Musing

[written and published from south Calgary, near Fish Creek Park]

-2C/29F, clear, light breeze; my last day of ‘Gusta-less’ walking for a while . . . strange to walk at a steady pace rather than one dictated by her stops and starts; trees with leaves in waiting need heat and light . . soon

time away from norm, from routine, offers the restorative power of fresh perspective; a few days with people we might normally spend an hour a week with offers different views - in some cases enlightening, in some illumination of a different kind; seeing other in action as well as seeing ourselves in different circumstances can be either treat or horror show; sometimes it is just a ‘removal from routine’ to get a grip on what we’ve left behind for a few days

observing people speak, speak of speakers, evaluate, speak of evaluators, discuss technique, review stage presence here and inflection there; of gestures and emotion, of projection, of genuineness, of acting, of performing, of thinking on one’s feet, of thinking out loud, of dreams fulfilled, of dreams dashed . . it is ALL about potential, it always was and it always will be

trees were leafing out in Regina, Medicine Hat too; strong winds and dropping temperatures greeted us as we drove back from our Regina weekend that was mostly treat - inclusive of: 9 hrs riding on the road X2, 5-6 hrs/day sitting in hotel room chairs, 3 hours a day of hotel meals . . not enough exercise, not enough walking around, not enough fresh air, not enough water, not enough time to relax = exhausted and badly in need of a work out but happy for having had an opportunity to learn, to teach, to watch, to listen, to reflect

‘In everyone’s life, at some point, our inner fire goes out. It is the burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.’ – Albert Schweitzer

face to face with someone new, or a call from someone who . . someone who means the world, or a note from someone out of the blue . . or just someone who is blue, or a thought of or a moment, a picture, a phrase, a passing fancy or an anchor in our life; it probably does not matter as much who sparks us as much as ‘that we got sparked’

we all share this thing . . potential; realizing potential, be it in development of a skill, development of a relationship, development of an idea . . . is dependent on two things – fuel and environment which supports burning the fuel whether it is a Toastmasters conference, a gathering of friends, a new spark or an old flame, or a solitary look at our own reflection

as a combustible needs oxygen, people need encouragement and a supportive environment; as business needs initiative and capital, as love needs motivation and reciprocity, as plants need air and water . . the flame burns brightest and hottest when these ingredients come together with the right timing; whether it is a weekend of watching speakers adjust their fuel mixture or friends exploring new ones, of coming home to nice words in an email or a soft conversation . .

we all have the potential to burn brightly, brightest when we bring these ingredients together; sometimes that means re-lighting an old flame, adding new fuel . . sometimes it might be starting with fresh kindling for a flame that gives us heat, gives us light

the past fascinates, entertains and is emotionally seductive . . . but probably most valuable in terms of where we are going than of where we have been - all in pursuit of potential; I believe exploring our past can be a valuable way to better understand ourselves – not in all cases, but some time - to resolve past issues that haunt us, examined with fresh perspective of a ‘new place and time’ , a better approach, a more open stance; we can’t go back . . but that should not mean we cannot go forward from some previous point where we were ‘stuck’; potential is great, but is so much more fun when sparks are flying

whether the heat and light are affecting me or if I am simply watching others it is easy to see this is not a symptom of spring, this is not cause and effect; it is about feeling the heat and seeing the light

Mark Kolke
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Responses/comments welcomed; send an e-mail to musing@maxcomm.ca – please give me your feedback.