Sunday Scribblings #74 -A winter tale

There's a guy who sends a photo related to Biking in Toronto by email EVERY day. His name is Joseph Travers. All these photos are courtesy of him and tell the story of my biking experience in Toronto, Canada in the winter. Thanks, Joseph, for the daily inspiration to do what I love no matter what anyone thinks!




As you may or may not know, I LOVE CYCLING!

When I'm on my bike I feel connected to my kinetic roots and am able to breathe fully.

Many people ask "do you ride through the winter?" My response: "You betcha!"


Often times I come from where ever I've been and here's what I find:



If I were to have too much to drink and come back to fetch my bike in the morning, here's what it could look like:



















And, on a given work day, when I'm traveling from a Nia class to a client, here's what I might look like:




(if you'd like to sign up for these daily inspirations, you can do so here)

Sunday Scribblings #73 - Stranger

You know what?

I've been privileged to have many teachers in my life.

And it hasn't been trained professionals that have made their marks.

Nope, it's been strangers who have taught me the most valuable lessons.

Think about it.....the guy on the corner asking for money who made me realize that I feel empathy.

And what about the yoga teacher whose class I happened upon last year who taught me about how to make students feel welcome?

There was the barista who demonstrated that it's possible to turn a porn shop into a community hub.

And then the man who found me via a friend 2 months after I lost my USB key to tell me he'd found it and is concerned that I get it back. He taught me the "do unto others" rule all over again.

Also, the cop last week who pulled me over for speeding but made it so I wouldn't lose any points. He taught me about kindness.

I have so much to learn. And I don't need a special teacher.

Strangers will do just fine.

Sunday Scribblings #72 - Change

Change.
Littering his dresser.
And his desk.
And my dresser.
Change.
Emptied onto the radiator cover.
Siphoned into the once decorative key holder.
Change.
Adding pounds to jeans.
Stashed in every coat.
Change.
Flooding the ashtray of our 1992 Camry.
Change.
Not just Canadian.
Euros, pounds, rupees,
Change.
Unspent.
Part with change.
Roll it.
Donate it.
Bank it.
Buy coffee!

Sunday Scribblings #71 - Scandalous

A serious and not-so-serious post:


The Serious Part:

Sexual, Political, Religious, Academic, Social, Sporting, Corporate, Journalistic.

All kinds of
Shocking,
Outrageous,
Disgraceful,
Shameful,
Indecent,
Disreputable,
Appalling,
Reprehensible,
and
Wicked
events.


In my lifetime, there have been some pretty scandalous events. The ones below are particularly un-nerving:

Camillagate — Tape of a telephone conversation between Charles, Prince of Wales and Camilla Parker-Bowles
Grannygate - Controversy surrounding Stephen Ireland, a Republic of Ireland football player, who claimed his granny had died in order to secure a leave of absence from international duty
Lipstickgate — The brouhaha associated with Barack Obama's use of the saying "putting lipstick on a pig" during a campaign trail speech
Nipplegate — Justin Timberlake reveals Janet Jackson's nipple during the halftime show of Super Bowl XXXVIII

(The not-so-serious part)