Tag Archives: Hawaii

“Hello, I Love You—Let Me Jump in Your Game”

What am I talking about?
 

Well, it all started when my two sons bought their first cell phones. Boy, oh boy, were they growing up fast. Too fast, in my estimation. And the last thing they wanted to do was talk to their mother on the phone. So, totally not cool, if ya know what I mean.
 

Yet, as a Mom, I worked hard to be involved in their lives. I had no girls by the way. So I learned early on, to talk in their language. I learned about cars. I watched B-ball and Football with them. I watched their movies, fixed their favorite foods and danced to their music. Oh, and I also listened to them talk about all the cute girls. 🙂
 

We held parties at our house and invited all of their friends. There were trips to Hawaii to surf and ski trips to Mammoth and Vail. And one time my hubby and I even chaperoned an overnight excursion to Vegas with their friends so they could all see their favorite musician. Then, afterwards, we took them to New York, New York so that we could all ride the Roller Coaster at midnight together. Yes, we went on the ride. And yes, we tried to be were cool parents!
 

Yet, I think the most important thing that we did as parents, was the amount of time we invested into listening while they talked. Sometimes these sessions went into the wee hours of the night. Okay, so yes, I was also a touchy, feely kind of Mom. Still am—hugs being my specialty. But, somehow I knew, as time passed by, that I needed to look for a wireless connection.
 

So I learned a new language. The text message. Yep! And this little method worked! It gave them the independence and dignity they needed without the intrusion. It was a wonderful way of keeping the bond without stepping over a boundary.
 

Yet, even though my sons have since moved on with their own lives, I have to wonder sometimes. What has happened since then? What I mean is…Okay, I finally broke down and bought a new cell phone. Well, to be more specific, a smartphone. And with all of the new technology, I want to jump in the game…but what is up with the new etiquette?
 

Or should I say, the lack of etiquette?
 

The New York Times had an interesting article last week about this very subject. Nick Bilton wrote a piece called, “Digital Era Redefining Etiquette” and I thought I’d share some of the highlights with you.
 

Mr. Bilton makes this point, “Some people are rude. Really, who sends an email or text message that just says, Thank You?”
 

Well then, what about voice mail? It was discovered that most people would much rather send a text, than a long-winded message. That way, you don’t have to declare who you are or even say, “Hello”.
 

Uh…Okay.
 

So what about email? Apparently, this method also leaves something to be desired. When is the last time you received an email with the words “Hi” or “Bye” or “Sincerely”? They found the worst offenders are those who leave a voice-mail and then send an email to tell you they left a voice-message.
 

He, he, he. Hello, we got the message! 🙂
 

Then, Mr. Bilton learned a lesson. His father had left him a dozen voice messages, none of which he listened to. Uh-oh! Exasperated, his father called his sister to complain. What was the sister’s response? “Dad, why are you leaving him voice mails? No one listens to voice mail anymore. Just text him.” And now, he communicates with his mother, mostly through Twitter.
 

Iy, yi, yi? Really? I’m not so sure if I even want to jump in this game! Lol!
 

All this confusion over communication etiquette got its start way back in the 1870’s when Alexander Graham Bell invented the Telephone. People didn’t know how to greet a caller. Some suggested using the word “Ahoy”. Then others proposed the phrase, “What is wanted?”, until the accepted greeting “Hello” won out and is still often used when face-to-face.
 

Isn’t it crazy how communication has evolved so much given our lack of spare time? No doubt the culprit “technology” has played a huge part in this quandary. Yet, I have to ask, aren’t manners still worth the effort? Because as Dr. Mark D. Roberts of San Antonio, Texas mentions “If you get used to not saying ‘thank you’ electronically, won’t that spill over into your embodied life?”
 

Hmm, that’s a very good point Mr. Roberts. Scary actually. Although, I for one still want to believe that politeness still lives on in people’s hearts and minds. I think we just get a little side-tracked from time to time and need a friendly reminder. Granted, there are a lot of tech tools available for us to learn and use. Yet, sometimes we all yearn for a bit more of the human touch.
 

You know, as in, “Hello, I love you!” Remember…I want to jump in your game. Just don’t text me that, okay? Well maybe, if you’re one of my son’s. 🙂
 

Thank you!
 
 
 
So what do you think? Are you keeping up with the game of technology? Or do you find the whole thing frustrating? Do you think that technology is making people rude, or more polite? What type of method do you prefer to stay in touch? Text, E-mail, Facebook, Twitter, voice-mail? And do you have a story that you’d like to share?
 
 

A big thanks to all of you for stopping by and leaving a comment!
Karen

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I Just Can’t Take It Anymore!

How many times have we felt this way?
 

How many times have we reached the end our rope?
 

It seems that life at times can push us to the limit.
 

With all the pressures that rain down upon our life, some of us may feel that we are caught in a vicious cycle. Round and round we go, day after day, and it seems like it just never ends. It’s like our life revolves around this metaphorical ebb and flow that continues to thrust us forward and upright amidst the craziness that life may throw at us.
 

Yet, there is comfort within the rhythmic affect of circularity in our life.
 

How you say?
 

Well, let’s think about it for a moment. Since childhood, many of our activities revolve around a circle. It may have started with a ball, a carousel, a Hula Hoop, a skating rink, running laps around a track. Why even now, when we want to blow off steam, we may take a walk around the block.
 

So why are the majority of us in fear at the thought of being trapped in a circle?
 

Perhaps if we were to make a mental switch, our fear of physical repetition could prove beneficial. Thus, when we ponder over the journey surrounding our sphere of life, it would give us a sense of security. Our frustration becomes finite. It places us in a limited course of time because our life is never straightforward.
 

Which means, whatever our difficult circumstance may be, it won’t last forever.
 

So how to make the mental switch?
 

I ask this question because you know how our minds tend to work. The negative sequence of events flash through our brains at warp speed. They wear a groove in our brain and set a pattern for any past or future obstacles that might exist.
 

So it’s important that we stop what we’re doing right now and rein ourselves back into the present. Granted, this isn’t always easy to do. But I like the way Karen Huber expressed this on a recent post, “When we are completely present, we are giving the moment our full attention. Attention energizes the moment, keeping it free from the past, the future or any current situation.”
 

Ah, then maybe we need to change the scenery. After all, our earth is an ever changing sphere. And because of this, our view varies from day to day along with its landscape. Why this alone may help to adjust our outlook on life.
 

Perhaps it’s time…for a weekend away or an overdue vacation. Fix an intimate meal and enjoy it with your significant other. Lose yourself in that book you’ve been meaning to read on your TBR list. Go to a day spa and pamper yourself with a massage, or a mani and pedi. Snuggle in with a movie and your honey on a blistery winter’s day. Go shopping or meet up for coffee, tea or a drink with a friend that you haven’t seen for a while.
 

And if none of the above works to give you a peaceful solution, then I implore you to take a moment to watch this short video. I promise it won’t take long and you’ll feel so much better! And you deserve a break! 🙂
 

*
 

Now, as you enter your inner sanctuary, take a deep breathe, then release it slowly. You have just breathed in the positive present and let go of the negative past; thus ready to take on whatever else life may throw at you. Isn’t that simply amazing?
 

That, my friends, was my gift to you! Make it a great day!
 
 

So what do you think? Have any of you been under a little turmoil lately? What do you do to alleviate stress? Perhaps you’re going stir crazy? Has old man winter given you the blues? Are you ready for a break from your routine? Making any plans for a relaxing retreat or spring vacation?
 
Thank you so much for dropping by and for all your wonderful comments!
Karen

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Fire Fall—A Marvel of Nature!


 

Isn’t that an amazing picture? What is it? At first glance it looks to be a flow of molten lava, something that you’d expect to see coming from volcanic activity. Perhaps you would expect to see something like this on the big Island of Hawaii, in Indonesia or the Philippine Islands. Why there are a plethora of volcanoes all over the world for that matter.
 

Yet this actually is not a river flowing of magma emission. This is a rare phenomenon that happens for only a two week period during the year. This magnificent marvel of cosmic alignment happens in a small window of time, a flashing moment at sunset if, and only if weather permits it.
 
 

Where is it you ask?
 
 

Each year countless nature photographers converge upon Yosemite National Park to capture the evanescent spectacle of Horsetail Fall, its longest free-falling waterfall with a drop of 1,500 feet along the granite face of El Capitan. They pass the time hoping for clear skies so they may duplicate this manifestation that was first recorded in color back in 1973 by photographer Galen Rowell.
 

Michael Frye who wrote the book, “The Photographer’s Guide to Yosemite” said that “Horsetail is so uniquely situated that I don’t know of any other waterfall on earth that gets that kind of light.”
 

For many years before this occurrence was captured, photographers only had to point and shoot to obtain another famous Yosemite firefall which was man-made—a cascade of embers that was pushed from a bonfire on summer nights off Glacier Point.
 

But all this has become a lesson in Physics, Geometry and Astronomy as photographers study the angle measured from north eastward along the horizon where the vertical circle intersects, otherwise known as azimuth, a horizontal angle of bearing.
 
 

A horizontal angle of what? Let’s keep this simple, shall we?
 
 

The azimuth degrees and minutes of the earth’s orbit are relative to the sun that defines the best time of day to encounter it. So they wait patiently looking for the lowest angle of light that will shower Horsetail Fall with a kaleidoscopic sunset while the sun’s rays reflect off the granite directly behind the water which may vary in levels of intensity over the course of the same two weeks of the year, every year.
 

You can imagine all the calculation and timing it takes along with the cooperation with nature to be successful because Horsetail Fall empties into a small area on the eastern summit of El Capitan and only flows during winter and springtime in years with adequate rain and snow, which has been scarce this year, although the experts say it doesn’t have to take a lot of water to light up the fall.
 

But most importantly, the southwestern sky must be clear and February is the peak time of year when storm clouds often obscure the setting sun. So when the environment cooperates and conditions come together, the scrawny Horsetail Fall is the shining star of the park.
 

The Fall lights up like fire around dusk and last for just about two minutes. And with the recent storms and snow, this means the persnickety fall is flowing again and park officials are hopeful that it will last at least through February 24th, which generally is the last day of the year to catch a glimpse of it.
 

“If you hit it at just the right time, it turns this amazing color of gold or red-orange,” said Frye, a photo instructor with the Ansel Adams Gallery in the park.
 

Though the popularity is reminiscent of an actual fiery fall that entertained guests in the park from 1930 to 1968, there’s no comparison to the natural activities and occurrences in Yosemite that are far more amazing and more valuable— everything from a sunset to wildlife to rainbows at Vernal Fall.
 

Yes the majestic Horsetail Fall is a fire fall—a true marvel of nature!
 
 

So what do you think? Have you ever had the opportunity to visit Yosemite National Park? Have you ever seen the likes of such a phenomenon? What volcanoes or waterfalls have you had a chance to visit? What are the things that you enjoy about nature? And how do they inspire you?
 
 

If you enjoyed this I encourage you to run up to the top of the page and hit the follow button for future posts!
 
 

Thank you for your many thoughts and fine comments everyone!

Karen
 
 
 

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