rosewood canyon - setbacks in preserving open space

As many of you know, a few months ago I blogged about Rosewood Canyon, and the efforts of our local folks to preserve the area.

We made great progress, and everything was looking good. Our residents wrote letters, made calls, sent emails, handed out flyers, went before Council, attended neighborhood meetings... in grass roots fashion, they did as much as they could in the ways they could. And we made a difference. We got the measure we wanted into the Open Space and Greenways Plan. The future of the Canyon was looking good.

Until now.

Unfortunately, some folks have decided they don't agree with the idea of a trail. I respect their opinions, but I'd really sad at the result of their advocacy. The Council has now instructed Staff to pull the trail from the Plan after hearing from this handful of residents.

What's important here is this: this decision isn't just about the trail being built or not built -- it has the potential to erode the commitment made previously to preserving the Canyon overall. For me, it represents some of what I've already seen on the trail that does exist: a few private residents being able to influence more broadly than the many. It's frustrating, it's confusing and it's reminding me that I'm so NOT a politician and am out of my element! With my travel schedule, and where I access my news, it's hard to stay on top of what's happening locally, even in areas I want to be informed about. I'm adding the keyword feed to my Netvibes page in hopes this will help me stay more on top of things!

In the meantime, help support Rosewood Canyon! You can read the article about the recent decision (and you'll see a comment from me in response to it as well under the screen name lplato) here: http://news.rgj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008808210362

the waver

Last night I read this article in the Reno Gazette Journal, and it hit me like the proverbial ton of bricks.

Ed Carlson, better known simply as "The Waver" is one of the greatest inspirations in my life.

I remember as a kid driving into Reno, and before we ever got in the car I'd giddily ask my mom, "Do you think we'll see The Waver today?" Virtually every trip we took, either on our way to or from town, we did see him, walking the long walk down old US 395 between Reno and Carson City. No matter how wet or wicked the weather, The Waver was there, smiling, walking and waving.

It was a serious mission for me as a child to locate him along the road. Not a competition -- not a "who would find him first" -- a mission. And whoever spotted him would exclaim, "There he is! It's The Waver!" and then all the passengers would echo "The Waver!" and we'd all wave frantically back at him through the windows. The energy and joy that radiated through the car for those brief seconds as we passed by, arms and hands flailing, smiles on every face, had incredible power. That moment of waving had us all suddenly bursting with energy, buzzing with conversation, thrilled to go on to the next destination in our day.

In those days, I didn't know anything about The Waver at all. I didn't know why he walked so far every day, and I didn't know why he waved. I was curious, sure. Sometimes I would ask my mom, and turned out, she didn't have a clue either. And really, it didn't matter much why. I was simply delighted every time I saw The Waver.

And that never changed. For over 30 years, The Waver walked and waved in my hometown. Every time I came back from a school holiday, I would look for him. As the years moved on, he had changed his route, had some tough times health-wise, and it was harder to find him. But every time I saw him, I exclaimed the familiar words, "There he is! It's The Waver!" and waved frantically at him through the windows, and that same rush of delight came over me.

My mom bought me The Waver's book a few years back and I got to read a little about this man and his mission. The Waver writes, "Thirty-two years ago, I had an awakening. It came to me that I should start walking and be love. I should express love by waving.”

The Waver chose his own path in this life. There are folks who disparage him, question his motives and attack his life choices, both the ones he made before he began to walk and after. I do not know The Waver personally. I do know that every life has its share of shadows and light. And I know that for me, his walking and waving, touched my life profoundly and made my days better. He touched hundreds of thousands of people with that simple, pure mission. His is a ministry of joy. If anyone today stops for just one moment and thinks, "How can I be love? How can I express love to the world?" I think that is a decided victory.

living in the now: present to possibility

This Month: Clear Away Clutter

Maybe it’s your garage, a back bedroom, or a kitchen drawer, but chances are, some space in your home is currently dedicated to your junk. Set aside just 20 minutes this month to clear it out. Grab some gloves and a big garbage bag and give it a good cleaning. Chances are this isn’t new to you. But, being conscious to the process of what it means to create sacred space may be.

The Experience:
Limit the time you spend cleaning to only that 20 minutes, then, sit down and breathe. Become completely aware of your space and place. How did it feel to clarify and create space through thoughtful, direct action? As you reflect, you may want to make some notes in your journal. Don’t waste time on judging or getting bogged down in a single thought. Recognize it, record it, and move on.

Unlocking Possibility:
Spend the last two to three minutes of your reflection time writing down a follow-up action item for yourself. How can what you’ve just experienced move you forward? Will you finish this clean-up project, tackle another, or perhaps find you have energy to commence an entirely different project? You are unleashing the power of now… and the possibilities are endless!

sharing the love: buddy needed?

If anyone is in need of a coaching buddy, whether for "holiday coverage" or full-time please add a comment here... include:
1) Desired time of day
2) Weekday + Weekend or Weekdays only
3) Full-time or Holiday Coverage

If you are finding the practice useful, it doesn't have to stop. Let's support each other in staying on track during this busy season!

Cheers!!!

1x24: what i'm doing on 12.06.07

Getting a ton of action items done at work. Feeling much better! And... working on refining my financial dreams through the creation of a new savings account.

1x24: what i'm doing on 12.05.07

Setting up a meeting with my manager at work. Paying all my bills for the month. Working on a vision for my next steps in the exploration of coaching. Getting ready to celebrate a birthday for someone special.

1x24: what i'm doing on 12.03.07

Exploring the concept of "incoherence"... and being a bit under the weather!

1x24: what i'm doing on 12.02.07

Driving to Portland from Seattle... while enjoying a delicious mocha in the rain and snow! And getting ready to travel home to Reno.

1x24: what i'm doing on 12.01.07

I'm heading to the Seattle Motorcycle Show today!

1x24: what i'm doing on 11.30.07

Traveling. Again! And it's snowing here, which is really awesome.
Oh, and I'm looking for my iPod, which I seem to have lost... does anyone have some clarity, focus, ease and grace I could borrow while I look?

*** Update: 3:35PM: Thank you beauties! I just knew someone would send me some CFEG if I asked... and low and behold the iPod reappeared in a coat pocket not five minutes after I posted my request! ***

1x24: what i'm doing on 11.29.07

I'm putting up my outdoor holiday decorations. And it's like... freezing!

30x30: 30 actions in the past 30 days

Here's just a fun and quirky list: it's some stuff that matters that probably wouldn't have gotten done without taking the time to think about and commit to doing it.

And you know, having cool coaches to support me along the way sure made the difference!

These aren't in any particular order, and what's really fun is: this isn't even close to the whole list of stuff I've managed to accomplish. It's seriously been amazing to me how much stuff I can actually get done by focusing on it more!

1. Assess & organize holiday decorations so I'll be ready to go for the 'season'
2. Take time to get caught up on email after returning from vacation
3. Prep for the meeting I didn't have time to prep for yet
4. Complete & submit application for school
5. Contact Sri Lankan volunteer agency
6. Enlist support from my workgroup for my attending school
7. Take a look at why it can feel so hard to ask for and accept support
8. Complete time off request for the time I took off to go to California
9. Go to office depot for supplies for home office & new project launch
10. Go to Kinko's and get my treasure map laminated: only $10!!!
11. Attend learning session on how to give and receive feedback
12. Schedule additional meetings to solicit feedback from team members: how am I doing, what's getting in the way of us working together?
13. Send an enrollment email to my new team recruits at work
14. Track how I'm *really* spending my time for 30 days using detailed daily agendas
15. Register for ELE course
16. Learn more about "spaciousness"
17. Clean the house
18. Research tuition reimbursement policies
19. Create status update for work and test with manager
20. Draft feedback for team member; prep for session
21. Get ready for Hawaii trip: packing, laundry, drop dogs off
22. Look at how I can enlist more support to help me develop my offerings at work
23. Finish those follow-up phone calls! They're overdue.
24. Take the afternoon off to just relax and "do nothing"
25. Schedule focus groups
26. Order books from Amazon.com
27. Call Lam
28. Set up my new home network as part of organizing my home office
29. Call Sprint... what the heck is up with these cell phone bills?
30. Drink tea instead of coffee for two weeks

1x24: what i'm doing on 11.26.07

I'm taking some extra time to get caught up at work today, so this week isn't completely hellish.