The Power of Words in a Twitterific World

Yesterday I blogged about the shootings in the movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, USA and about our experience living there during an earlier tragedy, the Columbine High School shootings.  I was writing our good friends in Australia about it.  While I personally would be in favor of stricter gun laws, I also know the won’t prevent the shootings that happened on Friday.  People pull the triggers.  We need a shift in consciousness to place a higher value on life.  I believe we become the stories we tell each other. We need new stories, now more than ever before.

Aurora Shootings, Columbine and dealing with the past

Cee and I lived near Columbine thirteen years ago when that shooting happened.  Yesterday’s shootings in Aurora, on the other side of the Denver Metro area, brought up strong feelings.  Click through to read the story in our other blog.

Cherish life!

Bragging Rights – My Picture Was On National TV

My picture was on national television… not a picture of me, but a picture by me.  A photo I took.  Talk about the ultimate bragging rights for a sometime hobbyist photographer.

Here’s the story:  Cee and I had watched a little television then gone back to her office to catch up on some blogging.  I checked my email and there was a letter from a production assistant for the television series American Pickers, which airs on the History channel.  He had found one of my photographs on line and they wanted to use it on the show.  If I was the Chris Donner who took the photo, would I consider giving them permission?

Memoir Writing – Grabbing the Vignettes

I’m starting to capture some of the experiences Cee and I have been through on the last eleven roller coaster years of our life.  It’s been an incredible adventure that has been both scary and uplifting, if you can imagine such a thing.

Yesterday we had a episode  with a humble ceiling fan that triggered a cascade of memories.  I wrote it up as a short vignette that will become part of a larger work and posted it on our other blog.  Please make the jump and read Sneaky Grief and Hidden Anniversaries.  Let me know what you think of it.

Happy 4th of July to all of you in the United States.  A special thank you for helping us stay free to all of my fellow veterans.

Blessings!

New Name, New Challenge

This is my week for changes.  I’ve joined Cee’s Healing Journey blog as a regular writer and we’ve changed the name to Chronic Illness Champions.  We want to write about how to live gracefully when there is someone with a chronic illness in the house.  So Cee will be blogging from her viewpoint as someone with Lyme disease and I’ll be writing from the point of view of the caregiver.  Both are important voices, and we believe that by sharing our story we’ll be able to inspire others.  Please come and visit us there.

I’ve also had requests to start my writing challenge up again. 

Strong Writing Mojo?

I woke up this morning trying to think of some way to keep my writing mojo running strong.  (Mojo, in case you don’t know, is your magic power, your secret strength, your super power.)  I love to write.  I do it every day.  If you were to get an email from me is would be more like a short novel.  When the words start flowing they don’t want to stop.  I love words.

Guest blogging – Living with a chronic illness

I did a guest blog for Cee today, giving a review of a  great book, “You Don’t LOOK Sick; Living Well with Invisible Chronic Illness”.   In it, Joy Selak describes her journey with chronic illness, writing her stories so that all of us can find a common link and benefit from her experiences.  She co-authors the book with her rheumatologist, Dr. Steven Overman, who contributes his own experiences and knowledge.  Together, they create a practical and human guide to living well despite your illness.

The Meaning of Life! What’s next?

Dear Friends,

I haven’t posted for three weeks, and I’d like to catch you up on what has been happening in my life.  I’ve spent the time exploring the meaning of my life.  It was been an exciting , exhilarating, at times tear-filled journey.

As some of you know, my partner Cee started back to school and is following a dream of hers.  She’s a remarkable person who has almost died twice of multiple organ failure while battling chronic Lyme Disease.  I’ve watched her come back after a long coma that left her barely able to move.  I’ve seen her

Share Your World

It’s time for Share Your World.  You can find directions to the challenge here.

This week’s questions:

1. You are comfortable doing nothing? For long stretches of time?
   
2. If you could inherit a vacation home anywhere in the world in which you could spend two months a year, where would it be?
3. If you were instantly able to play one musical instrument perfectly that you never have played before, what would it be?
4. Would you rather be given $10,000 for your own use or $100,000 to give anonymously to strangers?

Here are my answers:

Have You Mattered?

I’ve been watching a series of videos the last couple of days, videos that are making me think a lot about my life and what I want to do with it.  I’ll be sharing more about this in the next few days and give you a link to the videos.  But for today, I wanted to talk about one of the questions that has been going though my head… Have you mattered today?  Have you made a difference in this world?

I haven’t done anything extraordinary today.  I haven’t pulled someone from a burning building.  I haven’t secretly paid off anyone’s medical bills.  I haven’t arrested a child molester.  I haven’t cured cancer, invented micro loans or brokered world peace.  So how have I mattered?  How have I made a difference in this world?

• I took Cee out to breakfast at a new restaurant a friend of ours just opened.  I supported my friend not only with my money, but by stopping and chatting with her a few minutes to let her know she had our emotional support as well.
• I went to the market to do our weekly grocery shopping and smiled at every stranger I saw.  A smile is free and you always have one with you.  I brightened up a lot of people’s day.
• I said “excuse me” every time I had to walk in front of someone in the market.  Most people don’t pay attention but every now and then I see someone smile because they, too, believe in ordinary civility.  It takes so little to use the magic words of “please”, “thank you” and “excuse me” but all too few of us seem to do it any more.
• I brought my old bags back and used them again, recycling them to keep them out of the landfill.
• I wrote a letter to two friends whose mother had died not long ago, letting them know I was thinking of them on Mother’s Day, knowing that it will make their grief more painful.  On Friday I contacted two people I worked with who are grieving their mothers.
• I mentally thought of, held and prayed for the children in my grief support groups who are spending Mother’s Day without their mothers.  I know how hard this day will be for them.
• I bought some flowers to put in my front yard.  I hope they’ll make people smile.
• I wrote this message to you, knowing it will make you smile and make you think about all the little ways you make a difference in this world.

I hope you’ll add your comments to my list by making a difference in your world today.

Many blessings!

Chris