The flow at the coffee shop

I stopped at the coffee shop at the Central Library to have lunch between appointments today.  I hadn't been to the shop since they remodeled it about a year ago.  I like to give the place some business since it is run as a project for a nonprofit organization. 

 

I was surprised to find they either didn't have sandwiches any more or they only had some in the refrigerator case.  I wasn't sure which because the person behind the counter didn't make it too clear.  I figure if the shop is a project one of the lessons to learn is clear communication leads to more sales than mumbling.  I ended up having a cup of coffee and reading for a while.  As I was sitting there I heard people ordering soup.  I thought it odd the person didn't mention the soup as an option. 

 

After sitting a while I decided I'd have the soup.  I ended up waiting to order because one of the regulars was chatting with the counter person.  The soup was week and expensive. 

 

The shop is more of a fixture than a business.  The rhythm of the shop includes regulars who know the menu and occasional stragglers.  It fulfilled its mission of being a nonprofit project.  As a producer of good, fast, food it was marginal.  next time I'll stick to the coffee and find another place for lunch.

 

<http://www.DanLococo.com/>

 

Today's reading - John 8:1-11

The bible reading today was the Gospel of John chapter 8 verses 1 through 11.  It's the story of the Pharisees bringing a woman who had been accused of committing adultery to Jesus.  I find the passage very interesting because of its simplicity and complexity.

 

The accepted take-away from the reading is:  let he who is without sin cast the first stone.  A great message but it doesn't do the reading justice if that is all that is seen in it.  If we took the accepted message     literally we'd never have a firm stance on anything.  The inference to not get too self-righteous is clear and worth taking to heart.  But what was Jesus writing on the ground?  The reading provides no answer.  A blog entry?  Probably not. 

 

My wife has studied the Bible and often gives me the contextual background of Bible passages.  Sometimes she is very helpful.  Sometimes I just like to sit with the reading and be satisfied with the ambiguity of the message.

 

 

<http://www.DanLococo.com/>

 

The challenge of a clean slate

It is the start of a new day at the start of a new week.  There is a fresh snow to make everything appear bright and clean.

 

As I look out on the freshness of it all the opportunities are overwhelming.  Of all the things I could do with all of this freshness...  Where should I start?  How do I prioritize?  My mind races from the moment to the day to the week and beyond.  Read a book?  Shovel the snow?  Plan my week? 

 

As I fixate on the options and possibilities I realize I want to pace myself and be thoughtful in my actions:  some good music, a cup of coffee, a conversation with my daughter.  Al good and important things.  Am I pacing myself or just getting distracted?

 

A bit less analysis and a bit more savoring the time I have will put things into perspective.

 

 

<http://www.DanLococo.com/>

 

Not watering the wok

I made fried rice for supper last night.  After the meal I cleaned the wok I had used with salt and a paper towel.  

 

I had “rescued” this wok about thirty years ago from a closet.  My Dad’s girlfriend thought the only way to clean any cooking tools was with soap and water.  She had let the steel wok deteriorate into a rusted mess.  As I recall I found a couple of very nice cast iron frying pans at the same time.

 

After many hours of working the wok with steel wool I was able to clear the rust and have a smooth cooking surface.  I seasoned the wok with oil and have never used soap on it.  A few years ago I decided to take things one step further and stop using water on the wok.    

 

As I cleaned the wok I wondered if it was worth the effort to keep it clean. As I rubbed the salt into the wok I realized there was more to this process than just getting organic material off a cooking surface.  In asking myself if it was worth the effort I was asking myself if the meal was good enough to justify the work it took to clean up after consuming it.  It was.   I was also aware that by using the wok I had made it better than it was before I started.  I was also aware the time I spend doing simple tasks well is rarely wasted time.

 

<http://www.DanLococo.com/>-------------------------

Dan Lococo

Facilitation, planning, analysis

 

Affinity By Design, LLC

414.333.5846

dlococo@AffinityByDesign.com

<http://www.AffinityByDesign.com/>

 

Sharing hard lessons

The other day Jessica let her mother know she had sold her I-Pod for $200.  She was very proud of herself for getting some good money for something she had never used.

 

When she came home from college last night we found she was depressed about the way her semester has been going so far.  School is much harder this semester.  The math class she is taking is being taught by a new instructor who doesn’t seem to have the knowledge transfer thing down too well.  Jess needs a tutor but has been too busy to get one.  The drama of dormitory life is present at her school just as in all other schools at all other times.  Still, it is a force to be dealt with at the most inconvenient times.  And the I-Pod sale:  E-Bay let her know the buyer was fraudulent and she wasn’t likely to get paid for her I-Pod.  Unfortunately she had already sent the device to the buyer on the assumption she was dealing with an honest person.

 

I could tell how bad Jessica felt about getting ripped off.  It didn’t seem like time well spent to ask her about why she didn’t use any of the safeguards E-Bay has suggested avoiding rip-offs.  The situation left me with a dull ache in my stomach.  

 

After sleeping on it I began to wonder about that dull ache in my stomach.  It certainly had something to do with Jess getting ripped off but I don’t wish we had raised her to be suspicious of everyone she deals with.  The naivety  Jessica possesses is a precious part of her personality.  As I lay in bed thinking about how bad jess must feel about losing the $200 she thought she had earned for herself I reflected back to my college years.  I had had a beautiful racing motorcycle I no longer used but didn’t want to let go of.  I had left it in the storage area of a house I had lived at.  When I went back to get the motorcycle (many months after moving out of the house) I found it was gone and the owner knew nothing about where it might be.  It was an expensive lesson for a nieve kid.

 

I think I need to find an opportunity to share the experience with Jessica and let her figure out the lesson part for herself.  I am confident she will take the lesson well and move on with life.

 

<DanLococo.com>

 

A Ministry in Waiting

It’s the warmest morning we’ve had in the past month and a half.  Both Zoe and I really could use an early morning walk.  As I come down the driveway one of my neighbors lets me know it’s very icy.  I knew this as soon as I came out of the house, but was grateful to have the cautionary warning.

 

I’ve decided this morning to forego the standard listening fare of business reports/books in favor of commercial radio.  I figure this will allow my mind to wander during the endless stream of commercials for things I don’t need or want.  The classic rock station is playing some good music, so I think I’ve struck a good balance between time to ponder and time to just let the morning drift by.

 

My neighbor is right, it’s quite icy in places, but the warn air makes the occasional dance steps a welcome trade-off.  The walk is a good opportunity to reflect on the week.  

 

The song “Dust in the Wind” by Kansas comes on the radio.  It was popular at a time when I was quite troubled over losing my vision to retinitis pigmentosa (tunnel vision).  Listening to the song reminds me of how fleeting things can be:  having vision and loosing it, feeling sorry for myself and moving on with my life.

 

As I walk my mind goes to conversations I’ve had in the last two days.  I’ve been working on a project to get blind people more involved in the pursuit of their own independence.  In doing the grass-roots portion of this project I’ve talked to a wide variety of people and received a wide variety of responses.  Two of these people have contacted me in the past two days just to talk.

 

On Friday I got a call from a microbiologist who has lost his vision over the past three years.  This PhD has published two dozen articles and written a number of chapters for various textbooks.  He seemed very interested in the fact I have my own consulting practice, http://www.AffinityByDesign.com/.  Our discussion included some of the struggles involved in dealing with vision loss.  It was an interesting discussion; as much as I have great respect for the accomplishments this man has achieved, he seems to be equally captivated by the fact I don’t let my blindness get in the way of my goals.  There seems to be a great opportunity for mutual benefit here.  

 

On Thursday I got a call from an older woman who wanted some advice on software which would allow her computer to both magnify the screen and talk out loud.  From our previous discussions I’ve learned she has done some investing.  I am hoping to get her involved in the program I’m developing so she can be a role model for others.  As we talked I learned she really wants to do more things for herself.  She wants to be able to read her own investment reports and to be able to stay in contact with people by email.  This is exactly what I am hoping the program work I’m doing will cultivate.

 

Reflecting on these conversations brought me back to the start of my walk:  sometimes all we need is a friendly voice to remind us to watch out for the slippery spots.  I only hope I can be that friendly voice for those who reach out to me.  What if the project I’m working on could create a place where hopes and fears, and sharing of gifts came together?

 

http://www.danlococo.com/

 

A great holiday deal

today is Christmas.  As a person who practices the Christian faith this is a special time to celebrate and reflect. 

One of the things I like most of days like Christmas is how they are a mix of ritual, expectation and unstructured time.  We went to church last night and will spend time with family today.  Right now however is that unstructured time that is open for interpretation.  Being the day we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ puts some significant pressure on how this free time is spent.  I am looking forward to spending some time in prayer, some time visiting with loved ones and some time reflecting on the many gifts I have in my life.

At the same time I realize Christmas doesn’t have the same clout it once did.  In part this is because the religious aspects of Christmas have diminished and been replaced by commercialism (although not so much this year).  We also are more open to acknowledging spiritual diversity of those around us.  As I take the time to celebrate and reflect today, I wonder how persons of other faith traditions will spend this holiday.  If the commitments of faith and family tradition were not present in my life, today would be a free day to pause and reflect and regroup.  I’m left to wonder how I could take advantage of this opportunity.  I could easily learn about the traditions of others and take some time out on their sacred days.  This would give me a chance to celebrate the gifts of my life without the hassle that sometimes comes with the holidays.  What a deal.

Web:  <www.DanLococo.com>