100% REAL WORDS

AN EVENING OF DIVINE DINING

2011-08-14T17:56:00.000-07:00

Have you ever stepped out with the idea you were going to make a dining experience an adventure?

Tonight was such a night. I walk into this place which is a culinary jewel buried within a chain hotel. People don’t know about this place, and if they do, they assume it to be something it isn’t just because of where it is and what they think it is.

The old adage, ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’ holds true for this place. It’s the little restaurant that could. It is not a diner. It is not a chain. But rather it is a tucked away place where graduates of Le Cordon Bleu have an opportunity to refine their culinary educational experience on a level that is expected to please business travelers who teleconference; while hometown brides-to-be who tap into the hotel’s catering for their big day. It’s also where the city’s wealthy chamber of commerce utilizes the facility for upscale for their snootiest of society events, which no one cares about except for the relatives of those whose faces make the local newspaper.
So needless to say, this is not your typical hotel dining experience. This is something taken to another level, but if left to experience it on a path of reinvention and rediscovery – it could actually change your world.

As I sit by the window, I am automatically given a romantic setting as a waiter lights my candle flickering in a frosted votive, caged by rusted/distressed, coppery ironwork with vines and leaves that almost scream to me as if they knew I was coming. My signature style resting on table, paid homage to my love for modern-day chic with artistic, unexpected rustic flair. The linen table cloth needed ironing in its’ fold-marked peachy hue, the napkins were crisp though, simply folded without the swan or fan extension.

When presented the menu, as a glass of ice water was poured without a single drip, with the kind of ice your teeth love, because it’s slightly crushed, so you need not fear of any enamel damage… I was delighted with the black leathery bound menu’s selection. Usually when I dine, I like to order something I won’t go through the trouble of making for myself at home. And there isn’t much that I won’t go through the trouble of making unless it’s live seafood (I feel sorry for the live crustaceans and what I am about to do them) or something which requires artful preparation or the assistance of a skilled butcher.

It was evident what I had to do since I was nowhere yet near the ocean, I had to order the rack of lamb, but opted for the half-rack in order to indulge in the dessert menu which was already capturing my sweet-tooth motivated eye scan. But before I could do this, the waiter presented me with the Amuse Bouche – a lovely salmon, green onion, cheesy creation adorning a quarter-sized toasted sour dough round. Bite-size love, compliments of the chef. Thank you. Fantastic.

As dishes started to arrive… I noticed something very interesting. The five of diamonds. Why was this catching my eye? The dishes were square… and the next set of dishes I purchase are going to be square. Huey Lewis is echoing in my brain “It’s Hip To Be Square”… indeed it is, especially when you position the squares to where the dish points point to you and outward energy across the table, in the diamond position. I counted the number of dishes doing this on the table between the bread plate, the dipping plate and spare, the amuse bouche, and my just arrived starter course. Five diamonds. Most people reading this would think I have some sort of Rain Man residue, but truthfully, I don’t. I just happened to notice this and I have no idea why.

The starter course needed to be a salad – perfect for a balmy summer evening. Baby greens, with sweet grape tomatoes, crumbled blue cheese with candied pecans, dressed with a white balsalmic. I was content as my plate arrived seeing something familiar to me. Years ago I attempted to create my first-ever ‘cucumber ribbon’ salad, with lovely artistic wide ribbons of cucumber. They look so lovely and creative. My salad arrived with a thicker ribbon actually wrapping itself around my bed of greens – as if it were a present. It was delightful to see the creative chef create something that was to be opened with care and enjoyment. The frisee and baby red lettuces couldn’t help but peek out. It made me smile to see validation on a plate that, such an attempt with a ribbon was presented with the exact effort and creative passion I felt as I enjoyed it.

The pairing offering with the half-rack of lamb was, to my pleasure a pinot noir. While I enjoy all wines, and have most recently crossed over into the organic wine fan base, I was interested in trying this La Crema Pinot Noir. Pinot Noir wines are the highest maintenance of wines to produce, they take longer, more focus and care to create. The grapes themselves are antioxidant rich black grapes and the buzz today is that this is the healthiest of wines to imbibe, for its cholesterol-reduction benefits and cancer prevention. So of course, logic and pure passion enable my lips to say ‘yes, please…I shall indulge.’ When it arrived, the bouquet was lovely, berry notes and yet when sipped, velvety and smooth… surprisingly rich and not overpowering, the acidity was relatively low and while it had an earthy elegance to it, it wasn’t heavy. Perfection in a glass. And I am no connoisseur, nor am I educated by any sophisticated sommelier, I just know what I like. And this was it. I couldn’t be more pleased sipping on this as I awaited the arrival of my lamb.

I hadn’t even received my entrée yet, but I was content. And not just for the choice I made in taking myself on a culinary adventure, revisiting my intense love for fine food – but with the new epiphany that had just floated across the table. I realized that while one is going through hell of reinvention, rediscovery and trying to find life’s navigation bar of where to go next and how to find the path of smiles once again after enduring a rut of stale detours… it became evident this occasional splurge is well worth its own indulgence. Why? You get back in touch with senses and simple pleasures lost in the rat race of everyday life.

We don’t often get an opportunity to stop in our tracks and enjoy things. We don’t notice things like details, mannerisms, artistry, special care taken to do things a certain way for the pleasure of others or even for ourselves. It gets missed driving through drive-thrus, brown bagging it or cramming something from the cafeteria line down the hatch to fill the hole. What we miss is the real deal --- of something WHOLE, COMPLETE, AUTHENTIC. Why? Because we’re too darn busy doing and going through the process of what we think is important in life. In the end we need to realize that life is here and meant to be enjoyed. Every part of it. This is not to say we must do something decadent or extravagant to get the same message. My epiphany could have been from a New York hot dog vendor on the corner, who took the time to make sure relish didn’t saturate the hot dog bun. But the message, regardless, of where you get it is clear.

So onward and here comes the rack of lamb. The waiter apologetically said that he hadn’t forgotten about me. Truthfully, I hadn’t noticed. I was too busy having epiphanies, sipping my La Crema Pinot Noir and contemplating life and life choices for happiness and what the heck that truly means.

The lamb was lovely, cooked to perfection…the sexy medium rare pink tender bits were juicy looking and beautiful, savory crust, velvety centers, divine. I appreciated that the bones of the chops were not dressed with the fancy white paper frilled décor. The dish appeared simplistic and elegant, and yet uniquely Californian sitting atop a bed of peppery arugula. The triangle of soft goat cheese in the center was almost reminiscent of fresh brie in texture, which made a lovely compliment as I created my own bread, tomato, arugula, goat cheese bruschetta of sorts with what ingredients presented themselves on my plate and at the table. Lovely, not heavy. Perfect dinner.

A nice hiatus post-meal, gave me time for life reflection and dessert contemplation.
Isn’t it horrible to have to choose between a buttery lemon tart; a red velvet pie and a long list of other desserts to die for?

I ended up choosing a Tahitian vanilla crème brulee topped with fresh berries, but as I took my first bite the beauty comes from what I thought my instinct told me was an umami taste. I asked the waiter and he became wide-eyed at the question of ‘what it could be.’ And like a little kid raising his hand in class anxious to answer he said “ooh, ooh, I know, I know …” But before he could tell me what that umami was, he first praised my palate and said I would be the first person to ever question and that I should take note in the fact I have great culinary senses. He then told me the berries were soaked in Grand Marnier…….ah yes!

The crème brulee was smooth, creamy, comforting and the torched crusted sugar top was caramelized bliss with just the right amount of crunch and brittleness to the bite The berries were a lovely sweet-tart compliment and the dessert as a whole wasn’t heavy, but rather refreshing and palate cleansing to the perfect meal.
As I took a sip of my black Torrefazione Italia coffee, I rejoiced in what was a lovely evening. It was a moment to sit back and enjoy the pleasures of what life offers we don’t usually allow ourselves to indulge in.

What did I learn about myself during this meal? I learned that when you are comfortable in your own skin, no matter where you are, you can take the time to stop the clock and take part in something amazing. You can allow your creativity to be enhanced and ignited by the very things that make you happy and feel excited about life. And above all, your own sense of being, sense of living and sense of grace can be brought forth to your own attention as you say grace and are thankful for the daily blessings of life and what it has to offer.

Give us this day, our daily bread…. Just be sure to make sure you’re enjoying every bite along the way.

© 2011 Queena Verbosity 100% Real Words
Media Monster Communications, Inc.
Stacey Kumagai
http://hubpages.com/profile/mediamonster http://www.braingasm.com

ROCK SOLID AND IN TOUCH

2010-09-09T06:46:00.000-07:00

Growing up, my ears became synchronized with Casey Kasem’s American Top 40 Countdown radio program. I particularly always loved his signature sign-off “Keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars….”
Generally speaking, most people know what this means. But rarely do people apply it once their hands actually catch a star they reach for. I’ve seen many talented people throw away the very star they catch simply because they forgot to keep their feet on the ground… they forgot to stay grounded, and stay rock solid and in touch with where they came from. It’s easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of good news, great opportunities and possibilities and lose sight of what matters, especially when clouds roll in and you can no longer see the stars.

I observed the behavior of squirrels recently. It was here the message became very clear. When the squirrels find nuts, they stash them away to enjoy later. But they never give up searching, looking and working hard to find more nuts or take the one nut for granted assuming it will be enough to sustain them. This is not greed. This is preparation for survival.

Once they have inventory, while it may seem like hoarding, they are not hoarding really. I watched a squirrel befriend another and share the supply. I also became mesmerized when I saw that this same squirrel observed the boredom of another and ‘played catch’ with a nut in its shell, rolling it back and forth between himself and the other squirrel. Shortly thereafter, he was back out there gathering once again.

What this demonstrated was how the ‘workaholic’ squirrel still managed to keep his feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars…. Er…nuts. He took a time out to connect with his peers on a genuine level of generosity, giving of himself, before going back out there to pound the rocks/pavement of life. What he managed to do was strike a balance between work and social. And he didn’t rely up on social networking to do it. There was no Facebook. No Twitter. It was real connection.

I believe that while technology is great, that sometimes we forget the lost art of the social fundamental tools without technology of staying rock solid and in touch. Educators will tell you that kids today are lacking social skills of real conversation in real time in person and that they do not know how to communicate their needs face-to-face.
And in a world where we can go a whole day without in-person connection, this worries me about future generations and their ability to get along in the world unplugged.

There are people who live in places with severe weather conditions who go for days without power. There are people who live in places where the culture is about sitting on the porch and connecting with other human beings about life. There are people who live in places where they cannot afford the luxuries of online connection or even have the time to be on the Internet 24/7. My only hope is that these people are the ones who re-educate our society that you can actually have a conversation with your own family at the dinner table by opening your mouth and talking after you’ve kept it closed chewing your food, rather than Facebooking and Tweeting the fact you won your soccer game today.

It’s been awhile since I last blogged. But I have been practicing what I just preached. I unplugged. I think sometimes that’s how the world should be.

Stay rock solid. Keep your feet on the ground. Don't forget where you came from. Stay in touch while you gather your stash of nuts. Try unplugging and getting a little squirrely... it can be liberating.

Namaste.

http://www.100percentrealwords.blogspot.com
© 2010 Queena Verbosity 100% Real Words
Media Monster Communications, Inc.
Stacey Kumagai
http://hubpages.com/profile/mediamonster http://www.braingasm.com

SURRENDER AND YOU’LL BE SHOWN THE WAY

2010-05-26T15:13:00.000-07:00

Life is funny. Just when you think you’re cruising along, you get a wrench thrown your way. But most of us look at the wrench as an inconvenience or an annoyance. The truth is, the wrench is a tool… literally, to show you that you need to fix something. And sure, sometimes it may be literal – when your car breaks down on the way to what was an important appointment, etc. But maybe you weren’t supposed to go to the appointment – the car breakdown was for purpose.

If you’re busy working non-stop and suddenly you cannot do what you need to do because you’re waiting on people or your cell phone isn’t getting reception or whatever the problem, maybe it’s because you’re supposed to stop. I don’t mean stop working. But stop the madness of going non-stop so you can work better, more efficiently or more creatively.

Taking a step back is sometimes necessary so whatever it is we’re distracted with gives us better perspective of the path we’re on so we can step forward on the right path with more purpose or step forward on another path to bring in a different perspective to be better at what we’re doing.

If we let go of the idea that we’re being derailed and instead look at the wrenches we’re thrown as essential tools and life gifts, we can approach life with more clarity and become stronger in the interim.

We then allow things to flow the direction they were meant to. Inspiration comes from day-to-day life. Our daily lessons give us strength, tenacity, courage, and also give us reassurance when we come out the other side that we can not only survive anything, but challenges put before us can be overcome.

Life isn’t about the ground you cover. It’s about the steps you take along the way to learn how to appreciate everything within life.

It is in this process we can get on track to move ahead and remember that if we surrender we will be shown the way.

http://www.100percentrealwords.blogspot.com

© 2010 Queena Verbosity 100% Real Words
Media Monster Communications, Inc.
Stacey Kumagai
http://hubpages.com/profile/mediamonster http://www.braingasm.com

WILLING ENERGY

2010-05-05T13:43:00.000-07:00

The ocean is an interesting place. Many will produce off-spring, and leave them to ‘figure out life on their own.’ Survival is about making their way through the waters of life. Sometimes there are collaborative efforts between species of marine life. Coral can become a feeding ground as much as a hiding place. Sometimes there is a give and take of “I’ll do this for you, if you do this for me” kind of effort. While some fish just get too adventurous for their own good swimming into nothing but a territory of jellyfish, or become too reliant upon the school of fish for protection, they get eaten by seals or sharks or whales. Most of the time, it’s about making your own way for yourself.

Life on Earth sometimes is a mixed bag of what one would find in the ocean. There are those who have had to make their own way without others to help out. There are those who are dependent upon someone giving them a map to figure it out. And then there are those who so wish to do things bigger than themselves, without realistically having the means to do so. Having illusions of grandeur without realizing some of the larger things in life require a collaborative effort means that the illusion remains a pipedream unfulfilled, not realized and never seeing the light of becoming meaningful or solution-oriented.

The problem with this scenario is that most of these folks don’t want to read the map. Going against the grain as a maverick, doesn’t mean acting and reacting without research. A good idea remains only a good idea that never gets executed if you don’t do the homework beforehand. It’s like trying to put some electronic gadget together without wanting to read the instructions.

I call these people the dreamers in life. They dream and they dream big. But they don’t want to do the work themselves to make their dreams or wishes come true. More importantly they think so positively, they are not realistic about how to overcome the negative forces in life and remain stuck once they get railroaded.

For example, year after year, contestants on American Idol try out. Some of those who never make the cut, think they deserve fame instantaneously from the moment they step one toe of their foot into the arena because they made it to the audition. Well, so did hundreds of thousands of other people. Now what are you going to do? What’s worse is in the same breath, they gripe about the wait, the work involved, they gripe about the people who know better and disrespect the fact they have an opportunity in the process to learn along the way.

My mind goes back to Debbie Allen in the movie, “Fame” saying “You’ve got big dreams, you want fame. Well fame costs, and right here is where you start paying in sweat…”

No one can take away your sweat if you actually sweat. If you sweat, for real – then you know intense pain. You know the pain and disappointment after the 35th try, but you keep trying. And if it doesn’t work or you can’t find your way you still keep going even if it means you’re flipping burgers in the interim.
There is a phone call I keep receiving from a guy who wants me to make him a star. But he hasn’t done anything. He hasn’t put in the hours. He has not put in the sweat. Yet, he thinks his movies are Oscar-winning, yet he can’t get them made or released theatrically or even in Indie mode or even straight-to-video. There is no news here. I refuse to take him on. He is a star in his own mind. He believes that public relations can open doors and the spotlight will shine and he will be wanted. He even thinks this will give him some sort of ‘golden pass’ in life.

Perhaps this is the perception he has because there is a misconception today as to what makes someone famous or deserving of fame. I blame TV for this. I blame tabloids for this. But ultimately I blame him for being naïve. I believe that you have to be a realist to make your dreams come true and not only a dreamer. It makes this so much tougher for people like me to have to ‘deal’ with these kinds of egos and illusions of grandeur. It makes it tougher to convince someone that in REAL LIFE, not REALITY LIFE, that you can’t make something from nothing. You have to do the work, to make yourself something of substance to have longevity or it just doesn’t work.

Sing with me Billy Preston and R.I.P. – “Nothing from nothing, leaves nothing…”
Not only can you not make anything from nothing, but in the end, there is no substance to make it worth your while to invest energy or time into nothing when the person who wants ‘something’ actually has nothing to offer. Why develop their dream, when they themselves are not invested in their own dream to do any of the footwork? Why try to figure out who the heck they are, so you can do all the work for them, having it leave you empty in the process?

This is what I call flimsy p.r. I don’t do flimsy p.r. It’s a waste of my time. And not just my time or their time. But I am not a believer in wasting the public’s time or energy on taking interest in someone who is only there for ego and money and not for making the world a better place.

We have a choice to make imprints. It’s part of ‘wiling energy.’ Willing energy is all about making the effort to do something of substance, to stand for something other than mere jibberish. Words are great, but actions speak louder.

People can want big things. And people can rub a genie lamp 1,000 times til their hands burn. But wanting things to be so and wishing for things to be so, doesn’t make them so.

It takes sweat equity. It takes time. And it takes willing energy to devote time into developing something. So in the end when you leave this world, your life won’t have been for nothing…

http://www.100percentrealwords.blogspot.com
© 2010 Queena Verbosity 100% Real Words
Media Monster Communications, Inc.
Stacey Kumagai
http://hubpages.com/profile/mediamonster http://www.braingasm.com

THE FIRM

2010-04-30T12:26:00.000-07:00

There are the weak and weary. There are the tall and proud. And then there are … The Firm. I’m not talking about a business. I’m not talking about a workout. I’m talking about the people who know who they are and stand firmly upon their foundation. These people remember their roots and they know where they came from. And even if they don’t know everything, they are in the process of being the work in progress, educating themselves about their lives, their family history and their core belief system of being.

Think about this for a minute. We, as people often reflect upon how we were raised. And we utilize this as a point of reference. Our parents reflect upon how they were raised and carry over behaviors, ideas, thoughts, feelings, actions and reactions which in part, somehow mold and shape who we are.

We then tend to discard what we don’t want or can’t use. We do shape ourselves through our experiences. This is not to disregard the past. This is not to disregard family history, tradition or culture. But it’s more about the independent spirit, which helps us stand more firmly as we discover and constantly rediscover the shape of who we are and what we are to become. It is here we develop our strengths. It is here we embrace growth.

And sometimes we have certain life experiences which take us to different levels.

During my childhood, I would spend a few days from my holiday breaks and summers with a family friend. Her name was Lisa. She happened to be adopted. And she was told this when she was really young, not just because her adoptive parents wanted her to know, but it was obvious she was not theirs as she came from an interracial relationship. What was inspiring and amazing to me is that even though she never knew her biological parents (nor did she care to), she did know the strengths of her multi-cultural background. She accepted that her German stock would give her a certain build. She accepted that her Japanese side would give her certain features and mannerisms, instinctively. She was a beautiful girl, full of confidence, life, vigor and silliness.

I give credit to her parents, for giving her the foundation she needed to adjust to being adopted and being of mixed ethnic backgrounds, while not looking anything like her parents and blatantly so. She didn’t care what people thought. She hated bullies. She had sass and strength. She had the posture, energy and endurance of what I call, The Firm. She was firmly planted, grounded, confident and nothing made her waiver. Nothing would or could make her question who she was. There were no insecurities or questions. She had a stronghold on her foundation, her base, her roots and the center of her being. And this came from the fact that she was never verbally abused. She was never judged or criticized, demeaned or disrespected. In school from classmates, yes. But from her parents, no way. They didn’t blow smoke up her a** either. They would lovingly tease her about some of her idiosyncrasies and behaviors. And then they would just laugh together. There was acceptance and love – no matter what. It was unconditional love at its finest.

This seems like some sort of fantasy-like household. Like the kind you see on television. Sadly, the reality is that today, there are more verbally abusive households than ever before. People enable their ego to take firm possession of their words and their actions, without regard to those they love, their feelings and how they may hurt them. They lose sight of how those words will eventually shape them with a console of dangerous buttons which get pushed down the road called life.

In the end there is something called ‘healing.’ And healing is a process anyone with baggage, even the Lisas of the world must go through at some point. All this is based on whatever life experiences people have had which have been downloaded into the personal memory bank of reactive behaviors.

Some people cannot find their happy place enough to heal. While others discoverer what it’s like to be alive again, once they let go. Contrary to old cliché’s…Yes, words can hurt. And yes, sticks and stones can break your bones. But words themselves are only as powerful as we enable them to be. If we take apart any word and not spot light it negatively, we don’t give it the strength to become woven within us. Lisa chose not to let ridiculing at school to destroy her, but rather embraced the fortifying loving words of her parents who loved her to strengthen her. She took stock in this, which helped her roots to form and take hold, to make her stronger.

If we take our cue from trees, we can drop a few leaves, let a few branches get blown off in this thing called life. And even when we get old, and bent-over and we may not be able to stand as tall as we used to – if we take stock on our own life’s foundation, stay firmly rooted and hold our ground, we can endure. And we will become… The Firm.

http://www.100percentrealwords.blogspot.com
© 2010 Queena Verbosity 100% Real Words
Media Monster Communications, Inc.
Stacey Kumagai
http://hubpages.com/profile/mediamonster http://www.braingasm.com

IN THE NAME OF EARTH

2010-04-22T08:59:00.000-07:00

Earth Day to me is like Thanksgiving, Valentine’s Day and the Fourth of July. I don’t believe Thanksgiving is the only day we should be thankful. I don’t believe Valentine’s Day should be the only day we say ‘I Love You.’ And I don’t believe Fourth of July should be the only day we honor the freedom we have in this country. And when it comes to Earth Day, it shouldn’t be only one day – but we should think about the earth every single day we are on it.

Being environmentally conscious was part of my lifestyle ever since I was a child. In elementary school, I can remember all the kids having to go home and fill empty glass juice bottles with sand to drop in the toilet tank to raise the level of water for water conservation. I can remember recycling newspapers, glass and aluminum to help raise money for our school while saving the planet. We didn’t keep lights on if we didn’t need them, or things plugged in if we weren’t using them. We drank out of the tap and we walked around with thermoses we reused. We didn’t walk around with plastic water bottles. We used both sides of a sheet of paper – and it was recycled newsprint.

In first grade, we were taught about the importance of plant propagation, and actually did it. We planted trees. We walked to school. We wore hand-me-downs and gave to the Good Will. We shared. And we cleaned our plates and didn’t over consume things.

In a tough economy people are scaling back and making more conscious decisions about spending. And some are even making greener choices. And this is good. I applaud that. But this shouldn’t be a ‘new’ thing. This is something that should have been all along.

And Earth Day should be everyday, not just today. But in honor of today, I am conscious of the fact that this is the beginning for many to make changes. So I say, please make changes. I just hope it’s not too late for all of us.

http://www.100percentrealwords.blogspot.com

© 2010 Queena Verbosity 100% Real Words
Media Monster Communications, Inc.
Stacey Kumagai
http://hubpages.com/profile/mediamonster http://www.braingasm.com

DIFFERENT STROKES

2010-03-18T17:52:00.000-07:00

It’s elementary… literally. We’re given basic tools as grade-schoolers. But in adulthood, sometimes these tools are forgotten. Reading teaches us there is much to learn and learning will literally be a never-ending process. Recess teaches us to play. Science teaches us to experiment. History teaches us about the past – some of which should be never repeated again, while understanding how far we’ve come. Math helps us add up numbers… and numbers don’t lie, only people do. Nap-time teaches us to rest. And then there is art…

Some people may think of art as construction paper, paste and crayons. But when I think of art, I reflect fondly upon my graphite, ink, pastels, charcoal and watercolors.

Today I heard an interesting story about a man who is starting his life over… completely over.

After an extremely long and successful career of 18-20 hour work days, a divorce, health scares and issues, with the reality that the world is changing, his career has changed, he has realized that after all he’s been through, that his perspective of life, creativity and passion has also changed. He is returning to a fundamental and elementary love in his life, the life of art.

Long forgotten, have been the simple pleasures rediscovered: the vibrant colors and viscosity of paint; the feeling of the slender wooden paint brush handle which surrenders its control to the desire of the artist; and the textured blank canvas which beckons ….”imagine, visualize, create, dream… let’s become one and share the story only we can tell together.”

This relationship between artist and materials is a unique, private and special one. It is the artist who moves the materials and initiates shapes, designs and carefully the layers of colors and shades into the story that is being told. It is the materials who surrender to the hand of the artist saying “I’ll be whatever you need me to be… YOU just be.”

Painting, drawing and expressing oneself through art is a raw, vulnerable act.
It is open, it is freeing and liberating with every line, shape and shade. People who understand art, are in the process of learning a whole other dimension of themselves. Part of an artists inner core of being can only show up on a canvas, on paper or even carved in stone or shaped in a sculpture.

When you become one with the art you create – it is beyond music, beyond acting. Art is both a conscious and unconscious form of creation… it comes out as it comes out, for all the world to see, appreciate, criticize, marvel at, and even judge. It is the artist’s hand. The artist’s line or brush stroke. It is not a script, not someone’s camera work or lighting. It is all … the artist.

Unlike a live performance which can be forgotten, art is a permanent, tangible creation which stays as it is and as it was created. It cannot be manipulated with editing, sweetening, lighting and lenses or even be erased afterward. Once it is final… its finality is what carries its original intent and message from the first line, the first brush stroke, the first sense of what it was becoming as it was becoming.

In the journey of life, we are left with impressions people leave behind.
And it is in art, we are left with impressions created by the people who dared to share and express.

I wish him well on his colorful journey and for having the bravery and courage to be vulnerable… to be an artist.

http://www.100percentrealwords.blogspot.com

Media Monster Communications, Inc.
Stacey Kumagai
http://hubpages.com/profile/mediamonster http://www.braingasm.com

BUILDING BLOCKS

2010-03-17T21:54:00.000-07:00

From the time we are babies, blocks are a part of our life. From the ABC wooden blocks infants play with; to Bristle Blocks, Lincoln Logs and Legos – we are given things to build with. These toys have many pieces. Jigsaw puzzles have many pieces but they are part of building in a different fashion. Our childhood development with jigsaw puzzles involves putting pieces together and making things fit.
Whether we realize it or not – building things and putting pieces together are the fundamentals we need for problem-solving as adults.

I saw a toddler in a stroller THROW a block directly from where he was sitting and he threw it hard. While it didn’t hit me, it did hit a little girl in the ankle. I had to wonder if the toddler was simply ‘fed up’ with building, or merely got ‘impatient’ with the idea that building seemed ‘for nothing.’

This made me think. Sometimes we don’t have the tools we need to solve what we need to solve when we need to solve it. And sometimes we end up giving up before we begin.

This is human. There is a see-saw. One side of it is patience. The other seat is taken up with skill or sometimes leaves us sitting on the ground because the seat across from us is empty – without skill, because we haven’t developed it yet.
Life is like a jigsaw puzzle. Sometimes we’re missing pieces to complete the picture. Life is like a building in an earthquake. Sometimes life crumbles, but we have a chance to rebuild again after we rediscover ourselves under the rubble, dust ourselves off and begin anew.

Our success comes from accepting the missing pieces. These pieces can be the death of a loved one, the loss of a job, the absence of a friend, or a broken heart. The missing piece could be the unknown future of hope, inspiration, dreams and goals. It depends on how you look at the picture … is there a hole there? Or is it merely room for new things to appear.

This perspective is the glue. And while some blocks just don’t add up until we’ve actually been around the block for awhile to gain experience, depth, life experience, joy and sorrow to become stronger….we can still have fun in the meantime.

Learning to use the skills we have, wherever we are in life is the key to appreciating where we’ve come from and how far we’ve grown. It’s also about refinement and polishing skills we took for granted, taking them to a whole new level.

So the next time you feel ‘stuck’ while you’re building your life or feel as if there is something missing from your life’s jigsaw – just remember to ‘toy’ with what pieces you already have. You’ll not only end up learning something more about yourself, but you’ll realize that sometimes all you need is already there.
And THAT is something to really build upon.

http://www.100percentrealwords.blogspot.com
© 2010 Queena Verbosity 100% Real Words
Media Monster Communications, Inc.
Stacey Kumagai
http://hubpages.com/profile/mediamonster http://www.braingasm.com

BECOMING THE GPS

2010-02-23T19:25:00.000-08:00

Today I had the most fascinating call. It was from someone who was looking to buy air time on a radio station and they called me by mistake. Well, not exactly mistake – but by a very intense process of elimination, as he had tried for three consecutive days to find this station, but every number they tried was disconnected. He was operating on only fragments of information that would hopefully lead on the road back to where he needed to be, to do what he needed to do.

There was indeed a degree of separation. And there was somehow a connection to me and this station that was so hard to ‘track down.’ I had done p.r. for a show which was aired on this station at one time but just like the rest of the businesses in America – everything seems to change hands with new ownership, corporate conglomerate buy outs and such. The station could still be somewhere and together this stranger and I were sleuthing our way to try to find it. And while we couldn’t figure out who actually owns it now (as it changed hands several times), we found what he needed to get to where he needed to go, through the people who could get him to his destination. And he was thankful. To me – this was far better than just saying, ‘wrong number’ and leaving him hanging. But I admired his determination in not giving up when the going got tough. His mission was to do what he needed – because ultimately he was remembered where he came from and wanted to keep the integrity of honoring his roots and locale.

A couple weeks ago, someone I mentored needed some help. She was looking for me to assist with a few pieces of her career puzzle so she could put things together in order to get where she needed to go. Timing was horrible and she was running out of it quickly, as she hit a few obstacles in what she needed to have happen. I stepped in to deliver what I could, hoping she could gather what she needed in time, despite the challenges she faced.

A few days later, she let me know her situation became victorious and she was now on her way. And she was thankful for my help, even letting me know she will keep me posted of what happens as things develop. She was determined to get where she needed to go, and was honoring her passion and dream to get there.

With these two recent events, I became the GPS. I chose to not let others be misguided even if their map took them off course. If somehow they found me along the way even as a temporary detour – it became obvious, I needed to show them the way.

The road in life is not always flat. The river doesn’t always flow straight. And the reality in life is that life doesn’t always go according to plan.

We can get more out of life by participating in life as the guide we need to be when others are in need of help. It is up to us to become the best GPS device we can be to help get others on track, help them stay the course.

We not only become better people, we share our strength with others and hope that along the road or river we travel, as we pay it forward, we can move forward in life also.

http://www.100percentrealwords.blogspot.com
© 2010 Queena Verbosity 100% Real Words
Media Monster Communications, Inc.
Stacey Kumagai
http://hubpages.com/profile/mediamonster http://www.braingasm.com

DEALING WITH THE LOSS OF A LOVED ONE

2010-02-19T19:03:00.000-08:00

Dealing with death isn’t easy. Whether it’s a relative, a friend, a pet, someone important in your life, loss is something that is just part of life. Here are some ways to help you cope.

• Feel your feelings. There is no time limit on how long it takes someone to grieve. While pain heals with time, the pain doesn’t ever go completely away if you care for someone and they are no longer here. Do NOT delay grief – its okay to cry if you feel like crying. It’s okay to feel loneliness and sadness. The sooner you give yourself permission to feel the loss, the healthier you will become in dealing with it.

• Journal. Do not underestimate the power of journaling. Not only is it healthy to write down your feelings, but this will help you monitor your own grief recovery process. For example – maybe you will see a pattern emerge that you feel sadness at a certain time of the day or are picking up certain bad habits in dealing with the grief or even shutting the rest of the world out in the process. A journal can reveal many things about what you are processing – from shock, denial, heartache, anger (from them leaving), and other abandonment issues. Having a good grasp on what you are experiencing will help you heal. It will also help you see progression of your processing your emotions on a weekly basis.

• Write a letter. Not everyone gets closure when there is a loss. Maybe you lost someone to a disease that rapidly took over, or lost someone in a car accident – if you lost someone suddenly, chances are you need to officially ‘say goodbye.’ Not everyone gets to say goodbye at a funeral or a memorial service the way they need to in order to heal or feel closure. So writing a letter with everything you always wanted to say, will help you release some of those things you’ve bottled up over time.

• Honor their memory. As cheesy as this may seem, because everybody says it – in order to respect the memory of the one you lost, you need to honor the good times you shared while they were here. Not only is this a healthy way to process the grief, but it is also a way to honor the life they had. This will make you realize that you were blessed just to have shared something with this person or pet and you will be able to free yourself from the negative energy and replace it with only the positive and healthy feelings that can help you carry onward.

• Take good care of yourself. During this time, your body is going through a lot of stress. It is important that you do not give up your daily routine – eating breakfast, exercising, getting plenty of fresh air and daylight, get decent sleep, interacting with your friends and family and going to work each day. The more you stick to your normal activities, the more you will be able to stay on track with carrying out the life that you have left. It is something your lost loved one would want you to do.

• Be patient – with yourself and others. Grieving takes time and it is important to allow yourself and others the time to mourn or grieve in their own way. Everybody handles this differently, so don’t judge how others process it. Some people may handle it more privately or do their own rituals to deal with it.

• Don’t hold onto guilt or anger. These are negative emotions and can weigh you down during your mourning process. While it is normal to feel these things, as they are human emotions, holding on tightly to negative feelings won’t help you move forward toward positive ones.

• Do something in honor of your lost loved one. Maybe the person you lost had a favorite charity or maybe they loved nature… whether you go volunteer at their favorite organization or make a donation – or simply plant a tree in your yard in honor of them, doing a gesture like this, helps you celebrate their life and what they stood for. This is a healthy thing to do for yourself and may help others around you who are also grieving; benchmark the person’s memory in a tribute-like way.

• Clean up. Everyone leaves behind a bunch of stuff. Keep in mind –this is all just STUFF, this is not them. Sure it was a part of them, but by donating some of their things to a charity can help you feel as if an extension of their lives is branching out to be of benefit to someone else. This in turn can not only keep their purpose going, but help you heal in the process. You can also recycle some of their things to keep a piece of them around to remember them by. Maybe they had a favorite T-shirt with a certain saying on it. Stuff the T-shirt and sew up the arm and neck holes and the shirt bottom and make a pillow. You can keep this ‘piece of them’ as a throw pillow on your favorite chair. This way every time you sit in the chair you can smile and think of them. It’s a nice way to remember someone. You can do this with a few of their other things and let everyone in the circle of grief have something (like their favorite coffee mug, plant a plant in it, etc.) and each of you will share something that was near and dear to your lost loved one.

• Live your life. This is important to do. And if grieving seems to be overwhelming your life after a certain period of time, consider grief counseling. You are not alone and this is normal. Some people have a harder time dealing with death than others. You may be one of them. Take your journal you’ve been keeping so you can work through the process. And remember that you are here left behind for a reason… to carry on.

http://www.100percentrealwords.blogspot.com
© 2010 Queena Verbosity 100% Real Words
Media Monster Communications, Inc.
Stacey Kumagai
http://hubpages.com/profile/mediamonster http://www.braingasm.com

TRUSTING THE HAND THAT FEEDS YOU

2010-02-13T12:11:00.000-08:00

They say, you are what you eat. And year after year, child after child comes out of health education learning about the four food groups, knowing about the food pyramid and the ever-changing servings of each group we are supposed to have. And this was the fun part about health and nutrition. Thinking back to my elementary school years, I remember how important it was to have a 3-2-4-4 day… 3 servings of dairy, 2 servings of meat, 4 servings of fruits and vegetables and 4 servings of grains/bread.

And ever since the TV dinner was invented people started to look at portions because a TV dinner tray actually had portions of food divided in a meal. The problem was that no one questioned the problem of ‘processing’ food, chemicials, preservatives and food byproducts.

In the 60s and 70s, MSG ‘the flavor enhancer’ became a big issue, as did red dye #2 put in many a soda or candy product and in the 80s people became obsessed with sodium reduction and in the 90s it became all about 2%, low-fat and non-fat. In the early 2000s, people started to realize there problems with Olestra and all the sugar-free substitutes came under fire. And in 2008 ‘transfats’ became a household word that people became more conscious of and this was putting a crackdown on fast-food chains serving it up in alarming portions.

Suddenly America was ‘fat’.. morbidly obsese and now more than ever people are dying of prescription medications which were created to solve a myriad of health problems while creating a truckload of others including a laundry list of ‘side effects’ which are actually in combination worse than the problem you were treating in the first place.

And with this came addiction and many-a-death-too-soon from addiction to a cocktail of prescription medication which was designed to combat the effects of all this ‘bad food.'

Then here comes a movie in 2008, which I just recently rented called “Food, Inc.” And I highly recommend this movie if you truly want to start questioning what it is you are eating. I won’t give it all away for those who haven’t seen it – but it will make you start wondering about the things you put in your mouth that you thought were safe because big named companies (trusted brands) were behind them.
The truth is that a lot of these companies are mass-manufacturing companies. So the wonderful healthy, boneless, skinless, lean chicken you thing you are eating, really isn’t all that healthy for you.

We all know about pesticides. We all know about chemicals and fast-food. We all know about junk food and sugars and fats. But do you know about hormones in your food? Do you know about genetically engineered produce? Do you know how ‘controlled’ crops are affecting your life?

If you don’t, you need to see Food, Inc. It will open your eyes
http://www.foodincmovie.com/

I’m not affiliated with any food brand or company or even this movie. I am just a foodie who enjoys food in all forms and has a passion for the culinary arts. I like to buy organic food whenever possible and really love to support local farmers and growers and believe in sustainable food. I am not a vegetarian or vegan. I am a typical American carnivore like most, who occasionally has a pop-culture junkie nostalgic look back at the way food was vs. the way food is now.

Things have changed and continue to change… and not always for the better. Mass-manufactured food made cheaply, rather than healthfully is not. Corn-fed livestock isn’t healthy. And I believe we all have a right to know what is in our food and how it is prepared and believe that food borne illness also needs to stop. It’s appalling to me to see E-Coli and Salmonella still rampant these days. You would think that one death is too many.

While many people stand for many things and support many causes and tragedies, I am questioning WHY that safe, healthy food – the thing we all need to stay alive and in good health, isn’t being fought for in the same numbers.

Perhaps THIS is food for thought.

http://www.100percentrealwords.blogspot.com
© 2010 Queena Verbosity 100% Real Words
Media Monster Communications, Inc.
Stacey Kumagai
http://hubpages.com/profile/mediamonster http://www.braingasm.com

CURSES ARE BLESSINGS - BLESSINGS ARE GIFTS

2010-02-12T19:16:00.000-08:00

Curses are blessings. Blessings are gifts.
Lessons are learned, to embrace 'what is.'
For whatever happens, a victim, you're not -
Blessings are present,and you've still got:
Your mind, your body, your health may it be,
Your strength,will and spirit; friends & family.
Your heart, soul, passion, your drive,
Whatever still moves you and keeps you alive.
Feelings, emotion, to touch and to feel,
To hear, to see or to just know what is real.
To taste, to savor, to learn, to grow,
All these gifts are much more than you know.
But above all, faith - to surrender and be
Knowing things will work out and you'll see -
By dropping the pity, what matters is clear,
Conviction alone will help you persevere.
Keep your eyes open,you won't want to miss,
Which curses are blessings,
and that blessings are gifts.

http://www.100percentrealwords.blogspot.com
© 2010 Queena Verbosity 100% Real Words
Media Monster Communications, Inc.
Stacey Kumagai
http://hubpages.com/profile/mediamonster http://www.braingasm.com

THE ONLY CHILD - UNDERSTANDING YOUR CHILDHOOD PART FOUR

2010-02-09T10:42:00.000-08:00

Being an only child rocks! You get everything and you don’t have to share your toys or the spotlight with anyone either. But being the only child can be lonely, make you insecure and feel as if you have to overcompensate for the siblings that are ‘not there.’ You ARE your parents ONLY HOPE. And with this role, you have something in common with a first-born older sibling as much as you do for the often misinterpreted spoiled baby of the family. You will also be the only child responsible for having to deal with aging parents and all their personal business and also be the one to carry the burden of having to become something more than yourself. You also have the burden of not having the exercise of learning how to get along with others because you never had to.

While being independent is great – it’s also a long and lonely road in trying to ‘fit in’ – as all the other people in the world get to talk about their large families, holidays and big outings. You don’t get to have this.

The greatest thing you can do for yourself is to strike a good balance. And you may think this is easier said than done, but the truth is – you have nothing and no one to stand in your way of creating this balance. You also have no one to be compared to or sized up with and have the opportunity to succeed or fail upon your own free will with zero pressure from siblings. This is a good thing. Don’t allow it to become an easy out for ‘easy street living’ and being lazy because you think mommy and daddy will always be there to take care of you. They won’t.

You have the power to utilize your only child position to be unique and independently-minded. You have the potential to do a lot of great things because of this position you have in life. It’s time to stop the pity part of loneliness and start using it to make the world (yours and the rest) a better place.
One may be a lonely number, but you also can strive to be number one in all the things that you do.

http://www.100percentrealwords.blogspot.com
© 2010 Queena Verbosity 100% Real Words
Media Monster Communications, Inc.
Stacey Kumagai
http://hubpages.com/profile/mediamonster http://www.braingasm.com

THE OMEGA CHILD - UNDERSTANDING YOUR CHILDHOOD PART THREE

2010-02-03T08:01:00.000-08:00

Being the baby of the family isn’t always the glamorous position that everyone might think it is. While there are some perks to this position of having the older siblings get in trouble for you because they are responsible, there is sometimes the opposite effect because you are the youngest, therefore blamed for everything.
Since you’re the child bringing up the rear of the family, you may be the family’s last hope for achievement if your other older siblings have ‘failed’ your parents in some way. You also may have it tougher in the discipline department because your parents discovered what mistakes they made with your older siblings because they were too lenient with them.

You are the wearer of the hand-me-down, hand-me-down, hand-me-down…. And your parents may be too tired to do things with you by the time they are done raising all your older siblings so you may not get to do all the activities that your older siblings did. But on the flip-side, you may get to do more because your folks are feeling ‘empty nest’ syndrome and they hang onto you tightly and want to do all the things with you they didn’t have time for with the others.

It’s a very unique position to be in – to be the baby of the family. Most likely you will have to take on quite the load in caring for aging parents also – because your older siblings will be too busy with families of their own.

But there is hope for you. As the observer you can watch all that came before you – including your siblings, your parent’s ever-changing behavior and society. Unless your parents had the kids in your family back-to-back every year- there’s a pretty good bet that there is at least 5 or even up to 10 or more years between you and your oldest sibling. Times change and this can be to your advantage.

Seeing this while growing up gives you leverage in being more adaptable to life, life’s changes and challenges and you have more flexibility in your overall personality and coping nature in daily life. As the world changes, you can readily adapt with it a bit more easily than your older siblings. You have the role of ‘teacher’ – and can teach your nieces, nephews, older siblings and aging parents a thing or two as the world progresses. This is your opportunity to be the educational cohesive component in your family unit. This not only will provide you with essential life skills to handle it better than most, but you have a chance to be more of a humanitarian/good will peacemaker in your family as well.

You can help your family adjust better to life/death situations that will inevitably come up and be the stronger and the wiser for it. Wisdom is priceless.

Ultimately it’s the youngest child who has the opportunity to help the pull all of the family pieces together and help older siblings see the bigger picture.

***** STAY TUNED FOR PART FOUR ***** THE ONLY CHILD

http://www.100percentrealwords.blogspot.com
© 2010 Queena Verbosity 100% Real Words
Media Monster Communications, Inc.
Stacey Kumagai
http://hubpages.com/profile/mediamonster http://www.braingasm.com

THE MIDDLE CHILD SYNDROME - UNDERSTANDING YOUR CHILDHOOD PART TWO

2010-02-02T08:47:00.000-08:00

STUCK IN THE MIDDLE. Yes, this is common - the middle child syndrome. This is why "Jan" on the Brady Bunch couldn't deal - Marcia was the popular oldest, Cindy was the baby and coddled. This may have been TV, but it is more real-to-life than most people understand, however, each 'position' (oldest, middle, younger, even only children) all have their issues - feeling pressures that others don't feel.

Middle children have a different way of exercising their need to be heard, seen, understood and related to. Whether YOU are this middle child or whether your spouse is, or maybe you are trying to help your own son/daughter being the middle child – whatever the case, there is a way.

Your older and younger siblings have their issues, too. The older one has to be the leader, lead by example.... and best not fail, or otherwise shows as a poor example to you and your younger sibling. Your younger sibling as to deal with your parents freaking out over 'empty nest syndrome' - and will most likely is the one to have to care for them when they age. Everyone has pressures.

What YOU need to do is understand that you are special no matter what. While it is hard to ignore how the family breakdown occurs because of birth positioning.... USE YOUR MIDDLE CHILD POSITION as a way to understand the family better than anyone else. This doesn’t mean you need to be forced into feeling like the glue, but in essence YOU ARE... you are the force that binds the family together. And while that may seem like an uncelebrated position, or seem like one that doesn't get the perks, YOU my friend are positioned to handle life as a survivor.

When the s**t hits the fan, who is going to be the one who survives? YOU! When life gets difficult and challenging, you're going to be the one to adapt well, understand the dynamics of your own family that you have when you are married and have kids. YOU will be one to examine a situation at work better because you understand the behavior of others well and know how to work in a challenging situation.

And you will work harder and strive to be more of an achiever (thus very successful) in life, because you are striving for your own light to shine - something you've had to do since you were a little kid.

Take a deep breath. Take a step back. And as you look at your siblings.... know they may seem to have it easy now, but when you get older, you will have it a lot easier, because in the real world, life outside your family's door - not everyone gets what they want and things are not handed to people just because they want it or need it - they have to work hard it. And this may be a scenario your siblings may have problems adjusting to because they were not conditioned to this kind of flexibility now.

***** STAY TUNED FOR PART THREE ***** THE OMEGA CHILD

http://www.100percentrealwords.blogspot.com
© 2010 Queena Verbosity 100% Real Words
Media Monster Communications, Inc.
Stacey Kumagai
http://hubpages.com/profile/mediamonster http://www.braingasm.com

THE FIRST BORN PERFECTIONIST - UNDERSTANDING YOUR CHILDHOOD PART ONE

2010-02-01T17:01:00.000-08:00

Are you the first-born child? Congratulations. You have all the glory and a heck of a lot of responsibility. If you are the first born child, chances are you are the child your parents made all their mistakes with – so you have a lot of scars. From good ol’ dad walking with you on his shoulders not realizing that this added height has consequences of many knocks to the head (oops), to finding out that not all the cabinets in the house are baby-proofed… you have survived all this!

You are also the one that all the fundamental errors were made with as well. To top all this off – you also may have the responsibility over looking over your younger siblings, being the first one out of the house and also being the ‘example’ for your other siblings to follow. You may also be the first one responsible for going off to college or going out into the work world or maybe even responsible for financially helping your folks out to raise the rest of the kids. Such pressure!

But don’t despair – you have an opportunity to shine without having to be the super star.

First, take the pressure off of yourself. Just because you are the first born doesn’t mean you are expected to ‘do it all’ and ‘be all.’ If you think THIS – then you will certainly turn out to be the unhappy perfectionist.

And if you are a perfectionist…This is why you are not happy. And this is normal. Over-achievers are just that... they want to over achieve.

Thus... if you got a 92% on a test, you are not happy because you really wanted 100% and think of yourself as failing somehow, EVEN THOUGH YOU DID NOT.

You have to realize, that perfectionists always perform or desire to perform at an A++ level. The average person who has a healthy perspective is 'okay' or 'satisfied' and content, as well as accepting of anything over a C+.

Even when you are performing at what YOU think is a C level at any given time, it is always an A level to most people.

The 'acceptance' part of your over-achieving personality is your life lesson and what needs the work.

You have to also be thankful for the gifts that you have.86% is great and wonderful!!!! You have to learn that happiness is about acceptance. Accept who you are at any level of performance. This is the secret to real success.

Later on in life, this will become more vital... particularly in team situations, where each person will need to be a team player and carry equal parts of the load on a work project or whatever.... you will have to learn at that point that you have to come to a point of 'doing the very best you can' and knowing you carried your share of the work and being content with 'how you showed up' and how you contributed and what the end result was with YOUR performance, regardless of anything else.

Critiques/criticism…. Whether it’s from a boss, a teacher, even a loved one - it only makes you stronger, gives you room for growth and evolvement/development as a person, but also gives you insight to how you accept and receive criticism and praise.

Don’t make the mistake of declining your birth role either. You do not have to make yourself invisible for the pressure to be off of you, either. Don’t make the mistake of being an under-achiever, just to get all eyes to be off of you. You can take on a supporting role as much as you can take on the role of a leader. And the sooner you learn this, the better off you will be.

The only ‘pressure’ is one that you enable and allow others to put on you. You have to accept yourself as you are – and know that as long as you show up in life and do your best – this IS INDEED GOOD ENOUGH. It doesn’t have to be A++++ and blue ribbon 24/7. Such behavior can only lead to disappointment later in life and a horrible midlife crisis.

So enjoy your role as the first born and instead be a system of support to your younger siblings and a support system to your parents. This alone is of great value without having to be all things. Support and love go a long way and the more you exercise this on yourself, to put give yourself the place of strength, the easier it will be, to be the first born. The only real pressure is the one you place on yourself. So let that go and you will be free to be the best that you can be as you are without the added laundry list of things that come with being first born.

***** STAY TUNED FOR PART TWO ***** MIDDLE CHILD SYNDROME

http://www.100percentrealwords.blogspot.com
© 2010 Queena Verbosity 100% Real Words
Media Monster Communications, Inc.
Stacey Kumagai
http://hubpages.com/profile/mediamonster http://www.braingasm.com

PENCIL THIS

2010-01-29T23:35:00.000-08:00

For the nostalgic scribe, a pencil is and always will be the missed tool of choice in the computer age. There is something about a pencil. The smell of graphite, the earthy wood shavings, the raspy sketch of the pencil touching paper… it’s a beautiful symphony all by itself.

I remember as a child being given the plastic hand sharpener in a school box of supplies. This was a neat – to have your own hand sharpener. But in the garage was an old, antique looking metal sharpener that was mounted to the top of a wooden cabinet. The sharpener looked like some machine, yet it was utilitarian in use – it was manual, you had to hand-crank it to sharpen your pencil. Hearing the grinding sound as you cranked your hand around and around was hypnotic, beautiful and when you were done sharpening your pencil, you just wanted to dig in your pencil box for more to sharpen because you didn’t want the sound to end.

Then there was the emptying of this chamber that was interesting all on its own. The ground up metallic looking bits of pencil lead were a smoky charcoal grey powder and the fine shavings weren’t like the hamster bedding you’re used to seeing with the plastic personal sharpener at school. These shavings were so fine, they looked like saffron threads, curly and intertwined into a poofy pile of Barbie hay. There wasn’t really anything you could do with this, but it seemed a shame to throw it away.

When the electric pencil sharpener came out that was really exciting. The revved up motor was a thrilling change and you couldn’t possibly over-sharpen. It stopped automatically when you were done and yes, the shaving chamber produced the same type as the hand crank ones. Though it wasn’t as archaic as the hand-crank one that reminded you of the musty smell of library books, it did the job and was a very advanced change in electronics.

Let’s not forget the eraser. Not just the convenient JuJuBee sized niblet on the top of the pencil (which always seemed to disappear, long before the pencil shortened)… but I am talking about the beautiful choices in erasers – from the long bubble-gum pink rectangle eraser to the gooey white and animated character erasers that became all the rage when Hello Kitty came onto the scene.

In 1st grade, there was a very kind girl in my class named Diane who shared her lunch with me when someone stole my lunch. And to thank her, I remember getting her this fancy circle eraser that was on a roller. It came with a brush on the other end to ‘dust away’ the eraser bits. She was excited and thought it was really cool. I remember the other kids in the class all wanted one and how proud Diane was to whip out the eraser and use it to erase a ‘mistake.’ The thing was, Diane was a smart girl and she didn’t make many mistakes. But it was fun to pretend to erase and use this new fangled gadget.

It was also where ‘drawing with an eraser’ became the greatest insurance to draw freehand without making a pencil mistake. Who knew?

I miss the days of the pencil. Today, pencil isn’t so much a noun as it is a verb. “I’ll pencil you in my calendar.” The sad part is, this is a lie. Today calendars are on computers and in Blackberry phones and the only ‘pencil’ that is used is a skinny piece of black plastic that touches a screen.

But pencils are still needed at the DMV, the infamous number two pencil is still needed for scholastic tests and pencils are still used in Bingo. So there is hope that even in this electronic hi-tech age, that pencils won’t die. Greenies like computers because it means using less pencils and saving more trees. And I get this.

Though I think there is something to be said for the pencil and its longevity in a time when so many other things have become obsolete altogether. It has lived longer than the erasable pen – and that’s a whole other blog.

The pencil. From sketch to scribe, it’s something we really can’t and shouldn’t ever be without.

http://www.100percentrealwords.blogspot.com
© 2010 Queena Verbosity 100% Real Words
Media Monster Communications, Inc.
Stacey Kumagai
http://hubpages.com/profile/mediamonster http://www.braingasm.com

LOOKING UP

2010-01-26T15:10:00.000-08:00

There are sometimes some people in your life who are always looking down. Even when things are looking up for them, they’re not appreciating the daily blessings of life.

I cannot feel empathy for these people anymore, because it just brings me down. I have come to realize that no matter how positive you try to be and to help guide them and show them the beauty of what their life holds – they don’t want to see it. They will tell you ‘yeah, you’re right…’ but then do nothing about their situation. Most of the stuff they are miserable about is the situation they created for themselves.

They say that life teaches you lessons over and over until ‘you get the lesson.’ Perhaps this is the perspective most people should take, when griping about their mundane and petty problems.

At some point each person becomes responsible for their actions and reactions in life. And if they live a life without optimism, a life without faith and conviction in the positive – they are not people of gratitude.

I always say that an attitude of gratitude will give you inner peace and create peace for all those around you. We are not born to only have things handed to us. We have to work for them and work at our own lives each day.

A lot of people get lazy, they don’t want to do the work and they want things to come easy. But the truth is life is not easy – because if it were easy, we honestly wouldn’t appreciate it when things are glorious.

The old sitcom, “The Facts of Life” has a fabulous campy theme song, but one that I love. “You take the good, you take the bad, you take them both and there you have… the facts of life.”

This couldn’t be more true. We have to have down moments in order to appreciate when things look up. Yes. But if we CHOOSE TO LOOK UP even when a situation puts us in a challenging time or a down mood, we will have peace all the time. It’s just one of the many beautiful gifts in life that we are given --- freely, upon our own free will to receive it.

So when things are down, if you look up – you will start to see only the upside of life. And then you know you are really living.

Blessings to you. May you always look to the upside.

http://www.100percentrealwords.blogspot.com
© 2010 Queena Verbosity 100% Real Words
Media Monster Communications, Inc.
Stacey Kumagai
http://hubpages.com/profile/mediamonster http://www.braingasm.com

IN THE BALLFIELD OF LIFE

2010-01-21T12:12:00.000-08:00

Baseball shows you where life is at…
And what matters most, is that you go up to bat.
Perhaps you’ll strike out –
Maybe you’ll hit a home run.
But if you only get to walk…
It’s about having fun.
What’s in your swing?
Is it with all your might?
Do you play with passion?
Are you in for the fight?
Go into the outfield –
Be part of the team…
It’s what you’ve got to do,
to fulfill your dream.
You have to give it your all.
And be ready to work.
There is no easy street,
flooded with perks.
Everything comes at a price,
And this you must know –
If it seems easy now,
You’ll have it harder – when you grow.
Invest time base-to-base.
Pay your dues and respect –
For that is how you must play,
if you wish to collect a check.
Catch the errors of your ways,
And be on pitch every time.
Be a good sport.
Don’t pout and whine.
Show up and be there,
Leave your ego at the door.
It’s not all about you,
Or how much you score.
It’s about taking the time,
To be thankful for blessings –
And to have faith and belief,
And no second guessings.
Life’s about sharing and giving,
Expressing how you feel,
Being truthful to everyone,
And keeping it real.
Life’s not about losses,
Or each victory –
It’s about doing something that matters,
With your soul peaceful and free.
Life’s about caring and loving,
Consciousness and thought,
Positive actions –
And giving it all you’ve got.
It’s about taking the time,
To say ‘I’ll be there for you…’
And honoring your word,
In everything you do.
You may be on a team,
But you’ll be all alone –
If you don’t remember what matters,
when you slide into home.

http://www.100percentrealwords.blogspot.com
© 2010 Queena Verbosity 100% Real Words
Media Monster Communications, Inc.
Stacey Kumagai
http://hubpages.com/profile/mediamonster http://www.braingasm.com

THE HYPNOTIC ESCAPE

2010-01-15T20:33:00.000-08:00

Back in the 70s, I used to watch a variety of talk shows. And every so often I would see a hypnotist appear as a guest on one of these shows. It always amazed me to see random guests pulled from the audience who could suddenly go to sleep at the snap of a finger. My mother told me that they were plants, that the whole thing was fake and that I shouldn’t believe any of this stuff.

As I got older, I used to find hypnotists amusing and entertaining – making people cluck like chickens and doing odd things on stage. But as the years went on, I would see hypnotists become part of therapy – people would be hypnotized out of their grief or quit smoking or eliminate trauma from their minds that they saw while serving in war. Hypnotherapy soon changed my perspective on what hypnotism could and couldn’t do.

While in grade school one of my classmates was stung by a jellyfish one summer while playing at the beach. She was traumatized by the beach and would freak out while watching Jacques Cousteau on television. She went to counseling, talked to her clergy. But nothing worked. And it always made me wonder what happened to her and if she ever considered any kind of hypnotherapy to overcome her fear over the beach, or if she is merely going through life now avoiding the beach altogether. If she is avoiding the beach, this makes me sad, because the beach itself is a hypnotic escape.

During the holidays, many people sit in front of their fireplace and watch the fire as if it were television. It’s a hypnotic state of just sitting, being, enjoying and escaping into its warmth.

To me, this is hypnotherapy of sorts – it’s about mentally escaping. And if you’ve ever watched a flicker turn into a flame, grow into a fire and then die down, smoldering into illuminating orange coals, you understand what I am talking about in this 2-3 hour therapeutic carpet ride.

You don’t really reflect on anything – it’s just about ‘shutting off.’ You’re completely aware of its warmth as much as you are of safety precautions, and even the whistling bits of water evaporating from the wood and the snaps of bark or a tiny spider are not enough to completely take you out of the daze, which this glow has transported you to.

It doesn’t have to be a winter warm-up, a holiday or even a summer camp fire roasting marshmallows for an escape to be taken. A hypnotic escape like this can be taken at anytime… anywhere. Whether it’s the beach, browsing in a quiet library, fishing on a lake, walking in the park, or sitting on your front porch, just watching the world go by…. A hypnotic escape is necessary in life – so that when we return to reality, we can appreciate all of our blessings.

http://www.100percentrealwords.blogspot.com
© 2010 Queena Verbosity 100% Real Words
Media Monster Communications, Inc.
Stacey Kumagai
http://hubpages.com/profile/mediamonster http://www.braingasm.com

IN THE NAME OF ENGLISH

2010-01-12T12:12:00.000-08:00

Many eons ago, I was working at Disneyland. Suddenly, upon the audience exiting, I saw a tour group pressing their hands and bodies against the wall of the Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln theatre. “America The Beautiful” was playing. They were feeling the vibration of the wall and humming. I saw a few people in the group signing, and I was excited to see this.

Never before has my awareness been heightened about how difficult the English language is, more than when dealing with deaf culture. Sign language isn’t universal. As I was hand-spelling English words with my fingers, it became quite obvious the deaf tour group was foreign, as I was trying to sign to a person who didn’t speak English.

The other day, I saw a little boy point at the doggy in the window and declare to his mother that even dogs have first names and middle names… and the one he was looking at was named Jack Russell. I had to laugh. It was pretty interesting for him to put that together, without realizing that was indeed the breed of the dog. And while this would be a cute observation just watching any kid declare this, it was interesting because this child was speaking fragmented and broken English. It made me realize that we use hundreds of words each day, and perhaps of all languages, English must be the most confusing.

We have homonyms like THEIR, THERE and THEY’RE. Those are probably just as confusing as the synonyms little and small. We have street slang, business lingo and never mind the made-up words and acronyms texting technology has created for us like LOL, LMAO and BFF.

In everyday English, we use French words on our American menus for cuisine isn’t French at all, like “Soup Du Jour” at a truck stop diner. And we use terms like ‘bring home the bacon.’ We don’t literally mean stop at the grocery store and pick up a pound of the breakfast meat, but rather bring home your paycheck.

We have cutesy supplements we add to people’s names, like Kelly-Belly, Sher-Bear, Silly-Billy and Slim Jim. It does not mean that Kelly is fat, Sher is a grizzly, Billy is silly or Jim is too skinny. But I guess to someone just learning English for the first time, this might be confusing as they may think we’re offending someone or criticizing them, when we’re merely accenting with adoration as we say their name.

Then we have names for things in the animal kingdom like CATFISH, BULLFROG, FOXHOUND, SPIDER MONKEY and BIRDDOG. And none of these animals have actually mated with one another to create such an animal hybrid species. How do you explain THIS to a person who is learning English? It may not make any sense and only further confuse the process of learning our language.

Foreign people are not deaf, but I have observed human nature take over in people shouting louder as if to get their message across.

Many people complain about pressing 1 for English, 2, 3, 4 and 5 on voicemail systems for other languages and having DMV tests and voting ballots instructions in other languages. Basic street signs in other countries don’t accommodate the English-speaking to tell us where to go or how to do things But the one thing which has become obvious to me is that there is a Universal language:

a smile, a wave, music, dance, animals, nature, food and kindness. These are the things which bring people together, unite us in joy and unite us in spirit. And it’s these things which you really don’t need words for at all.

http://www.100percentrealwords.blogspot.com
© 2010 Queena Verbosity 100% Real Words
Media Monster Communications, Inc.
Stacey Kumagai
http://hubpages.com/profile/mediamonster http://www.braingasm.com

15 MINUTES OF FAME

2010-01-05T16:07:00.000-08:00

Andy Warhol was a genius. And if he were alive today, he’d marvel in the prediction he made about everyone being famous for fifteen minutes. While he was able to see his prediction come true before his death in the late 80s, today he would see an entirely different circus happening with reality television, mobile technology and the Internet.

But I think he’d be more intrigued with the biggest puppet show on Earth and how his quote merges so beautifully with super-genius, William Shakespeare. Shakespeare’s quote, “All The World’s A Stage….” applies today more so than ever before. And everyone is indeed, ‘playing their part.’

While watching these birds, I had to laugh. With everything that is happening in the world, even the animal kingdom is taking note and striking poses. The twist of a head, the straight on look of the eyes…it made me more aware of how conscious everyone is becoming of the camera.

In a nearby neighborhood, I watched kids do stunts on their skateboards because they want to be the next Tony Hawk or the next Jack Ass star, not because they actually want to do a fun sport for the heck of it, or be physically fit, enjoy time with siblings and friends, or even enjoy the great outdoors. There is an agenda and they are using the street as their ‘stage.’ They too, are looking for their 15 minutes.

While people were line waiting to by their Lotto ticket, I overheard a conversation… a teenager was talking about what he would do with all the money if he won, and mentioned he’d make a movie which he’d star in. While most teens wouldn’t say ‘I’ll put money toward my education’ – I guess I wasn’t really expecting to hear something so …. Fame-seeking.

During the holidays, I had noticed that as many children lined up to sit on Santa’s lap, Santa wasn’t really the star anymore, he had become merely a prop of sorts while on-lookers were gearing up their digital cameras and cell phones and taking photos and footage of each other. Everyone was more interested in gaining their 15 minutes of fame, and Santa was NOT the attraction. And this wasn’t the only place. Santa was walking around the IHOP roaming the restaurant for attention awaiting the gasp, the ‘ooh and ahh’ with eyes of surprise from many a child, but he never got it. Instead, people were playing with their cell phones, viewing pictures, talking about how they were going to enter them in contests, but NOT taking pictures of Santa. He knew his 15 minutes of fame was up… or maybe people just didn’t recognize him because he had gotten thinner. To his own admission, he gave into the Lap Band. This was ironically funny because the Lap Band commercials actually do run on television every 15 minutes. But witnessing this – made me realize, just as new 15 minutes-of-famers climb on the scene, others who had it for awhile are getting bypassed.

What has happened to our ‘stage’…? You know, the real stage which is being upstaged? Have people become so personal-media obsessed, they’re changing their focus on what 15 minutes means to them and are they missing the nuances of life, even experiencing childhood and tradition?

What has happened to our ‘television’…? Yes, I mean the real one, the one where they actually deliver ‘the news’ as it comes from real sources, not speculating what the news really is by reading somebody’s Twitter page…

What has happened to our ‘legends’…? The real athletes. The real actors. The real deal… where talent and artistry culminate into a place where 15 minutes is earned, where 15 minutes is ‘a result of good work’ – not because someone gets out of a car, sans undergarments.

As we look at our watches and examine the next 15 minutes and what it will bring, perhaps we can give 15 minutes of our time to the heroes, the people who are making a difference by saving lives, protecting them and bringing the service of education, enlightenment and a little bit of substance. Perhaps then, the following 15 minutes can be a tad more worthwhile, and maybe even inspirational, as we develop our own sense of change in what 15 minutes can incorporate in our daily living.

http://www.100percentrealwords.blogspot.com
© 2010 Queena Verbosity 100% Real Words
Media Monster Communications, Inc.
Stacey Kumagai
http://hubpages.com/profile/mediamonster
http://www.braingasm.com

BLOWIN IN THE WIND

2010-01-02T12:13:00.000-08:00

Back when I was in elementary school, music programs were alive and well in the school system. We didn’t need programs to ‘save the music’ because well, music always existed. And while times have changed and music programs today are suffering not just in the scholastic arena, but professional performance as well, one thing doesn’t change… and that is music can always be alive within you.

It doesn’t matter whether or not you can sing, it doesn’t matter whether or not you can play an instrument or have any music talent at all, music in itself can provide clarity in your life. It was more than an artistic expression, it was just as important for everyone to be a part of as a part of music appreciation/education. And the point being driven home by these school programs was that songs have been written because of something someone was thinking or feeling or experiencing at the time and just had to put it into some sort of therapeutic artistic form. And we should appreciate them.

Well, back in elementary school, we were all required to be part of the school choir. Even the worst singer had to sing, whether they liked it or not. Kids were put in the front, side or back of the group assembly depending on whether they were a soprano, baritone, tenor or alto.

Mrs. Scarvala was our choral instructor. She had a lovely voice and the patience of a saint. To look at her, you would think she was a prim and proper lady who would make us sing church songs. But instead she had us singing everything from “Senor Don Gato Was A Cat” to patriotic tunes and even contemporary songs from chart topping artists of the 60s and 70s.

I thought about her the other day, while having multiple chats through the holiday season with five different friends discussing everything from retina surgery, the economy, the behavioral patterns of sloths, global warming, bathtubs and caulking, politics, See’s chocolates, cheese and disease, and recent deaths of loved ones, including a New Year’s Eve death which happened unexpectedly.

Everyone has questions about something. Everyone is searching for their answers.
Regardless of the conversation, everyone was pondering questions, answers and life. It was then Bob Dylan’s tune “Blowin’ In The Wind” came into my brain. Somehow I was recalling the lyrics… lyrics I hadn’t sung in several decades. Mrs. Scarvala had us sing this Bob Dylan song in our elementary choral program. This made me think about how weird it was to see 7 and 8 year olds singing this song, because back then when we were singing it, we didn’t know what the heck it meant. And while 7 and 8 year olds have questions, lots of questions, we’re not on as mad of a search for answers of why, when, where and how. At least not to the extent we ponder life and apply appropriate songs as being instrumental to how we feel.

So here it is 2010 and I am thinking about a song written in 1962. It just goes to show, how timeless music can be and how its meaning can evolve over time into different things and how certain songs can speak for so many. When I think about how Peter, Paul & Mary, Sam Cooke, Joan Baez, Dolly Parton, Johnny Rivers and many others felt the need to sing this song, too… I realize that the ‘answers’ come to many people at different times. And it doesn’t really matter what the questions are, people are seeking answers to many topics throughout their lives because that’s what it’s all about.

And if there is a day when we are lost for the answer, perhaps we will see it BLOWING IN THE WIND. We just need to be open and aware enough to listen for it.

http://www.100percentrealwords.blogspot.com
© 2010 Queena Verbosity 100% Real Words
Media Monster Communications, Inc.
Stacey Kumagai
http://hubpages.com/profile/mediamonster
http://www.braingasm.com

A PEEK AT THE NEW YEAR

2009-12-30T12:26:00.000-08:00

It’s funny. As I ponder the thought of what the New Year might bring, it’s kind of this magical vortex of the unknown. Nobody knows. Okay, maybe those so-called ‘psychics’ know, but let’s be honest, they really don’t. And this can be said, because quite often you see those little shacks with the neon signs that say ‘psychic’ on them and quite often they are surrounded by a bunch of failed boarded up businesses. And if they were smart business people who could ‘see the future and know things ahead of time’ – you would think they would have known this about the all-important, ‘location, location, location’ – you don’t place your place of business in a location where you won’t get cross-traffic… right? So I always marvel at the empty lots surrounding them, wondering if they know that not everyone who drives by will be lured by the mystique of one small shack surrounded by nothingness, to even inquire within.

Anyway, that’s a whole other blog. Back to the peek at the New Year. Or more like, we can’t really peek at the New Year… I think that’s what’s interesting about it.

The earliest peek we ever get at what is coming for the New Year is things we know that are for sure coming. For instance, we know the January white sales are always going to happen for the most part, so if we need towels and sheets, we can wait til these go on sale. We may know what movies are going to be released for the New Year, or what makes and models of vehicles may be hitting the New Year, but as far as our own lives are concerned – we really have no clue.

And as I think about all the people who are book jumpers (you know the people who buy a book and then skip to the end to see how it ends, before they read to find out how it begins), the candy curious (the ones who get a knife and cut into the chocolates in the box to see what they are before they eat them), and the present peekers who sneak a peek at the presents under the Christmas tree before Christmas … it must be agonizing to approach the New Year, NOT knowing what it holds.

To me, NOT knowing is what life is all about. It’s how you handle life and all the things life throws at you. Maybe life will bring some good things, some bad things, but you can be sure that life will throw challenging things at you to test your ability to deal, your ability to cope and to see how strong you are. It is also an opportunity to see how far you’ve come in your own growth. Are you aware of what you can and can’t handle? When push comes to shove, can you ultimately step up to what life presents and handle it with grace, with love, with patience?

How we enter the New Year is just as much of a reflection of who we are as much as how we exited the previous year. And if we enter the New Year with open arms, open eyes and an open heart – I think it will be a very meaningful year, no matter what happens…. Good or bad. For even if a year is bad, if we at least learn something or cherish the good moments during this time, it will still have a positive outcome for all involved. It’s important not to drag crap from the previous year and taint your New Year with negative thoughts and energy. Otherwise, you’ll simply miss all the new stuff that comes your way in the New Year.

We are given opportunities to show up as our best selves. We are also given opportunities to become stronger, wiser and better people. Even if things do not go as planned, let’s be honest and take a good look and ask yourself… does anything always go according to plan?

Where there are tears and sorrow, there is laughter and joy. Where there is loss, there is gain in appreciation for what you have, who you are loved by and who you love, and the memories you created together. Where there is heartache or injury, there is healing. And where there is the UNKNOWN in life and the New Year, there is taking a peek … maybe not at what it holds, but more so about taking a peek at your past so you can understand how you will handle things in your future. It’s about making life situations better, connections stronger, minds and hearts more open to being peaceful and loving and creating happiness instead of drama and chaos.
So let’s take a peek… into the New Year, at how we plan to be and simply live it the best we can.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

http://www.100percentrealwords.blogspot.com
© 2009 Queena Verbosity 100% Real Words
Media Monster Communications, Inc.
Stacey Kumagai
http://hubpages.com/profile/mediamonster
http://www.braingasm.com

ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE

2009-12-27T22:07:00.000-08:00

On a cloudy day, one might think it is impossible for the sun to shine. Then suddenly through a crack in the clouds, a bit of light shines through. And though the sun may be struggling to make its appearance, make no mistake – it is trying and it IS shining.

To those who are Vitamin D deficient, craving a little bit of sun, this is the reward. This is the gift of not just having hope, but having faith and conviction that the sun will indeed shine.

This positive attitude isn’t just one of seeing the glass half full, nor is it a flimsy excuse for thinking this way because it’s better than thinking negatively, but those who understand the Watty Piper story of “The Little Engine That Could” – aka the ‘I think I can’ tale, know what I am talking about.

While President Barack Obama is our most recent example of implementing this same type of energy into his presidential campaign with YES WE CAN, we need to marvel in the fact that those words are indeed what made what seemed to be the impossible, become possible in historic benchmarks.

During a high school baccalaureate, I remember Reverend Robert Schuller talking about his daughter being in an accident and having her leg amputated. It was here he captured my attention in what is now known to many as his “Power of Positive Thinking” – he spoke of his daughter’s strong will, snow skiing on ONE LEG and how her strength derived from hope for what lied ahead of her, was “All going to be okay.”

When you have the attitude that anything is possible, you realize that what becomes possible isn’t just the positive outcome of what appears to be challenging you. You also come to realize that you need to be open to trying the very thing that appears to be impossible. Perhaps this is why people do things that are written about in the Guinness Book of Records and inventors never stop inventing what may seem to be some impossible contraption.

There is a fine line between self-confidence and being cocky. There is a fine line between sheer will of doing and being as there is one of making one step too many. There is also a fine line between being positive and having faith and belief, and thinking you are invincible. One side of the line is dangerous. The other side of the line is beautiful and fun. It is when you are in the middle that the line becomes blurred, and when many people test themselves for the better or come to find out it’s for the worst.

Life’s heart beats based on this. The world goes around because of this. And when you think about the impossible, or what seems impossible, you realize that with enough hope and faith, that anything is possible.

Such belief can be very powerful. And we have daily examples showing this. A creature’s will in nature helps it survive. A human’s will during illness, disease or handicap becomes more than just a survival tool, it is proof that anything is possible.

Whether you’ve survived cancer or overcome an amputation, dealt with death after death or became victorious in the most insurmountable feat, you know that the “Little Engine That Could” – could very well be YOU.

It is when we take the time to actually accept responsibility for our actions, take control over the fact there are things we sometimes cannot and know that no matter what, trying is better than not – we comprehend the value of our own beliefs. And if we stay on track with that, we may soon find ourselves chugging along full-steam ahead with the impossible.

http://www.100percentrealwords.blogspot.com
© 2009 Queena Verbosity 100% Real Words
Media Monster Communications, Inc.
Stacey Kumagai
http://hubpages.com/profile/mediamonster
http://www.braingasm.com

THE CLIMB

2009-12-23T10:40:00.000-08:00

From the time we are able to walk, we have a curiosity to climb. And for some the curiosity is stronger than others. Some have the motivation and instinct to climb more than others – for instance those who choose to rock climb, or climb Mount Everest. For others, the climb can be difficult – and not necessarily because they are not agile, it has more to do with the idea of being overwhelmed with such a climb.

If you’ve ever watched a determined child climb up on a counter to get to a cupboard to reach cookies that they are not supposed to eat, you know that for some, climbing is really about reward.

And that’s how we should look at climbing – for every step we take is another step toward reaching a goal, reaching a dream, reaching upward to touch faith or overcoming an obstacle.

I was in a store the other day watching a father and son argue. The son was about 12 years old. The father was arguing with his son about how he should play Guitar Hero. The son was basically arguing that he had played the game before and that he wanted the game because he liked it. The father was determined that his son forego the game as a pre-cursor to him learning to play an instrument and if he was going to learn music, he might as well learn it the ‘right way’ and take lessons.

This made me ponder the idea of the two parallel ladders of the climb. The father’s climb was more about structure, getting an early start. Perhaps he was reflecting upon his own path of regret in his childhood, or basically one of control and discipline. The son’s climb was about experimentation, baby-stepping on his ladder to enjoy the idea of the game he liked to play. What the father failed to realize was that maybe if the son enjoyed this game that maybe his son might choose to climb his ladder eventually, but was basically experimenting with music at this stage. And what the son failed to realize was that his father would be willing to pay for a ‘real’ guitar to learn on, something he wouldn’t actually have to ask for, because his father was open to the idea. The father was probably hoping his son would realize other kids would give their right arm for what was just offered. While the son wasn’t ready to take on that offering, and merely only wanted the game.

It is interesting to examine this argument. It was even more interesting to examine the two ladders each chose to climb. What was even more fascinating than that was that there was a third ladder there, one which neither father nor son chose to put a foot on… the one of understanding where the other was coming from and instead choosing to just argue and argue. In reality, both wanted something. And both were ultimately wanting a positive outcome. But neither could step outside of the argument to realize this.

And yes, there was yet a fourth ladder here – one of perspective. And this is a ladder the son will appreciate when he’s say, 30 or 40 or when his father is dead – that he had a father to spend time with, and yes, even argue with and that he had a father who wanted to go shopping in a store with him and want something more for him. And the father will step foot on this ladder when the son is older, off having his own life and realize that his son’s life is the way it is because all along, the son was a baby-stepper in his climb, taking on obstacles. He chose to explore things his way with his independent likes and dislikes, not always conforming to what his father’s ideas were.

It’s an interesting set of ladders. No ladder is right or wrong. But the ladders are there. Each chose to step on their own ladders their way.

What we need to think about with our own ladders is that for every ladder we choose to climb, there are other ladders present. Sometimes our actions will affect someone else’s ladder. Sometimes we need to look beyond our own ladder. And sometimes still, we need to be patient with ourselves and the steps we take – no matter how big or how small or even if we fall off the ladder. We need to cherish the ladder, taking steps and honor the fact that making the climb is part of life. This is how we learn about ourselves and what we’re made of. But it’s also important for us to examine that the ladder isn’t as important as the people in our lives who either are on ladders, at the bottom of ladders in the middle of ladders, stuck on their ladders or those who are rebuilding their ladders after a fire.

And no matter where we are on the ladder, if we are indeed climbing, we are living life. We don’t need to compare ourselves and our ladders to anyone else’s, nor judge others and the climb they are on. Each is for purpose. We have our own surprises at the top of our own ladders and we’ll even see surprises at the top of other’s ladders.

But regardless of where we are, we must attempt the climb. And we must keep climbing, even if it is baby-stepping it our way, our own way, to discover more along the way, as we ascend up our ladder.

One of the great gifts of the ladder is that it is there, for us to climb, when we choose as we choose and how we choose. And that is the ladder of life – growing, climbing, learning and becoming more aware, more educated so that as we look all around, the view just becomes more beautiful for us to see. Especially if we are looking at all the faces of others on their ladders and appreciate them as they are.
Keep climbing.

http://www.100percentrealwords.blogspot.com
© 2009 Queena Verbosity 100% Real Words
Media Monster Communications, Inc.
Stacey Kumagai
http://hubpages.com/profile/mediamonster
http://www.braingasm.com

OPEN

2009-12-18T17:19:00.001-08:00

As a child, I can remember playing a hands game “Here is the church, here is the steeple, OPEN the door and see all the people.” It was a game playing with hands and fingers.

I can also remember the game OPEN sesame. This game was not so much a game, as it was your saying “Open Sesame” and something would be behind a door.

Watching game shows on TV, like Monty Hall’s “Let’s Make A Deal” where you had to OPEN door number 1,2, or 3 were fascinating because you never knew what was behind it, and that was part of the thrill. No different than OPENing the ‘envelope’ during the Academy Awards to see who the winner might be, or OPENing presents on your birthday or Christmas, trying to OPEN your first bottle of champagne or participating in your first sports OPEN.

From the OPENing bell of the stock market to the OPENing of a Broadway play; being the first one in line when Disneyland or a bakery OPENs is also exciting.

The whole OPEN world is fun, exciting, happy, thrilling. And like an OPEN field, OPEN sky, and OPEN road, we often go through life seeing a lot of things that are OPEN, but rarely do we appreciate the idea of being OPEN, when something is closed.
When things close, it has the opposite effect. When businesses close, when doors of opportunity close and when people become closed off, it’s hard to stop thinking about when things were good and things and people were OPEN.

There is a cliché “When one door closes, another one opens.” And this cliché is a true one. Most people in life, no matter how cynical seem to embrace this.

But even though the majority of people embrace the cliché, the irony is that there are more closed-minded people in this world, and to me this is sad.

You can argue with me about this, but what I am saying is true. Because if people were more OPEN-minded in this world, there would be more reasoning, more discussion, less fighting, less war, fewer conflicts, fewer problems, no racism, no sexism, no ageism, no prejudice and ….NO JUDGMENT about anyone, any size, any color, any height, any shape, any capability mentally,physically. There would be no closed-mindedness about any social class, any idea in politics, any religion.

Perhaps one day, the world will be OPEN for real… in all ways, in all perspectives. And one day, everyone, everywhere will be OPEN to PEACE and what that truly means, being OPEN to acceptance and respect for all creatures on this earth.

http://www.100percentrealwords.blogspot.com
© 2009 Queena Verbosity 100% Real Words
Media Monster Communications, Inc.
Stacey Kumagai
http://hubpages.com/profile/mediamonster
http://www.braingasm.com

STICKING YOUR NECK OUT

2009-12-16T18:42:00.000-08:00

Have you ever heard of ‘sticking your neck out?’ A lot of people may have heard of this, and may or may not know exactly what it means or what it refers to. Usually most people assume it is to always put yourself at risk or vulnerability for ridicule, judgment and criticism. And for some reason, this has come to some sort of ‘negative’ type of reference.

My question is, why is everything viewed negatively? Can’t ‘sticking your neck out’ be looked at as courageous or brave, exercising independence and strength to have a voice and be heard?

Creatures in nature like turtles or crabs have a protective shell to stick their necks out and then quickly retreat back in, if thing seem hostile out there and not very friendly.

People really only have the option of being recluse in caveman-hermit style retreat when the going gets tough and ugly.

But why is this so?

Have we become such a judgmental society, quick to pounce on someone’s thought, viewpoint or choice?

Do others think they are superior to slander, demoralize and ridicule someone’s thought, idea or opinion, to prevent them from having the right to have one?
Last I checked, everyone who has an opinion voices it. Those who take risks by stating what’s on their mind usually only get a slap on the hand, a fine and get pulled off the air by the FCC.

This is not to say, to be thoughtless, reckless and not THINK before we speak. But this is to say that very much like everyone’s personal choice to have their own ideas is okay… to have a thought or opinion is okay. To stick your neck out and support a thought or idea that jives with who you are as an individual is okay.

I think we should redefine what ‘sticking your neck out’ means. We should examine it in the same context as self-exploration and exercising thoughts, ideas and opinions, you know similar to writing a letter to the editor or to Congress.
If we apply our anatomy properly, we can get a lot accomplished:

• DO – Keep our noses to the grindstone. DON’T – brown nose or put our noses
where they don’t belong in other people’s personal business.
• DO – Keep our eyes on the ball. DON’T – close our eyes to those in need
of help.
• DO – Keep our ears open to listen to people, hear what they are saying.
DON’T – tune out the voices that could help us develop and grow as human
kind.
• And yes, DO – stick your neck out, be yourself, put your words, voice and
opinion on the line for things you believe in, have a passion for and
support. DON’T – retreat your neck because you’re too afraid of what other
people are going to think about you for being who you are.

Afterall, if we didn’t stick our neck out to be vulnerable, to share perspectives, wouldn’t we all be ostrich, burying our heads in the sand? Who wants to live life like that?

© 2009 Queena Verbosity 100% Real Words
Media Monster Communications, Inc.
Stacey Kumagai
http://www.100percentrealwords.blogspot.com
http://hubpages.com/profile/mediamonster
http://www.braingasm.com

THE RAINFOREST

2009-12-12T17:04:00.000-08:00

The trees stand majestically, tall and proud. And the jungle feels like it’s growing with each footstep you put forward. The leaves of all the plant life feel as if they are exhaling their breath on your shoulders, whispering to you to keep walking into the depths of wonderment. You smell a faint floral perfume and musty wet dog scent accented with grassy/piney freshness all with one whiff.

There is a party going on and the conversation is rhythmic. Crickets contribute as the percussion, as the crashing waterfall provides a steady bass line. A myriad of birds of all breeds chirp and squawk their vocals. And mysterious slithery insects and reptiles hiss among the prominent raindrops which make their own music to polish off a Grammy award-winning soundtrack.

As you start to marvel at the beautiful hues of green glistening in the mist, your eyes fixate on the most exquisite and exotic blooms you’ve ever seen. The hypnotic flora will captivate you with salmon-pink scalloped edges, sunburst fire-orange and gold sprays of petals and gleaming white and magenta fringe.

And just as you are visually overwhelmed by the magical beauty you are imbibing with every dew drop of rain, humid breath and groovy jungle strum – it happens… THE BITE.

First it’s a pinch, then a sting, which progresses to the most progressive itch. Thirty-three bites later and two inches of blood-swelling puffer-fish appearing welts, you begin to understand the environment you were just in… someone else’s territory.

And you realize something profound: from a shark bite in the big blue ocean; a charging herd of cattle in the prairie, or yes, even 33 bites in the middle of the rainforest – you are a guest in Mother Nature’s home, which belongs to her children. And her children are skeptical of strangers entering their home.

It is here you are reminded just how small you really are. It is here you earn a newfound respect for the nature you take for granted and dare to trespass.
It is also here where you learn just how much we really do need to honor the gifts we have on this Earth before they are gone.

While many of you may balk at the crusaders for our planet – until you’ve personally experienced this or any other kind of magic that intoxicates you visually, audibly and yes, spiritually in a virtual 360, , do you comprehend what people are truly fighting for. They’re fighting for YOUR right to see, hear, smell, taste and feel this all for yourself… the euphoria of everything at once, along with the residual stinging and swelling as a result of the once-in-a-lifetime event. It will make you think differently and put things in a newfound perspective.

I’ve always had respect for the planet and grew up very green in a progressive household that was green back in the 70s with the first solar panels in the neighborhood. We recycled, we conserved. But this experience gave me a deeper appreciation for every bottle, can or paper I’ve recycled, every bit of water I’ve conserved, every piece of litter I’ve ever picked up, every energy-efficient light I’ve screwed in and so forth. And still somehow, it just doesn’t seem enough.
For this one opportunity to get bitten 33 times, I would say to see what I have seen, heard and what I have felt – was well worth it.

You can never underestimate the power of Mother Nature. And you can never underestimate the power that each of us have in unity to protect and preserve her and the planet.

Care for the planet, respect nature and don’t forget to grab the insect repellent.

© 2009 Queena Verbosity 100% Real Words
Media Monster Communications, Inc.
Stacey Kumagai
http://www.100percentrealwords.blogspot.com
http://hubpages.com/profile/mediamonster
http://www.braingasm.com

THE SLOW LANE

2009-12-09T19:40:00.000-08:00

The busier life gets, the more immersed in our daily ‘routines’ we become. And it is during this time that we forget to come up for air.

Perhaps this is a metro thing. Or maybe just a Los Angeles thing. But I’ve noticed people keep going, going and going on with their daily lives and routines to the point where everything becomes ‘automatic pilot.’

From the first coffee of the day, to the non-stop 16-18 hour days involving work hours and long commutes, to the weekends of pure vegetation into nothingness, what seems lost is the sense of community, sense of life and people’s true place in it. And while I am here to encourage life in the slow lane, this doesn’t mean that because you sit in traffic, you are getting the most out of life.

It was while watching an isolated turtle breathe, that I realized that there is a difference between choosing to come up for air and choosing to come out for a bit of rest and relaxation. The line is a fine line, but one that is distinct if you look closely.

Make no mistake – whether in a crowd of one hundred or sitting in a circle of five, one can feel alone. And sometimes when sitting all alone, you can feel as if you are in a crowd of one million and no one will leave you alone just to ‘be’ and give you the space and peace you need to gather your thoughts, to free up your mental space.

I believe it is essential to come up for air, but I also believe it is essential to come out for rest and relaxation. The difference is in your free will, and your willingness to allow and enable that time to be yours, to be pure, to be quality and to be present… emotionally, physically, mentally and spiritually.

It’s vital to be a willing participant in life in order to fully comprehend the ultimate sense of what life is and isn’t. It’s important to get alone with your head sometimes and not have the hustle and bustle of daily life rip away at your energies and sense of self. It is in this process we learn how far we’ve come, how much we’ve grown and how much more we have yet to learn.

If we don’t take this time, we become so wrapped up in our own world, we miss the world that exists outside of ourselves, the real world going on outside our car windows and office doors.

It’s also revealing and humbling to know that for the most part, certain parts of the world live life better than we do. They understand the true meaning of life is making the most of it – good and bad and mostly WITHOUT, because they don’t need anything other than a ‘time out’ or ‘time with’ and just ‘time’ to be with themselves, and with others on their terms of enjoying life. It’s about paying attention, not just paying bills. It’s about taking stock in life and those you love, not taking stock in the stock market. It’s about enjoying a glass of wine and a sunset, instead of whining about how hot the sun is.

Most of us here in America live life backwards because we’re too busy and keep going forward. And those who keep going forward are in dire need to go backward because they’ve missed what life is truly all about.

So the next time you come up for air, or come out for rest and relaxation – no matter what, take it slowly. This isn’t a speedway. And it’s important to not become obsessed with the rat race. Because in the end you’re really only racing toward death anyway.

So if you take life slowly, not only will you savor it more and enjoy it more, but you’ll see that it’s all in how you arrive at the conclusion of what life is all about in the first place… especially if you’re in last place.

© 2009 Queena Verbosity 100% Real Words
Media Monster Communications, Inc.
Stacey Kumagai
http://www.100percentrealwords.blogspot.com
http://hubpages.com/profile/mediamonster
http://www.braingasm.com

SIT ON THIS

2009-11-30T16:14:00.001-08:00

“Come on in, sit right down,” says Aunt Ida. “Sit! Bowzer, Sit!,” we tell our dog. Yet how many of us actually SIT … I mean really sit.

If you are used to working on your feet, sitting can become a huge relief to your legs, feet and back. But if you sit down on the job, unless you have a desk job, sitting down can be a ‘no-no.’

People in this world are used to going non-stop. Rarely do we sit, unless we sit at our jobs or in traffic or on some form of public transportation like a bus, train, subway or plane. But when asked to ‘sit’ – there is a bit of hesitance that comes with it, a bit of guilt, and yet after enduring a long, stressful week, where we dream of sitting and relaxing, we somehow don’t do as much of it as we should.

Lots of people don’t even sit down to eat anymore, they eat on the run. And some people don’t even sit down to watch TV – they are working out as they watch the tube. The other day, I saw a mother in her jogging suit, talking on her cell phone with one hand and pushing a stroller with the other, which happened to have the same hand holding a dog leash. The dog was also ‘not sitting,’ but running. Nearby was a lake with many ducks. The ducks were not sitting either, they were waddling looking for food, no one was sitting watching them.

Cat Stevens still may be “Sitting,” The Moody Blues may ask “Are You Sitting Comfortably?” and Otis Redding still may be “Sitting on the Dock of the Bay” – but the great lost art of sitting and reflecting, not sitting and multi-tasking, seems lost.

When you sit down and stop your world, not only are you still, but your world can spin in a more positive direction if you take time to sit, enjoy, relax and be. Sometimes we don’t have enough time to think, sometimes we don’t have enough time to breathe and reflect. But most of all, we have learned to view the great art of sitting as a waste of time.

When you take a moment and talk to someone older, they will tell you that sitting is a wonderful thing. You can sit down and take the time to learn from others. You can sit down and get acquainted with new people. You can sit down and take a moment for yourself to reflect on how wonderful your day went or how beautiful tomorrow is going to be. But most importantly, you can sit down and simply be yourself. No one is expecting you to be anywhere, be anything to anyone, you are simply allowed to just sit there as you are.

And that’s worth sitting down for.

© 2009 Queena Verbosity 100% Real Words
Media Monster Communications, Inc.
Stacey Kumagai
http://www.100percentrealwords.blogspot.com
http://hubpages.com/profile/mediamonster
http://www.braingasm.com

THE GLIDE

2009-11-29T16:40:00.000-08:00

It’s that ‘joyous time of year’ again. And it’s funny how much this season has changed over time and how much of it has remained the same.

When I was a little kid, I can remember adults trying to put on their best face making the season bright and bountiful. But behind the holly-wreathed doors, I would hear the bitching and complaining about how women were the ones who would have to make the season happen if the season were to happen at all.

The gripes would include having to do all the planning, the baking, the holiday card addressing (and keeping track of the new addresses, the moves, the cards returned from old addresses or deaths) and then do all the meal planning, meal shopping, gift planning and shopping and wrapping and packing for mailing, standing in line at the post-office, planning for the unexpected drop-by guests, handling relative accommodating for overnight stays, stressing over the lack of space for everyone and dealing with airport pickups and returns, and of course the cleaning before visitors, cleaning up after baking and cleaning up before stay overs and before the meal. And this cleaning process also included cleaning the silver, bringing out special occasion linens and doing that clean up, preparation and then the decoration, tree, walls, lights and making sure there were festive candles, scents, firewood and the list goes on. This was all followed by also preparing for care packages of leftovers and then writing of all the thank you notes and preparing for New Year.

There would be this ‘knowing’ look in the aisles of stores while grocery shopping, big sighs in the lines where people waited with armfuls of goodies, with a glimmer of disgust and frustration. But at the end of it all – everyone was ‘happy.’ Of course the complaint would be that it took nearly two months to prepare for a moment where the meal was gulped down in less than twenty minutes and the present opening took less than ten. It’s kind of like a rollercoaster ride where you wait in line for three hours and the ride is over in two minutes.

The holidays happen the same time every year. But each year people get stressed, and sick with the flu from the stress, late hours, overtaxing of the body, mind and spirit.

It’s pretty amazing though that at this time of year, the average human who celebrates this one season can do all of this and survive it.

During regular life, away from the holiday season – life can be and is, just as hectic, but it’s not as glaring. Whether it’s dealing with birthdays, weddings, graduations, anniversaries, funerals, births, moving, job changes, commutes, house buying or selling, everyday task-mastering of business, personal, family, friends, neighbors, occasions, obligations and events…. Life can be crazy.

And whether you are dealing with crisis of illness and disease, accident or financial, career or family matter, life has a series of bumpy roads, obstacle courses and uphill battles to resolve and overcome.

But if it weren’t for all this, would there be the joy, peace and elation of life’s moments of gliding? Perhaps if it weren’t for all this, there would be no true appreciation and enjoyment of the good times, great moments of victory, achievement, accomplishment and endurance…

Think about that. If everything in life were easy, there wouldn’t be motivation to do much of anything. People would get laxed and lazy, disconnected by nature due to the fact that everything would be so joyous and effortless that they would end up having no emotional connection to the outcome of anything because nothing was put into it.

Nothing was more clear to me, than after watching Donny Osmond win Dancing With The Stars. The road up until his win was difficult because it wasn’t just the road he was on, it was the past roads behind him, the current road working hard to achieve the win and the road ahead of him as the outcome based on his performance all rolled into one.

When you live in a spotlight of expectation, expectation puts added pressure on you. When you are a perfectionist living with this spotlight, your self-imposed pressure can get the best of you. When you have had difficulty in the past dealing with social anxiety disorder in the arena of performance, and are performing with a broken toe, the flu and flying back and forth between Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Utah non-stop all week and performing a regular non-stop gig, even more so.

When you are trying not to let down a bunch of long-time fans who have been by your side for the past 46 years of performing, being the oldest contestant still in the running trying to keep up energy-wise with your peers who are the age of your own kids, that alone is huge. But when you are doing all this knowing you want the time you’ve spent away from your wife and kids will not have been for nothing, while also dealing with your own personal friendly sibling rivalry to come out ahead (also knowing you were winning for her as well – because at the time when she was performing, she was dealing with the death of her father, her own divorce and other family issues, while trying to lose weight to get healthy) well… the tears of joy behind the victory say more than you’re just happy you won.

We all go through the rocky road of life’s events. We all endure moments of difficulty, challenge and a path full of obstacles to navigate around, many emotionally, mentally and physically taxing times to juggle simultaneously while having a smile on our faces.

But again, if it were not for all this, the moments of victory will not have been as sweet. So whether it’s a holiday, a season, a life event, a competition or simply a moment to see what you’re made of …. We must remember that in order to enjoy the GLIDE in life, we must power through the rocky road.

© 2009 Queena Verbosity 100% Real Words
Media Monster Communications, Inc.
Stacey Kumagai
http://www.100percentrealwords.blogspot.com
http://hubpages.com/profile/mediamonster
http://www.braingasm.com

ONCE UPON A FOGGY IDEA

2009-11-19T20:56:00.001-08:00

Back in the 70s, fog was all the rage as a special effect on stage at concerts. With all the shiny lights, colors and sound, everybody got excited when they would see the fog roll on in.

It meant something exciting was going to happen. It was the ultimate grand entrance for any band or performer. And basically people thought it was really cool.
When we were little, we would get equally excited on a foggy Christmas Eve… because we knew the mystery man in red would be coming to town.

When Mother Nature rolls in the fog, people are equally drawn to the eerie allure of it. It seems to creep in, hovering, blanketing and move in quickly and then wait and slowly inch in layer by layer, almost like airy cotton candy clouds with the mist whispering in a haunting way. It’s this kind of fog that has inspired many a traveling song, self-exploration journeys noted in diaries and introspective seashore paintings from light houses.

Fog is fascinating in many ways. And the only time people seem to get creeped out by it is during nightfall or Halloween, where danger seems to lurk nearby. We can blame old storytelling and period tales, horror films and mystery theatre and the wicked voice of Vincent price echoing in Michael Jackson’s Thriller over a ghoulish graveyard for tainting fog in this light.

It’s funny how fog can instantly change energy by making an appearance, and this is not to discount the fog that seems to blur the mental clarity of people, too.
Have you ever noticed the silence social fog can invite in a room? When someone cluelessly blurts out something to indicate that the fog has entered their brain, it becomes clear that fog has suddenly erased thought, helped an idea escape, dissolving consciousness of the moment. But sometimes this can be a good thing, it can even make room for creativity.

Fog can be amusing and annoying, entertaining and even charming, like when windows fog up and people draw smiley faces.

But no matter how you look at fog, it’s impossible to discount the number of ways fog has influenced the arts, music, literature and life. The average person can claim to not be able to see anything when fog rolls in, but a number of people can see that there is much more than meets the foggy old eye.

Perhaps fog is more than something which happens IN the atmosphere… it creates atmosphere and this in itself is something to blow our fog horns about.

© 2009 Queena Verbosity 100% Real Words
Media Monster Communications, Inc.
Stacey Kumagai
http://www.100percentrealwords.blogspot.com
http://hubpages.com/profile/mediamonster
http://www.braingasm.com

YOUR APPLE A DAY

2009-11-16T18:23:00.000-08:00

An apple a day keeps the doctor away,
And someone can be the apple of your eye.
One bad apple don’t spoil a whole bunch,
Unless it’s the apple in your American apple pie.
Apple isn’t only a computer,
Nor just the name of Gwenyth Paltrow’s daughter.
An apple isn’t only for your teacher,
Or simply scraps for piggy fodder.
An apple isn’t all that evil,
Unless it is from Snow White’s witch.
While many men may curse Adam,
For taking an apple from Eve, that b***h.
But we mustn’t see only crab apples,
Nor the apples of shrunken head dolls,
But rather embrace the apple,
And the tree from which it falls.
The apple is more than Delicious,
And Granny would tell you so,
For McIntosh, Fuji and Braeburn,
Are just part of the list, you know.
Here come Jonathan, Pippin and Gravenstein,
Nicola, Baldwin and Rome,
Adams Pearmain and Ambrosia,
Pink Lady and Ginger Gold.
And these apples adorn the Gala,
Even Rambo makes a Cameo…
James Grieve takes on the Empire,
As Ben Davis bites Taliaferro.
But Liberty will always stand,
Like a Honey Crisp Northern Spy,
And Pink Pearls and Paula Reds,
Will make Jazz apples shy.
But no matter how you like d’em apples,
Don’t forget what they are truly for.
Apples are here for your health,
And so you can remember your ‘core.’
So take a bite out of life,
Enjoy it along the way.
And there will be much more of life to come,
If you eat your ‘apple a day…’

© 2009 Queena Verbosity 100% Real Words
Media Monster Communications, Inc.
Stacey Kumagai
http://www.100percentrealwords.blogspot.com
http://hubpages.com/profile/mediamonster
http://www.braingasm.com

BIRD WATCHING… WATCHING US WATCH THEM

2009-11-14T13:05:00.000-08:00

In high school, I heard a saying from one of my teachers...
“There are people who make things happen. People who watch things happen. And then there are those people who ask ‘what happened?’ “

While everyone laughed when they heard this, it was interesting to take a look at it from the perspective of everyone thinking they were the ones who make things happen. It was also funny to see that everyone automatically assumed that the people who asked, ‘what happened?’ were lazy people who were clueless and out of touch with the world.

But as life went on, I learned to honor the fact that sometimes you can’t always be making things happen. Sometimes you have to watch things happen because it is what you observe that can help you see a new direction you are supposed to take things. And if you are always so busy making things happen, you’re too busy to watch things happen and then you end up becoming the very person who asked ‘what happened?’
Take a look at the housing industry, the banking industry, Corporate America, Enron, 9/11, GM and even Global Warming.

You can have a bunch of people rallying to save the world, but then no one is actually doing it. You can have people be so busy pointing fingers when things go wrong, but then no one is minding the store. You can have people watch all this and sit back and do nothing. And you can also have a world so ‘in their own world’ – they are missing the very things that caused all these things to happen and they are now sitting back and asking ‘what the heck happened?’

Birds have a very interesting world. They sit, they watch the world. Sometimes they hunt. Sometimes they are the prey. But a lot of the times, they sit and watch what is happening. And if something is happening and they either need to get away from it or go toward it, they fly.

While we humans are not born with wings to fly we can change our own flight pattern by taking a bit more time to sit and watch what is happening. People who panic tend to do rash things and ultimately cause an unnecessary domino effect in this world. People who think they are invincible, sit too long and then end up becoming victims.

There is another saying…. “suit up and show up, s**t or get off the pot.” And that has its place in life, too.

John Mayer’s song “Waiting For The World To Change” used to get me upset…. Part of the song is true and I comprehend his generation’s thinking there was nothing that could be done to change the world. But there is an echo that I hear, or rather, the Mother Teresa screams I hear from afar that beg to differ. “We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop,” which basically say Mayer’s song is a copout.

Hmm…

As the birds watch what is happening, and continue to breed and fly,
As they watch their eggs get eaten, or their new babies simply die….
In the world that is changing, where life on earth is tough,
They simply live life each day and, that is truly enough.
The birds will sit and reflect, who knows what they really see.
They observe and help us realize, the best things in life are free.

© 2009 Queena Verbosity 100% Real Words
Media Monster Communications, Inc.
Stacey Kumagai
www.100percentrealwords.blogspot.com
http://hubpages.com/profile/mediamonster
http://www.braingasm.com

THE SPOT

2009-11-11T18:22:00.000-08:00

Have you ever heard about “being comfortable in your own skin?” This is your spot. And sometimes we have to step outside of our own comfort zones to get there.

When you grow up with obstacles and challenges, you learn quickly to find your own spot as a means to survive. Growing up as a minority in an all white neighborhood was challenging for me. But that did not become an obstacle.

I was very lucky to have progressive teachers who not only had great vision, but substance and integrity in the ways they chose to educate in the public school system.

In the second grade, I had a very special teacher. She was a life guard and made sure that we all learned how to swim. So after teaching us reading, writing, math and spelling, she taught us that swimming wasn’t just something fun to do, but it was necessary survival skill in life. She also taught us about plant propagation and wasn’t afraid to have us dissect a cat (one of the student’s father was a Vet) and pass a vein around, but she taught us not to be afraid of anything. Life is real and so was she, and the lessons she taught us were about real life.

She was also very observant. She saw that I was struggling with being ‘different’ as one of only two minorities in this second grade class. And she wanted to educate my classmates about racism, stereotyping, and pre-conceived judgments. So when it came time to cast the play, “Alice In Wonderland,” she took the bold move of casting ME as Alice, much to the shock and awe of all of the parents who had blonde and blue-eyed daughters, who mirrored Alice’s Disney image. An Asian Alice? Yes, indeed.

I was shy and awkward, but quickly gained confidence realizing that my teacher had confidence in me. She was trying to make a point, that storytelling is a gift. It doesn’t matter who tells the story, what matters is if the story reaches you, touches you and makes you think and feel something.

Her point of the matter was more about making a point, to actually have THIS story tell a different kind of story and educate parents about how their own pre-conceived judgments or ideas would soon get transferred onto their children. And if they didn’t change now, the cycle would never be broken. This was a cycle that was passed on generation to generation. My teacher’s point was that if you don’t make the change, the change will never happen and it has to start somewhere.

The parents who observed the play also witnessed how their own children didn’t have any problem with me being cast in the lead, and that I didn’t have to ‘look’ like the Alice they had seen in the Disney film or the animated story books.
I had not only gained respect and acceptance, I had also gained the gift of my own peers adapting and the changing of their parents in the same breath.

Everyone grew up that day. And it is something that I am hoping is carried in the memory, heart and actions with each person who was part of my teacher’s brilliant experiment, today.

The spot. Sometimes you find your own spot in the most unconventional ways. Sometimes you find your spot because someone shines a spotlight on you. No matter how you find your spot, may you always know that the spot begins with you – your comfort zone, stepping outside of it and becoming comfortable with adapting, making change happen and growth.

Hopefully, that … will hit the spot!

© 2009 Queena Verbosity 100% Real Words
Media Monster Communications, Inc.
Stacey Kumagai
www.100percentrealwords.blogspot.com
http://hubpages.com/profile/mediamonster
http://www.braingasm.com

THE LIGHT

2009-11-11T11:25:00.000-08:00

I have this frame on my desk that reads “To be a star, you must shine your own light, follow your own path and don’t worry about the darkness, for that is when stars shine brightest.”

I love this. It’s actually a postcard I had found in a card shop and I liked it so much, that I bought it and framed it. It sits on my desk as a reminder to always stay positive.

There are days…and we all have days, when situations get the best of us, when we are not in our best place. And those are the days when this reminder rings a little louder.

But this saying is also a reminder that we need to stay true to who we are as people and not compromise integrity or our own core values.

I believe it’s important to stay true to your heart and what you believe. If we give up our own identity and our own beliefs and morals for the sake of trying to advance our lives, we give up more than just that, we give up our soul.
Life is nothing without your soul. It is empty, meaningless and doesn’t hold any value or purpose or passion.

We all have to stand for something in order to truly be.

I don’t believe people who say they don’t believe in anything, because if that were true, this would mean they don’t believe in themselves, or anyone in their life. They don’t believe in any season or cause or reason to do anything about anything and in essence, they wouldn’t be living life.

Jadedness and negativity do not breed life – not just for the person stuck in this dark space, but for all those around them who are affected by this ugly non-productive energy. No one wants to be around people who don’t believe in anything... particularly those who don’t believe in the very day they were fortunate enough to wakeup in. Otherwise, why take on the day if you don’t believe even in that?!

The light we all hold inside us is amazing. It can brighten someone else’s day. It can bring about unexpected things. And the light can hold us up in our own dark times to plow onward, to have hope, to desire something for ourselves or for someone else.

Sometimes we’re not even aware of our own light or the power of it. Maybe a random act of kindness can change someone’s life. But I am a firm believer that if there are those who are interested in what you share and how you show up in the world, your light may have a brighter purpose than you realize.

This is a time when people need a little light. And if we all take the time to shine our own upon those needing it, we could just make this world a brighter place to be.

© 2009 Queena Verbosity 100% Real Words
Media Monster Communications, Inc.
Stacey Kumagai

www.100percentrealwords.blogspot.com
http://hubpages.com/profile/mediamonster
http://www.braingasm.com

THE BALANCING ACT

2009-11-04T14:57:00.000-08:00

My father always said that everything should be done in moderation. Work and play, studying and hobbies, eating and drinking, exercise and rest.

But of course, this also meant to do everything in moderation….the very best that you can. As oxymoronic as that sounds, you have to understand that being part of a struggling and hardworking World War II generation, “doing your very best” also meant just that – as best as you can…as you can.

When I look at the important of balance in life I also look at the gift that this brings. There is a fine line in balancing everything. Life is, in itself, a balancing act.

People who spin too many plates are always afraid of having one crash down. But there is also the understanding that life is short, and without many plates spinning, you don’t get to experience life in its rich, fullest allure, either.
Balancing and managing your time is a challenging task when you are trying to live life to the fullest, but there is also the crashing and burning by trying to do too much.

There have been many times in my life when I have laughed at the idea of reading the book “Meditations For Women Who Do Too Much” … simply because I am usually doing too much and don’t have the time to read this book. But somewhere along this road called life, I have discovered that if we take the time out of each day to just balance out our own energy, we will have more energy and time for ourselves, for our loved ones and all the things we enjoy.

This ‘pause and reflect’ is indeed a pause for effect. Just a few minutes each day to focus, re-center and concentrate on what balancing means to our health, our minds, bodies, spirits and our well-being, helps us become better at just BEING. And this means… we become better at being who we are in our ‘best self-mode’ and show up better, happier and more aware of ourselves and our surroundings.

Perfecting our own balancing act is a gift we can give to ourselves, especially as schedules get busier and demands get the better of us. We can be more in tune with what we need mentally, emotionally and physically, if we take the time to honor the balance we all deserve.

© 2009 Queena Verbosity 100% Real Words
Media Monster Communications, Inc.
Stacey Kumagai

http://www.100percentrealwords.blogspot.com
http://hubpages.com/profile/mediamonster
http://www.braingasm.com

LIFE IS A FULL DECK

2009-11-02T22:18:00.001-08:00

Kenny Rogers sang “You’ve got to know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em, know when to walk away, know when to run….”

Life is a card game. Some play it with a full deck. Some are real cards. No one can predict what hand they are going to be dealt in life until the cards are on the table and in their hands.

Most of the time the hand continues being dealt as you go through life and it changes just when you think you have it figured out.

Sometimes you can be dealt the best hand in the world – have all the cards you could ever dream of having and play the hand wrong and life turns out to be the opposite of your good hand.

Sometimes you can be dealt the worst hand in the world – have all the cards stacked against you, but you come out ahead because you carefully choose a strategy to play with the hand you’re given and things go your way.

The loser in all this is the person who refuses to play any hand in their life at all. In the end, it’s not about how many cards you are dealt, it doesn’t matter if you have all aces or all jokers – what matters is that you enjoyed playing. And when all is said and done, you can put the cards on the table, be open with who you are, what you’ve become and how you’ve played and say, “Hey, I had fun.”

People take life too seriously. Sometimes they take too long to play a hand and miss opportunities. Sometimes a hand is played hastily and an opportunity is wasted. But does any missed opportunity or wasted opportunity really matter, anyway?

HOLD your loved ones close. FOLD up memories and tuck them in a place you’ll treasure. WALK AWAY from the negative hand that refuses to hold yours. RUN toward the heart that is beating with love and positivity. SHUFFLE along in this game called life.

I think that knowing that diamonds, spades and clubs don’t really matter in life as much as hearts do… and having heart is the key to a winning hand.

© 2009 Queena Verbosity 100% Real Words
Media Monster Communications, Inc.
Stacey Kumagai

http://www.100percentrealwords.blogspot.com
http://hubpages.com/profile/mediamonster
http://www.braingasm.com

THE TRAFFIC CONTROLLER

2009-10-24T11:48:00.000-07:00

Two little kids were playing in the street.

They were bouncing a dodge ball to each other’s feet.

The neighborhood was quiet, people were gone or inside.

The two little kids, played ball with all their might.

No parent was around to monitor this play.

No one else was outside enjoying this perfect day.

They continued to play and bounce around this ball.

The two boys were enjoying the glorious season of Fall.

But here comes a car, wanting to pass.

And instead of braking, flooring on the gas.

When suddenly one boy, put his hand out and yelled ‘STOP!’

The other boy stood there as the ball and his jaw dropped.

His piercing eyes meant ‘Oh, don’t you dare.’

His posture was strong as much as his stare.

He got closer to the car and said ‘You’ve got to slow down!’

The driver shrugged and said ‘I didn’t see you boys around.’

Everyone out of breath, released a big sigh.

Both boys stood firm, and didn’t even cry.

But the driver did… he shed a little tear.

He realized this karma, was revisiting a fear.

For when he was a boy, he was almost hit.

And he watched his friend die, from the same s**t.

It was a reminder to drive safely and slow down.

Or the cycle will continue and go ‘round and ‘round.

It’s a wakeup call to be reminded of your past.

Perhaps, you need to take your foot off of the gas.

It’s also a reminder, to appreciate life.

Because time isn’t always on your side.

So take the life lesson, you just learned from these boys.

Life is precious and meant to be enjoyed.

© 2009 Queena Verbosity 100% Real Words
Media Monster Communications, Inc.
Stacey Kumagai

http://www.100percentrealwords.blogspot.com
http://hubpages.com/profile/mediamonster
http://www.braingasm.com

MUSIC IS WORTH NOTING

2009-10-22T12:06:00.000-07:00

From the day we are born, music is in our lives. From the first lullaby we hear to the music in numerous mobiles, Fisher Price toys to children’s TV shows and songs we learn to sing in school, music is in our lives.

Whether or not we ever learn to sing or play an instrument, music is a part of us. It intertwines with our soul more and more with each passing year. Dick Clark said “Music is the soundtrack to life” and this couldn’t be more true. Certain songs can trigger a memory – you know exactly where you were on what date, at what time by just hearing the first few notes.

When you think about the power of music, it’s quite an overwhelming thing. It can trigger emotions, songs can make you cry, songs can make you laugh, songs can make you want to celebrate and party just as much as they can make you reflective or nostalgic – and they don’t even necessarily have to be songs with lyrics. An orchestral piece can be so majestic, it can make you feel something. Or a single instrument like a soulful violin, a moody saxophone, a jazzy piano, a rhythmic drum or a strumming guitar can transport you to certain places and times, like nothing else.

I don’t know if you’ve ever done this, but when walking through a store that has keyboards or any other instrument, even if you don’t know how to play, it’s very tempting to play a note or two. Music draws us in, no matter how or where… you can hear music faint in the background somewhere…someone’s radio or TV and automatically tune into what you’re hearing.

Music is something we enjoy while we’re working out or while we’re doing domestic chores and especially while we’re driving on the highway, it helps us pass the time. We can hum, whistle and sing tap an object or clank a glass and make our own music no matter where we are or what we are doing.

Have you ever felt tired or lacked motivation and suddenly felt a second wind of energy because of hearing music? If we understand its affect on us, we can appreciate it more when we hear it.

Music is also healing and therapeutic. It can help us relax, feel comfort, mediate and also motivate us to get well, helping us through physical therapy to recover from injury. How many times have you been in a horrible mood, but it’s been changed because of music?

The best music is the music which makes us feel connected and alive. It can change how we feel about life and ourselves in a positive way. It can connect us with others (all generations) who appreciate the same genres of music or certain artists… and it is the language that translates every culture.

Have you ever stopped to take in an Olympic ceremony? From the proud anthems of all countries, to the opening and closing ceremonies, music is there. Have you ever looked at a wedding or a funeral or a parade or recital? Music is there.
We sometimes underestimate the power of music and take for granted how many different ways music is in our lives and how it can change one.

Perhaps we need to literally take note of how music can and will be something that documents history, creates a mystery, benchmarks a moment and moves us toward our own groove in life and through it.

In the words of artist Shannon, “Let the Music Play…”

© 2009 Queena Verbosity 100% Real Words
Media Monster Communications, Inc.
Stacey Kumagai

http://www.100percentrealwords.blogspot.com
http://hubpages.com/profile/mediamonster
http://www.braingasm.com

FOOD AND OTHER FOUR LETTER WORDS

2009-10-16T17:09:00.000-07:00

Food. Grub. Chow. Eats. These are perhaps most universally devoured four letter words we have. And when we think about food – it’s a topic that everyone can contribute to. It’s something that can make you feel nostalgic about home, childhood and family. Food also provides the perfect platform for gatherings, parties and friends. It is something we use to celebrate life and it is also something we use to comfort in death.

Food is also something we tend to forget when we think about creating peace. A casserole or cookies can make peace in a neighborhood – calling a truce with a disgruntled neighbor or starting off on the right foot welcoming a new one. Pizza can bring together winning and losing sports teams. And a well-prepared feast can unite distant and dysfunctional families. A box of chocolates can mend a broken heart or make one go-a-flutter. And a sandwich split in two may make a new friend at elementary school with a kid who forgot his lunch.

When you look at world peace four big essentials come to mind:
1) A smile for everyone
2) Happy music
3) Laughter
4) Delicious food

Think about these four basics as the common denominator for peace. And then think about what these four things these have in common…. ONE mouth.

If the mouth was smiling, singing a song, laughing joyfully and eating food – there would be no time for argument, no time for shouting, yelling, saying other four letter words that are offensive, or talking about the other taboo four topics: religion, politics, war and money that seem to put everyone in a place that is not so peaceful.

Food happens to be the thing that feeds our soul, not just our hunger, when we choose to ‘break bread’ with others and celebrate the moments that food brings to the table.

For every moment in life, food is there. Even when there isn’t much food to be had, it can unite people together, sharing in what is there.
If we took time to look at food as a tool for creating happiness rather than just something we shove in our mouths, I think we would see that our own plates would be stacked with an overwhelming abundance of beautiful moments to savor.
Let’s eat up these words and apply them to our daily lives. Perhaps this recipe will be passed on and we can all feast on this kind of soul food.

And let’s not forget to say grace.

© 2009 Queena Verbosity 100% Real Words
Media Monster Communications, Inc.
Stacey Kumagai

http://www.100percentrealwords.blogspot.com
http://hubpages.com/profile/mediamonster
http://www.braingasm.com

AWARENESS = APPRECIATION

2009-10-15T16:01:00.000-07:00

Do you look around but not really see?

Do you listen but not really hear?

Do you go through life not appreciating what and who is around you?

Do you take life, people, places, things and moments for granted?

Isn’t it time you had a wakeup call and you actually answered this time? LOL
It’s time for us to appreciate – everything, especially life and our blessings. We must look around. We must listen. See. Pay attention and learn. Grow. Be aware and appreciate everything in our lives, and what is around us.

We are at a time where we need to end the madness and stop being fools. Life is precious.

We are foolish for not appreciating what is in front of us and for always being greedy wanting more. When is it enough in life to accept and appreciate the gifts we are given? We are fools for not seeing what is or isn’t being done and only hearing what we want to hear and seeing what we want to see.

Awareness is a beautiful thing. It allows us to appreciate where we are. There is a gift and it is called life. It is up to us what we choose to do with it. And it is up to us to honor the beauty that is delivered by life to us and for us to enjoy.
Life may not be easy, but it is much harder when we don’t realize the goodness within it. It is the gift of goodness that helps us through tough times. And it is this appreciation which makes the good times even better.

Be aware. Be appreciative. And in return, you’ll appreciate how great being aware can be.

© 2009 Queena Verbosity 100% Real Words
Media Monster Communications, Inc.
Stacey Kumagai

http://www.100percentrealwords.blogspot.com
http://hubpages.com/profile/mediamonster
http://www.braingasm.com

LETTING GO

2009-10-12T14:53:00.000-07:00

“Hold on tight!” Hanging onto the edge of a cliff, the back of a boat while water skiing and on the front bar of a rollercoaster at a theme park… holding on tight is something we’re used to doing, naturally.

When it comes to people and things we cherish, holding on tight usually means someone or something is of great importance. When it comes to things we cannot control or as a means of control, holding on tight can be not only suffocating and unhealthy, but it can also be destructive to our being.

You’ve probably often heard the expression “Let go, let God.” The lesson behind this is simply to surrender situations that are bigger than you are. There are both good and bad elements to this. Some people take this too far – and end up being so passive and so submissive in their lives, surrendering almost everything, they end up doing nothing. And the bottom line is that if you choose to do nothing, you’ll be nothing. You can’t be both silent and non-active and not participate in life and not show up in life if you expect to have a life.

There is the other side of this story, by NOT letting go to the point where your attempt to control and conquer ends up in the same place because you are trying to control things that are not within your control.

To me, worry is a useless emotion. While worrying means we care, worrying is also self-sabotaging. It’s unhealthy. It’s healthier to have the awareness and then try to do something about a situation and also know when it’s out of our control.
For many years, I’ve told friends and loved ones that when you hold onto a bar of soap in the shower tightly, once wet, this bar of soap will slip out of your hands, the tighter your grip. But if you open your hand palm side up and just let the bar of soap sit in your hand as the water pounces on the soap, you’ll find that the bar of soap actually is in your control.

Sometimes, when we allow things to be, we can have more clarity in a situation. We don’t have to ‘control everything.’ We cannot control people. We cannot control things. We cannot control someone’s free will anymore than we can control every aspect of our lives.

S**t happens! You wake up one day and something may not go exactly to your plan. This is part of life. And we have to accept it. There are already certain things we do accept like our hair growing at the speed it grows at, the way nature – insects, animals, plants and even the weather will do their own thing without consulting us.

So why is it so hard for some people to ‘let go?’ Is it because letting go means loss? Everyone loses. We lose loved ones. We lose time. We lose opportunities. And no matter how hard we try to hold onto memories, sometimes we lose those to something like time, psychological blocking or even Alzheimer’s. Again, things we cannot ‘control.’

If we accept this as part of what life is and is about – gain and loss…. Ebb and flow…. Come and go – we will understand that letting go is part of the process. It is a necessary and vital process to our being.

Letting go does not mean we are heartless. Letting go does not mean we have lost any game in life. Letting go simply means surrendering things that are bigger than we are in order to enable ourselves to heal, strengthen and become who we are supposed to be from our experiences.

Letting go can be a wonderful thing…. To liberate our spirits into flight, releasing self-imposed burdens and burdens we subconsciously or consciously place on situations, people and everyday life.

Letting go can set us free and actually breathe new life into our lives.

© 2009 Queena Verbosity 100% Real Words
Media Monster Communications, Inc.
Stacey Kumagai
http://www.100percentrealwords.blogspot.com
http://hubpages.com/profile/mediamonster
http://www.braingasm.com

DARE TO BE DIFFERENT

2009-10-07T13:54:00.000-07:00

They say that imitation (copying) is the sincerest form of flattery. I say it’s chicken, cowardly and unoriginal.

WHY is everyone so afraid to be different?! What’s so wrong with being different? I think being different is beyond being unique, it’s about being imaginative, strong, aware, having self-esteem to dare to be yourself, NOT like somebody else.
Yet so many people try to be ‘the same.’

The world is full of a lot of sheep. How boring is that?!

Standing out and being different takes guts. It says “Hey, I am me – and you either like me or you don’t.” And either way, that’s okay. I think if more people took the time to celebrate themselves AS THEY ARE and there was more self-acceptance, the world would be a more beautiful place. The world would probably be filled with more love, peace, tolerance and understanding. There wouldn’t be anyone trying to ‘one-up’ … instead there would be mutual respect to live and let live and be and let be.

I also believe that being different has more perks than being like everyone else. And this is something that kids today should learn and understand. Instead of vying to have the same shoes as everyone else in class in order to be thought of as hip or cool, there should be more emphasis and focus on the person IN THE SHOES, and the path they are walking as themselves.

Afterall, we are all unique, there are no two people exactly alike (even twins)… we have our own personalities, our own quirks our own tastes, our own thoughts, and every experience we have is our own - so why the heck isn’t THAT celebrated instead?

If we spent more time celebrating our differences instead of tearing down what is different, the world would be a much better place.

Be different. Be unique. Be yourself. Because in my eyes, that’s the most beautiful thing you can be.

~Queena Verbosity~
© 2009 Queena Verbosity 100% Real Words
Media Monster Communications, Inc.
Stacey Kumagai

http://www.100percentrealwords.blogspot.com
http://hubpages.com/profile/mediamonster
http://www.braingasm.com

VOGUE MAN AND FLOWER POWER IN THE RAIN

2009-10-06T13:44:00.000-07:00

Today isn’t raining. But I saw some people walking with umbrellas. It’s not overly hot or sunny, so it wasn’t necessarily to give them shade. It is breezy, but not so much you’d want to protect yourself with an umbrella from the wind. I’m not exactly sure why these people were walking with umbrellas. But I had to ask myself if it was because they were putting it out to the Universe, that they were hoping for rain.

While we’re having quite the drought in California and we definitely could use some of the rain that the East Coast is getting, I know that I have heard more than once in the last several weeks, the desire to have a rainy day. We got close… we had a couple of marine-layer overcast days. But it didn’t rain.

I look at rain as a sign of good things to come, a cleansing of sorts not just for the psyche and spirit, but for the Earth as well. I have two significant stories in my life revolving around rain. Rain taught me some amazing things and it is because of rain, I have been blessed with a cloudburst of beautiful life lessons.

Flashback to El Nino….two significant things happened.

During El Nino 1997-1998 – rain hit pretty hard. And while I was more fortunate than most, I did have a lot of damage. I was also sick with Pneumonia, my mother was in a nursing home struggling with Alzheimer’s Disease and recovering from breast cancer, my father had passed, I had two friends who just died, work was slowing down and I had a leak in my kitchen. I sat there with a 103 degree fever in my pajamas with pots and pans all over my kitchen- catching streams, I couldn’t have been more miserable. My garage was attached to a back alley where the windows looked out to the West. When it wasn’t raining, I could see the sun conclude each day, as it would set in the L.A. smog. It was also in this back alley I became familiar with someone I affectionately called, “Vogue Man.”

Vogue Man would always wave “hello” and “goodbye” to me as I would enter or exit my garage in the back alley during all my comings and goings. Sometimes when he was feeling playful, he would jump out in the middle of the alley and leap on the hood of my car to scare me and laugh endlessly at my expense of horror.

One day, I saw Vogue Man at the grocery store. I said ‘hello.’ He stopped his shopping cart to acknowledge me. When I asked him how he was –he shyly smiled and quickly darted his cart away, never speaking, just smiling. I happened to get a quick glance at his cart – filled with Jack Daniels, a carton of cigarettes and a jumbo pink box of éclairs. From all indications, life must’ve been pretty bad… but was THIS how he got through life… it was his shopping cart, his party and he owned it.

I do not know Vogue Man’s real name. All I know is that he was elderly, lived alone and drove an old white truck. And every single day – he would indulge in his sinful habit of coming out in his baby blue polyester smoking pants, put his foot up on the front of his brick fence and ‘strike a pose’ as he lit a cigarette to take in his morning ‘smoke.’ This was a ritual…one where he had basked in the beginning or end of his day to just enjoy a peaceful moment while being outside.

Well, back to my rainy, crappy day sick and on my kitchen floor catching drips… I was watching the rain downpour. I felt sorry for my planter boxes. All my flowers were drowning. And as I got a little closer to take a peek at the flooded balconies, I looked further out the window. To my surprise… I got a life lesson amidst my day of misery.

In the alley, with the garage open, wind blowing and rain pounding – I saw Vogue Man. But he was NOT wearing his light blue polyester smoking pants! He was dancing outside, frolicking in the rain wearing brand new khaki Dockers. Vogue Man had new pants! He was happy, celebrating life, in his victorious way. He did not care that he was getting rained on. He was merely celebrating… ‘the moment.’ And this moment was his alone and no rain could take that away from him or his new pants.

I tapped on the window to get his attention. He looked up at me and smiled. I gave him a ‘thumbs up’ and smiled back and he returned the gesture and continued to dance and spin in the rain. This moment was a priceless gift and a life lesson. And I filed it away in my mind and heart.

The next week, I was glad to be healthy again and the leaks in my roof were temporarily patched. And they were ‘holding’ in the kitchen. Exhausted from all the drama, I was happy to have my first ‘good night’s sleep’ in a long time.

And just as my alarm went off… I felt a drip on my nose. I looked up… my bedroom ceiling was now leaking. Ah … fantastic, just what I needed.

Karen Carpenter put it best ‘rainy days and Mondays always get me down.’ Well this day happened to be a Monday AND El Nino was hitting, I had a new leak. And though I was being ‘spiritual’ thinking of Vogue Man’s lesson to ‘celebrate the moment’ – I was going to celebrate this as one more thing that didn’t kill me, but made me stronger. LOL

A couple of weeks prior to this rainy Monday – I had initiated correspondence with the head of a women’s business organization. It was part of the business ‘networking’ thing I was determined to do once I made a commitment to live in Los Angeles permanently. And I admit I was pretty persistent about it. This woman agreed to meet with me in person. And we had scheduled the meeting for this particular Monday and we were to meet for breakfast.

I was feeling sloth-like…(weeks of fatigue catching up with me) and even though I had a good night’s sleep, who could blame me for feeling like I did not want to get up out of bed, just to be in the middle of rush hour traffic to drive through flooded streets in this hardcore downpour of a rainstorm BEFORE breakfast?! Gads! Though, I was really, really wanting to meet this woman that I had spent time trying to network with.

But when I called to see if ‘the breakfast meeting was still on’ – to my shock, her words of strength, her attitude and demeanor were beyond what I was expecting her to say as she said “Oh it’s just a little rain – wear a raincoat, bring an umbrella – you have to eat anyway!”

So I dragged myself and put Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5” voice in my head “Tumble out of bed and stumble to the kitchen, pour myself a cup of ambition and yawn and stretch and try to come to life – jump in the shower and the blood starts pumpin,’ out on the streets and traffic starts jumpin….”

And then I arrived at our breakfast destination dripping but smiling. I saw her and we both shook off the water like ducks and started to chat.

Immediately when I met her – I was glued to her energy. She was vibrant and very generous with her conversation and thoughts. It was a great meeting. But business got quickly pushed aside and the conversation got personal – the connection was very psychic and her offerings seemed to be from the Heavens. It was like she was ‘the messenger’ of something very important she had to tell me.

She shared a story about her life, which I will not share here – as that is personal. But she was struggling during a very difficult period in her life. Her life was very stressful, her world filled with chaos, drama and very emotionally taxing times. She said that every day she would run around harried and frantic, just trying to cope.

The gift came from a homeless woman who managed to scrounge up a soup can. The label was torn off of it. Earth’s great soil placed inside and propagation of a plant of some kind taking place. There was a very long, scraggly vine sans leaves, very long, windy, twisty – similar to a life’s journey. And on the very end of it a tiny flower with a yellow center and small, delicate white petals. No other blooms were in sight at all… just this one little, tiny bloom at the end of this homely, leafless vine. And with it came a note that said “If this little flower can make it, so can you!”

She shared this story with me. WOW – it was pure euphoria, epiphanies, revelations and a whole truckload full of feelings that were awakened inside me as I heard this story.

And the rainy season of El Nino made a huge difference in my life. One I’ll never forget. Between flower power over breakfast and Vogue Man dancing in the rain, I changed my outlook on life and haven’t turned back. So many things evolved from this.

This is what got me interested in plants once again….digging my hands in soil, being at one with the Earth and needing to do that to feel Zen in harried times. It inspired me to write my First Grade elementary school teacher and thank her for teaching me about propagation in the first grade. It inspired me to take a Hip Hop dance class at my gym and reinvigorate movement in my life and letting my body be an extension of my expression. And yes, even I must occasionally update my wardrobe rain or shine for my spirit.

These two events reminded me… that will is stronger than anything, and nurturing one’s own garden in life (even if completely drenched)… will encourage growth no matter how challenged the conditions.

In the words written by John Fogerty for Creedence Clearwater Revival… I want to know… “Have you ever seen the rain?”

~Queena Verbosity~
© 2009 Queena Verbosity 100% Real Words
Media Monster Communications, Inc.
Stacey Kumagai
http://www.100percentrealwords.blogspot.com
http://hubpages.com/profile/mediamonster
http://www.braingasm.com

CLEARING THE AIR

2009-10-01T14:52:00.001-07:00

Breathing. It’s essential for life on earth. People, animals and plants all need to breathe. Without the breath of life, there would be no life.

While the whole planet is focusing on a greener earth, eliminating air pollution and creating clearer air, no C02s…. it makes me question WHY we are still having to deal with pollution at all if everyone knows it’s bad for us. Is it laziness? Too much financial greed? It’s certainly not for the lack of research, technology, science…. All signs point to how horrible NOT having clean air can be. So why isn’t this already resolved?

Perhaps it is too confrontational. You know, like having a disease and not going to the doctor for fear of knowing what problems exist and not wanting to know what is going to happen. But the bottom-line is that we all know what is going to happen if we don’t have clean air to breathe.

This brings me to the idea that ‘clearing the air’ is like a giant elephant in the room that no one wants to talk about, much like ‘clearing the air’ for misunderstandings, misinformation, everyday issues that no one wants to face….with honesty in the face.

Whether it’s an old family argument, a friendship or relationship gone awry, a work situation that is dysfunctional and toxic… most people will spend more time complaining and griping about something than taking the time to ‘clear the air’ of the issue at hand. Is it fear for not wanting to step out of the comfort zone to discuss something? Is this emotional baggage? Again, is it laziness, the lack of communication skills/tools to resolve something? Is it denial?.... hoping something will ‘JUST GO AWAY?’

Frankly, I am exhausted of the ‘excuses’ people seem to come up with for WHY something isn’t being resolved, addressed or rectified. Life is far too short to sweep crap under the rug and hoping for resolution without taking the steps. And this goes for the environment and the air we breathe just as much as it does for dysfunctional communications/interactions with people in your life and not clearing the communication air of negativity between you.

The only way to breathe deeply and cleanly in life is to take responsibility for your actions (or lack of), your words, your feelings and DO SOMETHING to make positive changes. Whether it’s doing our part to do the green thing, or doing our part to resolve negative feelings, it’s a change we all need to make to improve the air around us and between us.

Breathe easy….clear the air. It’ll feel good!

~Queena Verbosity~
© 2009 Queena Verbosity 100% Real Words
Media Monster Communications, Inc.
Stacey Kumagai
http://www.100percentrealwords.blogspot.com
http://hubpages.com/profile/mediamonster
http://www.braingasm.com

TAKING FLIGHT

2009-09-30T14:42:00.001-07:00

Dreams. Goals. Aspirations. We all have them. Some may have goals to have a certain profession or career. Others may dream of taking a trip around the world or rocketing to the moon. Some may aspire to be like their mother or father or a role model in their life.

This is part of who we are. And as we get older sometimes these dreams, goals or aspirations change. For the most part, they do. Maybe when you were in Kindergarten, you wanted to be an astronaut or like Michelangelo and be a famous painter. But today you’re getting your degree in something completely different or just working to make ends meet.

Whatever the case, this does not mean dreams die. It does not mean goals go away. There is still something inside of you which aspires to be something you always dreamed of being or doing something you always dreamed of doing.
Everyday life sometimes puts things on hold. But by no means does it mean we can’t pursue something meaningful.

When I was little, I had lots of goals and dreams based on some of the things I enjoyed doing. And while some of those goals or dreams changed, they changed because I did. I grew. I grew up. In this process, new dreams and new goals emerged. It took time to embrace this. But in time I did and I learned to appreciate the process just as much as I admired the fact that life brings about new experiences so we can take flight with them.

This also means we change our circles, too. It doesn’t mean discarding your friends. But it does mean changing your circle a bit so that you can grow as a person and be introduced to new things and new experiences, also. You may find that others share your dream, too. Maybe this in itself, can give you the motivation to go forward with exploring it once again.

So while you may be working your ‘day job’ – why can’t you join an adult soccer league and play at night or on the weekends? Or maybe volunteer with the charity organization you most admire? Or even take up music, dance or martial arts… even night classes toward that dream or goal you once had but put on the back burner?

It’s never too late to be what you want to be or do what you want to do. It’s never too late to spread your wings to fly toward your dreams or goals. If you take the time to do this, you’ll find others who share your dream or goal, can pursue theirs right along with yours and make it all the more special.

Take flight…. And soar toward your dreams!

~Queena Verbosity~
© 2009 Queena Verbosity 100% Real Words
Media Monster Communications, Inc.
Stacey Kumagai
http://www.100percentrealwords.blogspot.com
http://hubpages.com/profile/mediamonster
http://www.braingasm.com

CATCHING THE WAVE OF OPPORTUNITY

2009-09-29T12:32:00.000-07:00

There is an inspirational quote (with many credited authors for this quote) “Success is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” But I believe that sometimes opportunities happen as they happen.

Some people have been in the right place at the right time. They call this success or in some cases, just darn luck.

But what about ‘missed opportunities’ or ‘opportunities not taken…’ what about those? Some people cry over the opportunities missed… you know, the ‘one that got away.’ Though we must give thought to the opportunities we choose to miss. Is it a shift of priorities? Is it wrong timing?

When I think about the opportunities I did not take, I don’t regret any of them. Sure it is human to wonder ‘what if’ you had taken them, but I truly believe that everything happens for a reason. Don’t you?

Think about the idea, if you HAD taken a certain opportunity and it directed you toward a completely different path. It is highly possible the joys you DO have in your life right now, wouldn’t be there? They would be different or non-existent, maybe. So is this really something to think about also.

And much like the tide, if we paddle out to it and happen to catch a wave of opportunity… great. If not, wait for the next tide. While there will be high tide and low tide, one thing is for certain, the waves will always be there. It’s up to us to decide which wave to ride, and which wave to let crash over us, and which ones to simply ride out.

I think if we obsess too much over the waves we did not ride, we’re missing the best part about being out there to catch one in the first place. The same can be said for a short ride. Short rides are not to be mourned, either. They are merely gateways to the longer ride.

We are given many waves in life to ride – difficult and challenging as well as smooth rides. We need both. And we need both the high and low tides to make us appreciate what waves do come along and which ones we can ride smoothly and enjoy.
The truth is, our lives give us exactly what we need. We just have to not be so focused on the low tide to see the fact that we are floating gracefully as we await the next opportunity.

Surf’s up….Hang Ten!

~Queena Verbosity~
© 2009 Queena Verbosity 100% Real Words
Media Monster Communications, Inc.
Stacey Kumagai
http://www.100percentrealwords.blogspot.com
http://hubpages.com/profile/mediamonster
http://www.braingasm.com

ZZZzzzz's

2009-09-28T11:50:00.000-07:00

SLEEP. When you hear this word, much like looking at an ink blot and you say the first thing that comes to your mind… what do you think?

1) Don’t get enough sleep?
2) You will sleep when you’re dead?
3) What the heck is sleep?
4) Who needs it?
5) You’re asleep right now, reading this. :D

Sleep is one of those things we’re either obsessed with or not obsessed enough with. Take a look back at most fairytales – from Sleeping Beauty to Snow White, Goldie Locks & The Three Bears; to The Princess and the Pea… notice how ‘sleep’ is involved in each of these stories. Did you ever wonder why? Maybe the authors could not sleep because of all these ‘ideas’ they had swirling in their heads and subliminally this stuff entered the stories we know today.

When we were little and told to take a nap, we probably fought hard to not have to take one. We’d whine when it was time to go to sleep, because we didn’t want to go to sleep for fear we’d ‘miss something.’ At slumber parties, no one really sleeps. It’s more fun to stay up all night talking and talking rather than sleep away the fun.

Staying up all night to cram for a test may seem like the way to go, so what you study is fresh in your brain. But on very little sleep, recall skills may not be as sharp.

When you are mentally or emotionally conflicted, sleep is hard to come by. Stress and the mental committee take over keeping you up at night thinking and thinking. And some people live this scenario where sleep is not true sleep. Think of the professions that keep most people up with one eye half-open… firefighters, police, etc. Or how about the life of a parent whose son or daughter is in the military…. Wondering when or if they will come home.

But the older we get, the more we enjoy any nap we can get, even if it is a cat-nap. And though they say, the older you get you really don’t need as much sleep, the truth is we all need sleep in order to look, feel and perform our best mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually. Since we all know animals hibernate in the Winter to get sleep, as we approach the Fall-Winter season and change our clocks back an hour, we’re supposed to follow-suit and be more mindful of sleep.

I think about how in other states this may be the case. But in Southern California where the sun still shines in the weather forecast in almost triple digits as we officially announce Fall, how is the natural seasonal pattern of sleep is supposed to take place?

As I ask around, I find that mentally and emotionally people are ‘ready’ for Fall, moods change and while leaves may not fall, there are those who are wanting to FALL ASLEEP.

Perhaps this is restricted to a segment of Los Angelenos. Maybe there is a deeper yearning to shift seasonally, because we can’t. But I think we would all get better clarity and insight if we had this change, this shift of hibernation and sleep more. Maybe there’d be less traffic accidents, less frustration on the road, in the line at the post-office…. All because we get MORE sleep, have more tolerance and more patience. Maybe more sleep would make a great change all around.

Anyway… it’s a thought worth sleeping on!

Sleep tight. Don’t let the bed bugs bite!
~Queena Verbosity~
© 2009 Queena Verbosity 100% Real Words
Media Monster Communications, Inc.
Stacey Kumagai
http://www.100percentrealwords.blogspot.com
http://hubpages.com/profile/mediamonster
http://www.braingasm.com

IT'S YOUR ROAD TO TRAVEL

2009-09-25T16:11:00.000-07:00

Throughout time, many have contemplated the road of life. Whether you are an intense spiritual being, an eccentric artist, deep author, illustrious painter, thoughtful poet or world traveler and philosopher or mindful musician, the road of life has been the charming muse of your soul and creative being.

The everyday person has their inspired road of life, too. But too often it is a traffic jam filled with the daily task of pounding the pavement to put food on the table and being stuck bumper to bumper. This often clouds contemplating the road philosophically other than with just air pollution.

Life is more than just a highway or a freeway of love. The road is more than just a country road, a rainbow, a city road, or a road that is broken, dusty, or crossed and long and winding. You don’t have to be the king of the road to enjoy it and you certainly don’t have to keep driving all night.

While we are reminded by everyday people that life is not about the destination, it is about the journey… I don’t argue with that. However, I feel that when the road actually ends, you ultimately want to end up at the end of the road NOT regretting that there isn’t one which you haven’t traveled.

Many people will talk about how difficult the road is (which is a whole other blog I won’t bother to writ)e. I think the road has its own road blocks and detours and we as the drivers need to make the right decisions on how to navigate safely accordingly, I think that the ‘open road’ discussion is one that hasn’t truly been addressed.

Mid-lifers (those in crisis and those feeling stuck) will tell you that the road open road isn’t so open once you broach it. People will speak openly about common topics….aging, health and a myriad of related things, but it’s a subject that is carefully taken on like a driving course of orange cones. There are certain forks in this road no one wants to drive on much less hug the curve of like a plagued spoon.

Clueless about what I am talking about? I am talking about the road which does eventually come to an end. Mortality. But I am also talking about life’s purpose.

If you had children in your early years, you are an empty-nester. Your children are gone now and you don’t feel as if you are needed anymore. If you are taking care of your family right now and seem to be in a daily rut, you are probably feeling “gee, is this all there is?”

And if you’re an over-achiever facing burn-out, you’re probably wondering which road to drive on next, wondering if at the end of it all, if it will have been worth it.

When experiencing a death, you look at life differently and through different eyes. You also realize that all the stuff this person got worked up over during life, really didn’t matter in the end. Basically, the road that was traveled was littered with life’s minor annoyances like nails in the tires, rather than anything that really made sense to go off-road for.

Swerving recklessly didn’t make the road better or more fun, but more dangerous. And driving 5 miles an hour doesn’t really make for a fun journey, either. But our road is our own and we must travel it as we see fit. We have a license to drive, we must drive responsibly so we don’t injure others in our path and we must also take the liberty to drive and obey the rules of the road so that we can actually keep on driving.

Driving in the middle of the road of indecision is more painful than anything else because you’re really not living on a specific course toward anything to make you say at the end of the road, “gee, that was fun.” But if this is your road by choice, and this is how you like it, there is room for you Sunday driver types.

The other day, I reminded someone who actually got a flat tire on their car, while plagued with the flu, that sometimes the Universe does indeed give you a flat tire or a speeding ticket to purposely immobilize you to stop in your tracks and get on a healthier one for the soul.

While this wasn’t the most enlightening advice I have given… (lol), it was indeed advice from the heart and there is truth to what I said. If we don’t maintain ourselves (like a car) – how in the heck can we go places? I believe the Universe gives you a speeding ticket when you are supposed to slow down in life to savor what life offers. I also believe that when driving down the road of life we are meant to let the wind blow through our hair, take time to enjoy the scenery and not worry about the speed bumps we encounter.

My mother was quick to remind me that when I was born, I didn’t come with an instruction book. And this of course translates to our being born without a road map, either. While our personal GPS will navigate us by instinct, we must also be mindful of the idea of riding in the carpool lane, when we decide to share life with a spouse/partner or take our families with us along for the ride. Sometimes, we can go places we never thought we would go all because we have passengers on board who give us a fresh perspective and direction which not only challenges us, but show us a new road to travel.

There is only a ‘wrong’ road in life when it conflicts with your core values and your divine purpose. You may become lost along the journey, but that doesn’t mean all is lost. Refuel, get yourself pointed the right way and you’ll be motoring down the road to great places with your Atlas of experience.

The meaning of life is not defined by how shiny your car is, how fast you go… what matters most is that you enjoyed your ride in life and you don’t have any regrets about any roads not traveled. If your odometer has a lot of miles on it and you have many a road trip tale to take with you in your memories, I say that road of life was a pretty good one.

Buckle up and enjoy your ride.

~Queena Verbosity~
© 2009 Queena Verbosity 100% Real Words
Media Monster Communications, Inc.
Stacey Kumagai
http://www.100percentrealwords.blogspot.com
http://hubpages.com/profile/mediamonster
http://www.braingasm.com

WHAT'S IN STORE?

2009-09-22T17:48:00.000-07:00

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know that the news has been featuring stories on businesses in trouble… companies that have been around for years! We have watched the many manufacturers and retailers go through mergers or acquisitions, or simply go away forever. The alarming rate of businesses dissolving is not just upsetting during a recession, but upsetting in terms of nostalgia for some and for others, the idea of a chapter ending, and not just Chapter 11.

While I won’t ramble on and list all the names of the businesses which have gone belly-up (it would be a 25 page blog), I will say that this whole recession has been very eye-opening. Not only is the public very much aware of the flaws within the system, but also the corporate greed, the mishandled funds, the lack of standard operating procedures of businesses gone bad, or at least a few key employees who became greedy sheep. And the public is also aware that a few really good companies became victims due to another epiphany consumers had… we don’t need so much ‘stuff.’

As George Carlin (R.I.P.) floats on a cloud in the Heavens reciting his whole ‘stuff’ schtick routine about how Americans have too much STUFF and need to buy more stuff to hold all our stuff, it is a true reality check to see in broad daylight, isn’t it?

Think about the fact that reality shows about ‘hoarders’ and people who need a ‘clean sweep’ actually exist because of the fact people have too much stuff. Isn’t this a reality check as well?

How about the fact most people have garages filled top to bottom, or that people have multiple ‘storage units’ of ‘things’ …. that they cannot take with them to the grave.

After watching numerous natural disasters happen over the past decade – hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, fires, earthquakes… people losing ‘all their stuff’ …. Is it any wonder that when all is said and done, and all you have is your own life, that your being alive is what matters most? Did you really NEED all that ‘stuff?’ Does this not make you appreciate life and your loved ones even more?

While we may not have as many retailers anymore, maybe the true wakeup call in life is to live simply, with as little as possible. Maybe this is part of the master plan so-to-speak, so people can appreciate what they do have and live life in a better, more productive, more appreciative way. Perhaps (I know, dare to dream) we can return to the basic essentials, solid core values and maybe change the way life is lived and humble a few people along the way.

Though you may think this is an illusion of grandeur, in essence I think it’s supposed to be a life lesson. But if only, the people who really need to learn it, will pay attention in class this time.

I don’t know. But there’s always hope. And though we may not be shopping for hope by entering an automatic revolving door, under fluorescent lighting, or in segmented departments… maybe consumers as a culture, as a generation can look at life and live it a little differently.

There is an opportunity here to ride this recession out and catch the new wave of NOT “shopping til we drop.” It’s time to realize that ‘he with the most toys’ does NOT win, but rather will lose all perspective on what life is really about. Maybe THAT special should be on the news! SPENDING TIME enjoying life and its true meaning with the ones you love is more profitable than spending dollars on more ‘stuff.’

~Queena Verbosity~
© 2009 Queena Verbosity 100% Real Words
Media Monster Communications, Inc.
Stacey Kumagai
http://www.100percentrealwords.blogspot.com
http://hubpages.com/profile/mediamonster
http://www.braingasm.com

OLD, BOLD, GOLD, COLD, UNFOLD

2009-09-17T13:40:00.000-07:00

They say that when you get older, you get wiser. This knowledge basically makes you valuable in your golden years because you have become the person you are from your own life experiences from the school of hard knocks…tougher and more enlightened.

But the older I get, while becoming tougher and more enlightened, the more I realize that this ‘golden’ piece of knowledge is more about returning to the beginning, when time and life was simpler.

When you think back to your childhood, some of the little things that bug us today are learned behavioral processes. For instance when we were younger, certain things didn’t plague our minds or thoughts. Part of this isn’t only because we didn’t have the emotional tools to cope, much less understand why we should get worried or wrapped up in obsession with things, but because let’s face it… it didn’t matter. Maybe something someone said wasn’t as important as to what someone DID.

Let’s return to the sandbox. Someone may have called us a ‘poopy-face’ while we were creating our sandcastle masterpiece. But that wouldn’t have hurt as much as if that same someone totally plopped their butt on our sandcastle, ruining it. And maybe even back then that wouldn’t have mattered at all, either. Instead, we’d just rebuild. No worries. No biggie. Tomorrow was another day.

As we get older, the worse this same scene becomes. Adults don’t grow up, they just grow more childish. The name calling, the gossiping, the vindictive revengeful learned behavior, the lawsuits, the accusations, the whole ugly process seems so backwards and juvenile. WHY?!

I’ll tell you why…. It’s because everyone’s ‘baggage’ seems to get the best of them. People take their carry-on luggage with them wherever they go, into new arenas, new relationships, new experiences. This in turn, just makes any new situation less golden, more tarnished and well, in my eyes, not as pure and beautiful, as life was intended to be.

While many a shrink will tell you that you have to ‘erase old tapes’ – is this really the process that needs to be done? To start fresh and new? Or perhaps it is more about learning from the experience and only applying the positive so the next life opportunity becomes more positive, rather than old walls and old baggage coming forth?

A client once told me that their sibling once said “Hey, if you don’t have baggage, it means you’re not going anywhere…” (i.e. play-on-words travel analogy). Humorous and yet enlightening. But think about that for a minute. Isn’t this true, also?

If we cannot take our life experiences in-hand to grow as people, perhaps this IS true – we can’t go anywhere. We cannot evolve. We cannot change. We cannot grow. We cannot learn more.

We are lifetime students on this planet.

I visited Winston Churchill Square in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada in the Winter on year. And there was a man with a chainsaw right in the middle of the square doing an ice sculpture. This ice sculpture was to celebrate the coming New Year. It was beautiful. It depicted the process called life. From an infant, to a child, to a teen, to an adult and to an elderly person. Ironically the body posture was showcasing how we evolve as people and how when we grow old, we return to being young in spirit and even in aging, back to being wrinkled and have lack of mobility, baldness….like a baby.

This ice-cold sculpture warmed my brain with the thought that as we go through life, we do indeed return to simpler things, simpler times, we need less, we want less, we get back to the basic principle of just desiring acceptance and love. Maybe we need to keep the BEST OF LIFE FROZEN IN TIME and take THAT with us?!

And here, it all unfolds…..older, wiser and in the golden years, we learn the truth of life through this ice sculpture, life unfolds as we know it…. And the real meaning of life is about going places with what you come forth in life with. Just as long as your luggage is full of memories instead of sand and ice… I think we’re off to a good start.

Bon Voyage.

~Queena Verbosity~
© 2009 Queena Verbosity 100% Real Words
Media Monster Communications, Inc.
Stacey Kumagai
http://www.100percentrealwords.blogspot.com
http://hubpages.com/profile/mediamonster
http://www.braingasm.com

IF FISH COULD TALK....

2009-09-15T18:35:00.000-07:00

From as far back as I can remember, I was fascinated with fish. From spending hours with my grandmother in front of the Koi pond where she lived, to random pet goldfish, I loved the tranquility fish brought to everyday existence. My folks liked neon tetras and had a tank full of them. Somehow, I don’t know if it started out as food for the tetras, or if this was a sidebar to the aquarium, but, our family raised guppies. I still don’t know when this started or for what reason, but I remember we had a fish tank full of them. And when we moved away, we had to give them away to the neighbor girls, Nina, Tina and Lina.

Watching Jacques Cousteau on television was an event in our house, and my father would collect issues of National Geographic magazine which featured marine life. I would thumb through these in awe, being careful to not bend the pages of this slick, colorful spectacular cataloging of fish pictures. Somehow while I was too young to understand the value of the sea, I knew that it was really important to honor everything in it.

Back in the 70s when I was growing up, there was a place which opened up back in the early 1950s called Hanna Barbera’s (yes, of the Flintstones animation fame) Marineland of the Pacific. It was located in the Palos Verdes Peninsula and was the pre-cursor theme park to Sea World (actually Sea World purchased it and moved the marine life South). This was my first ‘sea life’ experience. From the touch pools with the starfish and sea urchins, I was finally able to see ‘live and in person’ the very things I saw on a Davey & Goliath episode rerun of “Jeep in The Deep.” As Davey sang “It’s a great big, wonderful world we live in….” seeing the ‘whole other world’ under the sea, it made me ponder the question if there was any communication going on in the community we humans frequent.

What if fish could talk? I had seen Flipper speak on TV, but rarely fish communicate, though I had suspected they had a language all their own. I wondered if fish could talk, would they say, we need to become more educated about where they live. Maybe they would say by destroying where we live, we also destroy where they live. Fish don’t have any other option, they have to live in water.
Today, as we examine the horrific oil spills over the years a la Exxon Valdez and notice that our ocean waters are contaminated by thoughtless individuals and corporations, I have to wonder what the fish would say today.

As we watch the on-going effects of Global Warming, acid rain, over-fishing … perhaps this is why the fish are speechless?

Are there no more words and are words pointless from their perspective because no one is paying any mind to the idea that if we protect our precious ocean, the ocean giveth back?

If indeed they could talk, they would beg for us to ‘wake up’ and smell the sea water. The ocean is full of beauty, wonder and yes, precious resources to provide endless health benefits to nourish our bodies with seaweed, kelp and minerals and be of benefit to other creatures on our planet as well. The ocean isn’t just full of waves, it’s the wave of the future. Wakeup California, this ‘water shortage’ you keep speaking of … I have ONE WORD for you, D-E-S-A-L-I-N-I-S-A-T-I-O-N.

If the fish could talk, they would say if we planted more trees instead of creating a concrete jungle, we’d improve the atmosphere and it would improve the air, sucking up more C02 pollutants which would in turn, improve the water quality of the ocean. The place fish call “home” would be less acidic, because there wouldn’t be gas dissolving into the ocean from the air.

If fish could talk, would they also sing Marvin Gaye’s “Mercy Mercy Me” song:

Woo ah, mercy mercy me
Ah things ain't what they used to be, no no
Where did all the blue skies go?
Poison is the wind that blows from the north and south and east
Woo mercy, mercy me, mercy father
Ah things ain't what they used to be, no no
Oil wasted on the ocean and upon our seas, fish full of mercury
Ah oh mercy, mercy me
Ah things ain't what they used to be, no no
Radiation under ground and in the sky
Animals and birds who live nearby are dying
Oh mercy, mercy me
Ah things ain't what they used to be
What about this overcrowded land
How much more abuse from man can she stand?
Oh, na na...
My sweet Lord... No
My Lord... My sweet Lord

OH, IF FISH COULD TALK!

~Queena Verbosity~
© 2009 Queena Verbosity 100% Real Words
Media Monster Communications, Inc.
Stacey Kumagai
http://www.100percentrealwords.blogspot.com
http://hubpages.com/profile/mediamonster
http://www.braingasm.com

THE WOODWORK

2009-09-10T14:56:00.000-07:00

When I was a young child, I would wake up on Saturday mornings to the smell of sawdust and the rhythmic shrill of a radial saw steadily keeping a bass line tempo with alternating hammer beats. While this wasn’t the beginning of any new contemporary music breakthrough, it became the constant Saturday sound and smell I could rely on every Spring and Summer.

This was my father working in the garage… on something. Usually he wasn’t building anything massive. The three largest projects he took on were the backyard patio, the built-in book shelving and a desk, which I still cherish.

He wasn’t a carpenter by trade. But he was a carpenter of life. What he was ultimately doing was he was building a foundation for himself to escape the stress of daily work life, while saving hard-earned money by ‘doing things himself.’ It was much more economical to build something with his hands rather than pay full retail for a finished product. But it was even more than that. I had learned it was about the pride of accomplishment, doing something that was challenging and taking on the task of completing something from dreams and imagination to final, tangible reality.

I often think about his work, every time I walk into a home improvement store and step into the lumber aisle. The aroma is a nostalgic one that takes me back to many a memorable Saturday. And it’s not so much about the actual craft of woodworking, as much as it is doing things the old-fashioned way, from scratch.

My father’s method to his madness wasn’t even about ‘creating something better’ or any perfectionist type of drive, it was for the mere satisfaction of a job well done all in a good day’s work. His reward was kicking back with a beer after the day was done to celebrate the outcome of completing what he started. There was something great about this.

I’ve gone through my life knowing a lot of half-assed carpenters. My father was not one of them. And it is because of him, neither am I….

1) Finish what you start.

2) Get closure by doing.

3) Get satisfaction by being…. Part of the woodwork.

4) Build a solid foundation.

5) Create a sturdy frame.

6) Don’t worry about splinters… they only help you remember why you are doing what you are doing in the first place.

7) Make your own house a home by what you build it with.

8) Then decorate your life with the fine memories you make by the experiences you fill your life and home with.

Woodwork. It’s a beautiful thing. Once you nail it, you’ve discovered what the real beauty of life is all about: something you build yourself.

~Queena Verbosity~

Media Monster Communications, Inc.
Stacey Kumagai
http://www.100percentrealwords.blogspot.com
http://hubpages.com/profile/mediamonster
http://www.braingasm.com

RANDOM THOUGHTS.... AND YOURS?

2009-09-08T17:00:00.000-07:00

NEW AND IMPROVED. Any corporation who has created a product line where there has been ‘brand loyalty’ (i.e. laundry detergent, toilet paper, juice, etc.) generation upon generation… WHY in the world are you advertising that you are ‘new and improved?’ Are you saying that for 3-4 decades you’ve been selling us an inferior product and we were foolish enough to be loyal customers all these years?

SUNSCREEN vs. SUNBLOCK SPF… 2, 4, 8, 15… 20, 25, 30, 50 and now… gasp(!) SPF 80 and 100??? Really?! At some point when you get up to SPF 100 aren’t you really sunBLOCK and not sunscreen? Isn’t 100% 100%?

MOTION-SENSORED TOILETS, SINKS, SOAP AND PAPER TOWELS: Note to public restroom architects/designers….. if you are going to do one of these, do all of them. It makes no sanitary sense to only do one or two options and not the rest. You are defeating the purpose.

WHY IS THERE BRAILLE AT A DRIVE-THRU ATM MACHINE?

Every single day, there are thoughts to be pondered. These are just a few of mine. There will of course, be more to come. Share your thoughts on these random thoughts above.

~Queena Verbosity~

Media Monster Communications, Inc.
Stacey Kumagai
http://www.100percentrealwords.blogspot.com
http://hubpages.com/profile/mediamonster
http://www.braingasm.com

FRIEND OF CONVENIENCE

2009-09-04T21:10:00.001-07:00

When we go to the grocery store, our bar coded items get scanned and a beep sounds when each item passes by the scanner. Bran FLAKES….. beep. Case of NUTS….. beep. TV Guide featuring all of this Fall’s best DRAMAS…beep. And the gallon of milk that will MILK every penny you have…. Beep.

No, I’m not talking groceries. I’m talking people… more notably, the Friend of Convenience that happens to be like a convenience store near you! This ‘friend’ is conveniently there begging you to buy into the lottery ticket of something tossed around lightly by them, called “friendship.”

When you were younger, you probably enjoyed shopping. And as you get older (ahem) and wiser, you realize you really hate shopping. It’s almost annoying. You try to blame it on the idea you don’t want to deal with the parking or the monotony of going up and down the aisle smiling like a Stepford wife or husband trying to feign delight in shopping (again) with your cart. But the truth is, the ‘idea’ of being obligated to do something that ‘just has to be done’ is what is truly plaguing you, because this is what life is all about.

Isn’t FRIENDship supposed to be a mutually enjoyable experience for BOTH people?? Why carry on in having to ‘pretend’ again and again that something is so very enjoyable, when there is really no benefit of ‘joy’ for you in the long run? Come on, I mean when you have a new recipe to try, you can get excited about going grocery shopping… so why do you have to deal with drama, selfish and disrespectful friends who only use and abuse you and your kindness and support? You know they will only leave your cart empty without so much as even a thank you or a coupon invitation to the ‘good times’ and fun in their lives? They’ll just forget about you until their next drama or need, but never think of you to share in the positive aspects of friendship.

Friends come and go in your life. And that’s just the truth. But when you reach a certain age, you realize that there are those friends that come out of the woodwork only ‘whenever they want something….’

Maybe they are looking for work or money or just want to vomit their emotional drama to a sounding board because no one else will listen. But then when it is YOUR turn, they are (ha! – conveniently) nowhere to be found. Sometimes around birthdays (theirs) or holidays, they are the ones who “suddenly want to get in touch,” even though all your life’s happenings have come and gone and they didn’t even bother to blink an eye of knowing.

While most people get philosophical and say….’that’s just how it is,’ – I say, WTF?! Are you kidding me? ! Seriously, who needs this crap? It’s like getting picked last for dodgeball and then you get the s**t beaten out of you anyway.

Why is this cyclical behavior accepted by so many? Are we humans THAT desperate to be doormats in a world full of people who are that self-involved and oblivious to the fact that there is more to life than just them? Are we ending up being a friend of convenience to the ultimate friend of convenience?

Think about that and get back to me. But I think it’s time we forget the so-called friends that look good on paper and are only plastic and fake and put them on the reject shelf in the grocery store of life. Maybe then they’ll BEEP BEEP BEEP out of our way so we can make room for some organic, fresh, new friends who produce healthier friendships.

~Queena Verbosity~

Media Monster Communications, Inc.
Stacey Kumagai
http://www.100percentrealwords.blogspot.com
http://hubpages.com/profile/mediamonster
http://www.braingasm.com

Blogetty blog blog blog

2009-09-04T19:44:00.000-07:00

Blogging. It’s what we do now, like brushing our teeth. And most do it because “everyone is doing it.” But do we hear the echo of our mother’s voice “Well, if all your friends jumped off a bridge, would you, too?” What is a blog anyway?

Blogging isn’t new. Truly, it’s no different than Marcia Brady’s “Dear Diary..” entries for some, while more historical in nature for someone like Anne Frank. There are probably more bloggers here in cyberspace as a means of trying to share as much as trying to promote whatever the heck it is they are writing about.

This blog here is not for promotion. It is not to ‘sell’ anything. It is not even ego. It’s not to find a long-lost cousin or even to exercise the emotional muscles of stress relief, grief, or to even be brief in saying ‘hey, this is a blog.’

But yet it is for purpose, just like all the blogs here via the Internet. It’s perhaps in toasting to agreement with Rick Springfield’s song “The Great Lost Art of Conversation.” We have indeed lost this art, just as much as we have lost the idea of a ‘penned’ letter with an actual handwriting instead of one being computer generated.

I think the real reason most people write blogs is to empty their heads in the same breath as they wish to fill them by reading others blogs. It’s sad to think our very own family members, close friends, relatives and spouses may not even realize all what we’re blogging about. Sadder to think that they don’t wish to know what exists in our heads - our thoughts, our ideas, or our feelings within our own hearts and souls. And this is because when people ask “How are you?” (if they bother to ask this at all) – usually only want to hear the words, “I’m fine” rather than these endless paragraphs of rant. Isn’t this true?

In some ways, I think blogging can be therapeutic and liberating. For some, damning… depending if they are including the names of individuals who inspired a vomit blogging of complaints, gripes and issues.

But I hope with all this blogging going on, that we as people can find ourselves, find a piece of our spirit that is missing and above all find that we indeed are not alone in our thoughts.

May the blogs be with you. Blog on!

~Queena Verbosity~

Media Monster Communications, Inc.
Stacey Kumagai
http://www.100percentrealwords.blogspot.com
http://hubpages.com/profile/mediamonster
http://www.braingasm.com