Timon's Opus

There is never ever enough time. Americans are busy from the moment we wake unti we go to sleep. The morning is dominated by the commute to work. Both metro delays and traffic congestion across the Beltway can prevent us from arriving to work on time.  The workload in the office is dominated by multiple tasks and deadlines.  Some of members of the American workforce try to balance work and time away from the office.

We are a very busy with “to do” lists and errands to run. The weekend represents a chance to play catch with everything outside of the office.  Can we all take a collective deep breath and relax? No, we simply can’t sit still until exhaustion sets in.

Where does all of this busyness come from? The American work culture sets the tone early on in our school system in preparation for the workplace. Both environments people learn the importance of competition and winning the race.

This post isn’t about an changing our current culture. Americans thrive in our deadline driven, hyper competitive economic marketplace. There are very few things more rewarding than sense of accomplishment we get after the job is done (and done well).  Are we missing something from a culture that demands so much from us?   

What happens when an event in our lives slows us down? The first instinct I have it to plough through anything that is in front of me.  I just applied enough “heart and hustle” to the problem at hand. But what happens when I can’t muscle my way through life? 

Life is about learning how to make adjustments. This is a very different perspective regarding work and life. I am learning to make time to live and “learn my way” through life as well. Productivity is not just about hours spent at work and completing tasks on time. This approach to productivity is about making the most out of life, with what time we have.

There is no consensus regarding the birthday of Frederick Douglass. Some scholars and writers believe Douglass was born on February 14, 1818. However, today marks 115 years since his death. Mr. Douglass was an author, abolitionist and an extraordinary speaker. Douglass wrote his autobiography The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave in 1845. This publication captured his life as a slave and struggle to obtain his freedom.

Frederick Douglass also founded the abolitionist newspaper The North Star. The North Star’s motto was “Right is of no sex, Truth is of no Color.” Unlike his colleagues Martin Delaney and Henry McNeal Turner, Douglass did not support the “Back to Africa” movement. Mr. Douglass held President Abraham Lincoln accountable for his initial reluctance in embracing abolition. The life and work of Frederick Douglass served as Clarion call for American to fulfill its promise of freedom. The following poem by Paul Laurence Dunbar serves as a tribute to Douglass.

Ah, Douglass, we have fall’n on evil days,
Such days as thou, not even thou didst know,
When thee, the eyes of that harsh long ago
Saw, salient, at the cross of devious ways,
And all the country heard thee with amaze.
Not ended then, the passionate ebb and flow,
The awful tide that battled to and fro;
We ride amid a tempest of dispraise.

Now, when the waves of swift dissension swarm,
And Honour, the strong pilot, lieth stark,
Oh, for thy voice high-sounding o’er the storm,
For thy strong arm to guide the shivering bark,
The blast-defying power of thy form,
To give us comfort through the lonely dark.

`

The Washington D.C. area enjoyed some beautiful weather on Friday. During this premature springtime weather extravaganza, I spent my lunchtime walking around and past Saint Patrick’s Catholic Church.  There was a strong urge to enter the church. There was not enough time and I returned to the office.

The reason for this blog is to cultivate my inner skeptic. The irony is that I spent the majority of my Sundays in Southern Baptist Church in Texas. I consider myself a ”born again heathen,” and stayed away from church. Am I stumbling into spirituality?  This will take some time and serious consideration.

This week Borders filled for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection.  Borders will continue its operations both online and in some of its stores.  However, the nation’s second largest bookstore will close 200 stores. Borders was too slow to adopt to the changing marketplace.

The new marketplace for publications includes the Kindle and ordering books online.Some individuals believe Borders’ bankruptcy represents an opportunity for smaller independent bookstores to fill in the potential void. There are others that believe Borders’ bankruptcy will mark the end of chain bookstore era. Both perspective are premature at this point and only time will tell how the marketplace will change how book lovers enjoy the written word.

 Books are still more accessible that reading material online. There is no substitution for having a publication in hand. Americans already spends hours reviewing reports, e-mails and data via a computer screen. This is hardly a Luddite perspective. The deeper concern I have is for cultivating a culture that embraces the printed word. Whether its a book or a newspaper, reading a publication is a reaffirmation to our culture and provides context to life.

There is nothing like Red Meat. The taste and smell is simply wonderful. God gave humanity dominion over animals for a reason, to eat them. Well, we do not eat  companion animals and pets. There is nothing like well-cooked animal flesh. Goodness, I simply cannot help it. I love meat.

Well, so much for avoiding posts regarding yoga. However, I have to make an exception. I participate in an Anusara Yoga class at Inner Reaches Yoga and Health. Anusara is a playful, alignment centric approach to Hatha Yoga. Sharon Neubauer (who is a student of Anusara founder John Friend) offers her take on life “on and off the mat” before we practice.

The topic Sharon discussed with class today focused on “opening your heart”. The phrase open your heart is popular in yoga. Open your heart means allowing your mind and heart to experience life. Sharon’s pre-practice spiel resonated with me. We have to find the balance between challenging yourself and accepting things as they are. This is very hard in a society that demands so much. This point is very hard considering what I demand from myself. I was taught to “strive for the extraordinary” and plough through life by hard work. The most important lesson is to learn your way through life and make adjustment to reach a balance.

“Apologize” said Dr. Turner. “I am right and she is wrong,” I said. “Do you want to be right or do you want a relationship with a woman,” Dr. Turner countered. I still have so much to learn.

“Hold fast to your dreams, for without them life is a broken winged bird that cannot fly,” by Langston Hughes.

There are so many writers that have inspired me. The work of Langston Hughes continues to challenge all of us. Hughes work influenced American culture, not just Black culture. There is not enough time and space to adequately discuss his many contributions. Hughes wrote plays and novels. Hughes truly made his mark with his poetry. Thank you for challenging our hearts and minds. God bless you for what you have done for our culture.