Imagine - an elderly dance troupe

Last night my husband and I sat down to watch a little TV. We turned on NatGeoTV just to see what might be of interest there and was surprised to see a wonderful show about the elderly - an elderly dance troupe. Sounds kind of boring doesn't it.

Turns out, this show was a bit different. It was about the group Hip Op-eration, the oldest dance group in the world; officially given this name by Guinness World Records. The show was amazing. Here is a trailer:

The show confronted ageism head-on. While watching the show I could feel myself forgetting for a moment that these elderly people were actually elderly! Instead, I saw them leave the world they were in and embrace a very different one. Consequently, I also saw many young people cross over a bridge of acceptance and praise for the elder group. It really was an amazing transformation.

Sadly, this isn't a group in the United States; rather, it is from New Zealand. It was birthed out of a desire of a young lady, Billie Jordan, who was severely hurt in the Christchurch earthquake in 2011. This was her way of rehabilitating herself. Throughout the one-hour broadcast, she also showed a genuine love and connection for those that she voluntarily coaches and coordinates.

At the end of the show, we were able to see what some of the participants have done SINCE the broadcast. One of the participants back-packed through Asia. Not before the dance troupe mind you --- since the dance troupe was started! Who says age needs to stop you from completing the things you want to do?

Take some time and watch the show - it will be worth your while.

How I start the Christmas holiday!

 Today is Black Friday. I've tried it - once - and didn't care for it. The thought of people pushing and shoving to get to the greatest gadget or toy that will be forgotten by January is not my idea of a well spent morning.  The stores really do not need my business and I hate buying meaningless gifts that someone can pick out for themselves

My idea of a Christmas present is one that can't be found somewhere else, one that comes from my heart, and one that has meaning to it. Typically, those gifts don't come from a store.

 My shopping starts in one of my favorite places --- my box of scraps. Everytime I complete a sewing project the extra material goes into a box. There isn't any rhyme or reason to the layout of the fabric, for me that would completely kill the creativity. As I thumb through the fabrics and see which one inspires me, it also brings back great memories. I can tell you where I've used previous materials - whether it was a quilt or a wall hanging or a dress, each of them have meaning.

While you guys are out shopping, I'm enjoying some peaceful time creating. That to me is the best way to start the Christmas holiday season.

Enjoy!

Thankful that I don't belong

I grew up in a homogeneous town in Wisconsin. Most of the people surrounding me looked like me, talked like me, were able bodied like me, ate the foods I did, and believed in the same God I did. After high school graduation, I moved to a bigger city and although my friend and acquaintance circle was starting to gather some that didn't look as much like me or believe in the same God as me or eat the same food as me, for the most part I was still living a pretty homogeneous life. I met and fell in love with a man that didn't look like me.

Through the years of living in a diverse home we've had some ups and downs; we've even had some unpleasant conversations. It made me think about those deep rooted opinions and beliefs that I carried from childhood into adulthood. Communication hasn't always easy been as easy as it may have been in a homogeneous house. Yet, despite the differences in our home and the differences of how the world treated me and how it treated the rest of my family (husband and now four children) I still had a sense of where I belonged.

I started diversity discussions to help both myself and the community around me understand our changing world. I've had conversations with friends and family about diversity - some of which did not turn out so hot. I began writing diversity articles for the local alternative newspaper. Although I was pointing out all the differences around me, I still had a sense of where I belonged.

After raising our children, my husband and I made the decision to move to California to spend more time with his daughter and grand-children. We settled in Santa Maria, CA. Santa Maria is a city of just under 150,000 people on the Central Coast of California. The demographics pulled from the U.S. Census show a city much different than any I've lived in before. The first column shows the percentage of the population in Santa Maria, CA that fit into the assigned racial group and the second column shows that same racial group as represented throughout California as a whole.

	Black or African American alone, percent, 2010 (a)	1.7%	6.2%
	American Indian and Alaska Native alone, percent, 2010 (a)	1.8%	1.0%
	Asian alone, percent, 2010 (a)	5.1%	13.0%
	Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, percent, 2010 (a)	0.2%	0.4%
	Two or More Races, percent, 2010	5.1%	4.9%
	Hispanic or Latino, percent, 2010 (b)	70.4%	37.6%
	White alone, not Hispanic or Latino, percent, 2010	21.7%	40.1%

I live in a city where 70.4% of the people are not from my culture; where it is obvious that most are not comfortable speaking my language. Where the food I am most used to eating isn't a commonplace --- no Culver's, Chicago Polish Sausage, bratwurst, no Friday night fish frys, or no cheese straight from the factory. 

For the first time in my life, I realize that I don't really belong; I realize that I need to actually work at belonging. I may need to learn another language and I may need to learn to eat some other foods in order to belong. The point is that I won't belong unless I do something different. Although I have been involved in diversity activities of all sorts for quite some time, I realized it didn't adequately prepare me for living in a city where a vast majority of people are different from me.

I'm grateful that I've had the ability to talk about diversity. Now, I'm very grateful that I have the opportunity to see from the inside out what it is like to live in an area where I am the minority. I'm grateful that I have met some people who have helped me navigate this different terrain; are willing to explain what a food is or where to find the best bargains or how to basically communicate to others. Above all, I'm grateful that for this season of my life I am living as the minority. It is teaching me humility, it is giving me a different perspective of life, it is allowing me to see how my actions and those from my community may negatively affect others without us even knowing.

Slowly I am learning how to belong.

The Syrian Refugee - a different perspective

With all the rhetoric this last week regarding tracking Muslims, closing mosques, allowing or not allowing Syrian refugees into the country, I'd like to look at it all in a different perspective.

I'm a born again Christian. I believe that the Bible is all truth and that it is as relevant today as it was at the time of writing. Therefore, I believe that it should be used to guide my life. In the Holy Bible, there is a story about Saul and Paul.

Saul was an evil man. His enemy were the Christians. Not only did he kill the Christians, the Bible tells us he enjoyed killing Christians. We know from other texts that he used many different ways to kill them - dismembering, feeding them to the lions, beheading them, and so on.

Paul, is one of our greatest prophets. He was a man of God, winning many over to become Christ followers. Many would say he was the  main advocate for bringing the Christian church to life. He is credited, with the direction of the Holy Spirit, to writing several of the New Testament chapters. He loved people and bringing them to Christ more than he loved himself.

Saul is Paul and Paul is Saul. He conversion was great and mighty and awesome. God stopped Saul in his tracks and changed his life in a moment.

I did not choose Saul to become Paul, no human did. In fact, if it were up to humans, the only choice he probably would have had was death. Saul was a hated and feared man. But, God saw something different - He sees the world from beginning to end. He knows exactly what must happen and when. He often does not give us the knowledge of what is happening - that is why we have faith.

The same is true for all of us. The person you meet on the street today, has the potential to be someone different a year from now. The Syrian refugee today may very well become someone diffeerent next year. What is our role in this story? If you are a Christian, your role is to listen to God. What does He want us, want you, to do differently today? Who does He want us, want you, to minister to today? How does He want us, want you, to change a life today?

What type of attitude will you have this week?

Last week, I shared the wonderful vimeo of the remake of The Bear and The Hare. It was a great way to remember that relationships are key to making our life whole and meaningful. One of the key ways to stop our normal routine and see life for all that God created it to be.

I wanted to share with you the making of the video. It not only shows the painstaking detail and work that goes into the end product, but it shows the overwhelming joy that each person had in making the vimeo. Their joy heightened my joy when watching the hare introduce the bear to Christmas for the first time.

Imagine for a moment if any of the creators hated their part of the process. Imagine if someone came in sulking or upset. Imagine what the end product would look like if one of them decided they didn't really want to be there, but it had to be done. I think the negative attitude very well could have affected the end product; it probably would be an end product that I really wouldn't want to see.

How many times have you said that about a project you were working on - "It has to be done".  Do you think that affected the outcome of the project you were working on? Do you think that may have made it harder for others to work with you? Do you think it may have hurt the creativity in your position or team?

This week, as you are going to work or going to your child's activity or going to the social function you are scheduled to attend, look at your attitude. Think about the end result you want your actions to have.  Swap out the "I have to go" attitude with the joyfulness attitude and see what happens.

Have a great week.

Want to change your life?

While cleaning house I love to listen to TedTalks broadcasts. They are short enough to keep my interest - I'm not really that patient - and they are so interesting. The one I found today is amazing!

Self talk is one of the best ways to make any change. Basically, that is what Patti Dobrowolski is talking about here - self talk and picture association. Brilliant strategy!

For those of you needing a new way to do your old life? This video may not work for you. This is about changing your life. The first step in doing something different is to realize that what you are doing isn't working. We have to put our pride down and decide where we make the first change; that is the scariest step of change. You know what the old looks like, you know what to expect, you know that if you do this-that will happen. Not so, when we start to make changes. That's OK.

For those of you needing a change in your life - watch the video once, twice, three times if you have to. Make a small change today.

Thankfulness

Gratitude and thankfulness. Many of do not realize how important they are in our lives. They actually give us some perspective on where we have been and where we currently are. There aren't too many people who can be grateful for the journey they've been on but complain about where they've come from.  That is a dichotomy that doesn't go well together.

Recently I finished a book called, "Choose Yourself" by James Altucher. Thankfulness is one of the biggest lessons I learned from this book. It put my live in a much different perspective; my mind became clearer and less stressful.

His suggestion is, first thing in the morning, list whatever you are thankful for. Before you do anything else, do this task. It certainly did bring perspective to my morning and my day. I now, a week later, find myself walking through the building at work thinking about the things I'm thankful for. Meetings have become less frustrating, irritating people have become easier to ignore, I am enjoying my work more.

Thankfulness.

Who would have guessed one small step could produce so much good.

Try it this week, and pick up the book - its a good one.

What is the real security threat?

There are multiple states - I believe 31 at the last count - that have decided to not accept Syrian refugees because of the terrorist attacks in France. Most of these states have Republican governors; which comes to no one's surprise with the rhetoric coming out the Republican Presidential candidates.



Yet, none of these same governors are recognizing how short sided this proclamation really is. All but one of the French terrorists were either French or Belgium nationals. Yes, they were of Syrian decent, but they were not all from Syria. This is a notion that is sometimes hard for Americans to understand; national origin in many countries is much different than skin color and ethnicity, and basically refers to the citizenship of each person. It also means that most of the terrorists didn't need passports to get into Paris - they already lived in the European Union. Yes, there was one confirmed terrorist who embedded himself into a group of Syrian refugees.

According to a CNN report,

"One of the men who attached Paris held an emergency passport or similar document, according to an unnamed French senator who was briefed by the French Ministry of the Interior. The senator told CNN the bomber falsely declared himself to be a Syrian named Ahmad al Muhammad, born on September 10, 1990, and was allowed to enter Greece on October 3. From there he moved to Macedonia, then Serbia and Croatia, where he registered in the Opatovac refugee camp, the lawmaker said. Eventually, he made his way to Paris, where he was one of three men who blew themselves up at the Stade de France."

Does this one terrorist prove that all Syrian refugees are terrorists? Does it prove that the refugees are more susceptible to being terrorists?  The answer is an emphatic NO.

Let's dig into this a bit deeper. The refugee crisis in Europe is something that has been building for some time. The borders between European countries are rather lax and often very porous. An ISIS operative embedding themselves into a refugee group would be able to move fairly freely throughout Europe. The movement would be relatively quick; making it from one country to the next within several days to a couple of weeks. The terrorist referenced in the above commentary was able to make it from Greece to Paris, France in little less than 4 weeks. Not bad for someone who is planning a large scale offensive and doesn't want to be noticed.

Now, let's look at the situation with Syrian refugees entering the United States. Refugees being vetted for entry would be housed in a separate refugee area selected by the United Nations. Those in this area would go through a very strict vetting period being interviewed by several U.S. governmental and security organizations, fingerprinting, background checks, etc. The entire process takes about 18 months to complete and could take up to 24 months. The refugees the U.S. would receive in 2016, are those that have been waiting since early 2015. 

Is it realistic to think that a terrorist suspect is going to live in a refugee camp, where he or she will be watched and scrutinized, for 18 - 24 months?

There are easier ways to get into the U.S. than using the refugee status. One of those ways is the Free Waiver Program.  

Under the program - which covers 38 countries, 30 of which are in Europe, including France, Belgium and Germany - citizens of waiver countries can enter the U.S. with minimal screening. That make it much harder to identify and weed out European nationals seeking to enter the U.S. after traveling to ISIS training camps in other nations and then returning to Europe.  

The only requirements of European Nationals traveling in the Free Waiver Program are to have a valid passport, register electronically before traveling to the U.S., and limit their stays to 90 days. We now know, that most of the French Terrorists were living in Belgium - one of the countries in the Free Waiver Program - and traveled to France relatively recently.  There is very little vetting of these travelers because there is a lack of shared databases and information between the countries.

Yet, the U.S. government is not making any changes to the program in the near future. Instead of closing a loophole and very real security risk, we would rather continue to persecute people who have already endured enough pain and heartache to last a lifetime.

Once again, we have used stereotypes and fears to rule our government and not smart and viable decisions.

The greatest lunch spot!

It's been a few months since we moved to California. The trek across the nation from Wisconsin has definitely been an adventure. We've settled down in a city on the Central Coast; basically the coastal areas comprised of Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties. There have been a lot of things to get used to. I mean California is very different from Wisconsin.

First, housing is expensive! Luckily we are in a metropolitan area that isn't considered luxurious - I couldn't imagine what we'd be paying in rent if we were a little south or north of where we are.

Second, the food is definitely not midwestern. There isn't a Culver's in sight. Friday night fish fry - they have no clue. The phrase "cheese curds" are received with a very confused look. However, the Mexican and Asian food here is off the charts!

Third, the life style is a bit laid back. For some, that may be a good thing; for someone with no patience - not so much. This is especially true at my workplace - meetings start at :05 of the hour, not :00 - even if that was the schedule time.

But, then I have days like today. It is November 17th. Typically, a cold day at the start of a long winter in Wisconsin. Going outside requires a coat, maybe a hat and gloves, and probably warming the car for a little bit. Here on the Central Coast it means going to work with a bit of a chill in the air - sweater weather - and having temps rise to the high 60's throughout the day.

Lunch is one of my favorite times of the work day. This was my lunch spot for today.  It was beautiful! Some of the trees are turning colors, the sun is shining bright, the birds are out, the grass is green and there is no hint of snow.

This is the Central Coast.  This is why people, us included, are willing to put up with some not-so-great stuff. On days like today - it is worth it.

Diversity is our responsibility

You may have seen this picture in your Facebook feed.

It is in response to the world's outpouring of support for France after the terrorist attack last Friday. It is meant to be an honest question - Why was there such a huge social media response of the French attacks and very little, if anything, mentioned after the Kenyan attack?

We know from looking at other news sources that the event was covered through many news outlets online and on television.  We also know the U.S. government had been watching the increase of terrorism throughout Kenya and for that reason, in May, the U.S. pledged $100 million in counter terrorism assistance to Kenya.  Of this $100 million,  $95 million will be used to help fund the Kenyan army.

Yet, most people had no idea about the Kenyan attacks nor the increased financial aid given to Kenya. Why?

Some may say that it is because there is no financial gain to help Kenya. Although Kenya relies on American trade to support much of its growing economy, America does not rely on Kenya. Others may say that the corrupt government of Kenya brings attacks into its country and therefore sympathy is lacking. Still others will say that it is racism; it is easier for a majority-White country to empathize with another majority-White country than it is to empathize with a majority-Black country. I think there is truth in all of those opinions.

Yet, they do not adequately sum up the great disparity in the social media support of France when compared to the support of Kenya. The U.S. government does not, in my opinion, regulate social media; in fact, quite the opposite. One can find posts from the government on all social network sites, but they are not the posts that become viral.

My opinion in this whole matter is: it is our own fault. We decide what we are going to share, post, reply to, and ignore on social media. We decide what we are going to pay attention to in the news headlines. Therefore, it is up to us to become more dynamic and involved in world events. It is our responsibility to make a story go viral. But, before we can do that we must be connected. We need to connect to places people across the pond, to places and people that are completely different from us, to places and people that need our social network support just as much as anyone.

Do you want to support Kenya as much as France? Do you believe that Beirut should have had more support on social media? Did you post anything about either terrorist occurrence? Did you ask your friends and relatives to change their profile picture to the national flags?

The answer is probably, "No".  That is the reason that Kenya did not get more attention. We did not take the personal responsibility to share, post, prod others to follow, and otherwise publicize the bombings in Kenya.



Sources:
http://www.securityassistance.org/latin-america-and-caribbean/fact_sheet/us-counterterrorism-aid-kenya

John Lewis Christmas Advert 2013 - The Bear & The Hare

This clip was used in our church service today as a way to remind us that not everyone has the same wonderful, memory filled Christmas that many of us have.  At our church, today was the Sunday that we signed up for community service projects to help make someone's life better.



The thought is that you don't wait until Christmas. That each day starts new and so should the idea that making a person's life better should start new each day also.

Watch and enjoy.

Praying for Paris

Working for a French owned company made the terrorist attacks even more real. We saw the French flag flying at half staff on Friday even before we knew about the attack. Then we heard it from our co-workers. Disbelief was our only reaction.

Prayers going out to all my co-workers.

Start Over?

Have you ever felt like you've wanted to start over? Not really lose yourself, but just get a free do-over? I don't mean going back in time either, because that would mean reliving all the hellish lessons you've already been through.

I mean, right now. In this present time and space - just give me a free do-over?

Allow me to be the person I really want to be. The person that has no past to hold her back and no future to live up to. Just start from today. Right now. Right here.

If you have, can you share your experience?