Warm and cozy
My little cottage in the woods is very cozy and festive with a tall, beautifully decorated tree, a fire crackling in the fire place, listening to some great music and drinking hot cocoa.
Believe me when I say that each of us privileged to have these modest comforts are fortunate indeed. I'm not just speaking the plight of the homeless everywhere this winter, but of those who have been displaced by storms across the US, Canada and other nations.
More than a million people in the Seattle region lost electricity for a minimum of several hours during a fierce wind and rain storm - there are still areas left without electricity for more than 10 days, leaving thousands seeking shelter.
It seems that local agencies have not been ready for either this or an earlier storm that stranded thousands here - including me - because the roads iced up almost immediately on a Monday afternoon. They have plenty of excuses for not meeting the challenge of either situation, both of which claimed lives.
This is not to detract from the front line and first responder heros out there still putting their own lives at risk putting the roads, electrical, telephone and other systems back together again!
We hot cocoa drinkers decided the world would be a better place if we, as individuals and organizations:
1. eliminate excuses from our stock behavioral repertoire. Um, then we figured out that the only way to do that is not to do things that require an excuse!
2. plan for disasters - personal and natural!
3. insist on what we want or need instead of beating around the bush or playing games (political or relationship) - or honestly say what we *don't* want and not get wanky about simply telling the truth.
4. take stock of our own behavior before pointing fingers and blaming others for problems we actually bring on ourselves.
These are the greatest gifts we can give those we know, live with, work with, love and care about.
Agreed?
Agreed.
Mmmmm. Christmas tree. Hot cocoa. Warm fire. Vacation.
Believe me when I say that each of us privileged to have these modest comforts are fortunate indeed. I'm not just speaking the plight of the homeless everywhere this winter, but of those who have been displaced by storms across the US, Canada and other nations.
More than a million people in the Seattle region lost electricity for a minimum of several hours during a fierce wind and rain storm - there are still areas left without electricity for more than 10 days, leaving thousands seeking shelter.
It seems that local agencies have not been ready for either this or an earlier storm that stranded thousands here - including me - because the roads iced up almost immediately on a Monday afternoon. They have plenty of excuses for not meeting the challenge of either situation, both of which claimed lives.
This is not to detract from the front line and first responder heros out there still putting their own lives at risk putting the roads, electrical, telephone and other systems back together again!
We hot cocoa drinkers decided the world would be a better place if we, as individuals and organizations:
1. eliminate excuses from our stock behavioral repertoire. Um, then we figured out that the only way to do that is not to do things that require an excuse!
2. plan for disasters - personal and natural!
3. insist on what we want or need instead of beating around the bush or playing games (political or relationship) - or honestly say what we *don't* want and not get wanky about simply telling the truth.
4. take stock of our own behavior before pointing fingers and blaming others for problems we actually bring on ourselves.
These are the greatest gifts we can give those we know, live with, work with, love and care about.
Agreed?
Agreed.
Mmmmm. Christmas tree. Hot cocoa. Warm fire. Vacation.
posted by cp @ 11:58 AM
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