Friday, November 18, 2005
Friday Nov. 18, 2005 - Year 3, Day 243 - Golden metaphor
strong Chinook winds overnight [40-60 km./hr. gusts] continue; +11 C/52F; Gusta leans headlong into those gusts, learning what her name is about, amused by airborne debris
‘Adversity is like a strong wind. It tears away from us all but the things that cannot be torn, so that we see ourselves as we really are.” - Arthur Golden
I have no idea who Golden is/was, but a smart man indeed !
this morning watching recently installed insulation, building wrap & shingles flying off new homes under construction taken together with recent coverage of hurricanes drives this really good metaphor home for me
albeit pale compared to the challenges many face, I’ve faced my share of ‘stripping it all away’ times & know what it is like to stare at what remains
what remained when I’ve lost ?
what remained when I’ve failed ?
one constant – the essence of who I am
as I look at those I know who have dealt with genuine adversity, genuine trauma, the ‘dreaded diagnosis’ come true I am reminded that – in the eye of that hurricane of trouble – is who someone really is
basking in glory & success is a happy time – watching others revel in it is great because we are happy for them, but we never see or reveal our grit when that happens
sometimes it is someone just putting their head down & bravely moving forward, sometimes it is someone making a huge sacrifice for friend or family member, sometimes it is someone going out of their way to make sure someone’s hurt gets attention – this is when character is revealed
some days my brain is teased, tormented & intrigued more than others – some examples:
- RS & I had a very stimulating discussion about character & politics & integrity – I’m glad he’s in my corner, glad he is friend, colleague & co-conspirator !!
- infrequent yet always insightful observer PM in Steamboat Springs sent parting points worth pondering & thanks too to KE for your kind words
- someone asked me if I write to convey a message to someone or to the group; the answer is ‘yes, but rarely’, but the better answer is that I write what is on my mind, in my belly at the moment which, sometimes, if focused on some interaction I’ve recently had with someone
I was supposed to attend a 7 AM NAIOP function; frustrating to waste my ticket, but needing to be at my desk writing 3 offers + 2 new proposals to work on is great consolation; 3 files in the ‘must do this morning’ pile, 3 million it seems in the ‘must give lots of attention soon’ pile; this week has been frenetic - its unlikely to change today
yesterday closed with hop-scotching to functions & errands – a cast of thousands [hundreds at each event] munching shrimp & visiting with tasty treats; great brief chats with AR, JR & AC; so often we form impressions of people from brief snippets – the snippets accumulate but are no substitute for investing time to truly get to know each other; these connections deserve more of me & I’d like to know more of them
speaking of warm people & warm windy places, best birthday wishes to Pam, Bermuda muser ‘PI’
Mark
‘Adversity is like a strong wind. It tears away from us all but the things that cannot be torn, so that we see ourselves as we really are.” - Arthur Golden
I have no idea who Golden is/was, but a smart man indeed !
this morning watching recently installed insulation, building wrap & shingles flying off new homes under construction taken together with recent coverage of hurricanes drives this really good metaphor home for me
albeit pale compared to the challenges many face, I’ve faced my share of ‘stripping it all away’ times & know what it is like to stare at what remains
what remained when I’ve lost ?
what remained when I’ve failed ?
one constant – the essence of who I am
as I look at those I know who have dealt with genuine adversity, genuine trauma, the ‘dreaded diagnosis’ come true I am reminded that – in the eye of that hurricane of trouble – is who someone really is
basking in glory & success is a happy time – watching others revel in it is great because we are happy for them, but we never see or reveal our grit when that happens
sometimes it is someone just putting their head down & bravely moving forward, sometimes it is someone making a huge sacrifice for friend or family member, sometimes it is someone going out of their way to make sure someone’s hurt gets attention – this is when character is revealed
some days my brain is teased, tormented & intrigued more than others – some examples:
- RS & I had a very stimulating discussion about character & politics & integrity – I’m glad he’s in my corner, glad he is friend, colleague & co-conspirator !!
- infrequent yet always insightful observer PM in Steamboat Springs sent parting points worth pondering & thanks too to KE for your kind words
- someone asked me if I write to convey a message to someone or to the group; the answer is ‘yes, but rarely’, but the better answer is that I write what is on my mind, in my belly at the moment which, sometimes, if focused on some interaction I’ve recently had with someone
I was supposed to attend a 7 AM NAIOP function; frustrating to waste my ticket, but needing to be at my desk writing 3 offers + 2 new proposals to work on is great consolation; 3 files in the ‘must do this morning’ pile, 3 million it seems in the ‘must give lots of attention soon’ pile; this week has been frenetic - its unlikely to change today
yesterday closed with hop-scotching to functions & errands – a cast of thousands [hundreds at each event] munching shrimp & visiting with tasty treats; great brief chats with AR, JR & AC; so often we form impressions of people from brief snippets – the snippets accumulate but are no substitute for investing time to truly get to know each other; these connections deserve more of me & I’d like to know more of them
speaking of warm people & warm windy places, best birthday wishes to Pam, Bermuda muser ‘PI’
Mark
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