February 1, 2013
Listening Deeply to Life
I miss much of life because I'm not paying attention. This morning I stumbled across this brief poem, again, and was brought to my senses:
I have seen flowers come in stony places
And kind things done by men with ugly faces
And the gold cup won by the worst horse at the races,
So I trust too.
John Masefield
Posted by pgutwin at 11:38 AM | Comments (0)
January 13, 2013
No Warning
I've recently received a couple small items for work (headset adapter, new keyboard), and despite the old ones working well enough, I fell into a frenzy to get these two installed in the 20 minutes I had before my first conference call. 
I should have been paying more attention.
I purchased a new bike computer, and it arrived on Friday. I didn't feel in any hurry to do anything with it, given the less than ideal riding weather. However, on Saturday morning I again noticed the package and decided to just see what was in it. The documentation was all on a CD, and the only thing in the package was a "quick start" guide and the "Safety and Product Information booklet". I quickly thumbed through the safety part, noting that I should exercise caution regarding my health and safety by not programming the device while driving, consulting a physician before significant exercise changes, etc., etc..
So I received no warning for the strange events which then unfolded. After unpacking the device and noting the software requirements, I loaded the new programs on my computer and plugged in the device. I was greeted by the message "no data to upload". This was not OK of course, so I needed to collect some kind of data. I considered just walking around with the device but rejected that option as weak. Within minutes I was dressed and rolling down the ice-covered driveway to collect some "data".
In the end it was a nice, although wet and cold ride. I would have appreciated some kind of warning like: "Caution - new electronic bike gadgets should only be opened in suitable weather conditions." That would have been helpful.
Posted by pgutwin at 9:15 AM | Comments (0)
January 6, 2013
Finally Got There!
Epiphany is a fascinating coda to the Christmas story, and we celebrated the arrival of Magi today at St. Paul's. In the Episcopal tradition, the three kings, often also referred to as wise men, traveled from far away to see the baby Jesus. What I find fascinating about this tradition is the arc it implies.
Something inside these men led them far from home and family, with very valuable gifts and an uncertain destination, using simply a start for navigation. To embark on such a journey with so many perils would require quite a bit of faith.
When they arrived at a simple stable to meet this new born baby, we are told that they rejoiced in meeting God incarnate. Certainly such a conclusion to a long journey would be life-changing.
But here's the wonderful part: Faith lead these men to an amazing experience. But what's next? How should they now live? Faith led them to a certain point, and then they were transformed. While the story we know ends, their lives continued. What did they do next?
This is the same question that we face (or at least I do) every day. Yes, the gift of Jesus is marvelous. But what do we do with that gift?
Posted by pgutwin at 12:35 PM | Comments (0)
January 4, 2013
Can You Hear Me Now?
Somehow, somehow, my work here seems to have fallen aside. That's sad. But 2013 is a new, and odd, year. Perhaps things will go oddly this year - perhaps not. We'll see. Maybe together...
Posted by pgutwin at 8:27 PM | Comments (0)