FUNNYACCENT

Barrier

Ohh... What a fun day. It was bright,warm and brilliant like any given summer days. The sun, the people,the trees,the pigeons and the squirrels were out under the sun. All of sudden the big blanket covered the sky.I was about to cross Tremont Street to get to Park Street subway station when the big gate opened up and perhpas hundreds buckets of rain poured down on us.

When I got off my stop the downpour had stopped,but the sticky air rose from the asphalt as I crossed the street. Halfway between the subway stop and my place, the big buckets were tipped again. This time I didn't even tried to lengthen my strides. I had three mackerels,a half of watermelon,a half pound of crumble goat cheese, and two pounds of soft tofu in my shopping bag. I couldn't remember when was the last time I walked in a heavy rain without an umbrella.

There was a kind of gentle,satisfaction feeling flowed inside me as I walked leisurely in a downpour. I felt like I'd just walked across an internal barrier that I built long time ago. It sound silly, but I felt liberated.

I was soaking wet when I got to the front door of the building. The double layers of braided doormat soaked most of the water dripped from me and the shopping bags as I reached for the key in my pocket.

Trekker

"

, I miss Star Trek Voyager.

Three Baseballs

We were sitting back to back on the last bench at Massachusetts Avenue Orange Line subway platform. I was waiting for the train to downtown and they were waiting for the train to Forest Hill. Both of them didn't look older than 13 or 14.

Girl One: "Oh my gawdddd, I think I'm lesbian."

Girl Two: "What?"

Girl One: "I think I'm a lesbian."

Girl Two: "You are stupid. Why are you repeating yourself?"

Girl One: "What?"

Girl Two: "You are stupid, you are deaf and you are lesbian."

Girl One: "Are you hitting on me?"

Girl Two: "What? You are gross."

Girl One: "You know my cousin Liz? She works at lawyer's office in downtown. She's like has this big boobs like three baseballs put together."

Girl Two: "You sewn the baseballs together?"

Girl One: "You are stupid. Anyway I couldn't take my eyes off her boobs. I'm like staring at her boobs when she's changing her clothes in my room."

Girl Two: "She's hitting on you?"

Girl One: "What? You are stupid."

Run To Me

It seemed and felt muggy  when I looked outside my bedroom window.

5:47 am in summer should be brighter than this,

 but it is better than having tornadoes and flood in some parts of the country, I reminded myself.

After 15 minutes stretches and pressure points massage, I brew a cup of coffee and changed into running short and shirt. I watered the tomato plants on a kitchen window sill. I think they were stunted since I transferred them into a bigger pots last week. They didn't seem to eager to grow. Perhaps they hated being in a small space compared to spacey nursery where they came from. Perhaps they needed more attention from me. The morning was getting brighter, but the sun still didn't show up.

The beach was deserted and windy, but there was a woman and her two golden retrievers about 50 meters from me. As I ran passed them I noticed the woman's hair has the same shade as her dogs's fur.

I was hoping to run into horseshoe crabs again, dead or alive, but until I got to the L Street Bath House, I didn't see any interesting on the beach this morning except two regular treasure hunters with their metal detectors. I wonder what have they found so far?

I only ran once on a weekday since last weekend and I was a little annoyed when I couldn't run because of the matters that out of my control. The first 15 minutes I kept thinking about the a couple of work related issues that kept me longer than necessary at my office.

I only returned to the present when I failed to avoid a lazy ebb and I felt the salt water slapped my legs. I was horrified at myself for letting the negative thought to seep through my mind with its venom. I shook my head and said out loud, "Go away, go away." I knew as long as I live the negative thought will always try to get to me, try to distract me, try to weaken me, try rationalize me. The best I could do is to make an effort to stay here and now.

Into my third mile, I began to feel the warm, bubbly feeling I usually experienced when my steps got into sync with my breathing. I let my mind wondered a few times, and it returned to presence. An on going effort.

I completed the seven mile run and was back at my place by 8:50 am, with grateful and feeling wonderful.

Monyeting Around

The agency staff day is 20 days away from today but yesterday I was at The Staff Day for two men's inpatient treatment facilities. Each facility serves 25 clients and we share the same director. After twice cancelation due to mandatory workshops, finally we made it. And still three staffs couldn't make it, but we had a magnificent time.

Maryanne, a Senior Recovery Specialist was the host. Laura, a part time counselor gave me,Eddie and Melf a ride to Maryanne's house in Dedham. Everybody seemed to arrive at the same time. Just standing in front of the house we were, oohhhhhed and aahhhhed at the size of the house.

The back of the house where we had games, breakfast and lunch.

Maryanne is a nun and she lives in this eight bedrooms grand house with another 5 nuns. All of them are working at various non-profit agencies in the city. As we entered the front door, we were introduced to three nuns who were leaving for the day. They were in colorful bermuda shorts and hawaiian shirts. "I kick them out so we could have the house to ourselves," Maryanne said jokingly as we were introduced to these wondeful women.

As we trooped behind Maryanne from one room to another for a house tour, the ooohhhh.....and the aaaahhhhh and the sounds of gasp followed us. We marvelled at the house and its beauty,simplicity and the warmth of each corner and room that radiated. Well, that was how I felt.

Maryanne

    

The kitchen, one of my favorite part of the house .     

                                                                Laura

                                                  

                                                                 

After the breakfast and before the games, I hit the swing first.

And not long after that, the rest of the gang...............

CP, our director is on the top, and a few were still lingering at breakfast table.

A few of us were a little shy, they preferred to stay on the background or still at the lunch spread :))

We all agreed that we should get together more often. I've noticed the comfort level and the warm we radiated from each other was incredible. The trouble is trying to get one day for all of us to be together on any working days is not that simple. But this was the positive beginning.

Thursday Challenge: Rock

http://www.spunwithtears.com/thursday.html
 

Bankcroft Tower in Worcester, Massachusetts.

Candy Dizzy Necklace

A snippet this afternoon during a weekly session with one of my new clients.

"Have you noticed any positive changes in you since you came here two weeks ago?"

"Ohh....yessss," He had  a candy necklace around his neck when he came into my office. He gently pulled the candy from the string and ate them one after another while we talked. He said it helped him to slow down his racing thought. 

"Lovely, would you like to share it with me?"

"The candy? You must be thinking I'm like so rude but I'm not you know I like sharing things with nice people you know what I mean?" The string broke and before he could grab it, a few of pastel color candies escaped from his big hand and fell on the rug.

"Oh not the candy. The positive changes. But thank you for your offer."

From his seat, he bent down from the waist and picked up the candies off the floor. He held the candy between his forefinger and his thumb he blew the candy and threw it into his mouth.

"I take a shower everyday now it is a positive change, right? Why do I feel dizzy?"

"Because your head is almost touching the floor."