January 20, 2013: Back in the Rhythm...

Heaveno!

Alright, back to weekly blogging.

Except, I don't really know what to blog about.  I think being out of practice leaves me out of touch.  Family?  Work?  PUCK?  All of the above?  Life's good around here.  Ali continues to show signs of artistic brilliance.  My goal is to try to make her hand writing an expression of art as well.  My big sister Tracy's handwriting and signature inspired me growing up.  She was an artist and so was I, and I began to look at my signature and my handwriting as expressions of art as much as information.  Ali doesn't quite see the connection yet.  Mainly, she's just bothered by writing and can't wait to be done with it because she enjoys drawing so much more.  And drawing she can do (see above).



I've been reading Julian "Green Eggs and Ham" daily lately.  He has a voracious appetite for books.  Always has, and he is 17 months and he will sit totally calm and focused on that book right now.  It's fascinating how into books he gets.  "Green Eggs and Ham" has really been interesting to read lately.



It is a most wonderful essay on persistence, and overcoming adversity.

Imagine Sam-I-Am as a salesperson, or someone with a vision, or an agent of change.  The comparatively older 'monster' reading the newspaper at the beginning of our story is really playing the role of, the prospect, or 'the status quo.'  Oh, and 'green eggs and ham' can be either any product or service, or change itself.

Through this lens, imagine the whole story as a sales conversation.  The prospect starts out be already declaring that he doesn't like change.  Sam, begins innocently, "Do you like change?"

"NO!" is essentially the direct retaliation from the monster known as Status Quo.

Instead of apologizing, or slinking off, and rather than giving up, Sam, goes for the alternate close, "Would you like them here or there?" However, Status Quo is unfazed.  Not only does he like change in certain areas, he doesn't like it anywhere!

Undeterred, our hero presses on, simply embodying the possibilty that what's missing is the right combination of factors.  Essentially, more effort and information is needed before he can close the sale than he originally thought.  However, Sam carries on, offering no less than 6 more options - each with its own straightforward REBUTTAL by Status Quo.

Finally, Status Quo actually says flat out, "You let me be," which is another way of saying, "Leave it alone, kid."  Thus begins Status Quo's own counter-argument.  He's no longer just saying what he doesn't want, he's now attempting to influence Sam into doing what he wants (which is nothing, of course).

Have you ever wanted to change something, and run into an external (or internal) 'force' telling you to leave it be?  Leave things the way they are?

Our hero tries again, on a train, in the dark, in the rain, all to no avail, and with repeated responses to , "DROP IT!"  (let me be), until the moment of truth...

"You do not like green eggs and ham?"

"I do not like them Sam-I-Am."

Cue the final nail hitting the coffin, right?  Where does Sam go from here?

He goes for the GOAT!  You turn the page, and he's off again, offering solutions, ideas, seemingly more ridiculous than ANY OTHER so far!  and with complete excitement, passion, and presence.  The look on his face on page 43 does not show a HINT of the lengths he's gone through to this moment.  He's like a puppy - always in the present moment - who completely forgets anything that happened 5 minutes ago.

(Lemme tell ya, I only WISH I could master that skill!  I look at Sam on p. 43 and I am totally inspired.)

Sam presses on, and notice he isn't angry, bitter, annoyed... even in the midst of total chaos as they sink under water with EVERYTHING crashing and 'sinking' around them.  He pops back up out of the water on page 53 encouraging Status Quo, "Try them and you may, I say."

(How many of you have said THAT to your kids? LOL.)

FINALLY, on p. 54, Status Quo begins to crack.  He can't take it anymore.  It's just too much.  The persistence is wearing him out.  IF ONLY to SHUT SAM UP, he'll play along, but really, it's just to get Sam off his back.  Sam, all the while, as hopeful and polite... and with his mouth SHUT.

GULP.

TRANSFORMATION.

What I love most about p.59 is Sam's body language and expression.  Status Quo is delighting over this pleasant surprise, and Sam is simply tickled.  He is attentive, like a host or hostess, like a parent, like a teacher.  He is RIGHT THERE in the moment, shining possibility, encouragement, and support.  He is NOT showing any signs of cynicism or annoyance that it took this long.  He's just essentially 'over there' in Status Quo's world. It's like he KNEW all along that this would be the outcome if he just could get Status Quo to try, so there was never a moment of doubt.

Status Quo now sees the light.  He can see all the different applications of this new idea, this new change, and he now begins to enroll himself into the idea.  He is off and running with the idea.  It has taken seed in his mind now.  Sam's work is done here.  He has planted the seed of possibility, and it was FAR from easy.

Here's the best part.

Status Quo at the end THANKS Sam TWICE for something that Sam already knew.  Sam just KNEW if he could get Status Quo to try, that it would work.  He just had to wait around for Status Quo to reach that point on his own.  The process was ugly, filled with chaos, fits, tantrums, collateral damage, and yet all of this is washed away in a moment and image of simplicity when Sam-I-Am and Status Quo stand side by side, no longer facing each other as adversaries, with Status Quo's arm affectionately draped over Sam, Sam smiling humbly yet triumphant.

Do you have a new idea that you just KNOW will make your world better if you could just get it out of your head and planted into someone else's?  Are you willing to take as much abuse as Sam did to see that idea planted?  And when it is, will you forgive the process it took?  AND THEN, will you be willing to get up the next day and start all over again?  These are good questions for January.  They are good questions for ME.  I hope they are good questions for you, too.

God night.