I can't sleep…
My job is simple: get around the fields and feed and shepherd the different flocks of ewes— dealing with any issues that arise.
First rule of shepherding: it’s not about you, it’s about the sheep and the land.
Second rule: you can’t win sometimes.
Third rule: shut up, and go and do the work.
~ James Rebanks, The Shepherd’s Life: Modern Dispatches from an Ancient Landscape.
Notes:
My grandfather is asleep in an old brown armchair that is for his use, and his use only. He has read the local newspaper and fallen asleep in it after his midday meal. He is old and tired because he starts early and works too hard for an old man. But I wish he would wake up. Sometimes when he is not working he tells me stories. He loves to tell stories. True stories. This is how he passes on his values. How he tells me who we are. They have morals, these stories.
We don’t give up, even when things are bad.
We pay our debts.
We work hard.
We act decently.
We help our neighbours if they need it.
We do what we say we will do.
We don’t want much attention.
We look after our own.
We are proud of what we do.
We try to be quietly smart.
We take chances sometimes to get on.
We will fail sometimes.
We will be affected by the wider world …
But we hold on to who we are.
It was clear from his stories that we were part of a tradition, that long pre-dated us, and would long exist after us. The stories left you feeling proud to be part of that tradition, but very aware that as individuals we were bound by duty to carry it on, bound to try and live by those values. His main lesson was above all to get along with people; don’t burn your bridges or they will stay down for a long time. Having the same families live and work alongside each other for many centuries created a unique kind of society with special values.
~ James Rebanks, The Shepherd’s Life: Modern Dispatches from an Ancient Landscape.
Notes:
I’m rushing to catch the elevator. I’m late for my next meeting, and busy replaying the outcome of the last. I step into the building lobby and run into a colleague.
JQ: Hey, Dave. Do you have a minute?
DK: Running late, but of course.
JQ: I wanted to share an idea and get your thoughts. I know that you’ve been blogging for some time. I’ve been thinking of doing the same. I visit assisted care living facilities (ACLF) on weekends and write stories.
DK: Write stories?
JQ: Yes. Many of the people I meet are ill, lonely and rarely visited by family. They look forward to speaking to me. I meet them all in person. Some interviews take 5 hours. Some 30 minutes. I take their picture. All with their consent or consent of a family member.
As he describes his “hobby,” I take an inventory of recent posts: Snoopy. A cat video. Hyperrealistic painting of lady in bath tub eating cake. OMG. Continue reading “Extraordinary person. Ordinary People and their Extraordinary Stories.”
Good Wednesday morning. Here are my selections of the inspiring posts of the week:
Elisa Ruland @ South of Easton with her beautiful post titled Despair, in memoriam to those who died on 9-11: “Scouring the rusted steel edges I wanted to find an explanation for the madness, I wanted to feel something instead of going numb, to find beauty in the ugliness. The pain, horror and confusion was palpable in the blast etched remains of the steel, and the need to walk away was overwhelming. I left without any answers to calm the static...” That is Elisa’s photograph above. Read more at this link. Check out her other wonderful posts and photographs at this link.
LouAnn @ On the HomeFront with her post titled “Beauty and Grace.” You are asked to write 6 words that describe what your future holds for you. What are your six words? Go to this link and read LouAnn’s story.
The Kindness Blog with a post titled: “Go Humans.” I just began following this blog which posts and shares heartwarming morsels of humanity each day. Check out this post at at this link. Take a moment to fan through the other posts over the past week. I’m convinced you’ll feel a change.
Cristi Moise @ Simple & Interesting his share: People Seeing Their Younger Self in The Mirror. “Tom Hussey is an award-winning lifestyle advertising photographer based in Dallas, Texas. In a series entitled Reflections, Hussey shows a series of elderly people looking in a mirror at their younger self.” Moving. You’ll find one of Hussey’s pictures below. You must see the others at this link.
Have a great hump day.
Good Wednesday morning. Here are my selections of the inspiring posts of the week:
Jon-Mark Davey with his post: Life Changing Moment: “Nothing changes your life like a life-changing moment. It may sound pretty obvious, but that statement doesn’t have real impact until a moment changes your life. One certainly changed ours.” Heartbreaking. Read more at this link.
Make Believe Boutique (back again) with her share titled The Twinkling Stars Behind Our Sorrow: “…It is rare to meet a person whose life is full of gratitude. Even though the course of a single day may bring innumerable blessings to us, the few moments of genuine gratitude we experience are often overshadowed by our complaints, disappointments, sorrow, and frustration…” Read more at this link. Continue reading “4:04 am. And Inspired.”