BoomerBlix

Quotes as Lessons

We've all heard about the practice of opening a book, say, the Bible, and blindly pointing at a passage.  During troubling times, this is supposed to guide us to the answer for our dilemmas.  I've known more secular people who prefer the dictionary; the idea is to seek a random source of insight. The Universe at work, bypassing the Ego, Divine Inspiration, or whatever we care to call it. 

Sounds like fun, huh?  Why not?  Given the advice we receive, or choose to hear, or conveniently make up for ourselves, it seems worth a try.

So, with Random House Webster's Quotationary, I'm going to open-and-point, half a dozen times.  Maybe you'll read the exact quote that will solve your current situational issue, hidden somewhere in these 963 pages of potential life-changing wisdom.  I've known folks who swear by this method.  Sort of like a Ouija Board or Tarot Cards.  The teacher appears when the student is ready, as they say.  Who's to say what exactly defines "teacher," anyway?

Okay, here goes!

1.  "Your religion was written on tablets of stone, by the iron finger of your God, lest you forget it.  The red men could never remember it or comprehend it.  Our religion is the traditions of our ancestors, the dreams of our old men, given them by the Great Spirit, and the visions of our [chiefs], and is written in the hearts of our people."   --SEATTLE (1786?-1866)  Native American Chief, in a speech to Louis Thomas Jones 

2.  "Knowledge is the food of the soul."  --PLATO (427-3437 B.C.)

3.  "Soil is not usually lost in slabs or heaps of magnificent tonnage.  It is lost a little at a time over millions of acres by the careless actions of millions of people.  It cannot be saved by heroic acts of gigantic technology, but only by millions of small acts and restraints, conditioned by small fidelities, skills, and desires.  Soil loss is ultimately a cultural problem; it will be corrected only by cultural solutions."  --WENDELL BERRY (1934--)  Decolonizing Rural America, 1934

4.  "The turning point in the process of growing up is when you discover the core of strength within you that survives all hurt."  --MAX LERNER (1902-1992)  The Unfinished Country, 1959

5.  "To live is the rarest thing in the world.  Most people exist, that is all."  --OSCAR WILDE (1854-1900)  "The Soul of Man Under Socialism" Fortnightly Review, 1891

6.  "Clinging to the past is the problem.  Embracing change is the answer."  --GLORIA STEINEM (1934--)  "Doing Sixty," Moving Beyond Words, 1994 

BONUS:  "I am still learning."  --MICHELANGELO (1475-1564), shortly before his death.

Wow!  Pretty cool, huh?  A little something for everyone here.  I wouldn't have ever found those.  It was purely random, steadfast readers.  Maybe there's something to this, after all...

 

 

 

 

 

 

What I Know About You

Ah, the power of data.

When I started blogging, I had no idea that I'd be able to learn about my readers.  I imagined sending each Blix out into the universe, hoping it would magically land on someone's laptop or smartphone screen.  As a non-techy person, all I knew was that I could see--on a simple line graph--how many "pageviews" happened every day.  It was thrilling to watch the line trend upward.  Of course, in the beginning, the only way to go was up.  Some days, there would be two of you who visited BoomerBlix.  Bless you both, Ginna and Karen!

The line graph was cool for awhile.  Then, as I learned my way around TypePad, I found Google Analytics.  After a dicey registration process (my brain simply doesn't think like a geek) a whole new world opened up.  Literally.  Suddenly, I had a map--yes, of the world!--and could see where my steadfast readers were accessing my blog.  Made a line graph look pretty dull.

Here's what I know about you:
*  You live in 49 countries.  If I take out the single visits (assuming a search engine landed you at BoomberBlix against your will) there are readers from 24 countries.  After the United States, you mainly find me from Canada, United Kingdom, France, Senegal, Philippines, Brazil, Croatia, Singapore, Pakistan, India, and Finland.  Then a smattering of others, with two or three readers each:  Finland, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Costa Rica, Mexico, Norway, and Thailand.   I'd be delighted to visit any of you--just give a shout!
*  It's fun to see the cities you are reading from.  I can't begin to list them all.  There are 527 cities in the last year.  My pals in Metuchen, Altamont, Oak Park, and Seattle are regulars.  And hello to my new reader in Dakar!
*  Sometimes, a new place crops up out of the blue, makes a big spot on the map for a decent spell, then goes away.  I always wonder what happened, and wish I could find out what attracted you to BoomerBlix, and why you went elsewhere.  If you live in Darien, and happen to come by again, let me know, okay?

Besides where you live, I can also find out a few other things that help me as a blogger and writer:
*  How long you stay on the blog.  Not individually, but by each Blix.
*  How many pages you read at a time.  If you like a certain Blix, you'll poke around a little bit.  That is really valuable information.
* Your favorite topics.  This is how I know which posts have been most popular.  And how I know you prefer the personal stories over the investigative/activist topics.  Apparently, my fervor over recycling plastic bags didn't stir your soul.

If I were more data-savvy, I could probably drill down.  But for now, I have more than enough information to keep me busy.  I prefer writing over analyzing.  I take a few minutes to look at the latest numbers, and move on. 

Lest you get a little spooked, thinking I can peer into your lives or access your bank account, let me tell you the things I absolutely can't determine:
*  I have no idea what your name is, your email address, favorite foods, goals in life, how you found BoomerBlix, or how you access it when you read it. 
*  Although I can see city areas, such as London, I can't tell your exact town.  Sometimes, a geographic area is defined by a certain city.  For example, I live in a suburb that isn't reported; it's clumped with the next town to the west.
*  Unless you comment on a specific Blix, I don't know what you're reading.  I can only tell how many of you read each Blix.  That's how I know you go ga-ga over the relationship stuff.

All of this is helpful to me.  Even as I get ready to publish today's post, I know this Blix won't be a huge favorite.  But, I wanted to let you know that I feel a connection to you.  While I won't be showing up at your doorstep with cookies, I try to keep you and your interests in mind when I choose a topic.  Sure, sometimes I still have to get on my soapbox--recycling is important, folks!--but I find myself searching for things that I hope you will want to read. 

It's an exciting endeavor, much more fun than I ever expected.  Thanks for your comments and your support.  Now...anyone interested in being my next Guest Blogger?

How To Write a Blog

So, today I got a notice from Writer's Digest, informing me of a Bargain Online Workshop--only $150!!.  In a couple of hours, I could learn how to do a blog.   I smiled.  And decided to save all of you who have wondered about blogging, a little time and money.  Both are precious commodities, no?

Let me provide a little background.  I've always been a writer.  When I was in grade school, I did a neighborhood newsletter.  Was a winner in a national poetry contest in junior high.  Worked on every school newspaper that came my way, right into college.  I've done freelance writing, earning sporadic income, because that's how freelance writing works.  During various jobs, I authored brochures, workbooks, manuals, whatever was in my path.  Served on editorial boards.  You get the drift here.  I'm no J.K. Rowling, but declaring oneself a writer is more a personal matter than one of public fame.  It's part of who I am.

In 2009, I attended the Pacific Northwest Writers Association Annual Meeting.  Very, very good.  I wrote about that last year.  I'd already started my blog by then, but the workshops I attended reinforced the fun--and benefits--of blogging.   Blogging can be done for any number of reasons.  Some couples start a blog just to post their wedding plans and honeymoon photos.  New parents share daily baby updates with relatives around the world.  There are political blogs, travel blogs, recipe blogs, motorhome blogs.  I've got a couple of favorite Paris blogs.  Think of a topic and someone's writing about it.

So, grab your idea and go! 

I started after checking Blogging for Dummies out of the library.  That's how I chose TypePad for my "home."  From there on, it was all up to me.  Having been at this awhile, let me offer up my Six Easy Start-Up Blog Tips:
1.  Decide who your target audience will be.
2.  Make a list of topics that you think your audience will find interesting.
3.  Add a few topics that you want to write about, even if you're going to be the only one interested.
4.  Decide where to blog--there are free options, or you can pay a monthly fee, which gets you more glitz and glamour, as well as an easy way to design your site.  Entirely up to you.
5.  Start writing!
6.  Practice patience while people learn about your blog.  Of course, you start by telling everyone you know, but slowly, word gets out and readership grows.

One of the first things I discovered was that the dry, but informative, topics I thought would be useful were, well...dry.  I'd thought I would do some reporting and some fact-sharing, like a nonfiction magazine article.  Yawn, double yawn.  I tore up my original list and just started paying attention.  Things happened in my life, and the lives of people around me.  I went to movies .  Just sitting on planes could be enough.  I read snippets in newspapers and magazines, enough for me to consider and write about in a blog post.  The world is rich with possibilities. 

I've been asked if I run out of ideas.  No.  Nor do I worry about it.  There are days when I find it harder to write than others, but that's more about me and my ability to focus than about the abundance of subject matter.  Even now, I'm mulling over three other ideas.  My drawback is lack of time to develop the ideas as much as I'd like.

It's been exciting, steadfast readers!  And I've come to know all of you a little bit, as well.  Next time, I'll tell you what I know about YOU.  You may be surprised to learn what kind of data a blogger can track...

 

The Gratitude Journals

"The major events are just punctuation marks in life; the everyday is narrative."
--Sarah Breathnacht

I'm recently reminded of the power of gratitude.  I was forced to find good in a disappointing situation that I never anticipated.  As I reflected on the setback--and its gift--I dug through my recently-moved boxes and retrieved my old Gratitude Journals. It had been many years since I'd read them, and I needed to soothe my soul.

In my early 40's, everything went wrong, all at once.  I became divorced, got a mortgage, bought a house with a killer yard, seriously teetered on the brink of bankruptcy, changed jobs, took a second job, worked 80 hours a week because I refused to let my credit rating drop, fed the kids, and struggled to hold everything together.  I don't recall how I learned about Gratitude Journals.  Maybe even from Oprah, because I was still an Oprah fan back then.  It doesn't really matter.  The Universe delivers what we need, when we need it.

It's simple enough.  Everyday, you write a page on something you're thankful for.  The idea is to remind us that no matter what, there is always, always a reason to be grateful.  So, I went out and bought my first journal.  I picked a small size, thinking I wouldn't have to write so much.  I wrote in the mornings (still do) before the day got busy.  And I made one rule for myself:  No repeats.  Ever.  Each day had to be something different.

In the beginning, I did the usual:  grateful for my children, my health, my job.  Food, heat, water.  You get the idea.  That lasts for about a month. I ran out of the obvious, so I had to start to pay attention to the subtle.  Then came the good stuff.  Forced to find something new, I'd go through the day, noticing.  I'd choose one thing that had made an impression, and save it to record the next morning.

I did it for a thousand days.

Here's the miracle:  At some point, I became authentically Grateful.  All day, I would register what was good.  And there is so much good!  After three years, I stopped the Journal, because I didn't need to write it all down anymore.  I could recognize something, acknowledge it, and be glad to have witnessed one more reason to be thankful.

I'll share excerpts from a few entries with you:

*  1/1:  I begin my Gratitude Journal today.  I know that I ignore or miss or minimize or dismiss the everyday events that should be seen and counted as the good things in my life...Like many others, I was looking for big events, not the small, but steady, flow of occurrences that pass by.  What I need is found in the rhythm of everyday life.
* 4/10:  I'm grateful for the smell of spring rain.  The fragrance is sweet and fresh. The scent is intoxicating--I just want to keep inhaling.  It will change again in the summer and fall, but this is the best.  It smells new, like a baby.
*  7/11:  I'm grateful for the irresistible draw of summer.  The bright sun, blue sky, and sparkling water make it impossible to stay inside.  Restlessness sets in, it must be universal.  This feeling leads to a definite fuzziness when trying to do work, and an interesting sort of prioritizing of what must be done vs. what can wait.
* 10/19:  I'm grateful for my loneliness.  When it comes, it reminds me of my wish to have a partner, and it pushes me along to do something about it.  I hate the sad, hollow feeling.  So I'm thankful for these bouts--they remind me of what I need to do.
* 12/22:  I'm grateful for the chance, and ability, to make up after an argument.  With humor and patience, we were able to actually get to a better place.  The air is clear, and there's the sense of a fresh start.  In the end, we are even better together.  And I'm thankful for that.

There you have it, steadfast readers.  The daily stuff isn't earth-shattering, but what richness it contains!  I had no idea that my Gratitude Journals could have such a profound effect.  That little miracles and kindnesses were so abundant.  My attitude changed, and then everything else did as well.  And Icontinue to be very, very grateful.

What are YOU grateful for today?

Top Five: Your Favorite Blix Posts of 2009

NOTE:  This post has been expanded to "The Top Ten Posts of 2009" and is seen on the left sidebar.
-January 17, 2010

Happy 2010 to my steadfast readers!  My very best wishes for the coming year.  And, my gratitude for your continued support!

Here are the posts that you loved the most in 2009:
1.  "It's Complicated"...and Unlikely
2.  Online Dating Profile: My Ad for Myself
3.  Home Alone at the Holidays
4.  Boomers Wonder: Are We Getting OLD?
5.  Boomer Dating: Diane Keaton and Me

It seems you like the posts about relationships--and my personal tales--more than the posts about social awareness.  Good to know!  I'll keep this in mind, but we need to agree on a certain amount of activism.  Deal?  We are, after all, Boomers...

New Year's List: Writing into the Future

Every New Year's Day morning I make a list.  No, not a few half-hearted resolutions.  A real list, of everything I plan to accomplish in the following 364 days.  Everything.  No matter how far-fetched or how trivial, I write it down.

After all, life is an adventure, right?  Anticipation and planning are part of the fun.  A trip abroad? Sure!  Start a blog?  It could happen!  Hike the Himalayas?  Who's to say!   Big or little, practical or fantasy, it goes on the list.

I'll tell you how I do it:
1.  I always use a beautiful note card or piece of stationery.  My future is worth investing in a great piece of paper. 
2.  I do the list first thing on New Year's Day.  I get my coffee, climb back into bed, and begin.
3.  Brainstorming:  I don't censor or critique as I make my list.  If I even remotely want something to happen, I put it on the list.
4.  Measurable, when possible.  Not just, "Have more dinner parties," but "Have four dinner parties."
5.  I write quickly, probably for no more than 15 minutes.  Then, I put my list in an envelope--unsealed--and place it in a drawer. 
6.  Done! 

Sometimes I'll get out the list during the summer, and give it a quick check.  Other times, I won't check it again until the following New Year's.  That's when I review the list and see how things panned out.  The idea is to write, not to obsess.  I wish I could remember what prompted me to do this.  I know it wasn't my idea.  Later, after I moved to Seattle, I discovered a book that reinforced my ritual.  "Write It Down, Make It Happen" by Henriette Anne Klauser, is a treasure.   Her belief:  that the writing is so powerful that it will influence external circumstances.  By the time I found her book, I had already been "listing" for almost ten years.

My drawer has a stack of these envelopes; I started with the fancy paper in 2000.  I began in 1995.  I just used index cards back then.  Recently I found my early lists.  You know what's interesting?  That so many of them actually happened!  It's uncanny.  Not everything happens in one year, but often gets checked off within several years.  Some things never happen, like winning the lottery.  Some things don't happen, but when I look back, I'm very glad.  It's not always good to get everything on the list.

Here are a few goals met:
* New car, one special activity a month (1995)
* New job, sell house, take kids on a vacation (1998)
* Find a gourmet Supper Club (2003...happened in 2008)
* Annual Beaujolais Nouveau Party (2005...started in 2006)
And here are a few goals that didn't happen...yet:
* Lose ten pounds (an annual favorite)
* Become fluent in French again (and pick up Spanish while I'm at it)
* Plant an herb garden (see my post on Yardening  for this one)
* Meet my last and best love

How does it work?  Depends on what you believe.  For the practical-minded, it simply redirects our focus, and we start to work toward the goal. Or, perhaps transforming a thought into a physical action--writing--provokes energy in the Universe.  Kind of woo-woo, but I'm open to all possibilities.   I say that it doesn't matter. 

So whaddya say, steadfast readers? Have a special goal or two, or ten?  Grab a pen, something to write on, and get going!  We create what we believe.  Your future will thank you.

21 Ideas to Live By

Everyday, these kinds of lists arrive in your email Inbox.  The topics vary, but they're usually inspirational, meant to make us pause, reflect, maybe get a little choked up.  Then, we are supposed to forward to 8, 10, or 20 people.  Immediately! Or else bad luck will follow us for the rest of our lives.   We're seldom told who wrote the original, so the author can't be thanked, or berated.

To be honest, sometimes I never even open these emails, depending how busy I am, or who's sending them.  (This might explain my some of my unfortunate circumstances.  Maybe there really is some kind of voodoo involved.)  Or, I'll open and quickly read, then delete.  If I really like it, I might  forward selectively, erasing  the command to keep the chain going. 

I tell you this because today's Blix is going to seem like I'm doing a giant blast of the lists I criticize.  But when this one arrived, it really did make me pause and reflect.  Before sharing with you, I made a few edits, deletes, and additions, with my own thoughts and suggestions.  I  also rearranged the order to suit my fancy.  Blogger's prerogative.

There is one idea for each day of the rest of the year.  And my gift to you:  no curse if you don't forward.  Guaranteed.

1.  Give people more than they expect, and do it cheerfully.

2.  Find a man/woman you love to talk to.  Marry, or not, depending on your beliefs.  As you get older, conversational skills will be as important as any other.  Maybe more important.

3.  Don't believe all you hear, spend all you have, or sleep all you want.

4.  When you say, "I love you," mean it.   Really mean it.

5.  When you say, "I'm sorry," look the person in the eye.

6.  Before you commit to someone, spend a year together.  Go through all the seasons and holidays.  Take a major trip together.  If you survive all this, it must be love, and the odds improve.

7.  Believe in love at first sight.  It happens.

8.  Never laugh at anyone's dream. People who don't have dreams don't have much.

9.  Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt, but it's the only way to live life completely and authentically.

10.  In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling.  Stick with the topic.  Choose your words very, very carefully.  Once out, they can't be taken back.

11.  Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.  

12.  Avoid gossip.  Period.

13.  When someone asks you a question that you don't want to answer, smile and ask, "Why do you want to know?"

14.  Don't judge people by their relatives.  

15.  Spend some time alone.  Being comfortable with your own company is a must, and a gift.  Great thoughts occur in solitude.

16.  When you lose, don't lose the lesson.  Be gracious, as impossible as it may seem at the time.

17.  Be kind to the receptionist, the server, the clerk.  If there's a restroom attendant, tip a few coins.

18.  Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.

19.  When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.

20.  Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice.

21.  Remember the three R's:  Respect for self, Respect for others, and Responsibility for all your actions.

Got any others to add to the list, steadfast readers?  Send them along.  Let's see if we can't make the world a better place in 2010.

Citizen Journalism...and BoomerBlix

Thrilling news came last week:  I'm going to be a Reader Blogger for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer!  How cool is that, steadfast readers?

Print newspaper fans everywhere will recall the demise of the "P-I" in early 2009.  Hearst Corporation deemed it a financial drain, and the presses stopped rolling March 17.  SeattleBlogger.com told the sad ending of the 146-year-old paper, the oldest daily newspaper in Washington state.  As a firm believer in the "fourth estate," it was especially discouraging to see a sizable city become a one-newspaper town.   

Ah, but like the phoenix, the P-I has been reborn.  It's now the nation's largest digital paper.  It's become a source of Citizen Journalism, an exciting concept that encourages non-professionals to become involved in sharing and reporting news, ideas, and experiences.  It ranges from writing letter to the editor, to providing film/video coverage of an event, to writing a focused blog. 

Enter BoomerBlix, the Seattle P-I's newest Reader Blog.  P-I Reader Blogs are not written or edited by the P-I.  In fact, after a background check and my signing the Terms of Use Agreement, I'm solely responsible for the content of my blog.  Readers can report inappropriate content, but no one's looking over my shoulder.  Freedom of Speech, as it was intended.

Here's a little more about Citizen Journalism from wiseGEEK.com:

Citizen journalism is a concept that advances the idea that consumers or everyday citizens take a more active role in the news. It is often referred to as the “new media” and includes everything from passionate letters to the editor and comments on blogs and news sites, to bloggers scooping stories or exposing doctored or omitted facts from mainstream media reports. Citizen journalism also points out bias by particular reporters or news outlets and attempts to give voice to the both sides on hot button issues.

Sometimes called grassroots journalism, citizen journalism is seen by some news outlets as a threat to journalistic integrity. Citizen journalists, however, believe that their methods hold news organizations to higher standards. While news organizations don’t really have a problem with citizen journalism when it’s a case of citizens bringing in useful footage they’ve personally captured, some may not always appreciate citizens offering a viewpoint.

Citizen journalism has been responsible for pictures and footage of things like celebrities or police officers behaving badly and crimes in progress. Citizens have also captured severe weather such as tornadoes and effects of hurricanes. The Kennedy assassination was captured on may personal movie cameras and still cameras, and since that time terrorist attacks, bombings, and accidents have also been covered via citizen journalism as well.

Some journalists seem to feel threatened by citizen journalists, who have had no instruction in journalism and may not check facts. Many journalists have spent a lifetime, learning, working, and perfecting their craft. Critics of mainstream media outlets say that people are tired of slant, spin, and feeling like they’re being led in a particular direction by some news outlets. Instead, they say, the public wants to be given cold, hard facts and be allowed to make up their own minds. Citizen journalism offers another option.

The idea behind citizen journalism is that people without professional journalism training can use the tools of modern technology and the global distribution of the Internet to create, augment or fact-check media on their own or in collaboration with others. For example, you might write about a city council meeting on your blog or in an online forum. Or you could fact-check a newspaper article from the mainstream media and point out factual errors or bias on your blog. Or you might snap a digital photo of a newsworthy event happening in your town and post it online. Or you might videotape a similar event and post it on a site such as YouTube.

The Seattle P-I relies on Reader Bloggers.  To that end, there are over a hundred Reader Blogs, in every possible area.  Besides bloggers for each neighborhood and island, here are a few examples of Citizen Journalism--and they are read the world over:  Aeronautical (4); Entertainment and Nightlife (25); Food and Wine (15); Pets (11); Sports (10).  You get the idea.

And now, I speak for Baby Boomers, as you already know, on a wide range of topics.  It's an exciting opportunity, to be part of the likely wave of the future--digital news. 

 

 

Fifty posts--thanks for your readership!

WOW!  This is my 50th post--with over 2,000 readers stopping by to read the latest Blix!  I'm humbled, and thankful.  Please know how much I appreciate your support, steadfast readers.  Looking forward to more fun and adventures...

Money Well-Spent

  

"It is pretty to see what money can do."   (Samuel Pepys (1633-1703) in his diary entry on  21 March 1667)

 

There is money squandered, and there is money that returns dividends many, many times more valuable than the cost of the original investment.

 

 

Here are some things I consider my finest use of funds:

• Contact lenses:  born near-sighted, I had glasses at age three.  Even then, I knew the cute pink frames were poor compensation for this affliction.  By high school, I begged for contacts, but my parents considered them a luxury, and told me I could have them only when I could purchase them myself.  A summer job at a dentist’s office gave me “visual freedom.”  After a hellish adaptation to hard contact lenses, the only way they came in 1967, it would be forty years before I considered glasses, even for stylish or practical reasons.  Cost:  $100
• My first divorce:  the marriage wasn’t going well, and I had started my own Credit Union savings account—against my husband’s wishes.  At the time, I wasn’t sure if I was saving for a new car, a piano…or a divorce.  When the last straw came, it was an easy call.  Cost: $2500
• Wine classes:  at the time, I was dating a chef.  Not wanting to look stupid, I took a class on French wines, which turned into a year of classes on varietals and vintages of every kind.  I found that I really enjoyed wine, and that I had a great palate.  The relationship suffered when we went to a blind tasting contest, and I did better than the chef.  But the lessons have stayed with me all these years.  Cost: $900
• Consultation regarding my life’s purpose:  here I thought I was supposed to be always responsible.  Never mind that it was a staggering burden.  Lo and behold, I’m meant to:  Have fun!  Create!  Explore!  I can’t begin to describe the sense of liberation.  Cost: $200
• My personal stocks:  yes, I am the proud owner of three shares of Google stock, with more planned.  And a few others, some pretty successful, which together comprise my Retirement Travel Fund.  I choose them myself, watch over them lovingly, and add a few shares at a time.  My financial advisor is impressed enough to want to count them in my investment portfolio, but I refuse to relinquish them.  Cost:  $100 a month

Small purchases at the time, huge payoffs.  Some more than I ever anticipated.  Don’t let anyone tell you that money can’t buy happiness.