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bob bloom
October 2009 
Yackety-Yak!
Posted on Jul 5th, 2008
by 
Centria
Centria
What's the opposite of silence?
Conversation, communication, connection with other people.
Do you believe me? I don't believe me. Nothing can be put into such definitive terms and wrapped nicely in gaily colored paper and thought of as an opposite. I prefer to think in terms of Silence and conversation. Silence and communication. Silence and connection.
Not mutually exclusive concepts.....rather energies that dance with one another.
Because I dance with silence and love her edges, her softness, her possibilities......it's possible to also dance with many human partners, getting to know the different aspects of this larger interconnected "Self".
Back to one of my core beliefs, which may cause great rolling of the eyes to some of you regular readers. I believe that we're all One. I believe everyone we meet represents a part of ourselves. They represent the parts of ourselves that we like, that we don't like, that we haven't met yet, or with whom we're very familiar.
It's like everyone outside is a mirror of what's inside. (or everyone inside is a mirror for what's outside.....) Therefore all these lovely people on Gaia (and yes, yes, the real world too) are aspects of the Self and opportunities to know our selves better.
Someone is probably wishing I never attended that Dialogue of the Selves workshop in Chicago two years ago!
So.....here's the scoop.....I am SO excited for the opportunity to meet with and talk on the telephone to at least six Gaian "selves" in the past two or three days. And, get this!, there's three other calls loosely scheduled in the next few days. Yes!
Every one of these beautiful Gaian friends is so different. Since we're everything and everyone in the universe, how could we be the same? They all have different stories to tell, different ways of talking, different ways of relating to silence within the phone conversations, different circumstances, different gifts, different challenges, different Myers Briggs assessments. I want to swim in all these differences. To celebrate them, to toast them, to marvel!
Here is the list of the beautiful Gaian souls with whom I learned & laughed & admired deeply in the past few days:
Nicole What words can describe our Nicole? She is as effervescent, real and loving on the telephone as in person. She talks enthusiastically and shares of herself with unreserved caring. She has a tinkling laugh. She pronounces her name more like Neecole rather than with a clipped "i". It was wonderful to learn more about her thoughts & world & essence.
debyemm Deborah is someone I "see" spiritually through the silence, when I'm not speaking or thinking. She's living a very busy lifestyle with her active family right now and telephone calls are a luxury. By the grace of god, a moment opened up in her life yesterday and we shared for almost an hour. She is a very thoughtful person who ponders deeply.
Enlightened Thinker This is the second phone conversation Aley and I have had. This woman is a gem! We click easily and chat about endless topics without difficulty. We can share whatever is on our mind, process through any current challenges without any emotional residue, and move on easily. She's a beautiful person who gives so much to many in her life. I admire her deeply.
Bob Bloom Bob has just written a little book called "Taming the Tiger of Emotion" and he sent me a copy a few weeks ago, out of the blue, just offering that he thought I would enjoy it. It was funny....I had just asked a question of Spirit....and it turned out that Bob's book contained the very answer I needed at that moment. So I called him this week to offer thanks for that gift, and gratitude for what he's offering to the world. A good talk!
Cloud I hesitate to even add Cloud to the list of Gaian friends that I've talked with this week, as she's someone I've known for many years. I also hesitate to mention her name because she's a very private person, and because anything I would write would limit her essence too much. She's an enigma. She's also someone I care for very deeply, who has taught me much over the years, who loves from a place that's deep below the surface, in the underground lagoons of the dreaming worlds.
Morning Star
And then there's our beloved creative whacky wonderful Lisa. She and I were on a roll as we talked about everything under the sun. We have some definitive things in common, including a love of writing, a deep love of words. We're both ENFP (if we must label ourselves with the Myers Briggs that is) and kept finding new areas of resonance and similarities. She's as genuine and beautiful in person as in her blog, and I loved the conversation very much.
OK, there you have it. The three upcoming phone conversations may be with Rederick,
Peace Seeker, and ThePixellator. (Jessica emailed yesterday asking what was going on with all these phone calls....was it some kind of Gaia phone tree or....? I had to reply it was just my desire to talk with some Gaia friends, and would she like to talk too?)
So, anyway, this turned out to be a hard blog to write. You can also forget everything I said about these individual people, because I also believe that we're all so complicated that words and stories only catch the edges of who we really are. And who they are to you may be totally different than who they are to me.... Because we're everything!
PS....Shall I put out a challenge? More phone calls between us all? To expand our knowings of each other? (the silence part of myself is staring horrified at this latest development, and will soon be requesting equal time....)
Conversation, communication, connection with other people.
Do you believe me? I don't believe me. Nothing can be put into such definitive terms and wrapped nicely in gaily colored paper and thought of as an opposite. I prefer to think in terms of Silence and conversation. Silence and communication. Silence and connection.
Not mutually exclusive concepts.....rather energies that dance with one another.
Because I dance with silence and love her edges, her softness, her possibilities......it's possible to also dance with many human partners, getting to know the different aspects of this larger interconnected "Self".
Back to one of my core beliefs, which may cause great rolling of the eyes to some of you regular readers. I believe that we're all One. I believe everyone we meet represents a part of ourselves. They represent the parts of ourselves that we like, that we don't like, that we haven't met yet, or with whom we're very familiar.
It's like everyone outside is a mirror of what's inside. (or everyone inside is a mirror for what's outside.....) Therefore all these lovely people on Gaia (and yes, yes, the real world too) are aspects of the Self and opportunities to know our selves better.
Someone is probably wishing I never attended that Dialogue of the Selves workshop in Chicago two years ago!
So.....here's the scoop.....I am SO excited for the opportunity to meet with and talk on the telephone to at least six Gaian "selves" in the past two or three days. And, get this!, there's three other calls loosely scheduled in the next few days. Yes!
Every one of these beautiful Gaian friends is so different. Since we're everything and everyone in the universe, how could we be the same? They all have different stories to tell, different ways of talking, different ways of relating to silence within the phone conversations, different circumstances, different gifts, different challenges, different Myers Briggs assessments. I want to swim in all these differences. To celebrate them, to toast them, to marvel!
Here is the list of the beautiful Gaian souls with whom I learned & laughed & admired deeply in the past few days:
Nicole What words can describe our Nicole? She is as effervescent, real and loving on the telephone as in person. She talks enthusiastically and shares of herself with unreserved caring. She has a tinkling laugh. She pronounces her name more like Neecole rather than with a clipped "i". It was wonderful to learn more about her thoughts & world & essence.
debyemm Deborah is someone I "see" spiritually through the silence, when I'm not speaking or thinking. She's living a very busy lifestyle with her active family right now and telephone calls are a luxury. By the grace of god, a moment opened up in her life yesterday and we shared for almost an hour. She is a very thoughtful person who ponders deeply.
Enlightened Thinker This is the second phone conversation Aley and I have had. This woman is a gem! We click easily and chat about endless topics without difficulty. We can share whatever is on our mind, process through any current challenges without any emotional residue, and move on easily. She's a beautiful person who gives so much to many in her life. I admire her deeply.
Bob Bloom Bob has just written a little book called "Taming the Tiger of Emotion" and he sent me a copy a few weeks ago, out of the blue, just offering that he thought I would enjoy it. It was funny....I had just asked a question of Spirit....and it turned out that Bob's book contained the very answer I needed at that moment. So I called him this week to offer thanks for that gift, and gratitude for what he's offering to the world. A good talk!
Cloud I hesitate to even add Cloud to the list of Gaian friends that I've talked with this week, as she's someone I've known for many years. I also hesitate to mention her name because she's a very private person, and because anything I would write would limit her essence too much. She's an enigma. She's also someone I care for very deeply, who has taught me much over the years, who loves from a place that's deep below the surface, in the underground lagoons of the dreaming worlds.
Morning Star
And then there's our beloved creative whacky wonderful Lisa. She and I were on a roll as we talked about everything under the sun. We have some definitive things in common, including a love of writing, a deep love of words. We're both ENFP (if we must label ourselves with the Myers Briggs that is) and kept finding new areas of resonance and similarities. She's as genuine and beautiful in person as in her blog, and I loved the conversation very much.
OK, there you have it. The three upcoming phone conversations may be with Rederick,
Peace Seeker, and ThePixellator. (Jessica emailed yesterday asking what was going on with all these phone calls....was it some kind of Gaia phone tree or....? I had to reply it was just my desire to talk with some Gaia friends, and would she like to talk too?)
So, anyway, this turned out to be a hard blog to write. You can also forget everything I said about these individual people, because I also believe that we're all so complicated that words and stories only catch the edges of who we really are. And who they are to you may be totally different than who they are to me.... Because we're everything!
PS....Shall I put out a challenge? More phone calls between us all? To expand our knowings of each other? (the silence part of myself is staring horrified at this latest development, and will soon be requesting equal time....)
Access: PublicTagged with: Nicole, debyemm, Enlightened Thinker, Bob Bloom, Cloud, Morning Star, Rederick, PeaceSeeker, the Pixellator
What a great way to connect with each other on another level. Another allows us to know ourselves better. Glad you have taken the initiative with this idea Kathy and I,m looking forward to a chat with you soon : )
With Love,
Christos ( Glenda)
Yes, there are deeper connections to be explored here. Since I've been online GAIA I have talked to many people. Some are, Boogie (Stacy - formerly friendstacy), Carla, Tom (who has recently left GAIA), Julia, Kimmergy, and a few more. Carla and I are traveling together this month and will even have the opportunity to meet Stacy. Now, hearing these voices for the first time is always a treat and exploration of this deeper connection is so fascinating. I imagine often what people will sound like, the inflections in the voice …
But I like this idea, pushing us to explore deeper and deeper. Each person is an aspect of who we are and “who we are” collectively is SELF. There is so much more to explore within Self and without Self. I dare say, none of us ever have reason to be bored. I think it is not so much connecting but exploring, discovering, how we are already connecting. This is our creation and we participate in the fullness of it. Nothing is excluded - only in our limiting minds.
Thank you for this blog. I AM GRATEFUL.
It was a pleasure chatting with you on the phone yesterday, Centria! You were exactly like I thought you'd be–and even cooler. You, like many of us, are truly ageless….you sound so young (or maybe it's better to say–without an obvious “age”), so open and so present. Just like I imagined you to be…
It was fascinating to compare notes re: how “devoted” to Gaia we both are, as well as how we blog and view comments, and what our respective views, feelings, experiences and perspectives have been of and about Gaia in general. Lots of interesting parallels!
I, too, have spoken to a number of Gaians on the telephone (and met in person) and loved it! It's a great way to deepen the connection you have with each other and to explore other facets of each person's personality…
I like what you said here:
I also believe that we're all so complicated that words and stories only catch the edges of who we really are. And who they are to you may be totally different than who they are to me…. Because we're everything!
And I can understand Silence being “horrified” (LOL) by the idea of the phone tree….perhaps on those days of phone conversations, you would technically be on Gaia (online) (less)–and have some (more) moments of silence between calls… Or perhaps not… LOL
Glorious! I too enjoyed talking to you very much. Just got off the phone with my cousin in the UK and just before that spoke to Mikey_Dee who was sharing among other things about the alexander technique- now Mike is a wonder of a guy from Ireland living in France.
Everyone, be sure to attend his blog birthday party on July 20th!
Other Gaians I delight in talking to on the phone or Skype or by instant message include (if I missed anyone, sorry!):
richtali
Morning Star
Rederick - all three of whom I met in New Jersey
dailyplanit (whom I will be seeing in Scotland in August along with his brother
Hummingbird in South Africa and her new husband Gien whom I met in Vancouver
Panwithin in Wales
Marmalade (will talk on the phone sometime, i live in hope lol)
goddess2day (will meet at the end of July in Toronto along with my dear Dave)
victoria in Belgium
ananda in Georgia
Dovvski (I hope to meet here in Montreal as well as B.B.)
Sun Warrior (I met in Toronto and hope to see again soon)
Chad in Mexico
Jayne in Boise
Jean-Francois I met at a Montreal meet, with Nicolas and at another time David M
Shan has been a friend for years and joined Gaia because I did
Zoey I met in Vancouver along with andrew
Nishtha I will meet next week in San Francisco as well as Doug
Jenny in Germany
Julie I am looking forward to staying with in LA
Ua (will talk to soon)
Wow, Nicole. Where do you find the time? :)
Well Nicole gets the communication award of the morning! The rest of us are just neophytes compared to her in this area of deepening into our Gaia friendships….. And Satya too has much to teach us about this fine art of exploring, discovering ,how we are already connected. That is such a great way of looking at it, John. I am also thinking how exciting it is that you get to travel with Carla later this month. That takes Gaia relationships to new heights, I'm sure. You're right….the word “boredom” should now be banned from our collective dictionary!
Lisa, I just got back from a long walk up our country road and felt it as kind of a meditation, admiring the four deer who stood paralyzed as I passed. The last one's little legs were quivering. Three robins hopped from one side of the road to the other. The lupines were withering and the buttercups shining. The blog-thoughts attempted a mutiny from the present moment, but I kept gently returning to the rhythm of the feet on the blacktop, the swaying trees, the soft morning breezes. So silence had it's moments….it's a balance I'm still acutely remembering. It was wonderful talking yesterday; so many parallels!
Christos, Glenda…..the hook-up of skypes is on my to-do list! Because you are someone I want to talk with very much….
I don't sleep much. :)
my conversation today with Lisa was wonderful too! it's always so good talking to Lisa…
and Kathy, great that you are getting the silence in! awesome… deer, robins and flowers… it's beautiful here to and i have to get outside. just need to tear self away from gaia! :)
I have now joined the ranks of those that have spoken with Kathy!
Nicole, yes the balance, the eternal balance: so necessary!
Eric, so enjoyed talking with you today.
Later tonight (since my husband is gone to yet another band gig) I am joining a Native American friend and we're going to walk some ski trails with her dogs. Looking forward to getting out and exercising. It's been a good day….
We have gotten to know each other through e-mail and blogging, and I am looking forward to getting to know you via telephone later in the week. It is interesting how each of these methods of communication connect us in different ways. For example, I first met MorningStar offline, and since I've been on Gaia, we've gotten to know each other more deeply through our writings. I first met rederick through his writings, and then I got to know different aspects of his personality by meeting him face-to-face. Talk to you soon!
how did your walk go, Kathy?
So glad you talked with Eric. He is one of the coolest people I know. Lenore, I'm glad you have met him too.
I find it fascinating too - have you noticed how things change as you talk to the same person by grapevining, private message, regular email, instant message, phone or in person? Each means of communication has different tendencies, good and not so good…. something to keep in mind
Nicole, thanks for asking, the walk was lovely. It was the most beautiful evening here in the U.P., warm with soft breezes. We walked near a place they call the “Indian Cemetery” where the traditional Ojibway bury their dead with little cedar shake “spirit houses” over the graves. For awhile we were lost on the winding trails behind the cemetery, but we kept an eye on the angle of the sun and eventually found our way out.
My friend was working on some personal challenges so I shared the Byron Katie technique of questioning deeply-held assumptions and then we delved into at least three of her assumptions/beliefs until they fell apart. Oh my was that fun….at least for me! And her jaw was hanging open by the end, amazed that beliefs are not the solid impenetrable “true” things we imagine them to be. Now she wants to buy the book(s) and work with other beliefs.
Lenore, I am a bit envious that you all know each other in person. You can get the multi-faceted relationship going. Looking forward to talking with you next week so much. And yes, Nicole, each form of communication would have different aspects that might be more or less challenging. And some people are better at one form of communication than the other, wouldn't you say?
definitely, Kathy. Some are very good with face to face but find phone challenging. Some are good on the phone but when faced with emails they struggle and there are all permutations and degrees. it would make a really cool diagram :) that's for my fellow geek eric. :):)
There are moments of silence between the words, between the notes in music … YES. Thanks for this Kathy.
OK, you guys, I am so blown away! Christos (Boundless Freedom) had once suggested that we chat on skype. She's from Australia and apparently you can talk free on skype anywhere around the world. (You all may know that already….but I've been technologically limited and am just waking up to this new amazing era of possibilities!) So, my daughter bought us microphones and this afternoon I downloaded the program. Then searched for a couple of user names, including Christos'.
After supper I decided to look at skype a little closer and check it out, and clicked on Christos' name. Suddenly, to my amazement, a phone was ringing and she was saying, “Hello….Hello….Kathy is that you?” I am freaking out, tearing the microphone out of the box, throwing paper up in the air, trying to figure out where to plug in the cord and generally in a state of high excitement. Finally after a lot of hullabaloo, we start talking!
It was so incredible. I am still in a state of amazement and awe. Who could have ever imagined that you could talk with someone half a world away and it would seem as if they were right there in the living room? Christos put on her web cam, and there she really was, in living color with her daughter walking by in the background and a table with photographs and her own smiling face.
Another synchronistic happening….she was reading this very blog with all the comments when I accidentally hit the “call” button. Isn't this amazing? Even my husband and Christos were able to say hello to one another, and he's still shaking his head at the big wide world that's opened up to us.
So many conversations happening around Gaia about communication! This is all so timely, and wonderful.
Christos, it was so great to talk with you…..let's do it again soon!
Talk about being caught in your pj's on camera : 0 … LOL
Yes it was great to connect this way with you also and lets talk again soon.
I feel as if I know you so much better now after our talk and I have the town where you live marked on my atlas. It really feels like we are opening up to more possibilities and opportunities through our connections here.
Hope the cookies didn't burn!
Love from Christos (Glenda) in Byron Bay
Australia
i'm on skype too Kathy, we can webcam maybe next week after I am back from SF and LA or in early August before I leave for Scotland.
This was my most intense Gaia weekend I think. Between Lisa, Eric, Andrew and the in-person meeting with Rachel and Ivan at the cafe in Montreal, I logged in 10-15 hours of phone and F2F Gaia time - in addition to all the online interactions and the day at the jazz festival! Wheeeeeeeeee!
But Nicole (said in a whining tone)….you can do this effortlessly I think! My high energy of the past weekend simply collapsed in the middle of the night and I just stared sadly at the ceiling for a long time. Then sat on the deck wrapped in blankets and stared at the stars for an even longer time. Never really slept again. Now I am meeting my Friends Sadness and Sleeplessness and Irritation. We have an uneasy relationship. It's kinda painful when they come to visit. And yet they are part of the “Everything” that we are. We can't push them out in the streets. We must listen to what they have to say. It sometimes hurts the ego when they communicate…but the deeper self loves them. The deeper self intuits their worth, their place in the circle. I am not a Care Bear today. I need a Care Bear when these friends come to visit….
Kathy,
I loved this blog and all of the comments. It has actually left me… well… speechless!
;-)
Do you think your insomnia was a result of the energy created by talking with Gaians, etc.?
(((((((((Kathy)))))))))) care bear here to give you kisses, and fluff your pillows, and sing you lullabies… be well dear one
(((((((((Kathy)))))))))) care bear here to give you kisses, and fluff your pillows, and sing you lullabies… be well dear one
(((((((((Kathy)))))))))) times 25!!! Your care bears are here for you! You rock, don't ever forget that!
I'd like to speak with your friends Sadness and Sleeplessness and Irritation. I will treat them like babies, if you know what I am saying (I don't want to be TOO specific in case they are reading, if you know what I mean).
*cracks knuckles*
Loving you, Kathy. Hoping you are allowing yourself to be just where you are.
You offered in your email that we chat sometime and I find myself shrinking back… I do so hate the phone… it feels impossible to be me on it. But maybe Skype sometime?
Hi Dear Kathy,
Do you remember the Rumi poem called the Guesthouse I posted on your blog a while back?
Sounds like it might reassure you to read it again when uncomfortable feelings are arising.
The Guesthouse by Rumi
Much love
Glenda
LOL Eric! you go for it! I will be your second if need be. we'll deal with those babies all right - wicked grin
Good morning everyone! Yes, Glenda, I do welcome all the guests that come to visit, although some feel more uncomfortable than others. Now, Eric and Nicole, shame on you! Is that any way to treat those visitors of Sadness and Sleeplessness and Irritation? Cracking knuckles! No wonder they were gone by last night….you must have scared them off! Just kidding, you guys. I welcome the guests of Humor and Knighthood and Protection, as well.
Halal, you know that's interesting that you should make that observation about the phone. Yesterday, from the midst of everything, I had a strong sense that you would not be comfortable on the phone. (and a couple other friends on Gaia, as well.) I would be glad to talk someday on skypes with you.
Hi Susan, I am so happy to see you here, and glad you enjoyed this discussion. Not surprised it left you speechless….I think I'm speechless, as well. (question to self: then what are you doing writing more words? hmmmm…..) :)
Lisa, you did ask a pertinent question. Oh my god, you're a rabbit now!!!! Yikes…. (smiling) Do you think your insomnia was a result of the energy created by talking with Gaians, etc.? Yes, I do think that was part of it. I was so excited talking with all of you. Yet, there was another part of me that started freaking out “how can I be friends with everyone? There's too many people. How can I read so many blogs, care for so many others? I can't keep up now. I can't do this anymore and maintain any sort of center.”
So then it was back to the spiritual work of looking at those fears and seeing if they were really “true”. When I was talking with each person, there weren't fears. There was just intimacy and connection, one person at a time. There was open space in all of conversations. There was just the moment. The fears were created by an ego in a state of panic, of overwhelm.
Perhaps another blog will need to be written delving into this more deeply.
Love you all, truly. That seems part of the problem. My heart feels stretched so wide open I want to give and be everything for everyone in the circle….because you all are the Self…..myself…..everything. And yet Kathy can't do that. But something larger: Spirit, awareness, consciousness, can.
I'm turning back to Spirit and letting Spirit be friends with you all instead of Kathy-as-Ego attemtping it…..
Wonder what it would be like for everyone to meet face to face in the same place and be present to each other… completely, really, wholely…. Would words follow, form and emptiness share the deep connection that is inferred through true silence of standing in the awe of each other, or?
Yes, indeed, Don. I will soon meet the first new Gaia friend next week, and we shall see how that goes….
What a beautifully freeing realization Kathy..I know of what you are speaking. Until recently I too asked myself the same question..then came the realization of where that fear was coming from and who is this I that is fearful of anything? A huge realization came for me when I met with Unmani and spoke to here about my concerns around my not feeling what I thought I should be feeling in response to all sorts of things and she pointed me back to myself with the question ” who is here to care in truth?” and I got to see that there isn't anyone here seperate from Presence. So then compassion can arise and right action or non action will arise quite naturally. It was a shocking revelation at first, and it has also brought a great sense of relief and freedom to just be with what is as is.
Loving Self as you and me
Glenda
DonBear, each Gaia friend I meet opens up a new world of possibilities. Today it was Samme in San Francisco, tomorrow and the next day it will be Nishtha and Doug and maybe others, and Friday and the weekend Julie, my other online friend Ray, and who knows? Then Toronto - Amy, Liza and Dave and… and Scotland, Alan, Liz, Stewart, and…
It is truly, truly unbelievable how good it gets.
Glenda, you are lucky to have been given the gift of learning so much from Unmani. There really isn't anyone here separate from Presence. How simple, how easy. Yet also sometimes easy to forget. So we remember again and again, and lend our hands to each other during the moments of forgetting. Thank you, dear Self.
Nicole, have a great time in San Francisco! Love your line It is truly, truly unbelievable how good it gets.
Oh Kathy, as you know, we are so often on parallel paths. I just wrote about my belief that we are all part of the ONE here in the Gaia Networking pod(http://pods.gaia.com/z_network/discussions/view/309985#311978 and there's this discussion about mentioning other's names and a tip from Meenakshi to do a community wide search on one's own name (and so I do “Deborah”, thinking there's bound to be so many of them that I won't find myself) and what is at the top of the list? This blog. And who is mentioned in it? Wow, I just love that synchronicity, and that it happened with you, my appreciated friend.
Yes, talking on the phone for me at this time in my life is such an incredible luxury. It's delicious that it happened. Next time you do all the talking, okay? We both are the introverted extrovert. Yes, let's talk again sometime. Yes, you are drawing all this to your own self - of course, you already knew that. I'm a lucky winner; to be a branch on your tree.
Deborah
PS to Glenda, that poem by Rumi - Guesthouse, is so perfect for me. Thank you, thank you. Fewer stressful moments coming, if I can but remember.
It just keeps getting better, honestly. I had such an awesome time yesterday with Samme and Nishtha. It was also a really long and intense day in other days. will blog soon… want to look at a few more comments first
Hi Deborah, I am so glad you found this blog….it is wonderful to connect with so many….and to feel the synchronicities swirling in and out among, around and through us. As for our wonderful phone conversation, it doesn't matter to me who does the talking. Quite often on a phone conversation I tend to get really quiet and just listen. Am often like that in person, as well. But not usually when using the written word! That's when the extrovert usually takes over for awhile. But not always. And sometimes in a phone conversation, if there's really something I need to talk about, I'm not shy. Truly, our connection is a wonderful one.
And Glenda sharing the Rumi poem, The Guesthouse….that poem is so wonderful she can mention it every time! It's the perfect metaphor for everything.
Nicole, your blogs about SF are great. Keep up your work as Communication Ambassador #1!
Yesterday two more wonderful Gaians called. (well, Jessica called, and then I called back.) The first was Tom, Maze, and we chatted for awhile about everything under the sun. I love his droll sense of humor. Just looked up what “droll” means. Whimsically comical. Not sure if he would see himself that way, but he has an understated way of expressing himself that's really endearing. Plus he has a real gift of cutting through any high-faluting tendencies of our more “spiritual” or “idealistic” selves to bring those aspects back to “ordinary” life. It's so fascinating to learn about other aspects of the lives of Gaians, and to see all the intersections and synchronicities.
Jessica, the Pixellator, and I connected in the evening and it was more synchronicity. She is such an interesting person who has lived many interesting adventures during her days. Anyone who hasn't met her yet should stop by her page and learn more about her. She says she's a little shy…..but aren't many of us until we get talking? We really clicked, and I imagine more phone calls will follow.
My heart felt overflowing with love & connection after yet another day of Yackety-Yak!
I think you are going to collect the Gaia first prize of most connected by phone! Hugs
Well, I thought it was a nice experience. It puts a more relaxd perspective to the person you only get to experience through the written word. We'll have to do it again…from pay phones. Do they still manufacture them?
And you Nicole get the first prize of meeting Gaians in person!
Oh Tom I forgot to ask you if you had free minutes. oops, sorry! We have an unlimited plan now and it's so great. If you don't, next time remember to say, “Can you call back?” You had me so flummoxed after talking with my son that I forget to ask. As for pay phones, pay phones, what are they again? smiling!
“Silence and conversation. Silence and communication. Silence and connection.”
“Because I dance with silence and love her edges, her softness, her possibilities……”
Yes, yes, yes! It is really in that silence that a real connection can develop, and be nurtured.
What a beautiful way to wrap words around this concept. Thank you Kathy!
In gratitude,
Nell ;-)
“Silence and conversation. Silence and communication. Silence and connection.”
“Because I dance with silence and love her edges, her softness, her possibilities……”
Yes, yes, yes! It is really in that silence that a real connection can develop, and be nurtured.
What a beautiful way to wrap words around this concept. Thank you Kathy!
In gratitude,
Nell ;-)
“Silence and conversation. Silence and communication. Silence and connection.”
“Because I dance with silence and love her edges, her softness, her possibilities……”
Yes, yes, yes! It is really in that silence that a real connection can develop, and be nurtured.
What a beautiful way to wrap words around this concept. Thank you Kathy!
In gratitude,
Nell ;-)
It was great to get to know you, Kathy! You are quite the journalist…anyone who's on the call list should be prepared to bare their souls!!! :) ;-) Kathy knows how to do a proper interview! She's found her calling (pun intended) here on Gaia because she can finally craft interesting stories and people will read them.
Blessings,
Jessica
Jessica, you are a hoot! Did I sound like a journalist? That is funny….but is it a compliment? hmmmmm….. I am just so interested in people, what makes them tick, how they are in the world….everything. And, yes, Gaia feels like my calling as I have always loved loved loved to write! For now anyway it's a calling. And I honestly don't share personal stories, honest. If I ever sidestep on this way and say anything outside of the boundaries, do tell me so. Everyone's privacy is too precious to expose it.
Amazume, Nell, hello! Nice to meet you too. I'm not sure if this computer is screwing up (I'm on a different computer) but your comment is pasted in three times. How fascinating! Three is one of the sacred numbers of the universe, you know. Maybe we're meant to be friends, too? (smiling). Thank you for feeling that rhthm between silence and conversation…
Hi Kathy,
Thank you for your acknowledgments. Let me tell you, Gaia was very, very, very, temperamental yesterday. Of course I noticed that my comment was posted three times, trying many times to delete two of them, to no avail. I love what you are reading into it, so now I'm going to leave it alone. And yes, I'm on the up and up on the number three in numerology. As far as friendship goes: I believe! ;-)
Nell, I love the three postings. For some reason, they're just right. I also see where it's possible to delete two, but why should we? Three conversations for the price of one!
I love the way you think, Kathy!
By the way, it looks like my Scotland trip is morphing into an England trip. Need to work out details but it looks very exciting! With any luck I will get to meet some of my favourite UK Gaians.
Yes, of course, it was a compliment! You love journalism and communications, and I could tell you've had lots of practice! It was so easy talking to you.
Hi Nicole & Jessica…. I am excited with you, Nicole, about the new opportunities for your trip. Do you have UK Gaian friends, too? ….of course you do…… :)
Jessica, yes, I was just kiddin'. Yep, I was a journalism major back in the good old days, although only worked at a daily newspaper for one summer, and then a short stint as a news director of a radio station in East Texas. (long long story.) I spent hours as a wee child and teenager writing stories and poems filled with everything under the sun. The first “book” at age nine described Gretl escaping from the Nazis. It was either too much Sound of Music or a past life scenario, or maybe both? And by the way, it was easy talking with YOU too.
One UK friend is Jon, but we haven't been as much in touch for a while. Perhaps it will work out to see him. I have talked to Paul in Wales about seeing him, and he would be happy to. We'll see who else - I know at least 5 to 10 other Gaians in England… but I can't go everywhere! :)
Oh Nicole, this sounds great. I am so happy for you! (and for the Gaians that get to meet you in person.) Doesn't this blog just keep yackety-yakking on and on and on? :)
the best conversations never end and always include silences as delightful refreshings