Thursday, January 31, 2013

R E S P E C T ... just sayin

RESPECT; self, others, opinions, thoughts, ideals, earned not given. Boosts self esteem. Learned through life lessons.
 
1
: a relation or reference to a particular thing or situation respect
to an earlier plan>
2
: an act of giving particular attention : consideration
3
a : high or special regard : esteem
b : the quality or state of being esteemed
c plural : expressions of high or special regard or deference respect
s> s>
in respect of
chiefly British : with respect to : concerning
in respect to
: with respect to 
with respect to
: with reference to : in relation to
...
Heard most often when listening to the old school singing of Aretha Franklin's hit, 
 
Seemingly very old school these days indeed at times, yet something valued by most cultures, most tribes, most families and long missed by many. R E S P E C T 
Still attainable, still taught in many homes and workplaces, in communities. Yet, often hard lessons for many to learn, hard role models to find that demonstrate the value in and the importance of.
R E S P E C T 
Truly not a hard thing to grasp, yet many thing it is something to be granted easily and not have to work a plan to achieve, nor to strive for excellence in actions to maintain. Funny that thought, that one can demand respect or think that it odd when they find another fail to respect them when their actions or lack of follow through leads the actions of another to not respect them!
Respect is earned through the behaviors and actions of others; trust is often paramount in earning that respect; actions often speak much louder than words. We witness the behaviors of those we hold in esteem, as role models and somehow model our own decisions and thoughts after them as children or young people, formulating our beliefs accordingly, our dreams and hopes and our values of respect, honor and truth telling. Thus respect or lack thereof is born. It thrives on truth, on hard work and on the ultimate desire to be better than we ever thought possible.
Remember how Aretha belted out the song?

"What you want, baby I got it... All I'm asking for is a little respect" ...
And so it goes, we all make choices of how we live our lives; in respectful and right way relations or we do not. We teach others how to treat us, and we teach others how to treat others and whether or not they will show or command respect by their very actions in each step they take. Right way relations can be easy if each word is uttered in truth and each step is taken on the right road, knowing that there will be bumps and at times we all will hit the ground. How we rise and dust the dirt off is what makes us or breaks us, we decide that in respectful ways or we do not. Who we associate with and the habits we pick up along the way, the mannerisms and behaviors become something we ultimately must own.  And somewhere along the line, we must decide if we are deserving of the distinction of respect by what we give and that will become evident on what we receive.
It is in the giving that we receive more.
It may just be at times our children are not being taught respect, not being held to standards that allow for conversation, for education of life's lessons in those formulative years of wonderment. We are losing the Elders and wisdom keepers who could easily say, "lay down that phone, that gadget and tell me what do you want to be when you are grown, what are your dreams and how do you want others to treat you.. and then tell stories of how robin got its red chest.  We are losing the ability to explain the importance of "working the plan" and then describing the plan to our kids and having the fortitude of following through on seeing it through with them and for them to make them see the value of love, of the gifts of the heart in respect, care, compassion and kindness to and for something greater than the moment.  We may just need to go back and remember, how we wanted it better way back then and now act upon it, remembering the pride of ownership when a smile touched our souls as youth over something as kind as handing another our hand, in opening a door, in extending  a hand, in community service by teaching those who now seem to not be engaged with community.
R E S P E C T 
..
We may do well to clean our own filters on that very word when we type, talk, engage, honoring our differences in and on views, opinions while agreeing to disagree yet doing so with respect.

Yes, old school and respect, can come around to the new respect if we choose wisely and use it well.  Look around you, listen and follow through.
 Respect; each to their own view and being open to being wrong at times now a days and accepting people as they are is the "new definition" the urban view so to speak. It means not "dumping on anyone" just because you are having a bad day, or are too lazy to do what you need to do, so it seems. The "urban view" and the "now" is not so bad a definition.
It is all that and so much more.

It is being kind to others ALWAYS, and it means walking your road in a good way an honorable way.  One thing is certain, it is something that is serious and not to be taken lightly. 
 “The secret of a happy life is respect. Respect for yourself and respect for others.”
  Ayad Akhtar


 

Walk in Beauty
DRSES      

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Flu Epidemic and BUG sweeping the nation

Yep, we've watched the news, seen the map colored in a shade of red to indicate this years' outbreak of FLU... and oh boy they haven't been joking us or just trying to scare us.
Yet there also seems to be a band of those menacing "green men" we see on the commercials that have now multiplied and managed to arrive from the East Coast to the West, and all the many states between to set up residence in the bodies of many along the way.
And from a few aches over the course of a few days, once we settle down and sit down it just hits.
WHAM/BAM and that's about it.
Misery sits in and the green men play the blues, and the kleenex come out.
From talking to folks in CA, in NY, and in between it seems that the aches turn into something quite wicked, a bad sorta wicked as symptoms mimic the flu, yet it is a "bug/virus" and it lingers.
Those who manage to make it to a waiting room of the doctors find themselves in germ infested areas of shades of barking, sounds of sickness and end up with prescriptions of antibiotics and worsening conditions after sharing what they already had differently with those who are already with it, or those who were too sick to be out and in public.
Some will venture into work as they are needed, out of sick leave, or told "it's ok, just come on in", and spread their lovely green men with others and immune systems will be compromised and the loop widens this winter of 2013. Those voices are strained as weakness and laryngitis join with the "crud" and words of "I'm sick as a dog" are echoed from coast to coast, as their dogs run around gaily in the house, or stay nearby offering slurps and support.
The shelves at the grocery are slimmer where gatorade and ginger ale and chicken noodle soup usually abound along with saltine crackers.
Steak is plentiful, now that tells us something about how folks are feeling!
Middle of the week, at the end of the month, and soon to be the main event of the Super Bowl.
A fine time to be down with the "green men in your body syndrome".
Better to be careful though of how much you complain or think about it, or talk about it.
The new DSM 5 manual is soon to be printed which has a new diagnosis code for folks that will devastate those with physical illness in it; making it seem they are mentally unstable or ill and diminish the reality of their physical illness in the eyes of physicians and insurance companies.
Do tell you may find yourself with an anti-depressant or psychotropic drug to treat this lingering virus or flu the way the new "bible of psychiatry" is written.
...
Yes it can have and will have devastating effects on millions of people with physical illness, chronic illness, hard to treat symptoms.  
...
Back to this bug,
it is a hard one to recover from it seems, one that rest and liquids seem to be the only way to treat properly.
Gatorade, water, rest, and the constant eviction notice to the "little green men" to vacate the premises.
They sure are a stubborn lot those green men and seem to love a party, to invite more of their friends, and did I mention they love the night life within your very body?
...
Just doesn't seem right to me.
  
They even brought a woman into this, no wonder it is such a "wicked bug" to contend with for those all over the land!
Be well dear ones, get well, and try to take best care of you.
Hope you have lots of kleenex and all the comfort things you need around you to feel better until you GET BETTER!
 
Walk in beauty
*thanks for all the wonderful birthday wishes for Dot/Mom/Cob yesterday*
I hear she had an outstanding day and night!

DRSES
                   

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

January 29, 2013 a day to celebrate

Let the celebrations begin... It's Dot/Mom/Cob's birthday! Let's hear it for her outfit, her hair, her guitar... and no she can't play it, not that you would want to hear it, but oh can she hold on to it!
Let's hear it for her today as she celebrates her day by hitting the streets early this morning on her birthday to head out to the YMCA and hit the pool for her swimming lesson and take to the waters.. and was able to swim the length of that pool to the applause of her peers and her coach/teacher there! With no funny faces, nor fear she took to the water and did her thing, maybe this year she will swim through her fear and emerge the swimmer she has always hoped to be. It's her birthday!
After drying off and receiving those hugs and words of encouragement she was then off to the Nursing Home to volunteer; where she was as I sang out a rusty rendition of "I hear it's your Birthday", and she of course had to throw it on speaker for residents to hear it... all wanting to then tell her stories of their relatives and their singing abilities as I sat and waited on hold for a bit. Oh well, it's her birthday ... thankfully you don't pay for those long distance calls anymore (or do you)... Almost time for her to call bingo there; as they were rounding up the residents, and oh they love to play Bingo! Since it's her birthday she will probably sweeten the pot and throw in a $5.00 high stakes pot for the lucky winner today! Oh yes, today is the birthin day of the Dot/MOM/Cob, and yes I am blessed beyond measure as she stomps into a new and wonderful surprised filled day and year doing her thing and running the roads.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM, thank you for all that you are to so many!

 From trying on hats at Disney, to walking on the river or swimming in Lake Tarpon and then swearing the gators will use her for bait, or that we were trying to feed her to those very gators! She is filled with spirit, with life and now is working hard to make a little boy's dream of basketball come true as they travel all over the place and away and he plays for NRV ELITE, she stays busy she does. This evening all will celebrate her with dinner at the Outback, and who knows they may just laugh their way through to desert as well. It sure is hard to surprise her with a delivery I'm thinking as hot as she keeps the roads there, but the try is on. We'll see how that works out!
 It's her day to be celebrated and to do as Granny would tell you, "as she pleases" which  she does quite well!

It is also the birthday of Landon Korabek; the son of Susan and Greg Korabek, gone too soon. A day that he is now remembered, always cherished and a day that is to also be celebrated. A day that they gave birth to a son, a day that they shared so many precious memories and bestowed love and happiness with and set a foundation for, provided love within walls of a home with. He was one gifted with a guitar, a sense or humor, and a boy who loved to run on little boards with 4 wheels to the delight and amazement of others.  He zoomed, he took risks and loved the thrill of it all. His fingers flew on the frets of a guitar and music was in his very soul. He had a wicked sense of humor, mixed with the boyness of youth in sarcasm that we all have seen in every youth since the beginning of time, some of course inherited from his "wicked cool parents" of course ... He was a trickster, a fun loving kid, and this day is the anniversary of the day of his birth now celebrated in the next place as he watches his brother, his parents, and those who love him make sense of his sudden and needless death.  From trauma they are healing through advocacy, through action, through powerful sounds of music that will help others. From speaking out and from continual action steps to benefit others with scholarships for music, from advocacy with N.O.P.E with monies raised at the annual Landon Korabek One Love JamFest held here in Palm Harbor. Let the music heal and those who come enhance community as parents and a brother, families and loved ones continue to heal their pain of loss and keep Landon alive in hearts while his death stands for something greater than his short life on earth. Happy Birthday Landon; May you dance on the clouds today playing your songs for the angels and our Creator as you watch the miracle of your parents at work here on your behalf and as they heal.
Yes, you can tell the way Landon is holding that guitar vs the way Mom/Dot/Cob was holding hers... they may share a birthday today, they both may have had a guitar; but. Well I don't need to go further with that train do I? haha

So then, happy Birthday to all who share this day, both here and in the Next Place, celebrate, dance, dance dance; this is YOUR day.

Sending you gigggles and kisses from here to there on your special day and for those who gave you birth along with those who are taking a moment to wish you a Happy Happy day.

Walk in Beauty
DRSES