times the difference between “the young” and “the young +1” can be paper thin, while at other times it can be as large as the void between galaxies. At the moment it is certainly the latter as “the young” deal with the known (tackling problems already seen) and “the young +1” deal with the unknown (struggling with concepts that defy brains evolved in an apparently three-dimensional Universe). Questions for “the young” include: What does it mean to have a 1.5 volt battery? What does that tell me about the nature of electricity? Why is a 12 volt car battery more dangerous than the 3000 volts that I cause by shuffling my feet? Questions for “the young +1” include: What effect does speed have on time? Is it possible to visit a star 400 light-years away when the average human lifetime is below 80 years? What is the connection of gravity to time? The fact that time is not absolute and that a person’s relative motion places them within a different time stream is hard to grasp – perhaps even impossible for the mind to truly believe? The question that arises most from both groups: Will this be on the final?