The Better Part of Wisdom

Posted on March 31, 2020 by Lynn McLean

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Smile of the day: In case you’ve lost track, today is March 91st. 

30 days ago, March came in like a lamb here in Michigan. I don’t recall the specific high temp that day, but we didn’t have to deal with icy roads and no one used the word “snowmageddon” – so that’s enough of a lamb for these parts. I told Mike, that day, to be ready. When March comes in like a lamb it often goes out like the proverbial lion. I’ve seen that enough times to know it can happen. Late March, and even April, are the times of year that Michigan loves to scoff at spring and prove that the calendar doesn’t know what it’s talking about. 

And here we are, waving goodbye to March in the grips of a pandemic. We check “the counts” a couple of times a day. They’re worse every time, especially in our county just now. We watch the task force briefings and I celebrate a little each day that really smart people – Drs. Fauci, Birx, and Adams – have commanded the attention of America. We get a daily refresher course on immunology, on data driven decision making, and on statistical modeling.

Always kind of a geeky sort of girl, I like that stuff. 

30 days from now, I don’t know exactly where we’ll be with all this. Still indoors, yes. Still washing our hands. That’s for sure. But those statistical models tell us that even at the best of circumstances there will be some heartache facing us in the next 30 days. Dr. Birx talked today about “the stark realities.” I admit, it can be scary.

I’m not one to be motivated by fear. I’m not one to worry. Early in life I learned the difference between worry and concern, and that I was better off to spend a little energy on a prayer every now and then instead of spending that energy on worry.  

This weekend, Mike and I spent some time sharing concerns, some time praying, and some time listening to doctors. We made a decision that was a tough one: For now, we are stepping back from our work at our church’s local food bank. 

Mike has done everything imaginable in that building, fueled by knowledge gained from a lifetime in the food industry – inventory and food handling and checking the freezers and lots more. He learned to drive a big truck to deliver food halfway across Michigan, and south into Ohio, and sees the faces of those who show up early for a load of groceries. He heard a story, one cold Wednesday, from a woman who had gotten confused about her delivery date and came up short. She’d tried to sell plasma to get a little extra money; they only allow plasma donation twice a week so that didn’t work out either.  

As for me, I spend fewer hours volunteering every week than Mike does, but I handle every single request coming in to the office. The computer system is slow, churning along even at 7 in the morning. I get impatient. But then I catch myself. I think of the moms on the receiving end of those requests. (It’s always the moms I think about.) I think of the pure luxury they will feel, making choices about what to serve for dinner on Friday night – maybe a big pot of spaghetti with a side of applesauce, or breakfast for dinner complete with French toast and sausage. 

And every so often, I spot a request that includes a cake mix. Maybe it’s just my imagination but I always think, “Someone is going to be able to have a birthday cake.” To step away from this work – the work of helping someone have a birthday cake – is very hard for me. 

Here’s the truth. Mike and I are both in a risk category. We’re both “a certain age.” Growing up, Mike had bout after bout of pneumonia and landed in Oaknoll Naval hospital, having part of his left lung  removed. None of that bodes well for hanging out in groups of people right now. Not even smallish groups of kind, caring people.

It’s an odd situation, this pandemic. We want to serve others, but the better part of wisdom says not to. We will try to be wise even when it’s hard, and want you to try too. This next couple of weeks could be a pretty rough ride. 

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The Stay Home Order

Posted on March 24, 2020 by Lynn McLean

Sarah had her last prenatal check up yesterday; from here on, it’s all virtual visits until she delivers. She went into the appointment fully masked and geared up in PPE (a couple of weeks ago none of us knew what that even was). She didn’t touch anything. She likes the hospital (Swedish in Issaquah, WA) and sent me a picture on her first visit there. It looks like a mall. She even appreciated the layout of the parking lot.

It’s all good, they say. But hospital restrictions are tight in Seattle so Tyler will be able to enter the hospital one time, when she goes in to give birth, and leave one time. No running home because they forgot something , no visits from the other kids to meet their new sister, none of that.

I talked to Delta Airlines this morning, and put my ticket to Seattle on hold. I waited till the last possible minute, maybe thinking something would change. Originally, I’d been sure to get a changeable ticket in case I had to go earlier. Last week, we had that difficult conversation and decided I shouldn’t go at all.

It is too dangerous to be in Seattle.
I could get sick.
I could land in the hospital.
Flights could be cancelled once I got there.
I could carry some variety of virus into their house, even though I’ve been careful and pretty much home for weeks (a broken foot will do that to you, and anticipating travel, not wanting exposure to ANYTHING.)

And it makes sense.

The kids are ok for a day at home if need be.
There are friends on call to help care for them.
Tyler is working from home – mandatory at least for the month of March.
He can take parental leave.
There can’t be any hospital visits anyway.
Activities are stripped down to bare minimum, so the plan to shuttle kids around would have changed. (Skype music and voice lessons continue. And I think Ava has maintained some level of interaction with horses.)
Homeschool basics are in place.

My foot is still healing so I’d have to travel with a boot.
I’d have to navigate 3 big airports in a wheelchair because I couldn’t hustle to the gates fast enough, especially at the quick connection in Minneapolis.
I’d have to check baggage. I never check baggage. It adds a level of complexity I hate. I’m a simple traveler.

It makes sense. But right now all the “making sense” doesn’t make me feel one ounce better about this whole business. Today, it’s all very hard.

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You Never Know What’s In Those Woods

Posted on September 23, 2016 by Lynn McLean

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My cousin Billy was my classmate in Kindergarten. It must have been a relief to my mom; unlike the other Kindergarten moms she balanced a job with raising her family. And so it was arranged that Mom would drop me off each day and I would spend my mornings playing at Billy’s house. At noon or so, after a lunch of bologna sandwiches and milk, we waited by the mailbox and boarded the school bus together.

But when Billy stayed home sick one day, I headed toward the mailbox alone. My cousins lived on a dirt road, their house remote and surrounded by acres of thick Michigan woods. Leaves crunched underfoot on the late fall day, and I steered around low spots that always stayed a little muddy on the long driveway.

I had almost made it to the mailbox when I saw it. From the left, a massasauga rattler slithered out of the thick weeds. I froze in place as it crossed in front of me, not three feet from my brown oxfords. Even at age five, I knew it was a rattlesnake by the distinctive shakers on its tail and I knew that a rattler was fierce. In that moment, I weighed my options: Turn, and run back toward the house, or stay put until the rattler reached its destination on the north side of the driveway. If I ran to the house, the snake would be long gone by the time Billy’s mom got out here to look, and what could she do anyway? On top of that she had a new baby to tend and I’d likely miss the bus, causing all sorts of complications. The only other choice was to hold my breath until danger passed, then continue toward the mailbox. Then, I reasoned, I could get on the bus and move on with the day as if nothing had happened.

Which is exactly what I did. I took my assigned seat on the bus, hung my quilted winter jacket in the Kindergarten coat room, and never mentioned the rattlesnake at all.

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The Imposter in Me

Posted on September 21, 2016 by Lynn McLean

Imposter Syndrome is, in fact, a thing. The term was first used in 1978, and refers to “high achieving individuals marked by an inability to internalize their accomplishments and a persistent fear of being exposed as a fraud.”

Huh?

Well, the truth is that I’ve felt a bit imposter-ish lately. Not because I’m unable to internalize my accomplishments, but instead because I haven’t followed through very well in areas of my life that, on any given day, I’d say are important to me. Does that make me a fraud? Probably not in the truest sense of the word. But it does make me inconsistent, and it does mean I haven’t accomplished things I want to, and I’ve decided to come clean.

Right here, right now. Cards on the table and all that.

First off, let’s talk about the physical side of life. I say that health and nutrition are important to me. If you’ve known me for a while, you know that I lost a lot of weight about 7 or 8 years ago. No small feat. And while I haven’t fallen completely off the rails when it comes to nutrition and food choices, I have to confess that I’ve chosen ice cream more than once in recent months, along with popcorn, Diet Pepsi (hey, no aspartame at least!), and an occasional oatmeal cookie or Twizzler. Not exactly health food. And what about exercise? Well, a certain inertia has set in. Remember that from high school physics class? An object at rest tends to remain at rest….oh yeah. I got that happening over here in a big way. Halloween’s coming and I could pass for Jabba The Hut.

I’m a writer, and to prove it I’m participating in a Master Class with my favorite author and teacher in a couple of months. But instead of writing like a mad woman the last few weeks to prepare, I’ve embraced distraction in all its forms. Podcasts about writing? I listen every single day. Maybe I’ll register for an online course. Maybe I’ll read five years or so of a friend’s blog, and wallow in admiration of her consistency. Maybe I’ll tweak up an old piece instead of starting something new. Maybe I’ll buy a handful of new notebooks. You get the picture. What have I actually written lately? Well, not a book.

Of course, I’m a reader. I never “learned” to read, I just started in when I was three. I love to read. Once my husband took me on a “reading vacation” and it was heavenly. But here again, my day to day life reveals all sorts of inconsistency. The pile of books on my nightstand is almost as tall as the nightstand itself….Cheryl Strayed and Marianne Williamson and EB White’s essays. A classic or two that merit another visit. A junky bestseller picked up at the used bookstore. I think some of them are dusty. Sigh.

So it’s time for a course correction. Right here, right now.

The inertia? Well, back in that same physics class Mr. Stocker taught us that F=ma, and from what I recall, that’s exactly the amount of force needed to get me out of the chair….ironically, the very same chair that will, most of the time, serve as my writing chair. I promise I’ll be careful of whiplash as I alternately get my butt IN the chair to write and get my butt OUT of the chair and in motion. I’m being realistic here – a good walk with the dog counts. Yoga class counts. We’re not talking CrossFit, we’re talking about just enough to close the loops on my Activity app every now and again. Thumbs up. Small steps.

Time to tackle the popcorn/twizzlers/diet pepsi thing too. Sitting right here to my left, I’ve got the Whole 30 book.I claim to be a “simple eater” so Whole 30 ought to fit me well. Friends have loved it, after they get over sugar or carbs or whatever the worst of it may be. Good heavens, people endure chemotherapy! Surely I can endure 30 days of wiser eating habits, right? Even on vacation, right? Right?

And here’s the deal when it comes to writing. Far too often, I’ve worked on “pieces” of writing that I hold onto until I can consider them “finished.” As a result, there are many, many pieces of unfinished writing floating around my computer files. Starting today, you’ll see some of those emerge from under the rocks. You’ll be privy to a little stream of consciousness and dailyness of life. Like it or not, words will hit the screen, and more often than not the words will hit here rather than on social media. (But you’ll see links there too.) The butt will be in the chair, and the head will be in the game, more than it’s been in a while. And who knows what consistency will bring.

The reading side gets some attention too. Last week I finished a novel. This week I’m finishing a memoir (a reread actually, but I’ll tell you about it in a few days when I’m done). Less TV, at least until the Gilmore Girls reunion rolls out in November and the new season of House of Cards hits Netflix in January. (And a little college football when I can, which isn’t all that often.) Real books get the nod over electronic books, but that’s just me and I’m not above electronic check-outs from the library. But I love the library, and I may just swing by one afternoon soon and tuck something under my arm.

Yikes, does this sound like New Year’s Resolutions? I don’t do resolutions, but it’s a course correction in a few areas that will pay off in the end. There’s not a word here about my unfinished knitting project from a year ago. There’s not a word here about….well, I’ll keep that to myself.

But when it comes to eating and moving and reading and writing, we’re back on the path and I hope you’re along for the ride. It’s going to be fun!

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Stars and Bars

Posted on June 26, 2015 by Lynn McLean
Confederate Flag flies at National Park site in Charleston, SC

Confederate Flag flies at National Park site in Charleston, SC

The issue of the Confederate flag has caught my eye over the last few days. I’m reminded of one wintery night several years back; we were in Vermont, driving west across the state on a 2 lane road. As we approached a stop sign just beyond Danville, you couldn’t miss it: a big farmhouse with no curtains at the windows, through which any passerby could see a huge Nazi flag covering one wall. It caught me by surprise – and I felt almost fearful that such a thing could exist in this place that always seems so civilized.

So I’ve done some reading about the Confederate flag, which never was the actual flag of the Confederate States of America. The Confederacy adopted 3 other flags during its short history, but none of these was the one we’re most familiar with.

I’ve wondered about the role of the flag in the “good old boy” South – that sort of down home brotherhood that seems to flourish around images of the General Lee, or (remember this?) Dueling Banjos. Today, it’s a popular symbol for rebellion, in one form or another:

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Or a fashion statement:

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Or maybe, even now, something a little closer to the original debate over states’ rights:

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Turns out that the cultural symbolism of the flag we know as the Stars and Bars is much more recent that the War Between the States.  Here’s a bit of what I found (excerpted and paraphrased from This Week magazine online, with my own commentary thrown in):

In 1948, Strom Thurmond’s States’ Rights Party adopted the Battle Flag of Northern Virginia as a symbol of defiance against the federal government. What prompted Thurmond’s defiance? President Truman attempted to enforce civil rights laws in the South, and the Democratic Party took a somewhat progressive platform on civil rights. Thurmond, if you don’t know, served in the Senate until age 100. He ran for President in ’48 on the State’s Rights Democratic Party ticket. (Read that again – State’s Rights Democratic Party) – 80 years after the Civil War ended. At the time, South Carolina was a one-party state so Thurmond had to create his own party. Later, he opposed the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

There’s more. Lots more. For example, the emergence of his African-American daughter, Essie Mae Washington Williams, after his death.

You can read up on Thurmond. I suggest that you do.

Georgia adopted its version of the flag design in 1956 to protest the Supreme Court’s ruling against segregated schools, in Brown v. Board of Education. This fact really amazed me – the flag became symbolic of “separate but equal” schools.My husband Mike went to jr. high school in Virginia in the 1960’s – where schools were indeed still separate despite the Brown ruling. He got a good look at inequality when he saw that the Black students on the city bus carried books that had been discarded from the school he attended. (And by the way, he was on a city bus because district transportation was not offered to Blacks….or US Navy dependents regardless of race.)

In 1961, George Wallace raised the flag over the legislature in Alabama, specifically to send a message opposing efforts to integrate the South and to remind Alabamans of the secession of the South exactly 100 years prior. George Wallace was one of the most hateful politicians in my lifetime – probably the most hateful, as I think about it. You may recall one of his more famous remarks, “Segregation now, segregation tomorrow, and segregation forever!” He also threatened to “stand in the schoolhouse door” to prevent Black students from entering White schools. And yes, he wanted to be president too, in 1968. So he used the Confederate flag to symbolize the voice for secession because of integration – 96 years after the Civil War ended.

The following year, the flag went up over the state capitol in South Carolina.

The flag came down in Alabama this week. It’s a little more complicated in South Carolina because legislation is required to remove it.

So is the Confederate flag part of America’s history? Well, the Confederacy is, and they did have flags. But the one we think of carries cultural significance in that it symbolizes…
Opposition to civil rights legislation,
to integration,
to social equality for black people.

It’s not about the “good old boy” south – and if you didn’t know, both of my parents were born and raised well south of the Mason Dixon line. Not about Vietnam or Obama or the damn Yankees or even Paula Deen. (Do we remember Paula? Oh, there might just be a little connect the dots moment happening right there…)

(Post Script: I make no claim that the Confederate flag as an object is responsible for all the the racism or violence in our country. I have deep concern about mental health, about education, and about what happens when guns fall into hands that should not have them. But the continued presence of this flag in the south has always baffled me, just a bit, and I’m glad it’s opening up conversation now.) 

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No, It’s Not Hemingway

Posted on June 17, 2015 by Lynn McLean

I’m not one who casually hits “share” on Facebook very often, but this one? It caught my attention. The source I picked up claimed this poem was by Ernest Hemingway, but I knew right off the bat that this wasn’t from the same pen than gave us “For Whom The Bell Tolls” or “The Old Man And The Sea.” Instead, it’s more likely by a woman named Erin Hansen, who often signs her poetry e.h. – and is, in fact, often mistaken for Hemingway because of those initials.

Not too surprisingly, the poem resonated with lots of women on my friends list.

It’s not my all time favorite. There are a few of those, and I’ll share sometime.

This one reminds me of a verse on one of those Blue Mountain cards, carefully crafted to tug the heart strings just a bit.

But in spite of all that, I give you Erin Hansen’s poem today, with a little running commentary, just from me.

You are not your age,

  • Maybe not, but Maya Angelou says that I’m every age I’ve ever been….including the one I’m at today. 

Nor the size of the clothes you wear,

  • A rather gloomy measure of self worth anyway, since clothing manufacturers use “vanity sizing” to convince us that we’re smaller than we really are….They say that today’s size 8 equates to a 1950’s size 16. 

You are not a weight,

  • Oh, this one’s tricky. Yes, I weigh myself every day. It’s an obsession. I know I’m not the number on the scale. I know that, really. But I have to see it. 

Or the color of your hair.

  • I swore I’d never go the hair color route. Then one day, my hairdresser Donna tipped me off that when your hair loses pigment, it also loses shine. As a little girl, I learned to count to 100 while brushing my long hair to make it shine. I’m not willing to compromise on shiny hair. I’ve spent way too much over the years maintaining that shiny hair. 

You are not your name,

  • A rose by any other name….but the truth is, if I had to choose a different name, I don’t know of one that would fit me any better. If nothing else, having an unusual name has made me curious about names in general. 

Or the dimples in your cheeks,

  • No comment!

You are all the books you read,

  • Your bookcases (yes, plural) tell others more about you than anything else in your home. When I visit someone with books, I always ask permission to look. It’s personal. It’s revealing. And often, it’s common ground. 

And all the words you speak,

  • All of them. My husband Mike says, “You can’t unring a bell.” And while I love the written word, spoken words carry like the peal of a bell. So the cultural acceptance of women calling women friends their “bitches” or Blacks using the “N” word as a sign of brotherhood and acceptance just doesn’t sit quite right. 

You are your croaky morning voice,

  • Not often. I don’t talk when I wake up, as you may have read in this entry. 

And the smiles you try to hide,

  • Why try to hide a smile? Just smile. If smiling doesn’t come easily, try this: push your tongue against the roof of your mouth, and you’ll always get a perfect smile. Daniel Pink says you can’t “fake” a smile – that your eyes will give you away. I don’t know if he’s tried the trick with his tongue. 

You are the sweetness in your laughter,

  • When I was seven, I got in trouble at school…for laughing too much.  I had to stand in the corner. Imagine that, by today’s standards: Disciplining a child because she’s entirely too happy!  I was in good company, though. My friend Jenni was punished for reading too much, and artist Mary Englebreit got in trouble for drawing. 

And every tear you’ve cried,

  • Yeah, a few. 

You’re the songs you sing so loudly when you know you’re all alone,

  • What are your “sing out loud” songs? And if it’s been a while, let me assure you that it’s time. Dance a little, too; it’s good for the soul. Nobody’s watching – it’s ok. 

You’re the places you’ve been to,

  • The places where you can say, “I’ve breathed the air in that spot.” And the places you’ve yet to go, as you drive a new stretch of road…

And the one that you call home,

  • “Home” is a topic all its own. The home we live in, the home we’re from, the home we create, the place we go home to. It’s the place that’s most familiar, the place we can breathe easy, the place we’d click our ruby slippers to get to. 

You’re the things that you believe in,

  • Sometimes I fear that we’re a little shaky on this part, as a society. We don’t have to all believe in the same things, and we certainly don’t have to agree on everything. But it is possible, this century, to go through life without much thought about what you believe in. Our days can easily fill with work and media and “stuff” – and introspection gets overlooked. Indeed, we’re the things we believe in, and I guess we owe it to ourselves to know what those things are. 

And the people that you love,

  • It all comes down to just a few things in life. And one of those things is the people that you love. It’s easy to say, “Family, of course, and friends,” but loving is complicated business. And maybe that’s what makes it so precious. 

You’re the photos in your bedroom,

  • We once listed our house for sale and set out to “stage” it for an open house.It was an interesting exercise as we turned our home into a “model” devoid of personal photos (and everything else, it seemed!) The house went from being “ours” to a stark – albeit near perfect – display. It could have belonged to anyone. 

And the future you dream of,

  • Do you dream of the future? Children do. But as we turn the corner and become grownups, do we allow our dreams to wither? Do we stop dreaming?  If someone asked you this very instant what your dreams were….what would you say?

You’re made of so much beauty,

  • Oh, what a loaded word: Beauty. Women strive to meet external standards of beauty, are judged by it, and sometimes nothing else matters. 

But it seems you forgot,
When you decided that you were defined…By all the things you’re not.

  • You decide…how you are defined. You decide….what’s real and important about you. You decide….

~e.h

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I Feel Lucky

Posted on June 16, 2015 by Lynn McLean

I wake up early most mornings, even on days I don’t have to.

Those early morning minutes are the quietest time of my day. I don’t talk to anyone for a while. I’ve always said, “My voice wakes up last.”

But the other day, I got up early, pulled on jeans and my leather jacket, and headed straight to the car. I beat rush hour traffic heading north to the airport. That morning, I was going to share the early hours with about 25 Veterans as they prepared to board an Honor Flight to Washington DC.

Volunteers shuttled through security with special TSA passes just for the event. At the gate we spotted them – about 25 men (and they were all men) decked out in red windbreakers and baseball caps that specified their branch of service and the wars in which they served. Our job? Chat the guys up a bit. Make some small talk. Hear their stories.

I zeroed in on the World War II vets. For guys in their 90’s, this crew was in great shape. They talked openly about their service – in Europe, the Pacific, Panama, India, Burma, and Africa – and their lives since.

One vet made a remark that has stayed with me. “I was young,” he said. “I turned 19 in North Africa. I was lucky. I’ve been lucky all along.”

Lucky.

A childhood friend of mine sometimes posts on Facebook about her deep desire for success and good luck. She’s a writer, and believes that a stroke of luck is just what she needs to put wheels under her  screenplay.

Mary Chapin Carpenter sang about luck when she “bought a pack of Camels, a burrito, and a Barqs.”

Ben Franklin weighed in with this: Diligence is the mother of good luck.

And I guess we all use the word, when it suits us. When I get a really good parking spot, like I did at the airport that early Thursday morning, I consider myself lucky. When the dress I was thinking about moved over to the sale rack, in my exact size, I considered it luck. I’ve never played the lottery much, but I guess winning might take a bit of luck too.

Mostly, though, I don’t put much stock in luck.

You can’t count on it, and I’m one to stick with the sure thing most of the time.

You can’t control it, and I really, truly, deeply like to be in control.  Of course I know that I don’t control all the outcomes in my little neck of the woods, but I’m big on that “cause and effect” thing. You put a lot in…you get a lot out. That type of thing.

I believe in work a whole lot more than I believe in luck. I call myself a writer, but the pen has been still and the keys have been silent for a little while. That’s okay, any writer will tell you. It takes some noodling around sometimes to queue up the next piece. But it’s time to put words on paper once again. And while every piece won’t be perfect – every essay won’t hit the pages of the NYTimes, every story won’t be in the America’s Great collection, every poem won’t be read by Garrison Keillor – the fact of doing the work is what makes a writer. Show up. Do the work. Words to paper. Or screen, as it were. And if you do the work, maybe you’ll get lucky.

Last week, my friend and writing teacher Joyce spent many hours in a hospital waiting room while her husband underwent a scary and complex surgery. The outcome was chancy, but they had done all they could do and it was time to let a crack surgical team have their shot. By the end of that very long day, she received news that things had gone as well as could be expected; they’d have to wait and see. In the moment of hearing that news, Joyce may have felt a little lucky. I know she felt exhaustion. Fear. All the rest. But Joyce felt something else, too; She wrote that she felt the blessings that came from prayers of friends all over the world.

And I’ll say this.

On any given day, If someone will say a prayer with our name on it….or think a good thought, light a candle, raise a hand, bow their head, shoot some karma, or whatever they wish to call it….we are lucky indeed.

Post Script: If you are not aware of Honor Flight and would like to learn more, or even volunteer to support Honor Flight in your community, check out their website: honorflight.org. 

Posted in Faith, Mindfulness, Service | 1 Comment

Painting Your Digital Portrait

Posted on August 1, 2014 by Lynn McLean

(The blog has been at rest for a while. I hate it when bloggers begin with big apologies that consume half of their content for the day. But it’s awakening – that need to write once again. And in the words of Forrest Gump author Winston Groom, that’s all I have to say about that.) 

Social Media Logotype Background

I spent a bit of the morning today piecing together the story of Natalie Munroe, the suburban Philadelphia teacher who was suspended from her job for writing profane and negative blog posts about her students. Later, Munroe was fired. After that, she filed suit against her school district. Yesterday, a US District Court Judge threw out the suit.

But this isn’t about Natalie Munroe (or Natalie M, the not-so-anonymous nom de plume she used on the infamous blog about her students,  or about what happened in the Central Bucks School District. You can look that up for yourself.

It’s about the self portrait that we paint every time we go online. Every tweet, every post, every “like” contributes a brushstroke to a picture of ourselves that…well, may not look quite the way we expect.

I’ve been thinking about this a while, and my musings were confirmed a few weeks ago. We had guests for dinner, and a 20-something talked about how he uses social media. “I use it all,” he commented while carving up the watermelon. “But everything I post has a very specific purpose – it’s very deliberate.” He told us that at job interviews, he assumes the HR folks already know a lot about him.

Because he’s painted a portrait that is out there for all to see.

Now, I’m the first to admit that I “like” Facebook more than the average person. And after years of spending (too much) time there, I’ve developed my own set of “do’s and don’ts” and my own set of pet peeves. I wonder, sometimes, if a few of the folks that show up on my news feed ever, ever look back at their own timelines and ask, “What am I saying about myself here? What picture am I painting?”

So indulge me, please, as I offer up my own set of suggestions to hone our digital portraits…the obvious ones first.

We’ll start with pictures. They’re worth a thousand words.

  • No pics of sex toys. Your own or anyone else’s. Or your naked or nearly naked friends. Or self. Ever. (Kids learn this in high school these days. Grown ups, take heed.)
  • Cleavage shots? Well, they may make you look well endowed. Just showing off your best feature, right?  Or they may make you look overweight. You decide. But…if every shot is a cleavage shot, there’s some serious self esteem stuff going on. Who knew?
  • If more than half of your photos involve adult beverages or bongs, you just may have a problem. Seriously, we know you’re a grownup. We know what a margarita looks like. Ditto jello shots, brewskis, fifths, and flasks. You don’t have to show us. (But if you indulge, please spare us your ramblings after you’ve downed a few. We can tell, you know. You’ll use the word “amazing” way too much and your sentences won’t make any more sense than they would if we were sitting at your table.  Except they aren’t funny once they hit the screen.)
  • Similarly, if more than half of your photos involve cats, you just may qualify as a “crazy cat lady.” Cray cray. Over the top. We won’t eat cupcakes from your kitchen, thanks.
  • If a whole lot of your pictures lately are selfies, you just might come off as a little self absorbed. If those selfies include even a few duck faces, a “Miley Cyrus tongue out” pose, or mouth-wide-open-as-if-on-a-roller-coaster, you can be assured that nobody wants to see any more of those. Even if you’re Miley Cyrus. It’s sad and old and if you are older than 12, kind of humiliating.
  • If lots of your photos are of food, it’s also a sign. Not that you’re obsessed with food, but that you may be a very bad cook indeed. We know what meatloaf looks like. Ditto stroganoff, zucchini bread, and a Whopper at the BK. Save the food pics for ceviche at a five-star place in Miami, or a steak on the grill that is truly picture perfect.

Now,  a word about that pesky “relationship status” thing: If you’re in a relationship with someone, check out THEIR online presence. Will your friends (or future employers or babysitter) click twice only to discover their pic on mugshots.com? If so, just keep the relationship to yourself. It’s complicated.

Sometimes, my friends, too much means….too little! Go to your timeline or your Twitter home page. Scroll back. Jumping on with 20 posts a day? I’m sorry if this sounds judgey, but you need to get a real job. Or a real life. If those 20 posts a day are nothing more than shared memes, buzz feed quizzes, or “You’ve got to see this! It’s sooooo funny!” videos, you might as well be posting duck face selfies. (Told you it was judgey. Sorry.)

Other times, too much is simply too much. “I love you and last night will live in my heart forever!” is a personal message. That is, one that should be spoken out loud to a real person. Not posted or tweeted or whatever.  Flip side: Sometimes “just the facts” are TMI. From the trivial (your grocery list) to the personal (the fact that you’re in therapy, or taking a whole lot of medication or have no money or PMS-ing) – sometimes it’s too much information. Tell your family. Tell your therapist. Tell a handful of close friends. But don’t put it on your wall. It’s like…writing it on the wall.

And when the wall meets the workplace…you could be in for trouble. Not long ago, an ER nurse was fired for posting pics of patients on a very crowded shift. Bad judgement, much like Natalie Munroe. Some corporations have strict policies on photography inside their facilities. Violate those, and you’re toast. But it’s not exactly subtle to jump online during work hours and pop out a tweet that says, “No one respects me! I’m outta here!” or “I hate this place!” or “These people are idiots!”

Looking for a new job? Boss on your friends list? Keep it to yourself.

Ditto anything at all if you’ve taken a sick day from work. Co-workers who had to cover for you really don’t want to see the online evidence that you really did your Christmas shopping that day. They don’t want to see your footprints on the beach. But if you’re really sick, what about the pics of used tissues and cold medicine, shots of you entering the door at Urgent Care, or holding the thermometer? If you’re that sick, just take a good nap. You’ll feel better.

And overall, you’ll have a digital portrait that leaves a better taste in your mouth. Because you’ve used your social media with a modicum of good taste.

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Guest Post: Acceptance: Living With Grace

Posted on January 2, 2014 by Lynn McLean

It is my pleasure to share this wise piece by Cleo Conrad McKernan, who I named as of the inspirations for yesterday’s blog “Here Comes Another One.” Cleo reflects on acceptance, peace, and living with grace even in times of adversity. 

 

I have always felt that the greatest gift I’ve been given is the gift of acceptance. To be able to truly accept and work within your reality is both peaceful and empowering.

The ability to accept what is allows us to function with grace despite what others may see as disappointments and problems.

This is good.

And so I wish to talk about this “acceptance” thing – this ability and willingness (even eagerness) to forsake pipe dreams and unrealistic hopes in favor of creating a peaceful and secure knowledge that we did our best. We did it right.

When my daughter was diagnosed with Stage IV melanoma I never once wailed at the heavens. It did not occur to me to say, “Why Megan? Why her?” From the first moment, I accepted that it was, and that the why didn’t matter. More importantly, I accepted that there was no “why”, no reason I would ever be given.

This was real, this was happening, this was what was going down. No amount of wishing, dreaming or questioning was going to change things, make the cancer dissipate, or take me back to the previous month, when all was right with the world.

I accepted.

Moreover, from that first moment I was given a great gift of knowledge. Where this knowledge came from, I do not know. I did know, however, that this really wasn’t about me. My pain, and my sorrow, were secondary or tertiary – if even that. This knowledge gave me the ability to take it outside of myself, and to do the things, say the things, live the things that needed to be done, said, and lived.

I never sobbed, although I cried often, and still do. My tears were always the kind that slide softly down and clog the voice. The kind that sneak up and grab you unaware, and I have always allowed them, but never felt the desire to show them off, or wear them like a badge. Sadness and sorrow are okay. They are legitimate and real emotions and feelings to be felt and (once again) accepted. It is not necessary or even good to battle them. I remember hearing my daughter say to her own children “feelings are never wrong”. I believe that.

The point is this: For this new year, allow yourselves to accept what is, give up losing battles and save your energy to do what you are able to create warmth and serenity around you.

Allow yourselves and others to feel sad, if that comes your way. It is alright. You are under no obligation to have perennial joy.

Remember that most of what troubles you is not, in fact, about you. You are only there as an instrument of aid and comfort, and as an observer. You cannot change things that are not about you in the first place, now, can you? So do what you can to empower the primary person affected, and to pass the acceptance along.

Learn to live without regret. Regret is useless, except as a learning tool. Regret weighs us down. We cannot change what was. I do not regret that my daughter died. No, I don’t. It happened. I cannot change that. I am sad, I mourn and feel grief, but I do not regret. She died. But she lived first, and I am happy for that. I feel joy in having known her.

I accept now that I will always have a well of sorrow. I will always miss her, and that’s okay too. It is my lot. Fighting it would not honor either myself or my little girl.

I accept, and this year I will “keep on keeping on”…and do whatever needs to be done, take my pleasures where they come, and work within the reality that is my life.

Posted in Faith, Learning, Mindfulness, Parents and children, Spirituality, Transitions | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Here Comes Another One

Posted on January 1, 2014 by Lynn McLean

I admit it, New Year’s is not my favorite holiday. Football and resolution making just don’t hold my attention I guess. They pale in comparison to 4th of July fireworks, Thanksgiving dinner, and trimming the Christmas tree.

By January 1, I’ve had enough holiday food. A bowl of black bean soup sounds great.

But many friends do, indeed, celebrate the New Year. Facebook proves it. You’re celebrating this year in Miami and New York City, at the K of C Hall up the road, and at the Rose Bowl.

You’re making those resolutions again this year; you’re not smoking, saving some money, getting new jobs, going gluten free.

You’re toasting at midnight, and nibbling on bacon-wrapped dates. You’re wearing party hats and plastic tiaras.

Wherever we are, we’re wishing each other well on this New Year’s Day. We wish one another health. Happiness. Joy. Prosperity. Good luck. Peace. Hope.

But my childhood friend Cleo put it differently. She said, looking back on a particularly rough time in 2013, “Okay old girl, here comes another one to get through. I guess I’ll just keep on keeping on.”

And some of us will just keep on. A. will show up for chemo, still in shock that it is really lymphoma.  L.  will take her little girl to fancy hospitals for endless needle sticks and complicated genetic tests.  E. will hold on to whatever shreds of her marriage she can. S. will cry for the baby that died. C. will try once again to make ends meet. R. will keep looking for a place to live. M. will mourn for the dreams that, she believes, will never come true.

The sun will rise tomorrow, and “the holidays” will officially be over. Winter stretches before us, a long road, with some slush piled up along the sides.  Real life is waiting.

And even though I wish you health and happiness and all the rest, the real meat and potatoes of the New Year gets served up when the wishes don’t come true.

So let me rephrase those wishes just a bit.

When you are sick, I wish you a hand to hold and a hopeful heart.When you are hurting, I wish you a compassionate friend who will come and sit by your side.When you are cold, I wish you a safe place to call home.When disappointments mount, I wish you the gift of gratitude and the ability to county your blessings. When money is tight, I wish you the satisfaction of honorable work. When the noise of the world deafens, I wish you a calm and quiet heart.

Blogger Alyssa Cherry put it this way: I hope your year is filled with soft pjs and best friends in yellow kitchens and banana pancakes and loved ones who feed the chickens while you pretend to sleep in.

Here comes another one. Keeping on is a great resolution. Let’s get through it together, okay?

Posted in Faith, Holidays, Mindfulness | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments