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Posts from the ‘Being Human’ Category

Jun 22

Jaime Moran, Executive Director of RAASAP

moving the podcast – interview from June 3, 2014

~~~

Episode 27. If you get a DUI in Virginia, you have to go through the Alcohol Safety Awareness Program before you can get your license back. Jaime talks about the program, how it works and what about her job makes “every day worth doing what you do”.

Jaime Icon

“You’re never cured. It’s just like a person that has cancer is never cured… The difference is that people feel sorry for somebody who has cancer, but you don’t feel sorry for somebody that has an alcohol or drug problem.”

0:00 ~ ASAP
5:50 ~ What is the Program?
9:55 ~ the clients/individualized intervention
13:55 ~ case managers
19:00 ~ a really big responsibility
27:00 ~ Why do this job?

Connect with Jaime:
at RAASAP

♦

Jul 21

18 Comments

What Are You Thinking? (right this minute)

I once asked a boyfriend, “What are you thinking right this minute?”

We were driving somewhere, I don’t remember where, and my mind was flitting from this topic to that, just all over the place. Nothing important in there at all. And suddenly I wondered what had been in his mind right at that exact moment when I was thinking about whatever it was I was thinking about.

Was it something big? Was it some little nothing? Had he been thinking “it’s almost time to get the oil changed,” or “there’s a bird,” or “what are we going to eat for dinner,” or… It could be anything!

I turned to him with a huge smile and asked, “What are you thinking right this minute?” I was girl-excited; I wanted to know(!).

“Nothing.”

 

What?

 

“You must have been thinking something.” I mean, there’s no way his mind was completely blank, right?

And so I clarified my question: “I just want to know what was going through your mind right at that minute. No matter how little it was.”

“Nothing!” He was quite adamant. And annoyed. His mind was, apparently, a complete blank.

I persisted in a persistent manner to inform him that there was no way his mind was a complete blank.

“There’s no way your mind was a complete blank. You had to be thinking something. Even if it was something tiny and inconsequential, like, I don’t know…like…’those trees are really green.’ “

“I wasn’t thinking anything at all.” He could persist too. “I’m not trying to hide anything from you, I swear! I wasn’t thinking anything!”

And so I gave up. 

“You don’t have to tell me; I was just being curious.”

 

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how to start a fight out of nothing at all.

~~~

Is it really possible for your mind to be completely blank for long stretches like that?

Or is it just a guy thing?

Have you ever started a fight out of thin air?

What are you thinking right this minute?

😉 ♥

 

Jul 1

5 Comments

There, I wrote something. Are you happy now?

I was talking to my friend Mark about not blogging for so long, and he told me “Just f*cking do it!” So are you happy now, Mark?

But he was right, and actually, this makes me happy. Just being here, typing this now, I feel excited and full of ideas and desire to write and write and write.

So why wasn’t I writing all along?

It’s been months, practically a year, since I wrote on a regular basis. I sometimes missed it, but not much. Same with the photography – I think I posted one picture this year. Almost the same with the podcast – a little spurt and then I was done.

In an interview I did last year, Asia Nelson said she was multi-passionate. I’d never heard that before, but that’s definitely me. I am not particularly great at any one thing, but I am a little good at a few different things.

Which is fine, and even great. But also not great. My passions flow through me in a cyclical pattern, burning bright then burning out then eventually coming back around with that fire again. I put a lot of creative and emotional (and physical) energy into one thing until I am burned out and have nothing left.

But that is just my personality too – I give all of myself over to a project, and at some point you have nothing left in the tank.

I didn’t feel that burning desire to come back to blogging; it was more like a little ember. But just being here is like kindling. We’ll see what develops. 🙂

~~~

What is your passion?

Is it self-sustainable, or does that flame burn out from time to time?

 

Mar 18

5 Comments

Things I Love For No Good Reason

Although joy is as good a reason as any. 

So I guess what I really mean is things I don’t know why  they bring me such joy.

  • Wind chimes. Not all wind chimes, just certain wind chimes. But if I find a wind chime with just the right sound, it makes me so happy.
  • Cactus plants. I really just like them. A lot. I always want to buy any cactus plant I see. Except the ones with fake flowers glued to them. Or really, I want to buy them too, and take them home and tear off that fake flower.
  • Plants in general. Green plants. Any kind of ivy especially makes me happy.
  • Notebooks. Pads of paper. Any kind of paper bound together.
  • Blue Ink Pens.
  • Desk organizers. Pencil cups and phone stands and in-boxes and all those kinds of things.
  • Books. Although I know why books make me happy.
  • Blankets. I loooove blankets.
  • Scarves. And gloves. That I never remember to wear.

These are things that if I see them I want them. I just have an instant desire to have them and keep them.

And even though I don’t buy them, just seeing them makes me happy.

 

What makes you happy? (Whether or not you know why.)

 

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