Immeasurably More

Dear Reader, Arriving at the theater to find there were no tickets left for the afternoon showing of Inside Out, a visiting friend and I escaped the rain by ducking into a bookstore.  (There are three bookstores here in a town of 6668.)   Soon after we were cozy on the couch, both of us discovering new authors. I had chosen the No.1 Ladies Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith for her as light reading and The Portable Dorothy Parker for myself (bringing my count of currently reading books to 5).  However, I had forgotten about Mma Ramotswe's dark past, and my friend has laid the book aside declaring she needs a break from the sad story. As penance, I have offered to buy her dinner. And I expect that when we part tonight we will still be able to say: Constant use had not worn ragged the fabric of their friendship.  Dorothy Parker "The Standard of Living" ~~ LeAn

Dear Reader, When I arrived in Maine last Wednesday, I asked my landlord for restaurant recommendations.  He asked if I was a beer drinker and recommended a restaurant on the water that serves beer from the local brewery.  "Also," he added, "It's where the smart people hang out."  I may not historically be a beer drinker but I did come to Maine for the water.  And I figured as long as I didn't drink too much I could blend in with the smart people. I was perusing the beer list when the waitress came over to take my order.  One choice is as good as another when you don't know what you're talking about, but rather than choose blindly, I asked the waitress for recommendations.  She was most enthusiastic about a Russian Imperial Stout.  (Think darker and higher alcohol content than Guinness.) I liked it and thought I would order it again given the opportunity. I got the opportunity yesterday in Boston.  I was in town overnight for work, and a ...

A couple of months ago, I came across this passage in Changes that Heal  by Dr. Henry Cloud.  I actually stopped and went back to re-read it several times. "People who are isolated emotionally feel that life has no meaning. Because they often confuse this feeling of meaninglessness with not having purpose , they desperately try to find meaning in some activity or ministry."   (italics mine) It had never, before that moment, occurred to me that meaning and purpose were separate aspects of the human experience independent from each other.  Now that it has, I've been thinking about how to distinguish between the two things. For me, it is easier to appreciate the distinction between meaning and purpose when considering inanimate objects especially gifts.  As an example, my most prized possession is a jade pendent given to me by my maternal grandfather on my 16th birthday.  As an object its purposes were to make a profit for the jeweler, to please me ...

Dear Reader, 3.5 miles outside of town, I crested a hill and had my first view of the water. 2.5 miles outside of town I passed the Curling Club. For dinner, I walked .5 miles to the waterfront to drink local beer and eat local crab. The trip odometer reads 2257.1 miles since Tulsa. I think I will reset it now and stay put for a little while. ~~ LeAn

I've left the post meant for today half written while I watch back episodes of Dr. Who with my family. Check back on Wednesday!

Dear Reader, The hotel elevator stopped at the fourth floor and a man got on. He looked at me. I looked at him. "What are you doing here?!" he asked in an Italian accent. "What are you doing here?!" I replied in my American one. We kissed each other on the cheek and chatted over breakfast. Being back in Cambridge and Windsor at my former offices feels both strange and comfortable.  People keep asking me where I am living these days and I tell them, "All my stuff is in my car.  I'm grateful to the company for getting me the hotel room.  It's nice to be able to shower."  Some of them hesitate as if they think it could possibly be true and they're not sure how they should respond.  Others of my American former coworkers no longer recognize me and look at me oddly when I wave hello. But perhaps the strangest feeling comes from the power shift I felt sitting across a desk from my former boss (the one who was once surprised to find out that I consid...

Dear Reader, One of my primary complaints about Tulsa is the lack of sidewalks outside the downtown area.  So, this week while I am in Cambridge, MA I am relishing the opportunity to leave the car parked at the hotel and to walk.  Today, I walked to the office, to the local mall for lunch, across the Longfellow Bridge through the Public Garden ending up at the Prudential Center.  And then it was an easy T ride back to the hotel. Yes - I do love the walking lifestyle. ~~ LeAn