Greetings from Dulles airport.. I’m down in DC today at a client meeting.. Lots of smart people.. interesting topics.. I’m loving my job now.. and happy for that..

At  lunch today I heard someone talking about Ash Wednesday .. I have to  confess, even though my family is half Catholic.. I really don’t understand the rituals  of Fat Tuesday, Ash Wednesday., Maunday Thursday. but I find them fascinating. I really approve of the Mardi Gras idea of partying before periods of self denial.. Not sure I get the self denial part .. I do know that a part of Ash Wednesday is deciding what you’re going to give up to .. I’ve been thinking about that all day..>  A couple of months go I remember writing on a radio piece I’d heard on the ‘Wisdom of Quitting’ .  In that spirit.. I’ve been thinking about what I would quit for Lent if I were going to quit something. I know you’re supposed to give up soemthing you like.. but you can go without. Things like chocolate or sushi come to mind.. but those are too easy. Actually, my two real thoughts here are giving up 1) worry and/or 2) saying yes. ,, Now you might say that neither of those meet the criteria “…soemthing you like.. but you can go without” .. but I’d argue they do.. I am addicted to both…..

1. On Worry.. when there’s nothing to worry about.. I make stuff up.. it fills some deep need in me to occupy my mind with all the bad things that can happen. It’s wired into my chromosomes.,, maybe wandering the desert for 50 years.. and the trials my tribe has faced since.. have  gave all my kindred a deep need to worry about something.    Maybe I can just shut that off for a month and see what happens. I have tired this before.. with some success.. so why not ?
2. On ‘saying yes’.. I’m totally hooked on ‘new’.. I love new problems and new people.. so much so that I often pt more effort into ‘new’ than into nurturing the relationships I already have.. or finishing the projects I’ve always taken on. T  It’s like an emotional Ponze scheme.I use  the promise of the next new thing to get me through  the hard work of managing what I have on my plate. That leads to worry (see number 1)  I’ve been at this so long that the world has found a way to keep presenting me with fresh new opportunities for ‘Yes’ ..    What would happen if I said.. ‘no’ .. or even ‘maybe’ just for a month…. Or maybe even just waited 24 hours before saying ‘yes’.    I’ve promised myself I’d try to do this in the past.. But somehow.. I’ve always lost my resolve..

Ooops.. plane is boarding.. guess I’d better decide.. Hmmmm

I think I’m going for numeber 2 for my fantasy give it up for Lent pattern.. Limited ‘Yes’  for the next 30 days.. Who knows.. maybe thta will help with worry too..

 

OK.. more later..

nite all, nite sam

-me

ps. Check out these geat pictures of Gabe on the MMU website..