sha towers

Ran across a phrase this weekend that spoke to me and that summed up nicely what running has meant for me lately. It was in an editorial by David Willey, Editor-in-Chief of Runner’s World magazine:

” . . . [I] felt my senses shift from desk-bound and stressed out to alert and alive.”

“Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things.” -Peter Drucker

http://www.fastcompany.com/1838481/6-leadership-styles-and-when-you-should-use-them

Jazz legend Dave Brubeck died yesterday, 5 December 2012, one day short of his 92nd birthday. A noted composer, pianist, and band leader, he is probably best remembered for his recording of the 1959 classic “Take Five” (composed by fellow band member and saxophonist Paul Desmond), the first jazz recording to sell over a million copies. Brubeck’s fascination with exploring non traditional time signatures (at least for jazz at the time), is seen in other works from the time as well, such as his “Blue Rondo à la Turk (in 9/8 time). In addition to his work in jazz, he also composed orchestral works, ballets, oratorios, and cantatas.

In the 1970s, he collaborated with his wife, Iola, on the cantata La Fiesta de la Posada, reflecting the Mexican Christmas tradition commemorating the journey of Mary and Joseph and their search for lodging in Bethlehem.

Brubeck says about the musical tradition that inspired Fiesta de la Posada: This music “reflects those qualities I most admire in people…dignity in moments of tragedy, infectious high spirits in moments of joy, and an unshakable religious faith made evident in a strong sense of one’s own worth and a deep respect for the shared values of one’s group — family, church, village. These qualities, I think, are universal to people with a strong communal sense — an increasingly rare attribute in urban culture. It is this sense of sharing in an event which I have tried to capture in the simple retelling of the Christmas story.”
(source)

I had the wonderful opportunity to experience this cantata performed by Dave Brubeck and his trio in San Antonio in 1984.

From this cantata comes one of my most favorite “christmas songs” — God’s Love Made Visible!. Dave Brubeck incorporate the same 5/4 time signature used in “Take Five”, but here blends it with a joyful Mexican musical style (complete with claves, maracas with interjections from a celebratory pair of trumpets). Iola’s text beautifully sums up the the most central theme of Christmas:

God’s love made visible! Incomprehensible!
Christ is invincible! His love shall reign!
From love so bountiful, blessings uncountable
make death surmountable! His love shall reign!
Joyfully pray for peace and good will!
All of our yearning he will fulfill.
Live in a loving way! Praise him for everyday!
Open your hearts and pray. His love shall reign!

God gave the Son to us to dwell as one of us -
a blessing unto us! His love shall reign!
To him all honor bring, heaven and earth will sing,
praising our Lord and King! His love shall reign!
Open all doors this day of his brith,
all of good will inherit the earth.
His star will always be guiding humanity
throughout eternity! His love shall reign!

“We tend to forget that happiness doesn’t come as a result of getting something we don’t have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have.”
Frederick Keonig

Ann asked me to check a book out from the library to read to her class and she shared with me this beautiful ending to the book:

I started to wonder if San Pablo really was the most beautiful place in the world. I wasn’t sure my grandmother had ever been anyplace else, but I still thought she’d know.
“Grandma,” I said, is it?”
“Is what?” she said.
“Is San Pablo the most beautiful place in the world?”
My grandmother made a little face.
“The most beautiful place in the world,” she said, “is anyplace.”
“Anyplace?” I repeated.
“Anyplace you can hold your head up. Anyplace you can be proud of who you are.”
“Yes,” I said.
But I thought, where you love somebody a whole lot, and you know that person loves you, that’s the most beautiful place in the world.

The Most Beautiful Place in the World, by Ann Cameron

“Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in, forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day, you shall begin it well and serenely…”
Ralph Waldo Emerson

We use Vonage for our home phone service. One of it’s features is that it transcribes voicemail messages and delivers them directly to my email inbox. Lately, Vonage’s transcription chops have gotten a little sketchy (or maybe it’s just sloppy mouthed message leavers?). To be fair, Vonage not only transcribes, but also sends an audio file attachment of the actual message. Even better than the service Vonage provides, is the entertainment thanks to some of the transcriptions. Here’s an excerpt of the latest message (brackets are editorial comments and ellipses are where I left out the uninteresting or not entertaining parts!:

Hello parents, this is an important message from the [the local school district] about registering your child for the upcoming 2012 2013 school year. Wait till I guess two years we used to have a new online registration system …You should have received an informational flyer up out this new process with your child slash report car.. Your child school will have computers and printers available for use beginning July 9, wake a liar. She is pleased to offer pine shaving online registration. And we encourage you to take it.

Ran across this quote this weekend that has a universally applicable message:

“Part of her initial task on arrival was to understand the history and community that she was becoming a part of.”

Over and over again in life I see so many people that fail to embrace this listening, observing, learning spirit. They rush in and take charge, looking to make a name for themselves, having no regard for the history and culture of a community. If each of us sought to understand first, to listen first, we would all be wiser and the world would be a better place.

This quote comes from: Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey: The Lost Legacy of Highclere Castle by The Countess of Carnarvon – a fabulous must read for any Dowton Abbey fans!

“We do not think ourselves into new ways of living, we live ourselves into new ways of thinking.” -Richard Rohr