“Hard work, dedication and perseverance pays off…” Giovanni
a better world
Sidewalk Ghosts / Interview 402: Nancy Advises… “Let’s Start From Fresh”
“I think we are nearing the bottom of a tremendous economic crisis…” —Nancy
√Interview 401: “What’s Right Is Right… And What’s Wrong Is Wrong.”
“’Well wisdom to me is a living knowledge and I would share the words that were given to me from wisdom directly. ‘Haven’t I given…’” —Ray
2pm… Today’s episode due in two hours… miss it… miss our daily time stamp (4pm to be exact). I have no idea of where to go.
Off to Owensmouth as I decide to cruise up and down the street. I’m clueless as to why I am here. Just seems like the place to be. Close to home. A quick race back to Adobe Premiere, and after 45 minute of editorial an upload is in progress (even as I write this note).
Ray is his name and after setting up a camera rig on the corner across the street from the bus stop, he approached me in offering his words.
A quirky songwriter, Ray offers us a few great thoughts to consider; and yes, he is quoting Janet Jackson.
Talk tomorrow my good friends,
Richard
Sidewalk Ghosts / Interview 400: "A Good Four Letter Word"
“I love when I see these things on television and they show these students that go out on boats, and their like, Oh, we wanted to see where all this stuff is that goes in the ocean…” —Jaymie
Sidewalk Ghosts / Interview 399: “Under The Thunder”
“I think love, forgiveness and compassion are three things that we cannot have enough of in our lives, we often forget to give to ourselves…” —Matt
It’s a thunderous day today, and I’m water-logged rushing to make today’s time stamp. Not a bad thing, California has been going through a rough a drought and the rain is quite a blessing. But as the clouds rages, I find my self-wading in my own storm of turbulence.
Seems that half of my audio of today’s interviews of 3 amazing new friends has gone astray, corrupted by a faulty microphone cable. My monitoring was perfect, just the signal to the camera went south on us. Or should I say, became all washed up (Oh Richard, please, for the sake of all humanity, stop with rain metaphors).
But there is a silver lining… Of our three awesome new friends, (Lidia, Cindy and Matt), turns out that Matt’s words were salvageable. So Lidia, Cindy, please accept my sincerest apologies. If you would like to get together to interview, just get in touch with me. We can call this first go around a rehearsal.
Matt, the stage is yours, and I have a feeling that Lidia and Cindy are OK with what your sharing. Your words truly do sum up what you all had to say.
Talk tomorrow my good friends,
Richard
Sidewalk Ghosts / Interview 398: Benny “The Jet” Asks, “What Stops You From Your Better Self?”
Do you fear your anger? Do you fear not having control? Do you fear of loosing control? Do you fear of being judged..? —Benny “The Jet” Urquidez
When you first meet him it is hard to look into his gaze. His history reads as who’s who list of martial arts and film credits (check out his IMDB). Just observing the poised body language he carries might make a person or two somewhat intimidated to engage with him as his eyes pierce deep into their subconscious.
At first I try to look away as I talk with him, but there is something too hypnotic in his expression to ignore. My role is to interview him, and for a brief moment I catch myself speechless, caught completely off guard, and not sure how to loosen my fears in getting to know him.
So I ask, a little wobbly, in anticipating a response, “Are people intimidated by your eyes?”
He smiles, “A lot of people say that,” and the ice is broken.
Benny is his name, rather “Benny The Jet,” an honorary title he has earned after decades of blending his authentic spirit of compassion to a field that can only be expressed as warlike. But The Jet is not a war searching man. He is a man who possesses an inner tranquility that is the genesis to his piercing eyes. In getting to know him it is apparent that he is sizing you up for the kill. He is inviting you in to a world of self-development.
Check out what Benny has to share, might pause you as it paused me.
Talk tomorrow my good friends,
Richard
Sidewalk Ghosts / Interview 397: Why Should People Do This?
“It’s good for all to find common ground, and when you are put on the spot like this, you really tell the truth about how you feel about what’s going on; and you can only go forward when you get a bunch of great ideas together…” —Tasha
“I’ve got to get my head in the right place,” rings in my head as I am writing this entry. Yesterday Lucy gave us advice on responsible use of technology. I agree with her. Yet, as a tool in bringing us together, it is equally as relevant. This age of worldwide web has allowed us an instant connectivity live never before.
Through it, it is almost uncomfortable to think about how easy it is to connect when comparing it to that of engaged face to face. I guess it is easier to commune within the seemingly safe walls of electronic distance. A place where we are free from physical attack or hard to escape exchange. A place where one quick mouse, or button-click, terminates just about any dialogue or uncomfortable situation. Although with this protective barrier we are at risk of paying a price that is possibly worse than the risk of engaging in good old face to face.
I know there is many a time where we are afraid or intimidated to reach out to the physical beings that are walking flesh and blood. After all we all have that sense of self-protection and do deserve our privacy. So we default to the mind connect (or is it?) of digital bliss. Reject me or accept me, it matters not. For If I find myself in strange places, or hearing words that I don’t understand, a new connection or found similarities are only a message, or comment away.
Now don’t get me wrong, as I regularly state, our modern methods of communication and its aligned information stream are a fantastic thing. But as yesterday’s friend, Lucy, has called out, only if used wisely.
Why this preemptive reasoning in introducing today’s episode and friends? Call it a comparison. For today has not been an easy one in talking to strangers. I’ve learned over time that there are days when it seems that the world is conspiring against me, and today is such a day. It’s late, and with 3 hours of rejection after rejection behind me, I default to one of my halls of comfort to lick my wounds… Starbucks, corner of Fallbrook and Victory. A place where I have had many a friendly conversation with that guy, or gal, at the table next to me.
Yes, I am that annoying man who is always saying “good day” and trying to talk to you. Most of the time it is an engaging experience. While I do admit, some throw those piercing “stay the hell away from me!” eye glares; something that I have learned to appreciate in a bizarre way. After all, we all deserve our private time, and must respect the reactions put upon us via the cultures we live in.
The reality is pretty straight forward, there is no way we can have an idea of what is going on in the mind of our unknown neighbors. The only thing we do have control over is our own thoughts and actions. That is the free agency we all have right to. That right to be left alone is an inalienable one that we all have claim to.
But here is the thing, how do we choose to express ourselves? Is it in the many a time falsified world of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or the plethora of vicarious devices that are readily at our keystroke? Or, is it through taking the risk of good old face-to-face dialogue?
There is no black and white, right or wrong, answer to this question. Only a nagging examination of our own hearts, lifestyle and even the content we choose to contribute that can truly govern our answer… and more profoundly, our actions.
My camp? I’m all for the new tech, but with one distinctive amendment, “It must be used as an augmentation to humanly connected interactions.” For to get lost in the maze of online tunnels of relationships, and information, is par with a socialized form of solitary confinement.
Yes, I’ve been heavily rejected this evening, and do not bring to you an experience of meeting, or hearing the council of a complete stranger. I’m bowing to the acceptance of this is OK. Because at least I had a chance to feel of the emotions experienced by not being accepted through this night.
However there is a silver lining to this experience, one that is pulling at my intellectual self (even as I write this rather lengthily entry). A commodity that is free to purchase as I settle back at the patio of my fallback healing place, namely this Starbucks, corner of Fallbrook and Victory. For here, and unexpectedly, I commune with past “Strangers…” now “Friends” as we again resume our dialogues of politics, education and society (365 Day 245 / “The Patio Rats Convene”). Some points we wholly agree on, others we adamantly debate, but in the ends one fact stands strong, I have no idea of who we’ll meet tomorrow and what we will talk about, and my friends, that is way OK with me.
Operation-365… we were once “Strangers…” now we are “Friends.”
See you tomorrow,
Richard
Sidewalk Ghosts / Interview 396: Flavio and Lucy (Part Two) – "Everyone Is Looking Down"
“Turn off your electronic equipment, if only for a day. It is harming the children in ways we don’t realize. It’s okay to use an iPad for learning, some science, or learning something, but what I usually see are people completely disconnected to the world. Everyone is looking down…” —Lucy
The last week I had grand intentions of writing some kind of wisdom that aligned with what our new friends are bringing to the table. Even when meeting Flavio and Lucy at a birthday party my daughter was invited to, words and thoughts rung in my mind. Now starting our 3rd week of O-365 blogumentary (and getting up every morning at 5am to edit before my “real” job starts) the full weight of this commitment is bearing its reality on me.
But just as the first one-year challenge (September 9, 2011 to September 9, 2012), the tired self cannot be slept. The payoff is way to great to let mere fatigue slow me. It is more than my stubborn Taurus personality that pushes me. It is the inspirations being shared by so many. They are much too precious to shelf.
So we will continue to meet new people. Hear fresh and repeated perspectives; and in all, my hope is unhidden. That we will kindle our desire to know our neighbors, support our communities, and as often as we can, raise our chins to greet the world.
As Lucy so well observes, “Everyone is looking down.”
Operation-365… we were once “Strangers…’ now are are “Friends.”
Talk tomorrow my good friends,
Richards
Sidewalk Ghosts / Interview 395: Flavio and Lucy (Part One)
“We all need to lean, we need to connect our senses, our brain, our body and our spirit more together” –Flavio
Sidewalk Ghosts / Interview 394: “Why Don’t We Quite Ourselves?”
“I am humbled to think of the possibility of future where people are serving one another. Not just because they are of the same religion, race or of the same anything, but, simply for the fact that they are another person who has a story just like they do. Everyone wants to tell their story… but they don’t necessarily want to hear someone else’s…” —Brian
Something about them drew me in. Perhaps it was the feeling as we passed on the sidewalk. Maybe it was my mind profiling those who seemed open and approachable. Or quite possibly it was the fatigue setting in as I fought off the day end weight of tired and heavy eyelids. But whatever it was, it stopped me in my tracks to interview todays “Strangers…” now “Friends,” Brian and fiancé Melissa.
In watching their interview, it is not a far reach to realize that Brian and Melissa are people with great conviction of their beliefs– smiling and enthusiastic followers of Jesus Christ. Speaking with ministerial excitement they express perspectives on sharing, listening and what’s to come.
Brian sums it up. “Why don’t we make it a future of looking outwardly, laterally, around us, and not just inwardly at ourselves; and ultimately, my prayer is, that we would look upwardly.”
Brian, Melissa, thank you for your faithful word. May we all take them into consideration as we ponder our own spirituality? For at the core of our discussion there is one undeniable condition. We are all of similar blood and have right to worship as our heart and spirit dictate. As Brian and Melissa have so eloquently displayed, so shall we be inspired to shine our light upon the world around us.
Talk tomorrow my good friends,
Richard