Day 258 Tossing Pebbles

August 24, 2015

(If we live with an open and grateful attitude, every day will bring a gift. This is one of 365 gifts during the year I turned 70.)

 

Changing the way we see trees

A ripple cannot remain still. It must reach outward. One tiny wave affects another that affects another, and so on. Sometimes we cannot see where it ends. Its origin can be a breeze or a pebble. A ripple is a powerful phenomenon because it reaches far and wide, moves a floating twig and changes the way we see trees. If I see a leaf floating in a pond and want to touch it without actually swimming out to it, I can take a photo and touch it with my eyes or I can toss a stone into the pond and touch it with my action. 

Likewise, undulating moments in life create an energy that emanates with a word, smile, hug, touch—all those things cannot remain still because once we have spoken, someone hears and processes our words. Once we have smiled, it changes the landscape someone else sees. Once we have hugged or touched, the feeling transcends and touches other feelings. What we send out and what we receive has the power to change a narrative.

Tonight’s after dinner conversation with Kate, Regina, Tara and David permeated our space with ripples of the best kind, the kind that flows both outward and inward, creating a new personal cadence. 

Pass on the ripple.” ~ Tara Baldwin

 My gift today is a ripple.

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> Day 259: Spirit of Flight

You can find links to my other posts on this project here:

http://bjschupp.blogspot.com/2014/12/365-gifts.html

Day 257 Life's Binary

August 23, 2015

(If we live with an open and grateful attitude, every day will bring a gift. This is one of 365 gifts during the year I turned 70.)

There we were—ages 30 to 70, three Americans and two Belarusians sitting outside on my back deck, talking under the stars in Pasadena, Maryland. There were some pauses in the conversation flow to allow for translation between English and Russian and back again. We were people who grew up on different parts of the planet, under different governments and with different experiences. But bottom line, we are all connected. 

We talked not about the weather or other safe subjects, but about ideas and feelings, about fears and hopes. As planes from BWI flew over our house, as stars and planets appeared above our heads, as tree frogs serenaded us—we shared how travel changes us forever and how we can never go back to who we were before. We understood how important travel is to open our minds and to connect with those we always considered different from us. We agreed how important it is to venture outside of our comfort zones. I believe that life is full of continuums except for one binary. We are either growing or dying and we can only grow if we dare to explore.  

Before going inside tonight, I asked everyone to take turns pointing a flashlight at my lens and writing or drawing something. The result was a blending of each light writing. In the end, we are not so different.

My gift today is connecting under the stars.

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> Day 258 Tossing Pebbles

You can find links to my other posts on this project here:

http://bjschupp.blogspot.com/2014/12/365-gifts.html

Day 256 Good Energy

August 22, 2015

(If we live with an open and grateful attitude, every day will bring a gift. This is one of 365 gifts during the year I turned 70.)

Photo by David. M. Ettlin

The corner of Arlington Avenue and Hollins Street in Baltimore held a little magic tonight—not the normal rabbit from a hat trick but peace and happiness from the heart. Troy Staton was the conductor but everyone there held the magic as they connected with one another. In 2014, just outside his barbershop, someone was fatally shot just several feet from the door and then earlier this year, some events scheduled to take place in the area were postponed because of the unrest in Baltimore. Last night’s party reflected a more positive spirit like the one that emanates from Troy. The street was blocked off for a party, chairs and tables were scattered about, food smells  and songs of music surrounded the area. As it grew dark, people sat and walked about, ate, drank, talked with one another and hugged. Talked with one another.  This is a most important part of the happening tonight. Good energy permeated the scene.

An art exhibit hung inside the barbershop and spoken word performances rang out with passion and touched all who heard. Talent vibrated the small space inside. Troy’s son Rashad, who graduated from Morgan State University last year, organized artist talks and spoken word performances. At age 18, spoken word artist Grim Jackson held the audience spellbound, as did those who followed.

I wonder…how can someone focus on negative energy once they’ve experienced a gathering such as this?

My gift today is a night of positive energy.

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> Day 257: Life's Binary

You can find links to my other posts on this project here:

http://bjschupp.blogspot.com/2014/12/365-gifts.html

Day 255 Anything Goes

August 21, 2015

(If we live with an open and grateful attitude, every day will bring a gift. This is one of 365 gifts during the year I turned 70.)

"Anything Goes" exhibit at Gallery 788 with comfortable conversation area.

I volunteered to gallery sit this afternoon at Gallery 788 where I have four photos in the current exhibit, Anything Goes, and where Baltimore’s diverse talent shines. Owner Eduardo was busy preparing for another nighttime event.

This afternoon was quiet with a few interesting visitors. A small boy wandered up the steps to the second floor gallery. He was alone, appeared with an antique eggbeater and began to talk as if we were longtime friends. (The strangeness of it reminded me of the little prince who suddenly appeared and asked the downed pilot to draw him a sheep.) This loquacious child was confident and bright—really quite delightful. He pointed out that he had come up the steps by himself. When I asked him where his grown-up was, he said she was downstairs. After about five minutes his grown-up appeared, explaining that she wanted to give him some space to explore. In a few days, he will begin kindergarten.

Another artist who was gallery sitting, Allie, and I talked for a while. Then a tall, bearded black man appeared and jumped into a metaphysical conversation that included love, history, science, math, women... and more that eludes my memory just now. While I listened to Jorge Ekwueme reach out on tangents and miraculously pull diverse facts and ideas together, my brain skidded around inside my head, trying to keep up. Now I know what mental friction burn is. What is the origin of origins?

Anything Goes would be a good name for Gallery 788. You never know what might happen but whatever it is, it’s bound to be interesting and thought provoking.

My gift today is a metaphysical discussion.

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Day 256: Good Energy


You can find links to my other posts on this project here:

http://bjschupp.blogspot.com/2014/12/365-gifts.html

Day 254 Bank Giveaways

August 20, 2015

(If we live with an open and grateful attitude, every day will bring a gift. This is one of 365 gifts during the year I turned 70.)

PNC gift seeds bear blossoms on our back porch.

Banks have been giving away free gifts for many years. Sometimes it is merely candy, something husband David always likes. When I worked at Progress Federal Savings and Loan where my grandfather was president and my uncle was vice-president, customers would get gifts like free umbrellas when they opened an account with a particular minimum amount. I found it amusing that some customers would shuffle around their accounts at various banks so they had a constant flow of free gifts. It was almost a full-time job for freebies.

For the past couple of years, our PNC bank has been giving out flower seeds—cosmos, heirlooms, cornflowers, sunflowers, daisies. What does this say about a business and its philosophy? An umbrella will last until the wind huffs and puffs. Candy is instant gratification that disappears down the toilet and leaves a red (or other color) tongue. Seeds, however, represent an understanding of beginnings, roots, beauty and the future. Think about it. A tiny seed, nothing special to the eye, has the power to grow and to continue year after year.

When daughter Lauren was in elementary school, the age when children give presents to their teachers, one year she gave an envelope of marigold seeds to her teachers. A note was included about how seeds are connected with immortality. You plant. The seed grows. If they are perennials, they continue to grow every year. If they are annuals, you harvest the seeds and plant them next year. A gift that keeps on giving.

My gift today is a piece of immortality.

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> Anything Goes

You can find links to my other posts on this project here:

http://bjschupp.blogspot.com/2014/12/365-gifts.html