Author: Liz

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No Spitting, Please

List of Presidents of the United States

List of Presidents of the United States (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

As a young man George Washington had to transcribe by hand (what? no laptops?) “The Rules of Civility & Decent Behaviour In Company and Conversation (of which there were 110.)  Many were rules about proper etiquette (a long-lost art of powdered wig time.)

A colleague of mine recently had a breakfast meeting with a fellow head-honcho to discuss strategies (or whatever people talk about over juice and toast.)  I know of this particular head-honcho so I could picture the scenario.  He said that while HH was talking, small particles of spit spewed forth in his direction at the table. 

Ewww.  George Washington would be appalled.  I recalled GW’s rules and thought it needed some updating to erase this severe infraction forever.

George Washington’s Rules of Civility #12:

Shake not the head, Feet, or Legs roll not the Eyes lift not one eyebrow higher than the other wry not the mouth, and bedew no mans face with your Spittle, by approaching too near him when you Speak.

Buddha Balboa’s Rules of Oh No You Didn’t #17:

Show not up in garments that resemble a wrinkled bedsheet nor put forth excess mouth moisture upon one’s breakfast companions omelet.

– BB

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Rain and Pain

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As Longfellow said – “Into each life a little rain must fall.”  Yes, we all, no matter our economic, social or spiritual status,  experience it – pain.  Or as Buddha teaches, suffering. 

Rain (or pain) falls upon us…sometimes as a sprinkle, sometimes as a downpour.  Sometimes we are responsible, and sometimes nature just has her way with us.  We can not outrun it.  And perhaps, neither should we try.

For it is after the rain, after the pain, that we can see the sunshine again.  That we can open our eyes to a new vision…a new thought…a more cleansed version of ourselves.

Get your feet wet.  Don’t worry, they will dry. – BB

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I’m reminded of the song…

As I start this BB (Buddha Balboa) journey in blog form, I hear the old tune Donny & Marie (yes, that would be of Osmond fame…insert eye roll here) would sing on their weekly entertainment show.  “I’m a little bit country…and I’m a little bit rock and roll…” etc, etc…which would lead the duo into singing songs from their particular musical genre, Marie’s being Country, and Donny’s Rock and Roll.  

I see life that way – a little bit of this and a little bit of that.  A pinch of this and smattering of that.  It’s a recipe for a complete life.

Life is not perfect.  Nor does it ever pretend to be.  We have our Buddha moments – in peace and enlightment, and we have our Balboa times, when fighting the battle is the only way through.  But how amazing is that?  How lucky are we to FEEL….to have emotions that allow us to experience incredible joy and also shed tears of sadness?  One does not exist without the other.

I embrace Buddha and Balboa as my guides.

And as far as music goes, I’m an eclectic – I’m a little bit country and little bit rock and roll.  (Oh be quiet.)

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Rockster

My fish died in the beginning of October…I woke up to find he was gone to the big fish cloud in the sky.  It made me really sad.  Yes, although he was “just” a fish, he was important to me.  He was there when I came home at night, a constant in my life.  I talked to him, said goodbye to him, told him to behave as I walked out the door (not that he could wreak much havoc in his bowl.)  But he came into my life when I needed him…and he comforted me in his simple way. 

I buried him in cotton in a park next to me…so that I may say hello as I walked by.  So that I may always be reminded of him and this period in my life.

Rocky rocked.