15 posts tagged “friends”
Sometimes things come to us in such a timely manner, that it restores our faith in the patterns of the universe. After having ignored my ReadBurner & GoogleReader for several days (way too many, don't even ask how long!) I started to wade through through the massive amount of reading I had in front of me. As usual, when I have built it up to that lovely 1000+ (you have to love when it is so many that they will intimidate you with 1000+ and not really tell you how many there are!) I'm skimming subjects and titles. In my haste to clear, I almost skipped over this particular post, but something drew me back. Not only because it was Gary V, but something about the title resonated with some of my recent musings.
http://garyvaynerchuk.com/2008/06/05/when-do-you-know-you-have-a-community/
Gary talks about when you know you have a Community (yes capital "C"). Now, I'm not sure that I can ever be as eloquent as Gary, but I'd like to think I share his passion. His focus is on the social media crowd, but I think his message can be expanded to relationships in all of the varied aspects of our lives. He reminds us all that community = Communication! If you are having a dialogue with just one person, you have a Community.
Gary's words reinforced some of things that have been occurring to me lately. I'm in the process of making a Major move and Major changes in my life. In preparing to make these changes, I have been evaluating the roles that various people play in my life. When Gary talks about needing to remember that it does not matter how many Twitter followers or blog readers, it made me remember that it does not matter how many friends I have collected, how many colleagues admire me, how many business associates I have contacts with. It is about the quality of these relationships. Now, I will admit that sometimes I get lost in believing that the more people I am able to surround myself with, the more people there are to make me happy, to reinforce the positives about myself, in general just to affirm my existence. Occasionally it is nice to be reminded that I don't need anyone to affirm me. What I need is myself and the positive power of a good Community. And Gary has reminded me of that. He has reminded me that I not only need myself, I only need good, supportive dialogue with a single person and I have a solid Community.
I'm one of the lucky ones, I've realized that I have a lot of people in my Community, good people, solid people, smart people, caring and inspiring people. From the people I love, my family, my close friends, some business associates, my Twitter peeps and the sweet people who take the time to read this, I'm blessed with this Community. I have communications with them that range for the soulful to the silly, but in all of these, one thing is prevalent, these are people who in some aspect or another bring something to my life. Education, entertainment, love, compassion, support and sometimes, even the occasional disagreement (which I usually need to wake myself up to something I need to pay more attention to!). It is nice to not have to reduce my Community to a single person, it would be so hard to chose. Instead, I chose to be grateful that I have these amazing people as a part of my life and that I get to have this amazing Ccommunication! So BIG thanks to Gary for reminding me what my Community means to me, what it really is all about and why it is so important to nuture it.
So I leave with you a couple of questions. Who makes up your Community? What are you doing to foster the communication that truly translate into a Community? And most importantly, how often do you let that Community know what they mean to you?
This was passed on to me by an Army Brat friend. It so clearly expresses what is in my heart also
I am a Military Brat
My hometown is nowhere, my friends are everywhere. I grew up with the knowledge that home is where the heart is and the family....
Mobility is my way of life. Some would wonder about roots, yet they are as deep and strong as the mighty oak. I sink them quickly, absorbing all an area offers and hopefully, giving enrichment in return.
Travel has taught me to be open. Shaking hands with the universe, I find brotherhood in all men. Farewells are never easy. Yet, even in sorrow comes strength and ability to face tomorrow with anticipation....if when we leave one place, I feel that half my world is left behind. I also know that the other half is waiting to be met.
Friendships are formed in hours and kept for decades. I will never grow up with someone, but I will mature with many. Be it inevitable that paths part, there is constant hope that they will meet again.
Love of country, respect and pride fill my being when Old Glory passes in review. When I stand to honor that flag, so also do I stand in honor of all soldiers, and most especially, to the parents whose lives created mine. Because of this, I have shared in the rich heritage of Military life.
Anonymous
Life is too short to wake up with regrets. So love the people who treat you right. Forget about the one's who don't. Believe everything happens for a reason.. If you get a second chance, grab it with both hands. If it changes your life, let it. Nobody said life would be easy, they just promised it would be worth it. Friends are like balloons; once you let them go, you can't get them back.
What you do today is important because you are paying a day of your life for it. What you accomplish must be worthwhile because the price is high.
Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.
Do Not make people a priority who only make you an option.
I hold to the rather old-fashioned belief that each of us is blessed with particular gifts given to us by God, and that it is our sacred obligation to identify, to cherish and to exercise those gifts for the betterment of ourselves and of those in our lives. (Dr. Phil)
The only time is now and the choice is yours.
Remember: If it is important to you, then it's important, period.
To have someone say to you - "No matter what life brings your love is always there" - is one of the greatest compliment yous can ever receive.
Life should be like the planet, ever slowly moving, ever slowly evolving, always, always with the promise of a bright new day ahead.
Work like you don't need the money, love like you've never been hurt, dance like no one is watching, sing as if no one is listening and live every day as if it were your last.
This past weekend, I was talking with a friend and repeating to her the story of a funny Twitter exchange I had been a part of earlier in the week. She found the tale amusing, but asked how I knew the person that I had been talking with. Apparently, in my joy I had failed to mention to her that this was a "friend" from Twitter. Now she has heard me mention Twitter before, how could she not have. I extol its virtues to anyone that I can get to half listen. The explanation that this conversation had been held with someone I have never met in person, yet feel that I know, prompted additional questions from her about the people I encounter on Twitter and their place in my life.
My conversation with this RL friend initiated some in depth thinking about the people I interact with on Twitter. I realized that there are those who I enjoy following for their insight. Others for the business information/advice they provide. There are those who amuse me with their witty banter. Common interests tie some of us together And there are others who I have been drawn to call my friends because of their personalities. My friend asked me how I could possibly consider someone that I have never met a a "friend". I explained to her that while my on-line friends may not the be same as my real life friends. We may not "hang out" in person, but we do "hang out" on Twitter. My conversations with my Tweeples are as poignant, emotional, intellectual, charming and cheerful as those I have sitting next my RL friends on my couch or at a restaurant table.
SO I examine the relationships I have built on Twitter and the things that Twitter has brought into my life.
I have received and continue to receive an education more varied than I could possibly receive anywhere else. I encounter people who are brilliant and who astonish me on a regular basis with their knowledge, skills and ability, as well as their willingness to openly share their nuggets of wisdom with the rest of the Twitter world.
There are some of the people I follow that I can guarantee will always bring a smile to my face. There are those days, when things are just plain wonky and I know that all I have to do is log in to Twitter and scroll down to see the silly new avatars or the tweets from my favorite Twitter comedians.
Those Twitterites who share my interests are always there with a new problem, solution or perspective on our various topics of interest.
And there is everyone else who are part of my follow/following circle. Some of them I just find interesting. The rest are not only smart, funny and interesting but are people with whom I have come to share a bond, consider my friends and am honored to say that I know. We have been drawn together by an interest in each other, our lives, our families. I feel privileged that they have chosen me to be among the ones that they share their joys, tears, happiness and fears. The joy of watching their children learn and grow. The triumphs of their businesses, as well as their insecurities along the way. Their relationships, health, exploits, struggles and their achievements. These people have brought feeling and attitudes into my realm that add extra dimension to my life. The wonderful thing is that these people have shown the depth of their characters by being there for moral support and amusement when I need those things brought into my life.
So to all of my Tweeples, THANK YOU. I am appreciative of the opportunity you have given me to share with you.
And Twitter, THANK YOU for making it possible for me to find a world beyond my own that contains such wonderful people.
I was fortunate enough to recently spend 3 days on a cruise to the Bahamas with about 50 of the people I went to high school with. First you need to know something about my high school. Zama High School was located on Camp Zama army base in Japan. We had a mix of army & navy brats and the children of civilians who worked for the military. We were a diverse group, born in all corners of the world. As is typical for schools on military bases it was very small, I think there was about 300 people in the entire school (9th through 12th grade) the year I graduated. Since Zama's graduating classes are small and we are spread all over the world, how do you have a high school reunion? Simple, our alumni association holds a "whole school" reunion every 2 years. This reunion is for anyone who every attended the school, graduate or not. The reunions are held as 3 day weekends in different places all over the US. From those reunions grew our annual 1980's decade mini-reunions. Think about it, when you were in high school, did you only have friends in your class? No, we all had friends younger & older. We have the perfect way to stay in touch with all of them. Which is what brought us all to Jan 25-28, 2008 and the cruise ship Carnival Fascination. Alumni, some spouses and significant others, some families, we gathered together to share a few days of reliving our childhoods.
So what happens when you take a bunch of teenagers who have all grown up with similar backgrounds and put them in a small environment in a foreign country. You end with some very unique relationships. Intense & deep run the emotions that form the base for these interactions. Then take these relationships and tear them up and down on a regular basis - such is the life of a military family. You have taken people at vulnerable steps in their formation as adults and entrenched in them the ability to love deeper than most and the ability to hold onto those emotions despite separations and disappointments. These are the amazing people who result from that kind of background.
Now fast forward a few years. There are ones who have stayed in close contact and others who are just finding the alumni association and their old friends. The one thing that is consistent is the affection we feel for one another. Any of the old high school acrimony seems to melt away as soon as those old familiar faces are in view.
The memories become happy. The teenage heartaches that we thought would kill us then are now fodder for sweet laughter. Old friendships are strengthened, high school acquaintances become new friendships and occasionally high school crushes are resurrected. For 3 days (or more when we can manage it), we are our young selves again, older & a little wiser, but in so many ways still the wonder filled teenagers we were in the 1980's. In those 3 days, which are generally filled with great food, much alcohol and inevitably a karaoke machine, we apply another layer of emotional cement to the relationships that started so many years ago. We rediscover all of the things that were so good and right about us and the people we care about. Most often being with these people brings out the best in us once more. Now I can never say for sure if it is nostalgia, selective memories or just an alcoholic haze, but it is as if all of the promise those days held is one again laid out before us, we are invincible and as long as we are together, all will always be right with the world. So, world be prepared, we will all be back together in New Orleans in July.....
I took on what I thought would be time-consuming, rather dull project. I volunteered to help my alumni rep find my high school classmates - Go Trojans - Zama High School, 1983
But I am so excited! It has been time consuming, but I am tracking them down one at a time. The other night, for the first time in 25 years, I talked to a boy (I guess, he is man now) that I had a crush on in high school. It was so wonderful to catch up and to find out that he is happily married and living a really great life.
The other people I have been able to catch up with have been just as thrilled to hear from me as I am to find them.
This is so exciting!
A fun day spent wandering a flea market, having lunch and sitting outside enjoying the weather and a few (ok more than a few drinks!) with a very dear friend.
Sat night was on a "date" with another friend who I would like to get to know better. We'll see how that does or does not work out. We had a really good time together anyway.
The only hiccup to Sat. night was running into my ex and his new girlfriend and a bunch of their friends. I walked right by him. Sadly, neither of us acknowledging each other. This is getting to be ridiculous. We need to be adults and not act as if the other one does not exist. But, when he is with her, I am not going to go out of my way to speak to him. If we see each other at the same time or he says something, then I will speak to him. But, I won't seem to be making a scene by going out of my way to speak to him when he is with her. I won't lower myself to that. If he is alone, with his guy friends or we both see each at the same time, I will speak to him. I refuse to act as if we were not together, that what we had was not real. I hope that at some point he choses to do the same.
Sunday was the best day of the weekend. Sunny and warm. I spent it burning a lot of calories and absorbing a lot of sunshine by kayaking down the Delaware River with my friend Denise. The fall colors in the trees were beautiful. The trip again was telling the story of my life. Surrounded by beauty, that is changing in many ways. The water was higher creating slightly bigger rapids and the wind was blowing upstream so we were paddling into it. I spent a good portion of my paddling feeling like I was moving in place, but actually making a little bit of progress. Eventually, we came to the end
A nice dinner and a few drinks and a nice drive back home finished off our day.
And a Thanks to Philly Car Share! My mini was a blast to drive and the customer service when my 1st reserved car had a flat tire was really awesome! So glad I signed up and I will definitely be reserving cars more often.
Here is some our Sunday - look at that sunshine!
Well, I made it! 3-Days 60 miles and I walked every step of them. After my disappointment with the knee injury last year, this felt really good. There is so much more for me to say about my adventure this weekend, but it is going to have to wait for another day - much too late and much too tired tonight.
But take a look at my photos on Flickr.com for a sampling of our 3 days.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/11715835@N08/
Thanks to everyone for all of your love and support!
It is so wonderful to receive good wishes, cards and to be with your friends on your birthday. Thanks everyone for making me feel so special.
It seems that 2 words can describe my life lately - changes & challenges. In the last few months, I have changed where I live, who I live with, my vision of the future and of how I see myself. All of those changes have come with challenges -- sometimes as major as just being able to get out of bed in the morning, sometimes as minor as trying to figure out where and how to hang a picture. Today brought about another major change. A person that I thought would be my friend forever has decided that it is better for him to end our relationship. And this week brings up 2 more major challenges. Facing the first birthday I have had alone in a lot of years and to top it off, it is my 42nd birthday. The day after that I start out on my 3-day, 60 mile adventure in the Susan G Komen Breast Cancer 3-Day.
So how do I face these challenges and the many more that will come into my life? I wish I knew. I wish that there was a guaranteed plan to tell me what to do when each change comes along and when I have to face each challenge. So far, none has shown up. Everyone keeps telling me that there is not a manual. At this point I am only putting one foot in front of the other. Or some mornings, one foot out of bed. I can honestly say that if it were not for my sons and my friends, I would not even be doing that. The thought of my sons having to face being without me is what makes me keep going. My friends are the ones who give me the support, encouragement, love, shoulders to lean and cry on and just, in general, keep me upright.
Well, to face the most recent change, I guess I just move on. I can't force someone to want to be a part of my life. (As much as I would like to be able to.) The most recent challenges are another thing though. My birthday - I would like to just say I will forget about it, but birthdays have always been a big deal in my family, so they are to me too. Once again some of my friends come to the rescue. They are making sure that I don't spend my birthday alone. Dad and (what a nice surprise), Sis came through too - the cards are already here.
Friday morning dawns very early for the other big challenge of my week - the 3-Day. Fortunately, one of my dearest friends will be by my side as we take off on our little hike. It is a really challenging undertaking, but one so very worth every step. (See my earlier post on why I walk)
Thursday night, as I celebrate my birthday, my friends and I will raise a toast and mine will be to changes and challenges and finding the strength and faith to get through them. To my friends, my sons and the rest of my family. Thank you for being there to make sure I get through all of these things.
