With iPad and
mug of hot chocolate, I followed the sun for the morning warmth in my
courtyard among my flowers and visiting birds. I was ready to write my
thank-you notes to those who emailed me on my last article,
'You've got a Friend'. Suddenly into my solitude, burst the sounds of a
young re-incarnated Elaine Stritch or very alive Bernadette Peters
belting out 'Let it go' from the musical "Frozen". This young 4 year
old neighbour has the voice of an angel and the lungs of all the divas
combined.
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I sat and drank my
chocolate and just listened to the lyrics of wisdom proffered by this
little diva. By now, most of you will have realized that music really
floats my boat. It makes me feel alive, and the lyrics and uplifting of
this song with its heart felt words made me think of Sondheim's 'Being
Alive'. And there in my head was an ensemble of Patti Lu Pone, Barbra
Streisand, Bernadette Peters, and Sondheim himself on keyboard. What a
performance was going on in my head! Not to mention, I too, was up
there on stage offering my dulcet tones to the mix.
Coming
off stage with the greats, my thoughts of thank-you notes passed and, I
just wanted to share that if we all took those words into our everyday
lives, as I feel the master writer himself intended, we could make a
real difference. If we opened our hearts and and minds to those around us,
gave a little of ourselves, all of our lives would be indeed
blessed.
It just means giving a
little to those around us - reaching out and making a difference. Every
gentle touch builds to a worldwide hug. A hug that this world really
needs right now. Not one person really needs to go it alone. All it
takes is a nod of assurance, a gentle smile, a warm hello. Each and
everyone of us, has the capability to do at least one of these things.
God knows, with each and everyone of us turning to our neighbour, and
giving a warm hello and an encouraging glance, it may stop the cycle of
war and injustice.
Let's all try to
be a cycle breaker, lets show our friends, our families and our new
found friends that we are as insecure as they are. That we too
need someone to be close to. Someone to share with, someone to give,
someone to mock us with praise and someone to love.
Let's
break this self fulfilling prophecy of doom and gloom and fill it with
hope. Let's fill it with a song of joy, a song of freedom, a song of
equality. Let's join my little neighbour in her song of 'Let it Go' and
let go of the prejudices, the anger and loneliness.
Join
me on stage with my ensemble! Declare that we want to be crowded
with love, love that comes through caring! Know that there is someone to help us
shed our insecurities and not to be frightened any more. Help us survive and give
us hope that we are truly 'Being Alive'.
These are my thoughts.
Cheers!
Bitchescoz
Contact: luke65mcbride@gmail.com
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A
young man performs at his school concert. His parents had work
commitments so were unable to attend. The young man had preened his
skills at home in front of the mirror had sung into anything that had
resembled a microphone. He had attended all the rehearsals, honed his
skill, a skill that he believed was waiting in the wings to be
discovered. Yes, this young man was great academic student, and his
parents wanted nothing, but for him to follow their footsteps into that
respectable, ever secure, ever stable, professional career of
medicine.
This young man is great at
his study and, is indeed gifted, but he wants something more. He has a
passion, and that passion is music. He wants to heal people - yes! But, he
wants to heal people's hearts through music, through his lyrics. Not the
traditional medicine, but prescribing love through his words and his
warm tones.
I digress! Anyway, the
young man performed his songs, received many accolades from his peers
and teachers. Backstage, one of the parents congratulated him for his
talents and handed him his business card and said, 'Contact me, I would
like to hear more from you.' That father was a record producer. The
young man did not know this man from Adam, but when home he Googled and
indeed, found this man was a great producer and could maybe guide him
with his passion.
When the parents arrived
home from their surgeries, he was so excited! He handed them the
business card and was so thrilled to have been noticed for something he
wanted. The parents shrugged and said, 'We don't know him!' They threw the
card, along with his excitement, on the bench with all the other
correspondence that one day they would get around to, and said, 'Don't
forget that science paper for tomorrow. Good night!' And, went to bed.
How
many of us, have not taken the time, to respond positively to someone
else's excitement. How many of us shrug, and toss others dreams and
desires, to the wind! Forget we once had dreams too! How many of us
remember that we were not encouraged to take a chance, a risk, a step to
stray from the 'norm' ? How many of us live with the regret, that we did not receive
accolades and encouragement, to pursue dreams that are hidden along with
all the unanswered correspondence.
It
is easier to not get involved! Easier to keep our dreams buried, and not
get hurt with the lost dreams of our past. It is easier for the nine
to five to bring home the bacon, when only few achieve the whole pig on
the spit.
This is where we as
parents, as partners, as lovers, as friends and past dreamers need to
nurture to encourage talents of those around us.
Yes,
we need to care! We need to take part in the joys and hopes that
others have. God knows, we too may enjoy their journey as well. Help
them discover and to conquer doubt. Sometimes, our job must be to help
ground them a little on their journey, but never discourage their
abilities to achieve their life goals. For none of us, is it too
late to change course! To re-visit our dreams and start afresh!
Don't
let this young man's dreams, be extinguished. Who knows you may need a
doctor one day! You may get the most highly qualified doctor who has
no passion nor compassion and no caring and encouraging beside manner.
Cheers!
Bitchescoz
Contact: luke65mcbride@gmail.com
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| Anyone for a ride? |
It seems as if it was in the dark ages now, but Richard Carpenter wrote
'Rainy Days and Mondays'. Today with the rain, and things not
happening at the rate that this impatient Aquarian likes, it was one of
those days indeed.
Rain bucketing, and
fueling my already morbid and miserable day, I decided not to let this
weather coax me into a state of impatience and negative thoughts. So, I
decided to forge my way, gung-ho into a positive plan.
This
plan of action, quite honestly, can be a tad annoying for those around me
as I channel my negatives, to an irritating (ok bloody annoying) attempt
to achieve my life time goals in one day. I research, I Google
thoughts. I annoy my partner with seemingly endless articles of how to
achieve goals, and spread them around the normally very tidy abode. I
call friends (one in particular) to discuss my goals, to gather
their/her thoughts as to how I can have it all done in one day and
meanwhile, set up house in the castle of my dreams in Venice. TODAY -
NOW.
After their soothing thoughts, of
less exuberance, such as 'Rome wasn't built in a day' and, 'Baby steps Honey', I decide to reject these offers of suggestion and carry through
my dreams alone.
However, despite all my
attempts to channel my thoughts alone, I kept hitting a brick wall.
Building Rome in one day was fast becoming a delusion, as was getting
my laundry dry on the outside clothesline in the rain. My dream castle
was fast crumbling into the Grand Canal in Venice.
Before
the tide covers the roof of my castle, I must change course. I must
change gears and go for plan B. I must achieve the goals I can for this
day, not change the course of my life in one swoop! Firstly, I must
remove the sodden clothes from the line, throw them in the dryer or my
partner won't have ironing to do tonight. God forbid, I may have to do
it when he is occupied with other things of his own, rather than
tidying the hoards of paper I have set out everywhere.
I
have to look at what I have achieved so far. I have to look at the things I can
achieve today before the sun sets (or is that rain sets). In looking at
what I can do today, I can see because of the rain, that it will surely be better to pour
the foundation for my dreams in better weather. Rather than setting them
on the wet and soggy soil of Rome, only to have them collapse in the few
short years to come. No, I am not going to take baby steps but, I will
make sure I take footed steps today to achieve my goals.
Yes,
we all have dreams we would love to achieve in a short time, but maybe
my advice givers were right? Count our blessings! Move sure footed!
Yes, the rains will come to halt our progress, but they make us think
more. They make us think, 'Do we want our dreams to be short lived?' Of
course not! We want our dreams to stand proud and tall for years to
come like the grandeur of Rome. We need our castles in Venice to
withstand the tides and the rising damp.
Yes, we must have dreams but we must not beat ourselves (he he and others) up when we have a deluge of inclement weather.
When
the rain clears we will notice that indeed those 'Rainy days and
Mondays' will bring growth and a bounty that has vigorous and long
lasting wonder.
Now, I must go apologise to my partner and my friends,
Cheers!
Bitchescoz
Contact: luke65mcbride@gmail.com
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| My Castle in Venice |
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Today I was catching up on my Facebook and watched a video sent by
a friend. This video has gone viral - well in our little Facebook world it's
viral. I watched this quite large dude dancing in a competition and
immediately thought 'What the???' Then you get into it and see this
dude is really great. He is doing something he cares for and has great
passion for. - a real 'feel good moment' and immediately your finger
starts hovering over the 'like' and 'share' symbols.
At
this time you think to yourself - yeah! This guy is out there achieving his dreams! He
is not sitting back watching the kettle boil. This guy is steaming
himself! He is not going to sit back and make his wish list, of
what he could have done, longer than his list of dreams fulfilled. As
the late and great Maya Angelou wrote 'Nothing can dim the light which
shines from within!' This guy shines. This guy makes you believe that
you can achieve, no matter what. You have to believe in yourself and
make it happen.
Yes, it is all well and
good to watch the kettle boil and dream of the nice warm cuppa. But, be
careful - it may boil dry in front of your very eyes. While waiting get
your ingredients prepared. Add a spoon full of passion, a teaspoon of
love and a few grains of determination to your blend. While your
mixing, ring a few friends and invite them over to share your bounty.
Together you may very well share common ground and encourage others to
develop a blend that inspires, teases, and tempts them to achieve dreams. Dreams
they may previously regretted not brewing!
At
this moment I think to myself, don't just sit here with your finger
hovering over the 'like' symbol. Achieve some dreams I have of my own.
Listen to some others and encourage them to get their bucket list
active. Listen to my partner, help him achieve more dreams. (God knows I
could learn heaps from what he has achieved, being deaf and overcoming a
disability, to inspire others)
So
join with me, back away from the desk and get out there follow your
dreams, encourage others to achieve despite disability, fear of
discrimination and barriers.
Learn to love yourself a little. Help others to love themselves.
Cheers
Bitchesco
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