Don't Worry For the Rest of Your Life!!

                          
I have to laugh out loud and let all of the warm fuzzy memory feelings  come right to the surface!  Anyone love the Lion King and especially Pumbaa??  I do and I remember where I got this fellow.  It's a story that came back to me today.  I sent out New Year's greetings to my friends.  Evelyn Effinger, from NY state is one of them.  We met eons ago and today she reminded me that I am better than she at keeping in touch and growing relationships.  I reminded her that since she responded to me, well, then wasn't she pretty ok about it too?  Evelyn and I met oh so many years ago when we were both doing some consulting work for Early Head Start when the technical assistance system was at NYU.  I had been to California to do Program for Infant Toddler Care training and within days, I came back and we did the training in NYC for a group of 50!!  We had our days filled and our nights to play.  Evelyn and I decided to go and see what kinds of half price tickets we could find at the Times Square trailer.  We saw the Lion King and were waiting in line when a scalper approached us.  He offered us the tickets at $?? Geez I can't remember everything?!  We looked at one another and asked how much we were willing to afford losing it the tickets weren't real?  We went for it and although the seats were in the LAST ROW of the upper balcony, the tickets were legitimate and the show was great!! 
As a gift to myself that night, I bought me a Pumbaa stuffed animal who sits in my office all the time to remind me of his message about Don't Worry for the Rest of Your Life.  Evelyn bought a watch - she collects them.  So today, I brought Pumbaa to my desk, got the email from Evelyn and here is the song for your enjoyment!!  What a solid message to start the New Year with!!  Enjoy!!

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejEVczA8PLU

Playing in the Sandbox

It was a really HOT day in Central Park in New York City and PhotoSchmoozer was there with the Gloucester County Photography group for a day of photo ops!  What could we see?  What would we share?  My focus (no pun intended) is on relationships and especially those with and among children.  How fortunate to get to a shady spot and see this group playing together.  Lucky to have a zoom so I wouldn't bother them, I stood outside the fenced in area and was STILL and watched.  They used their words, they used one another's shovels and buckets, they all decided to remove their shoes and they watched one another.  There was no sand throwing, grabbing or otherwise out of sorts behaviors. Lately, as I have beeen 'playing in the sandbox' with big people through my work and volunteer efforts, I keep thinking back to the children in the park and wondering when children lost the sharing and become so much more about their own interests.  I have been working a lot with collaborative efforts and wonder why these big people can't sit in the sandbox and play well together?!?  Is it about funding, self interests, and a lack of realization that we are all working toward the same goals?  Is it about needing to use power to be right and control others? Is it forgetting that times are challenging and IF we all played well in the sandbox and shared our toys, there would actually be more for everyone?!?  I wouldn't point fingers or name names, but I do have my child-like wishes that people would stop, watch, and reflect on the mission that we are ALL about and share their toys!!