Looking UP — what about GROWING toward UP?

Posted on October 28, 2010 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

Looking UP at a Sequoia

Good Morning, God!

Last night I learned that around 70% of the sequoia trees were logged — cut down — and the wood wasn’t even that useful. I suppose, God, I ought to be thankful we created the National Parks system. Thankful we left ANY!

Is that the Nature of our Species? Did the Indians NOT cut these trees down only because they lacked steel saws? Or is it the Mindset of our Culture to cut down and may way for ourselves? Not just cut down trees but wipe out other peoples — telling ourselves it was “self defense”, of course.

Individually, we are mostly good and kind. What is it, then, God, that motivates us to disrespect our environment, other species, and even our own people?

A good question I shall ponder over breakfast. Breakfast has come and gone and the only extenuating circumstance I have come up with is the “Mother Tiger” factor. A mother in defense of her young is FIERCE.

So, I am forced to conclude we are the survivors of the fiercest, not the fittest.

Shoot, God, this is not something I like thinking about! On the other hand, lying to ourselves and to our children doesn’t give us a chance to face facts and . . . maybe find other paths?

It is like learning a few days ago that the population of Rome was 40% slaves. 40%!!! How is it that we fail to see another human AS a fellow Human? How is it that we are willing to live on the substandard wages of others?

I feel a tug toward the “theological”, God. How is it that we fail to see we NEED Your HELP to become New Creatures? Humbler creatures. More COMPASSIONATE creatures. And, then, of course, comes the my excuse — where are our Role Models?

Ouch! Here comes Your Response. I have given you a Role Model — and I am offering you help to change. Why are your waiting?

Posted in a matter of scale, Perspective, perspectives

The General Sherman Tree and Me

Posted on October 27, 2010 by a moment with god — 1 Comment

The General Sherman Tree and Me

Good Morning, God!

I am so grateful to be RESTING! Really resting — with no places to go and people to see. Of course, God, we HAVE gone places and we HAVE met people — people like our waiter, Julia with a photographic mind who has theories about autistic minds.

We are having a marvelous time but nothing is scheduled. Aaaah. I know I will long for the FULLNESS of my normal life. But, right now I am enjoying going slow. SLOW, it is a lovely word, God, one that I have never really appreciated.

Perhaps, it is being here with these amazing trees, God, that helps me appreciate Slow? With luck I might live to 120 — the Giants’ Grove is filled with Sequoias over 1,200 years old. Some are around 3,000 years old. They are taking it slow, all right.

They don’t fear fire. In the museum I picked up a piece of bark and it was so light! It felt like it was some sort of cross between fur and feathers and plant stuff. Obviously a marvelous insulator! Wrapped in that bark the tree would be safe from fires. More than that, it turns out the Sequoias NEED fire to reproduce. Fire causes the cones to drop their seeds — drop them into ash covered soil — cleared of deep piles of organic material that keep seedlings from rooting. And the death of the surrounding trees means more sunlight and nutrients for those seedlings.

The Forest Service now has regular controlled burns — after “protecting” the trees from fire and finally noticing that there were NO SEEDLINGS. And they have removed all the commercial cabins and souvenir shops that were damaging the trees’ environment.

Hmmm. What might I need to remove from my environment? Something to ponder, God, something to ponder — along with how we as a civilization can make better use of the Julia’s among us!

Posted in a matter of scale, the layers of life, time

We have an “Adventure”

Posted on October 26, 2010 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

A foggy late afternoon drive in Sequoia

Good Morning, God!

Late yesterday afternoon I said to Kit, “We are having an Adventure.” And we were.
The Adventure started when the signs as we entered Sequoia said we would have to “pay” in 3 miles. We never did see a place to pay. And as the miles ticked by we became less and less certain we were going the right way. The map didn’t help because nothing we came across was on the map.

Finally, Kit turned around so we could go back to the Monticeto Lake Lodge and ask. I was the designated Asker. Yes, yes! We WERE going the right way and it would be maybe 30 more minutes to Wuksachi Villege and our Lodge. And it would have been 30 minutes IF fog had not settled in on us.

So we averaged maybe 25 miles an hour and by the time we got to Wuksachi it was not just foggy but pitch black. We pulled into the Lodge parking lot with relief. Only, we were not staying at the Lodge. The receptionist at the front desk pulled out a map to show us we were across the street, down the road and up past two parking lots to the farthest of three buildings. Not hard if there had been LIGHTS. But, there were No Lights. NONE. I have to confess, God, I longed for a little light pollution.

The receptionist said they could provide a bell man to help us get our bags to the room. Kit said, Oh no. But I was looking at that map and I had seen the long winding trail we were supposed to FIND in the DARK and and then FOLLOW dragging our bags.

So, I said YES, and It was a quick sale. The nice young bell man, Sean, guided us to a parking spot and then drove us and our assorted baggage up to the building via a fire road and delivered us safely to our room — where we STAYED — dining on lunch leftovers. Both of us VERY THANKFUL that mostly, for us, Adventures are rare.

Posted in Humility or Needing Help!, small meaningful moments, thankfulness

More thoughts on the Sugar Snake

Posted on October 25, 2010 by a moment with god — 1 Comment

Good Morning, God!

This idea of EXTERNALIZING a troublesome aspect of yourself — which I had somehow just lumped into Projection — is turning out to have a helpful aspect. At least, it seems to me, God, that since I came up with the idea of my “addictive craving for sugar” being a Sugar Snake coiled up in my bowels it has been less difficult to resist sweet stuff.

Only, of course, it isn’t just sweet stuff — starch turns instantly into sugar, as does alcohol. Sigh. It only takes just a little sugar for the snake to grow strong enough to break out of her cage. Thank You, God, that on THIS side of the addiction — when the snake is safely caged — I can remember that fact.

An End to Overeating

Years ago, Suz urged me to “JUST STOP, Mom, when you feel full.” I told her, I only feel it when I’m STUFFED. There was no warning before that — my poor dear body. I told Suz the other day, “I finally know how thin feels.” Now, to be honest, God, I am not thin. But, I am beginning to catch a glimmer of what it might feel like.

David Kessler’s book An End to Overeating helps put this whole obesity epidemic in perspective. We are designed to love sugar and for thousands of years that worked just fine. There was no such thing as cheap refined sugar. Grains were stone grown and had to be really chewed to break down to sugar.

Now the Industrial Food Complex is able to give us just want we want — the perfect combination of sugars, fats and salts — in a melt-in-your-mouth consistency.

So, God, if folks don’t know they have a Sugar Snake, how are they going to resist?

Posted in accepting my need for help, Cherishing our Bodies, choosing HARD

Factors in Longevity — Obesity, Education and the Growth Mindset

Posted on October 24, 2010 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

Dr. Bhattacharya showing a BMI chart by educational level

Good Morning, God!

Yesterday morning, I heard Professor Laura Carstensen say that educational level was the best predictor of longevity. My response was that I didn’t think it was so much the “information” gained as it was the self-discipline it takes to get educational degrees. Doing the “smart” stuff to live longer requires self-discipline.

Then that afternoon I saw Professor Jay Bhattachaya’s slide of the the population’s growing Body Mass Index (how fat we are) by educational level. High school dropouts have the highest BMI and then high school graduates, next come the folks with some college and there at the “least fat” level were the college graduates. Mind You, God, we are ALL getting fatter — but for the last 30 years or so, that breakdown by educatioal level was consistent.

Later, God, I thought back to Professor Carol Dweck’s talk on Learners and Non-Learners. Learners have a Growth Mindset. They think that effort pays off. They believe that they CAN learn. She even thinks IQ is subject to growth — and why not! So, it isn’t just a matter of self-discipline (not my favorite virtue) but also of the self-image of ourselves as a Learner . And Dweck has been TEACHING the Growth Mindset to children, college freshmen, and business leaders. It can be taught!

I’m smiling, God! You’ve been waiting for “us” to catch up to Your Message — that we can become “new creatures” in Christ. More loving, creatures. More giving, creatures. More forgiving, creatures. Indeed, creatures who are ambassadors of reconciliation.

I am afraid, God, that is not how we look to the world. No, it is worse than that. That is NOT what we are — with beloved exceptions. Aaah. But I am not giving up! I KNOW that YOU want to help us GROW toward You. Let’s DO IT!

Posted in a hand up, a series of molts and upgrades, becoming the change I wish to see, being a Slow Learner, the Growth Mindset

Back to Lagunita, Back to Oak Trees, Back to a Special Time

Posted on October 23, 2010 by a moment with god — 2 Comments

An Oak Tree at Lagunita with a squirrel

Good Morning, God!

Yesterday morning Kit dropped Lani and Linda and me off at Lagunita — we wanted to revisit where we had spent our sophomore year. It was misting ever so slightly and it was even more lovely than it was years ago. The Oak Trees were one of my very favorite things about Stanford. Beautiful old oaks. Imagine my delight, God, at capturing a squirrel in this photo!

What I can’t capture is the Brigadoonish feeling of going back to places where you haven’t been for years and years. Places where you feel as if you could turn suddenly and bump into your younger self. Going back with my freshman roommates made this sense of being Back in Time more acute. Perhaps also, part of it was the sense of timelessness the old oaks projected. They were there BEFORE Leland Stanford came . . . before generations of girls and now, BOYS and girls, lived next to them.

Felix Kessing, my anthropology teacher, said that our class marked a turning point. We were different from the classes before us — and from the classes that followed. And, God, I have felt this in the years that followed — never clearly one or the other.

Standing there, beneath the oaks, I was thankful. Thankful for Stanford. Thankful for my friends — and classmates — and alums that have all partaken of this place. It was a Time and Place of growth. And, now, God, as I am typing away — I hear whispers — a call to once again Learn and Grow. Hmmm. A call to a Growth Mindset? Yes! AND MORE!

Posted in accepting my ability to REDESIGN, growing toward up, learning, Perspective, thankfulness

The Stanfords — Learning, and Me

Posted on October 22, 2010 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

Leland Stanford Junior and his parents

Good Morning, God!

I had never seen this statue of the Stanford family — but then, I wouldn’t have appreciated it when I was young. If young Leland had lived, there would be no Stanford University. Or, if the story is “true”, if the President of Harvard had been a bit more gracious toward the “Western” visitors, there might just have been a Stanford building on the Harvard campus. Apparently he put Mrs. Stanford’s back up and she asked him how much the WHOLE of Harvard had cost — then turned to her husband and said something to the effect of WE COULD DO OUR OWN UNIVERSITY, DEAR.

Mindset: the New Psychology of Success

The campus is FILLED with buildings named after the living and the dead. Attractive buildings, and all filled with BRIGHT young people — the best and the brightest, God. And that brings me to the talk I attended yesterday by Carol Dweck on Mindsets. I had read her book and wanted to see the author. I am so glad I heard her, God, because I NEEDED to hear her.

In her book, Mindsets, she makes the point that people tend to have either a FIXED mindset — this is just the way I am, I can’t change — or a GROWTH mindset — I can work hard and get help and learn. Sitting there, I realized how easy it is to slip into a FIXED mindset. More to the point, God, I realized I had done that in areas of my life. Saying stuff like, “Oh, I’m not good with details” to take the easy path of not checking carefully. Excuses that let me off the hook of personal responsibility!

As Dr. Dweck said, IT IS NEVER TOO LATE to become a LEARNER — no one has to stay a Non-Learner. Thank You, God, that You are never done with us!

Posted in adoring Easy, choosing HARD, learning, responsibility

Beverly Hills — a deeper look

Posted on October 21, 2010 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

The Beverly Hills City Hall

Good Morning, God!

I was standing outside our European style hotel (read: cheap) and looking over at the Beverly Hills City Hall. I’m very thankful Suz is able to live in Beverly Hills — in a rent controlled apartment. It is so well run! Every interaction Suz has had with them has been positive. So I decided to do a little research. Their bonds are AAA and the highest (along with one other city) ranked in the state of California. Their Library is third in the state and 85th in the nation. Everything is well run — with a concern for the ordinary citizen.

Now, God, why isn’t this the norm? To be sure the property values have to be a lot higher. But, is it just money? And, then God, I get to thinking about money — and numbers. We don’t do numbers well, God. Three is easy. Thirty we can manage. Three hundred is getting big. Three thousand? And when we get to three million or three billion or three trillion we are WAY PAST my imagination’s ability to visualize or handle.

I think that might be why, God, that a BIG number gets confused with an INFINITE number in our minds. Then too, I think that most people think that money is to be used to take care of them. Whereas I have finally come to the view that one of my jobs is to take care of money — to manage it, protect it and deploy it well. Stewardship anyone?

But as one person said about a $540,000 loan from a bank — if someone wants to give you money, it is hard to say no. Ah well, now we are into short term thinking and long term thinking. Sigh. We don’t do TIME any better than we do NUMBERS. I’m here in Silicon Valley, God, thinking our species needs an Upgrade! And SOON!

Posted in asking for help for myself, choosing HARD, growing toward up, living within limits

Olmec Heads, Ignorance, Humility and Me

Posted on October 20, 2010 by a moment with god — 1 Comment

An Olmec Head at the LACMA

Good Morning, God!

An entire Olmec Exhibit at the new Resnick Pavilion at LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Art) — Oh Joy! I have been fascinated by the huge Olmec Heads ever since I first saw photos of them years ago. So, it was a delight to be in their presence — to walk around them and ponder them.

They don’t fit into my, albeit sketchy, mental map of Times and Places. They don’t look like the People who followed them, the long headed Mayans and Aztecs. I wanted to ask them WHERE did you come from? Those full sensuous lips — the broad nose — the rectangular head — where else have I seen people like you?

A replica of a mural

The replica of an Olmec mural looks to me so contemporary — more like a cartoon of a man driving some sort of vehicle — perhaps because of the bright colors. Ah, God, the fun of imagining.

I like wondering, God. I like knowing that I DON’T know. I think back to the Chinese fleet that set sail in 1491 and rounded Africa before returning home. Learning about THAT was a surprise.

Mostly I go through my days thinking I know — thinking I know the basics at least. So finding giant gaps in my mental maps, while unsettling, is stimulating.

Another word would be humbling. It is humbling to discover how MUCH I don’t know. One big problem with ignorance — is that we don’t know we don’t know. So, God, I NEED more “exhibits”, more surprises, more of this sort of stimulation. Please, God, help me be more AWARE of the depth of my ignorance.

Posted in humility

The Hammer Museum, Dr. Pozzi and Capitalism

Posted on October 19, 2010 by a moment with god — 2 Comments

About to enter the Hammer Museum in L.A.

Good Morning, God!

Thank You for small serendipitous moments! One of them was when Suz and I stumbled upon the Hammer Museum on a Thursday night — a night when it was both open late and free! Even better, in the few minutes we had, we were able to soak in the incredible paintings in the Hammer Collection. Rembrandts, Cezannes, a Titian and then John Singer Sargent’s Dr. Pozzi at home — a study in red.

Dr. Pozzi at home by John Singer Sargent

I looked at him with a start of recognition! Here was the Face of . . . Lucifer? Or was it the creator of Facebook? Timeless, yet ever so symbolic of The Principleless Modern Man.

Sigh, Gosh God, we don’t change, do we? Or should I say that we are all too malleable and that makes us easy prey to the FORCES loose in the World. I just finished reading an article on the moratorium on Bank Foreclosures — the point of which seemed most unsettling. Apparently, they can’t legally foreclose as — in order to avoid taxes, fees and regulations — they don’t actually have title to individual properties. It is, of course, FAR more complex than that — but it does seem as if Creativity in the Service of Profit can ooze toward the Criminal.

So here we are, God! In a fantastically productive system called Capitalism — one that is always pushing toward MORE. Hmmm. Timothy Keller called Greed the only one of the Seven Deadly Sins than no one feels they are guilty of. Alas, I can’t help thinking God, that the corporations that bring us our FOOD are the same ones bringing Cigarettes. How extensive and intertwined are the Corporate influences on our lives!

Posted in beauty, complexity, food questions, Help me to see, setting my life in context