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October 27, 2006
FOUR FOR FRIDAY
Q1 - Image: Does it bother you that the rest of the world seems to hate the United States? Do you think the U.S. has to change its politics or simply do a more effective job at public relations?
Q2 - Education: Which do you feel is the best environment for children's education, single sex or co-ed?
Q3 - Convenience: The 2007 Lexus LS has a feature that helps its driver parallel park or back the vehicle into a parking space. At the touch of a button, the 'Advanced Parking Guidance System' automatically parallel parks the LS or backs it into a parking space with just a little brake work by the driver. If this feature were available for your car, would you use it?
Q4 - Work: If you had to choose between working in sales or customer service, which would you choose?
October 13, 2006
FOUR FOR FRIDAY
Q1 - Holiday Decorations: We have a lot of 'holidays' here in the U.S., including New Year's Day, Valentine's Day, Easter, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Do you ever decorate your home or office space for a holiday? If so, which ones, and how far do you go with your decorating?
Q2 - Birth: Were you born in a hospital or somewhere else?
Q3 - Shoes: Do you wear shoes inside your home?
Q4 - Congressional Pages: The United States Congress employs approximately 100 teenagers from around the country as pages who serve as messengers and who perform administrative tasks for members of Congress. Would you allow your teenage child to be a Congressional page?
October 6, 2006
FOUR FOR FRIDAY
Q1 - Grocery Shopping: When you go to the grocery store, do you create a shopping list beforehand or do you buy according to a routine or whatever suits your tastes?
Q2 - Awards: If you did the work, which award would you like to receive: The Noble Prize in Physiology or Medicine, Physics, Chemistry, Economics, Literature, or Peace?
Q3 - Politics: Do you plan on voting in this November's elections? If so, and if a congressional seat is up for grabs in your area, do you view your ballot as a vote "against" the President, rather than a vote "for" him, or will your vote not take into account the President's performance?
Q4 - Royalty: If you could be King or Queen of any country, which country would you choose and why? (Sorry but Disneyland is not a country.)
October 2, 2006
MY APOLOGIES
For the past 10 days or so, Jewish people all across the globe have been observing what is commonly referred to as The High Holy Days... a time of year when they are meant to reflect upon and examine the relationship they have with other, and where they attempt to right past wrongs, as well as ask for forgiveness for the intentional and unintentional wrongs they know they've committed. This year's version of The High Holidays officially kicked into high gear on the 23rd of September with the marking of Rosh Hashanah (that's the Jewish New Year, by the way), and ends this evening at sundown (6:07 p.m. here in Orem) with the winding down of Yom Kippur, otherwise known as The Day of Atonement.
Many people have heard that Jews choose to fast i.e., not eat any food for around 24+ hours or so, on Yom Kippur, which is exactly what I'm in the midst of doing this morning (no food, only water--since dinner last night).
As a child, I was taught that the intention of fasting was not to torture or punish myself for sins I committed. Rather, fasting was supposed to help me to transcend my physical nature so that I could connect with the most unselfish aspect of myself. I was also taught that praying without concern for food would allow me to completely focus on my prayers, but I never prayed, at least not in the traditional sense.
Well, to be honest about it, for me, ever since I was old enough to create meaning for myself, the fasting (read: the extreme hunger) has served as an intense reminder of all that I have done wrong in the past year, and thatís exactly why I choose to do it again today. The fasting reminds me that I must hold myself accountable for all of my actions, misdeeds included.
As I shared last year, these last 12 months has been remarkable ones. I've had the opportunity to interact with, and be a part of, so many different lives. For most, I know for certain that I was a positive influence... I was someone who was fully engaged and supportive. For others though, well, quite frankly, I'm sure I was not.
So here it is (and I assure you that just because this is being shared in such an open forum, these words are not hollow ones)... If I offended you over the last year with any of my actions, motives, or words, please accept my apology. I'm a work in progress, and some days, especially today, I wonder if the work will ever be done.
As always, thanks for reading this post, as well as for being a part of my life, and for allowing me to be a part of yours. Sincerely, if I have upset you, please know that I am sorry and that I am committed to being more mindful of all of my actions (and reactions, too).
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