Triumph!

Some of you have heard my...concerns (yes, let's call them that), about Google's seeming quest for world domination. Well, at the very least, to have at least one tentacle in every area of every person's life. I've ranted online and offline about this. So, I was not surprised, in the least, when I became annoyed on learning that a contact had added me to a Google Plus group. I calmly, but immediately, requested I be removed from the G+ group. I cited my long-held privacy concerns and my reservations about Google+.

Now, I use Google for email, blog and smartphone. I've told myself that I'm probably inextricably linked to Google+ in some hidden way, anyway. Although I use these Google gadgets and apps, I would like to think that I have not completely relinquished all say in the extent to which I've given them access to my data. I relish the idea (however flawed) that I have some control over the extent of my connection with them. Of course, I am careful about the information I provide online, but, most times I imagine them connecting the dots between phone settings/preferences and my contacts; between the pics I take and post - even though I've turned off location - and the appointments in my calendar. It's all connected. I'm sure.

So, why was I annoyed about being added? First, because it was without my permission. Second, it was one of the very tentacles I've tried avoiding, only to be thrown in its grasp without having a say. Like the other day after updating the OS to Lollipop and they replaced the Gallery with Photos - which requires joining G+. The horror! I downloaded another app: Piktures. #TheGooglePlusStaredownContinues.

Anyway, I asked to be removed from the list, and I was. I was also informed that I'd be missing out on group emails, as that would now be the chosen way to communicate with the group. I was okay with that.

Okay, that is, until I learned a few months after that there had been a reception for the group - a group of volunteers - and, believe it or not, I had not got wind of it! (Where's the sarcasm font on this thing?) Silly wabbit. I was of the impression that the recognition and appreciation of volunteers would spur the organizers to seek us out - all emails were still available - to shower us with love and appreciation. Then I reminded myself that that was something I would have done. And, a few other people I know would have done that, too. But, alas, I had not made it easy for them to reach me, having sought and received removal from the G+ list.

Months came and went. I enquired about upcoming volunteering opportunities. I was reminded that I had requested removal from the list (in case I'd forgotten, I s'pose) but was also told I could send an email to find out whether extra help was needed on any given weekend. I agreed to that.

Finally, I had a free weekend - no fighting a cold; no entertaining out-of-towners, etc. - and I considered sending an email. Gotta say, I thought long and hard. I had reservations about doing it. But, I had no excuse to opt out that weekend. In my mind, I imagined they must've decided to teach me a lesson - our way with G+ or else! Also, what if I volunteered and they sent back to say they were already full - because people from "the list" (that stupid list, again!) had already signed up. And, if so, would I have to relent and join the (stupid) list?!

Of course, that's what your mind does. All sorts of negative thoughts, or, as Desiderata calls them, "dark imaginings" take over if you let 'em. Coupled with those "what ifs" was the chiding I gave myself. Was I volunteering to be recognized and shown appreciation, or was I volunteering out of a heart to serve? Welllllll, on that note, I was properly admonished. I sent the email.

Imagine my pleasant surprise when I received a quick reply that "that would be GREAT" and "thank you SO MUCH." I was like, whoaah! Guess they need the help. But, what was more, was that I felt this amazing sense of triumph! I felt like I'd pushed the devil off one shoulder, and gave a high-five to the angel on the other!

The volunteers who worked the shift before mine were overjoyed when I got there. They were royally pooped! I immediately got to work in preparing what needed to be prepared. As promised, I checked back in sometime after and helped another volunteer with cleaning up.

There's no denying it. Sometimes the right thing to do isn't always the easiest (or most comfortable) thing to do. But, it pays off. And, when it comes to giving, as that little girl had said after giving out toys for Christmas, "It gives you a warm feeling in your tummy!"



Claudia
www.cyopro.com
www.twitter.com/cyopro

Can We Do It About Bones?

After giving some thought to today's post, I decided to let my niece, KiKi, write the blog. That is, I'd interview her, and the post would not only be about her, but by her. You might call it her first blog entry via dictation. :-)  

She came on the line this evening quite excited. Her mother had given her the heads-up. 

"Aunty, I'm gonna help you write your blog! Can we do it about bones?"

"What about bones? Do you think you have enough to tell  me about bones?"

"Yes!"

"Okay. Sure."

"Say, "Begin.""

"Oh, okay. Begin please."

"If you didn't have bones in your body then you'd just fall down. Wherever the place you are in, you would just fall down. Your whole body would fall down if the bones were out of your body. If you were pretending and you were galloping like a horse, then if somebody took out all of your bones, you would just fall down! Like this!"

We're not moving on until you imagine the fall. Lol!

Done? Okay. Good.

She continued, "And guess what? You know what? You know what? It's guessing time! What protects your body?"

In my defence, I was tired. "Umm, your muscles and your flesh?"

"No. Your ribs!"

"Ok. Great. So, what else do you want to talk about? What do you want to be when you grow up?"

"I would like to be a teacher!"

"Really?"

"Yes! I would like to be a teacher."

"Why?"

"You know why?"

"No, I don't."

"Do I have to tell you why?" 

"Yes." (Given that this was an interview and all.)

"When you are a teacher, you have lots of kids. But your kids might be in a different class."

I'm not sure what the grand idea behind this was. Whether she was looking forward to not teaching her own kids... I got nothin'.

I asked, "Is there anything else that is appealing to you about being a teacher?"

"When you're a teacher, you are helping kids learn and read and do their numbers. That's what happens when you're in SK. But when you're just new to your school, that makes you a JK. You do your shapes. The parents wait in the hall to wait to talk to the teachers. The kids get to go in the classroom -"

"You mean to see what the classroom is like?" I interjected.

"Yeah. If they like the classroom, they stay."

"I don't think they have a choice."

"No. They do not have a choice! They do not have a choice."

"Did you learn about bones today?"

"Let me tell you about my childhood!"

Did she just totally ignore the interviewer's question? It reminded me of a story I'd heard back in high school. A student was preparing for her French history orals and practiced everything to talk about the Princes of France. When she got to the room, the examiner let her know that the topic was about the Kings of France. She replied, "The Kings of France were great...but let's talk about the Princes!" Lol! I love that joke!

Anyway, KiKi continued, "When I was just zero years old, I was just little. I was just a little, little, little baby. And, I was from Jamaica."

"Is there anything special that you remember from your childhood?"

"I was two years old in Canada."

I think we're on the same page.

"I'll tell you something about winter."

Apparently, we're not. "Sure, go ahead."

"I used to like winter. But, now when winter is coming, I hear Mommy, [in her best impersonation complete  with faux Jamaican accent and her mother in the same room] "I don't like di winter. I want summer; I don't like di winter, I want summer." I guess she wants to go back to Jamaica. What I like about winter? I was building a snowman. I said to myself, "Why is there so many [sic] snow?" And then I was digging and I saw grass. It was winter, but the grass was dead."

"Uh-huh. Uh-huh."

"Can I tell you about my holiday?"

"Of course."

"My favourite holiday is Christmas! You know why?  Because of the beautiful lights on the trees. And, Jesus was born." 

Then, I kid you not, Kiki broke into song: 

"There's lights on the tree! 

Lights on the tree! 

Hey ho cheerio,

There's lights on the tree!

And presents are on the way! 

The presents are on the way! 

Hey ho cheerio, 

The presents are on the way!"

I composed myself enough to tell her that was a great place to wrap up, and I thanked her kindly for her time. 

"You're welcome, Aunty! Muahh!"

It was a pleasure to dedicate this month to KiKi. She is a delight to be around. I'm also thankful to her parents - my sis and BIL - who share her with me; with us!

Love you, sweetie! #FeelTheLove

Claudia

www.cyopro.com

www.twitter.com/cyopro

Hot Chocolate

The year 2011 is coming quickly to a close...yadda yadda yawn.

I'd planned to share a third fave for this third December post.  But, at some point today, I decided to make a more personal one about what 2011 was for me.  Long and short, there were way more good times than bad.  There were only two things I would've done different.  But, learned that God has a way of giving me beauty for ashes; making something beautiful out of ugly.

Now for the other stuff: I visited Jamaica; turned for-ty; finished a play; came back and bought a house; had a kind o' surgery done - the attending nurse had said that post-op was gonna "hurt like a b*tch!"  That it did.  For months!  Experienced healing; had a crush; was crushed upon - mutually exclusive; crushes crashed - not into each other; did a photo shoot; wrote a novel; was told I was "a hot chocolate."  Aaaaand hosted my first Christmas family dinner at the new place.  Blessings galore!  Thank You, God.

Btw, don't want the ugly from the (almost) past year to go with you into the new?  Then...let go.

Thanks for sticking around and checking out this blog for 2011.  Thanks for supporting me as I write "to save my life." #writeorsuffocate. Yeeeaah, I know this is one of the shorter posts.  Much more to say about my year in review but, like I said last year, my prayer journal gets it all. ;-)


Claudia
www.cyopro.com
www.twitter.com/cyopro

And You Thought Your Holiday Greeting Was Politically Correct

My friend, Debbie, shared this with me back in December 1999.   I thought it was a keeper.  I wrote about being politically correct the other day.  At the time, I thought of inserting this piece.  However, by the end of the post, I figured that doing so would've made the entry way too long.  (My search for the author has not yet borne fruit. Kindly advise, if you know, so I can give the credit as due.) Here is, for your reading pleasure - or to your chagrin - one of the most politically correct holiday greetings everrrrr!

"Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low stress, non-addictive, gender neutral, celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practised within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasions and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all...

...and a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling, and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year [2012], but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make Britain great, (not to imply that Britain is necessarily greater than any other country or is the only country in the western hemisphere), and without regard to the race, creed, colour, age, physical ability, religious faith, choice of computer platform, or sexual preference of the wishee.

DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTABILITY:

(By accepting this greeting, you are accepting these terms.) This greeting is subject to clarification or withdrawal and is freely transferable with no alteration to the original greeting. It implies no promise by the wisher to actually implement any of the wishes for her/himself or others, and is void where prohibited by law, and is revocable at the sole discretion of the wisher. This wish is warranted to perform as expected within the usual application of good tidings for a period of one year, or until the issuance of a subsequent holiday greeting, whichever comes first, and warranty is limited to replacement of this wish or issuance of a new wish at the sole discretion of the wisher who assumes no responsibility for any unintended emotional stress these greetings may bring to those not caught up in the holiday spirit.

The colour of this greeting has no bearing on anything whatsoever and is purely arbitrary given the limited selection of colours and tones available to choose from within the browser used to prepare this message."

Merry Christmas, everybody!!!



Claudia
www.cyopro.com
www.twitter.com/cyopro

In life, always have something to look forward to

I'm not sure when I first read that quote, but it was a long time ago. We're talking probably ten years or more. Over these many moons, it still becomes new with every use.

That's how...well, that's part of the way I live my life - always having something to look forward to.

Right now? Christmas with the family from which I am. For the first time in a long time (read: two years) we'll be together, LS. Can hardly wait. We've been talking about the good, bad and the indifferent - especially these past few weeks.

We look, in amazement, at the old things; look, in anticipation, delight and hope, toward the new things that are already upon us.

Blessing a run wi dung, an a ova tek wi.

In the words of Amy Amatangelo, "True that, Ruthie, true that."


Claudia
www.cyopro.com
www.twitter.com/cyopro