A little heart to heart

Hello my little huckleberries! I know it's been a while and thank you for all the email and comments left wondering about my lack of posting. Seems that sometimes life gets in the way of blogging. I have been busy with family stuff, house stuff, and visiting friends stuff. I also have been busy working on my naked happy dance because you know... practice makes perfect.

Hearts over at "Guilty with an explanation" sent me a meme over a week ago and although I swore to get right on it, I am just getting to it now. Heart's blog is among my favorites. She is smart, witty and insightful. Now to the meme before I get distracted. It's an interview, 5 questions kind. (Heart's questions and my answers.)

1) I would like to know all the reasons you moved to Puerto Rico, besides the incredible staggering beauty of the place. This property was purchased close to 10 years ago as an investment, a possible retirement getaway and for sentimental reasons. This is where my dad grew up, in fact he went to grade school just down the road. About 3 years ago I came here on vacation for what was suppose to be a 2 week stay and stayed for a month. Shortly there after I came back to deal with a family crisis and I have been here ever since. In the process of being the fabulous problem solver/care giver that I am, I rediscovered my roots. (not that I had ever left them behind, just that my focus was different.) I found that my culture, and my island held my history and perhaps my future. The activism and beliefs my parents instilled in me, came to flourish here. I am here, choosing to speak for those who can't, taking care of those who need a helping hand, and living a much more selfless life. Of course, why I am here is much more convoluted and complicated than I am stating but the bottom line is that I love my homeland and had always planed on returning. Fate just had a way of getting me here sooner than I had anticipated.

2) If you could meet one famous person from any era, who would it be, and what would you want to ask him or her? I'd would like to meet Albert Einstein. I'd want to ask him how he managed to use his genius for good not evil and still have the courage to be himself. How does one stay true to himself and yet cope with the ideals and expectations of the planet? (that may be 2 questions but so) Yes, Albert Einstein because I admire those who were told they couldn't but did.

3) If you were assured the wildest success in any career of your choice, what would it be? I'd have to say it would be in the only career I enjoyed (and was damn good in, she said modestly), the field of psychology. The success would be to understand human behavior enough to alter it in a way that would allow for more happiness. The ability to teach the skills needed so that everyone gets an equal chance at living the best life they can. Since it's my "wildest success" to help conquer mental illness, now that would be wild.

4) If you were given 10 million dollars, free and clear, how would you spend it? I'd spend 5 million making my family and friends a little more comfortable and 5 million I would give to charity. The charities would be : Susan G komen foundation, Heifer International, Kiva, and the International Aids Alliance.

5) What quality of character do you most want to be remembered for by your loved ones? Sincerity.


Interview rules:
1) If you would like to be interviewed leave me a comment saying "interview me".
2) I will respond by emailing you 5 questions, I get to pick the questions.
3) Update your blog with a post containing the answers.
4) Include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5) When others comment asking to be interviewed, you ask them 5 questions.

There you have it, I'm back, meme style.

An old man and my Karma

I had an appointment yesterday at 8:30 A.M. in Rio Piedras. It's about a 45 minute drive from my house. I left early allowing enough time for commuter traffic delays, a cup of coffee and my obsessive need to be early. There were no traffic delays, I had an hour to park, have coffee and still make my appointment, getting there early, of course.

Parking is in a building garage, a good thing since in this heat, shade is always nice. The garage was full but there are no other parking options at this place and I had plenty of time, so I decided to just drive around the garage until a spot became available. 35 minutes later (now normally after 15 minutes, I would be swearing and screaming all sorts of evilness but since I am on a beauty kick, I was calm, secure in the knowledge that I had plenty of time.) I spotted a man exiting the elevator, I sped up, opened my window, asked if he was leaving ... "yes", he says, and motions for me to follow him. He was parked just a few spaces away from the elevator. What joy, how lucky am I, right near the elevator.

There is a long line of cars behind me, I proudly turn on my blinker, smugly letting everyone behind me know I got a spot. As I glance in my rear view mirror, I see a car (2 cars behind me) start to pull out of the pack. I think "man, is that guy impatient". He starts to pull up beside me and of course I think he is about to pass me because he can't wait for the one guy to pull out of the parking spot so I can pull in.

As the first guy pulls out of the parking spot, the car next to me pulls in. For a moment I viewed life in slow motion... he didn't just steal my parking spot, no, he couldn't have, yes, damn it, yes, he fucking just stole my spot! I honk my horn ( a lot), I open my window and try to get his attention ... nada ... he ignores me.

I get out of my car and walk right up to his car, now parked in "my" spot. There sits an old man, who I swear must have been 80 years old! He looks up at me and says "what do you want?". The following conversation ensues:

Me: you just stole my parking spot.

Old man: I didn't see you.
Me: I was right there next to you, the first car with the blinker on waiting for this spot.
Old man: but I'm old.
Me: yeah and your point is what? you stole my spot.
Old man: don't you respect your elders?
Me: with all due respect sir, you obviously showed little respect when you stole my spot.
Old man: but I'm old.
Me: I want my spot.
Old man: what do you want me to do?, I have an appointment.
Me: I have an appointment too, I drove around for 35 minutes waiting for a spot and you stole it, and I want it back, so I want you to leave so I can park.
Old man: I'm old and you are being a bully.
Me: you aren't so old that you didn't know you were stealing my spot.
Old man: I didn't see you, sometimes I don't notice things, I'm old.
Me: you shouldn't be driving if you don't notice things but that's a personal problem, now get out of my spot!.
Old man: Are you going to make an old man keep driving around and miss his appointment? That's just rude and disrespectful.
Me: Stop playing the "old man card". I understand you have things to do, but so do I, now get out of my parking space. I'll wait here all day if I have to.

With the saddest eyes this old man could muster, he reluctantly gives in. He pulls away, I drive into the parking spot, 10 minuets to get to my appointment.

The rest of the day, I am left pondering what effects todays event will have on my karma. Yes, my little huckleberries, today I bullied an old man with big sad eyes out of a parking spot. Now obviously, I feel bad (I'm still thinking about) but seriously, is old age an excuse for not doing the right thing? Should he get away with bad manners because of age? Should I learn to be more respectful of the elderly? Did I open the door to a ton of bad karma?

Beautiful

Some times I feel the need to find beauty. I understand that "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" and for the moment I am the "beholder". Beauty gives me reason to pause and enjoy the sensory pleasure, be it sight, sound, or taste. Beauty encompasses many things for me, it goes beyond the basic physical thing. Not that I don't find the physical to be sweet, we all look, we all swoon, and we all fantasize. Physical beauty isn't one I pause for too often, but when I do, damn, it's a thrill.

Natures beauty is a great high for me. The above banner is a picture I took one morning while having coffee on the balcony. Sunrise, it was almost magical. Nature is amazing. Sometimes I get so tied up with the things that keep me busy that I almost lose sight of the fact that I live on a gorgeouse tropical island, where finding beauty means just looking outside. Don't we all get so busy sometimes we forget to look around, take in our surroundings and feel grateful?

Tasteful beauty, there is nothing like the food of this island. Seeing all the fruits and veggies grow, is pretty groovy. The beauty starts at the plant and ends with something delicious to eat. The bakeries here provide sweets, breads, and sandwiches that make you forget the calories and just refuse to step on the scale for a month.

Shoes, talk about beauty. I just bought a pair of flip flops that are fabulous. (I know, I read the news, flip flops are bad for my feet but so what). I paid $3.99 for them, on sale, 75% off, beautiful! Shoes of any kind, damn beautiful.

Friends and family, beautiful. (most sometimes) I am blessed with incredible friends. Friends that love me unconditionally. As for family, it amazes me that for a group as large as we are, most of us are on speaking terms, haven't ordered a "hit" (recently) and share many laughs.

Music is beautiful. It doesn't matter what mood I'm in or how frazzled I get, music does indeed make life better. (except for reggaeton, that never makes anything better). Certain sounds are beautiful, like laughter, and sweet whisperings. One of my favorites is the coqui's after a heavy rain.

Love is a beautiful thing. Finding the time to pause and admire the love we sometimes take for granted, not an easy task but so worth it. Isn't it sad that sometimes we recall the beauty of love when it's too late ? Love, savor it, bask in it, roll around in it, before it's too late.

I have spent a lot of time recently finding beauty, re-discovering it, and reminding myself of it's existence. I had forgotten that beauty was right here, always surrounding me, waiting patiently to be noticed. We should all make an attempt to stop ignoring beauty. It's not that difficult to find. Perhaps the planet would be a sweeter place if we were to embrace more beauty. Beauty in the simple things, a smile, a warm embrace, a silly conversation, a good cup of coffee with a decadent dessert, or even a great pair of flip flops.

Share the beauty, where do you find it, what's beautiful to you? I need to know.