Hi Everybody!
Karl, I want to thank you for putting this blog together. Just days before, Trale asked me if I thought it would work to do a Round Robin via e-mail. I replied that rather than having our turn to write be contingent on someone else writing something, we could assign everyone a particular week to write, and go around the Robin every six weeks. I can't think of a better way to do it. Can you? Of course, any of us can write at any time, and we don't have to write anything on our week -- but I hope this framework will encourage us to communicate at least once every six weeks.
Week 1: Trale, Michael, and Joy (8-31)
Week 2: Patty, Phil, and Steve (9-7)
Week 3: Ken, Gladys, and Marli (9-14)
Week 4: Ensign, Linda, and Miles (9-21)
Week 5: Becky, Jon, and Connie (9-28)
Week 6: Amer, Lisa, and Andrea (10-5)
It looks like I may not be able to keep my job at the hardware store, or maybe that they will offer me a position that pays less, instead of the one I've been doing. One of the things I have to do twice a week as the person "in charge" of the tool department is make a list of all the out of stock items (usually about 100 things). If there's an empty hook or shelf space, I'm supposed to scan around to see if the item was misplaced on another hook, or if there are any double tags. I haven't done very well at finding items that are missing. Mike told me today that they're looking to trim people out of the company anyway and that I'm the next person he's looking to trim because my accuracy is so poor.
It seems like my vision has been steadily and speedily deteriorating. I was having trouble on the job and at school because I needed my medium-range vision but my bifocals were only set for things very close and very far away. A couple of weeks ago I got a pair for close and intermediate range, which is actually what I need for almost everything I do, although it's weird to wear them because everything that's more than eight feet away is a blur. So I switch my glasses out a lot, or try to get by without wearing either pair. And that's okay, as long as I don't have to read anything.
Last Friday my truck and my bicycle broke down. First it was the chain on my bike. Then my battery died. The truck's okay now, but the new chain I put on my bike is slipping, and I'm thinking I'm going to need a new derailer.
I've been reading Hafiz lately, picking out the poems I especially like, and here's one of them:
TODAY
I
Do not
Want to step so quickly
Over a beautiful line on God's palm
As i move through the earth's
Marketplace
Today.
I do not want to touch any object in this world
Without my eyes testifying to the truth
That everything is
My Beloved.
Something has happened
To my understanding of existence
That now makes my heart always full of wonder
And kindness.
I do not
Want to step so quickly
Over this sacred place on God's body
That is right beneath your
Own foot
As I
Dance with
Precious life
Today.
Tell that to my out-of-tune guitar! But it does help remind me of what I want to feel, enjoying the ride even if it might be bumpy at times, and not to sweat the small stuff.
Love,
Stephen
OK, I'll put 9-28 on my calendar and try to remind myself every 6 weeks. bummer about the eyes. sure it's not macular degeneration like Mom had. I like the Poem and commment. Thanks for that.
ReplyDeleteHi, I'll put 9-21 on my calendar to write my blog. That is really too bad about your job. Hope you can find another one, but that might not be too easy. The poem is thoughtful, thanks for sharing it.
ReplyDeleteLove, Linda