"Human beings by nature want happiness and do not want suffering. With that feeling everyone tries to achieve happiness and tries to get rid of suffering, and everyone has the basic right to do this. In this way, all here are the same, whether rich or poor, educated or uneducated, Easterner or Westerner, believer or non-believer, and within believers whether Buddhist, Christian, Jewish, Muslim, and so on. Basically, from the viewpoint of real human value we are all the same."


~His Holiness the Dalai Lama

It's all about the connections.  In my job, I see people in all stages of their lives.  We have children's programs (with which I have little contact) and programs for people who are just starting their recovery journey and those who are further along the path to mental wellness.  It is my priviledge to be invited into their lives when they're at their most vulnerable and to sometimes give them something to hold onto.  I think I've always wanted to be a counselor of some sort.  Not because I think I am particularly wise but because I believe most people already know what they want/need and just need someone outside of themselves to help them bring it out.  It fills me with quiet contentment when someone lets me know that they are having some small success and that I was somehow a part of it.  That's what it's all about. 

Being in my 50's, I have frequent thoughts of retirement (although Social Security lets me know that I shouldn't be too optimistic about that).  I look forward to being able to schedule my days according to my wants/needs and to not have to punch someone else's clock.  I will probably get involved in something else, maybe teaching literacy at the local library, to help keep myself occupied and to fill the need to help.  But for the moment, I am content to do what I can where I am. 

On the knitting front, I am almost finished my Embossed leaves socks (and they look gorgeous) and I'm on the foot of the patonyle Go with the Flow socks.  The stitch definition in that yarn is amazing.  I ripped out 30 rows of lace (I know.  Ouch), all the way back to the second lifeline (whoever invented lifelines is a hero in my book) and restarted clue number 2 on my Evenstar shawl.  I'm 8 rows in and it's looking good.  I am doing a few rows at a time rather than trying to sprint through and make mistakes.  My Ott light really comes in handy for this.  I got if for Christmas and hadn't really used it until about 2 weeks ago. I brought it upstairs where I knit at night and wow.   It makes it so much easier to see what I'm doing.  And I can focus it only on my hands and needles.   Hobbes likes it, too.  He'll curl up on my lap and sit there when I put the light on. 

Rosered asked what I would say to the Dalai Lama if I met him.  I have given this quite a bit of thought and I have no idea.  I think I'd like to sit down and have lunch with him and just have conversation.  He's been all over the world and has seen so many interesting things.  I don't think I'm smart/educated enough to keep up with him!  But somehow, I don't think that would matter too much.