"If we knew each others' secrets, what comfort we would find."

I have a friend who is going through a tough time right now. The courage she's embodying to face this head-on is inspiring.

By revealing her "weakness," she's given her friends the opportunity to share her burden. And, for that, I am grateful.

She shared an especially touching txt that one of us sent. And, she got the words a little mixed up.

I prefer her version. It describes the very best in our friends.


"If we knew each others' secrets, what comfort we could bring."

Hall Pass

Certain concepts from High School have stayed with me.

For example, when my flight's delayed and I'm stuck at the airport, or I'm sitting on a tattered old couch in the office/waiting room of my mechanic while my Tracker "goes for a ride" on the lift (he LOVES it up there)... I am in study hall. Books open. No talking. Txting becomes the equivalent of passing notes.

Really, I'm in heaven. No complaining. I may have stuff to do and places to be, but right now, I'm here; an in-between moment. Just like study hall. I can make lists, plan, call people, but I prefer to take this hemmed in piece of the day to explore, daydream, read, and wonder. I enjoy the breather.

And this morning, I remembered my Hall Pass.

When I hear that voice inquire, "Ms. Ciampa, shouldn't you be doing something?" I flash my pass.

Signed by Mr. Wordsworth. (... who i met in high school.)


Expostulation and Reply

"Why, William, on that old grey stone,
Thus for the length of half a day,
Why, William, sit you thus alone,
And dream your time away?

"Where are your books? --that light bequeathed
To Beings else forlorn and blind!
Up! up! and drink the spirit breathed
From dead men to their kind.

"You look round on your Mother Earth,
As if she for no purpose bore you;
As if you were her first-born birth,
And none had lived before you!"

One morning thus, by Esthwaite lake,
When life was sweet, I knew not why,
To me my good friend Matthew spake,
And thus I made reply:

"They eye-- it cannot choose but see;
We cannot bid the ear be still;
Our bodies feel, where'er they be,
Against or with our will.

"Nor less I deem that there are Powers
Which of themselves our minds impress;
That we can feed this mind of ours
In a wise passiveness.

"Think you, 'mid all this mighty sum
Of things for ever speaking,
That nothing of itself will come,
But we must still be seeking?

"--Then ask not wherefore, here, alone,
Conversing as I may,
I sit upon this old grey stone,
And dream my time away."

i'm back

starting now

Quote of the Day

"Along with love, compassion is the face of altruism. It is a feeling from deep in the heart that you cannot bear others' sufferings without acting to relieve it." -Dalai Lama

sometimes it's the little things

i was txting with a friend the other day.

just one of those random:

i'm going for a walk... but.... maybe coffee first.

she txted back:

my sister-in-law puts a little cinnamon in hers when she brews it.

a thoughtful little suggestion like that makes me happy & adds to my day.

txting with pals.. like cinnamon in coffee... adds spice to life.

what applies?

.

Here's a fun little vid to kick off the week.

I ran across it at thomascwaters.com.



Brings up the question: what applies?

And: who decides?

Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act

The good news just keeps rolling in...

(check out HRC.org for the whole article)

The House and Senate introduced the Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act. The The DPBO Act would afford same-sex partners of Fed Employees the same benefits that "opposite marriage" spouses get.

As it stands, and has been for lo these many years, same-sex partners are denied access to retirement programs, life and health insurance benefits, and family and medical leave.

“This legislation would allow the federal government to keep pace with other top employers,” said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. “It is not only a matter of equal pay for equal work, but also the best way to ensure that the government has access to the top talent on the same basis as the nation’s leading corporations.”

(rebuttal, GOP Chairman Steele?)
.

If you would like to learn about the 1138 Rights Denied to GLBT Americans....

click, learn, talk!

How much do UNequal rights cost?

Following up on my last post.

(big nod to Autumn Sandeen's article on pamshouseblend.com)

When we last left GOP Chair Steele, he was declaring that Marriage Equality would cost too much... not in dignity, pursuit of happiness, sanctity of relationships, civil rights, integrity of the nation, etc etc, but in cold hard cash.

Cut to this scene in Dr. King's I Have A Dream speech:

"When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the "unalienable Rights" of "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note, insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds."

But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. And so, we've come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice."

Back to the future...

As long as Steele is bringing up concern for costs- for the cost of health care and equal benefits to GLBT families- let's consider that DONT ASK DONT TELL is costing the taxpayers a fortune.

In just one instance, $25 million in training is being blown to kick out a decorated war hero b/c he is gay.

You can see Lieutenant Colonel Victor J. Fehrenbach's story here.

Also booted out:

Arab linguist Dan Choi

2nd Lt Sandy Tsao

over 200 other service members since Obama took office, after campaigning to put an end to Don't Ask Don't Tell