On a limb with Claudia

Last week, while walking with a client on the Cherry Creek Bike Path, a biker hit me with his hand. His hand out to the side, moving fast, his hand thumped my back. He hit me so hard that I fell forward a few steps.  I said a loud, “OUCH!” The biker zoomed off to join the crowd of ‘bike to work day’ riders.

Did he hit me on purpose? I don’t know.

Did he know who I was? I doubt it. My back was to him and I was wearing a jacket I almost never wear.

Was it an accident? No, I honestly think that if it was an accident, he would have stopped to see if I was injured.

So there I am – client talking about her issues, pain in my back, not sure if I’ve reinjured my recently recovering neck – walking along the bike path.

What is a kind person to do?

For a moment, I became an enraged victim. I have a spinal cord injury! I could have easily been seriously hurt. My client is a small woman. If he had hit her, she would have been injured. He had no right to hit me – ever – let alone for walking on a path designed to be shared by bikes, walkers, runners, dogs, and everyone else in between.

I chose to let it go.

One thing I’ve learned on this kindness journey is the lesson of hot potato.

Here’s a guy who, for whatever reason, decided to assault a stranger. In my imagination, he’s angry with all the amateur bikers. He’s worried about work or simply just angry about his life. Who knows? Maybe his wife found out about his trip to see his mistress in Argentina.

Anyway, he holds a hot potato.

Stretching out his hand, he waps me on the back. In this way, he transfers his rage and impotence to me. I become the enraged victim. By taking his hot potato, I am forced to carry his rage, impotence or simple indifference to another human being traveling along the same byway.

After complaining a bit to my friends, I decided to let it go.  I chose to give this small kindness to myself. By letting it go, I was relieved of the rage and impotence created in the act.

The only thing I carry is a bruise from where the side of his hand collided with my back.

Letting go is a gift that I give myself. Ultimately, by giving myself this kindness, I can maintain my own equanimity. I’m available to be kind and balanced to the people in my life.

~~~~~~~

Simply Kind Tuesday participants

Remote Treehugger – Kindness songs

Kim Smith – Benevolence

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“Luck favors the prepared.”
– Edna E Mode from the Incredibles

What can I say? I like the movie and lost this quote. May you be lucky this week.

Happy Monday!

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Summer is finally arrived to Colorado. Which means there’s plenty to do outside – gardens, picnics in the park, exercising, hanging out, bar-be-quing. Have you been out to enjoy the warm weather yet? I hope so.  I’m hoping to get the rest of my vegetable garden planted this morning, then spend the hot part of the day inside. We’ll see if I can get it done!

How can a Sunday start without Unconscious Mutterings? Well… it just can’t!  Who won last week? Jameil from (I don’t know why) She will get to choose between a signed copy of The Fey, a signed copy of Denver Cereal or a box of Girl Scout Thin Mints.

How do you play? Just answer the word prompts (created by Pea at LunaNina) in the comments. I select a winner using Random.org every Sunday morning. It’s really fun. And my favorite blog post of the week.

Your prompts to play with:

1. Guest ::
2. Impact ::
3. Unplanned ::
4. Tactic ::
5. Delayed ::
6. Bombastic ::
7. Comfort ::
8. Trumpet ::
9. Joe ::
10. Budget ::

My responses:

1. Guest :: House
2. Impact :: on my life
3. Unplanned :: chaos
4. Tactic :: al thinking
5. Delayed :: pain, delayed joy
6. Bombastic :: Fantastic
7. Comfort :: able life
8. Trumpet :: blarring
9. Joe :: Strummer
10. Budget :: ed Balanced

Thanks for playing! When you play, I’ll link to you here!

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CHAPTER TWENTY

Two weeks later
September 28 – 10 A.M.
Paris, France

“Remind me again why I cannot come with you?” John asked. He moved to stand behind her.

“It’s a tradition for the groom not to see the bride’s dress until she walks down the aisle,” Alex said. She made a face then adjusted her fake blond hair in the full length mirror. “Don’t you want to be surprised?”

“Oh love,” John said. He pulled her toward him. “Every moment is a surprise.”

They stood looking at each other through the mirror. They were staying in Max’s apartment in Paris. In a move that made more sense now, Ben sold his family’s Paris apartment to JAM properties when Max started working in Europe. The apartment, which had been in Ben’s family for over seventy years, was small, two tiny bedrooms and a bathroom, but had a priceless balcony overlooking the Seine from the tenth floor. Max was staying with Fran so they took his apartment.

“Plus you have your tailoring appointment,” Alex said. “Dr. Drayson can’t live in scrubs alone. Max ordered a couple of suits for you. You need to get them fitted.”

“Hmm.” He kissed her neck. “Why does Max get to go to your fitting? Doesn’t he need to replace his suits too?”

“He did that when he was here last. He wants to meet…,” she turned to look at him, “our siblings.”

“He’s never met them?”

“When we’re in Paris together, we want to be together. I’ve spent a lot of time with Ben’s family, but he’s never met them.”

Alex kissed John then held him to her.

“You seem nervous,” John said.

“I guess I am.” Alex turned back to the mirror. “It’s the first time I’ve seen Ben since we found out.”

John kissed her nose. “And?”

[...]

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In the last five years or so, it’s been one thing after another in our bee yard. We’ve experienced everything from Africanized honeybees, pesticides,  Varroa infestation, treatment resistant nosema, and Colony Collapse disorder.

Last fall, we made the choice to enter winter without the use of antibiotics, nerve toxin, and the rest of the chemicals usually used to treat honeybee hives. We took a risk, and lost four hives.

And one large, glorious hive survived.

This spring, I split off a few frames from this hive in order to start an new hive. Over the next few months, I took one or two more frames.

Yesterday, we received two new survivor honeybee queens from ZiaQueenbee.  I made an additional split from our survivor hive, so that I could put both queens in.

Here’s the queens in their box.

Here they are in the hive.

Please wish them well. With any luck, we can help the bees find a way out of this crisis.

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“If there is to be peace in the world,
There must be peace in the nations.

If there is to be peace in the nations,
There must be peace in the cities.

If there is to be peace in the cities,
There must be peace between neighbors.

If there is to be peace between neighbors,
There must be peace in the home.

If there is to be peace in the home,
There must be peace in the heart.”

Lao Tzu

As I watch the violence spill out of Iran, and know that this kind of violence continues in my own city, I can’t help but feel sad, powerless and ineffective. It’s only when I remember that peace begins in my own heart, that I realize the answer to my struggle.

Everthing begins with peace in our hearts.

I wish you peace in  your heart today.

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“The only measure of what you believe is what you do.
If you want to know what people believe,
don’t read what they write,
don’t ask them what they believe,
just observe what they do.”

Ashley Montagu

Happy Monday!

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Happy Father’s DAy! I hope today finds you celebrating the men in your life! Summer has finally arrived to Colorado. We’ll be out in the garden most of the morning!

This remains my favorite game. I love it when everyone plays. Together we create our own perfect, and unusual, chorus. You play by answering the word prompts (created by the lovely Pea at Luna Nina) in the comments.

Of course, when you play you enter to win either a signed copy of the Fey, a signed copy of Denver Cereal or a jar of honey. Last weeks winner? Janet from Fond of Snape. Janet recently had surgery and could use our thoughts and prayers.

Your prompts:

1. Divorce ::
2. Napkin ::
3. Camera ::
4. Leather ::
5. Fractures ::
6. Flip out ::
7. Coroner ::
8. Atomic ::
9. Liz ::
10. Leave ::

My answers:

1. Divorce :: sucks
2. Napkin ::s, cloth and colorful
3. Camera :: ‘s at the ready
4. Leather :: man Mini-Tool
5. Fractures :: Fractiles
6. Flip out :: man
7. Coroner :: Quincy
8. Atomic :: Cowboy
9. Liz :: zie
10. Leave :: it alone

When you play, I’ll link to you here! Thanks for playing!

Happy Sunday!

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CHAPTER NINETEEN

A week later
September 16 – 8 A.M.
Denver, Colorado 

“I call to order the meeting of JAM properties,” Max said.

“Do you have to say that every time?” Alex whined.

Max laughed at Alex’s distress. They sat together in a chair in the hotel suite’s sitting area. John looked up from a stack of papers to watch the twin’s make faces at each other. He sat in the middle of the couch.

“Let the notes reflect that we have guests. Cian Kelly and Eoin Mac Kinney are here to discuss a project,” Max said.

“Who keeps these notes?” Alex asked.

“We tape the meetings, love. We have for the last three years,” John said. He had to work to keep the exasperation from this voice. Alex attended their monthly financial meetings but never paid attention.

“He’s not a guest then?” Cian asked. He pointed to Raz, who sat down in a chair across from John.

“He’s a member of the corporation,” John said. “He joined a couple years ago.”

“There’s no ‘R’,” Eoin said. “John, Alex and Max, I get that.”

“They call him Art,” Cian said to Eoin. “Do you share our Alex’s ‘A’?”

“Something like that,” Raz said.

“Ew, Rasmussen is not his real name,” Eoin said.

He and Cian shared a look.

“What was that?” John asked.

“We’re just with the big boys….” Cian started.

“…and girl…” Eoin added

“Now,” Cian finished. “Cloak and dagger.”

“Spooks.”

Alex furrowed her brow at Cian and Eoin, then laughed.

“Are you going to pay attention this time?” John asked Alex.

[...]

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There was a time when I was a lot happier than I have been in the last month or so. I would get up every morning, write a blog post, visit my friend’s blogs to say ‘hello’ then writing stories or novels or whatever caught my fancy.

I didn’t worry about websites.

I didn’t worry about publicity.

I didn’t think about who needed this or that from me.

I never thought about bookstores or distribution or re-copy editing or next publication dates or  ….

You get the picture.

I find myself exhausted and fighting a twenty year old neck injury. That’s why I posted the Ted video’s yesterday. The second video really spoke to me.

It’s time to return to what I enjoyed – writing stories, visiting blogs, writing quirky blogs, saying ‘hello’ to friends. If you stop by today, please leave your blog address. I’d love to see you again, but I’ve lost track of some of your weblog addresses.

I apologize to anyone I’ve offended in my flurry of busyness. I hope I will be welcomed back with open arms.

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