What happens in Vegas hopefully propogates to other places....

Last week, before going to Baltimore to my son's graduation, I went to Las Vegas to attend an annual national conference on alternative fuel vehicles and technologies. This was my 5th trip to Vegas since September of 2009, as I served on the planning committee for the conference.  For a while it seemed like I was going out about once/month for planning meetings.

The conference was good.  I made some more contacts in the industry and connected more deeply with those that I already new, especially a group of very smart ladies. I moderated a panel on climate change, led a couple of small tours within the Expo Hall, learned some great stuff  in the sessions I attended, and did some effective networking that should benefit my work at my day job and on a couple of non profits in which I am engaged. 

Generally, it feels like there is momentum building in this area.  Whether due to the economy, to a concern to lessen our dependence on foreign oil, concern for the planet (my motivator), or simple capitalism, OEMs and other companies seem to be putting more options out there that  will achieve greater energy efficiency and/or use non petroleum fuel and product sources.   I am hopeful for this influx of attention to this cause.... and glad to be involved, if even in the small ways that I am..  It's important stuff.

Connections and Transitions

My son graduated college last weekend. It was a longer process that I had hoped, but his grades are good and after changing his major, and losing data for his senior project at the 11th hour, he finally finished!  I couldn't be prouder of him.

About eight of us, including his dad, sister, myself, some of my siblings and his cousin were able to attend the graduation which was lovely. He attended Morgan State in Baltimore, an HBCU ( historically black college/university).  The ceremony had a cultural flavor that non HBCU's don't-- very uplifting, like attending a black church.

It was a lovely, sunny day- great for an outdoor event in a stadium with overflowed capacity. I'd guess there were a couple of thousand graduates on the field, including post-grads so I coul only tell what section my son was in until the engineering college lined up to walk to/across the stage and have their names recited. 

The one magical  and most memorable moment that is indelibly imprinted in my being is seeing my son then ( who simultaneously saw me).  We waived to each other and in that second, as the thousands of other folks around us faded away visually to me, I felt the powerful connection of an invisible ambilical cord between us.  It was just  him and me for that second.

Just as quickly, that moment ended and I was keenly aware of the meaning of this right of passage into adulthood for him.  Though still my son, he is no longer my boy.  He has become a man in whom I see much potential.

Awakening

I started reading Eckhart Tolle's A New Earth during my flights to/from California this week. I had bought the book some time ago, back when Oprah and her webinars had created buzz about it, but was too busy to begin to read it at the time. I believe it not be a coincidence that I "chose" to pick it up at this time, when I am open to the growth and healing that it can facilitate.

Early in the book, these words resonated with me:

...Life will give you whatever experience is most helpful for the evolution of your consciousness. How do we know this is the experience you need? Because this is the experience you are having at this moment.

What a powerful lense through which to view each thing we experience, whether good or bad!

This book is rich in insights and wisdom which I hope to manifest in my life. It explains fairly simplistically how to change negative patterns of behavior that we all have established over time.   It provides context for some lessons I have learned already, affirming the spiritual awakening that I've been blessed with to date; shines light on aspects of my being where more transformation is still needed; and, provides guidance on how to achieve further transformation.  I expect that it will be well "dog eared" from continued use over time and that I will read other writings by him.  I'm also likely to share copies of his writings with loved ones.

Commitment to Step It Up

I paid for the next eight week session of Tai Chi classes today. I'll be taking the class twice week to the extent that "fires" at the job don't get in the way.  They are lunch time classes at the workplace.  I've put them on my Outlook calendar in an attempt to block off the time but sometimes conflicts and reprioritization are inevitable.  The classes are on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  I plan to walk during my lunch breaks on M, W and F's  as frequently as possible, and to use my Total Gym at home.  Not quite the personal trainer option that I had once considered,  but a doable increase in activity, nonetheless. Hopefully, I will deliver on this commitment.

A Missed Opportunity

I will be traveling the majority of this week to participate in a Transportation Research Board (TRB) synthesis panel meeting in Southern California: leaving on Wednesday, attending a one day meeting on Thursday, and returning to New England on Friday. 

Usually I take advantage of work trips such as these and extend my stay to either visit with some friends/family in the area or to do something touristy.  Since my USAir flight to and from Irvine involves changing planes in Phoenix, I DID look into delaying the second leg of my return trip and spending some (all?) of the weekend with MB in Phoenix.  She was happy with the idea and I haven't seen her since Vegas in November.  Modifying the trip would have added cost that I assumed  was too much to be covered, but to be honest, I never explored whether there is a way for me to pay the differential.  I didn't have a lot of time to explore the options when I had to book the trip. I regret that now.

Seeing MB always lifts me up.  She's funny and nurturing; always has pearls of wisdom to share from a recent book she has read and from dating experiences.  She's probably the most feminine woman ( girly girl) that I know, a quality that I had once, but have lost over the years.  Despite that; our age difference ( at least 15 years); differing politcal inclinations; religious/ cultural backgrounds ( are there any black folks in Flagstaff where she grew up?); physical appearances (she's a curvy blond, I'm an overweight, dreadlocked black woman for whom my hair is not a style, but an identiity)--- I feel a real sisterly bond with MB,  one that transcends those superficial differences.

Whether a jewelry purchasing jaunt,  a gathering at her home in MY honor,  department store makeovers, trips to the nail salon or local day spa,  recognition as a "dignitary" at a Phoenix Chapter event, or a host of other fun things --hanging with MB is always positive.  Shame on me for missing an opportunity to get together this weekend.  It would have grounded me to deal with some of the rat race back home. Now I'll have to wait till she comes to Boston in July.

Home Improvements

When the kids were with me there were always higher priority expenses to attend to:  braces, tuition, etc.  Now that the kids are grown up, I am finally paying much needed attention to "this old house" of mine.

I bought the house in 1992 at a good price because it needed work then. It has three apartments, including a studio in which my father currently resides. I have almost always had extended family as tenants.  I had undertaken some cosmetic work from the beginning - painting, mostly, but also repalcement of exterior doors and some windows. A big investment a few years ago --- replacing the antique furnaces (There are three of them).

About a year and a half ago I embarked on a focused effort to accomplish some much needed improvements to my home.  I started by purging a bunch of clutter that had collected in the attic.  I filled a 40-yd dumpster in a couple of days.  I hope to purge my basement in similar fashion this spring.

 
I have upgraded the electrical service to the house, and replaced a gutted kitchen, bath, and bedroom in the last year.  Along the way, I  developed a degree of expertise at finding materials inexpensively which allowed me to use the majority of funds for qualified laborers.  I now know folks at nearby building supply outlets as well as at the big box places like Lowes and Home Depot.  The discovery of which I am most proud is a non profit organization that takes donations of quality used and new building materials ( a tax deduction for the donors) and sells them inexpensively accomplishing two worthy goals:  keeping good stuff out of the waste stream and making it easier for folks with limited means to upgrade their homes.  I bought higher quality kitchen cabinets from them than I could have afforded new. When they are refinished ( the next project) that kitchen will be done and I can move on to the next bath/ktichen renovation--this summer, I hope.  I also have some important landscaping needs to address this summer.


Purging.... rebuilding...strengthening...beautifying. Despite the stress involved in getting these things done, the pride in fixing the house is very rewarding.  I feel a connection between me fixing the house and fixing 'me'  (Getting my physical and spiritual health back also involves purging, strengthening, rebuilding, beautifying, etc).  I had ignored both  the house and my health for too long.

Civic Responsibility

I attended a 'meet and greet' with the standing governor at a friend's home yesterday.  He has recently begun campaigning for a second term. I have been kicking around the idea of getting involved in the campaign this time around for a while. I committed to do so yesterday.

Like his friend, President Obama, Governor Patrick won his 2006 election by a grass roots effort focused on change.  His slogan ( once borrowed by President Obama) was "Together We Can." Like President Obama, he was successsful in engaging sectors of the voting pool who traditionally haven't been very active ( the young  and poor, parts of the state outside of metropolitan Boston for example) ...and like President Obama, he has had a difficult time implementing the change that he campaigned for, in large part due to staunch resistance of the legislature ( for Obama, Congress) to changing the the status quo.

Historically, I have not really very been interested in politics.  I HAVE had an acute awareness of the fact that in another generation, I as a woman and African American, would not have been allowed to vote,and it has caused me to exercise that privilege regularly but frankly, the choices between candidates and parties didn't seem to matter so much until recently.

The things that are important t me ( the planet, education of our youth, the economy, health care among them) are at grave risk. I have to do my part.