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An electronic rock sound, with 70's big ballad vocals. Blitzen Trapper had more than a few shining moments...they shined during "Saturday Night" where their talents were all showcased - electronic sound effects, including this rad little green flute that makes an absolutely huge sound. Vocal Harmonies that are almost electronic sounding themselves - shone brilliantly during this jam. They took the stage following opener, Alela Diane, to a nearly sold-out crowd at First Avenue. Interestingly, my ticket stub reads Cedar Cultural Center, as that is where the band was initially booked. Ticket sales exceeded expectations, moving the band to the larger main room at First Ave.

In a band...and in life, we should know when to quit - if the rhythm slips away, it is time to cut our losses and end the tune. If the tune doesn't feel right, we shouldn't play it - as in life, if one path doesn't feel right, we shouldn't walk on that one. At times the moment took them too far away from the crowd - the jam got carried on too long, allowing the band to stray into a melody whose internal struggles were felt by each of us. Some of the songs felt like filler; truthfully, I would have preferred a shorter set. One short sweet set that was packed with shining moments, rather than this extended set that included a few mediocre live performances. Blitzen Trapper really found their groove in the slower moments - as with many new rock bands...I felt their ability to stick together was compromised on the faster tunes.

The band played one brand new song, something about "round and round..." I thought it was great, one of the highlights, I can't wait to see what Blitzen Trapper will come up with next. I would enjoy this show another time - and I would consider seeing them a second time.

I humbly offer my comments as constructive criticism, only meant to enhance Blitzen Trappers live performance...and as I said there were more than a few shining moments.

Today is a great day...
As I set out this morning toward the gym, a man approaching (a stranger) looked at me, smiled and said good morning. A simple gesture; something I occasionally do to strangers, on the street. It is an attempt to create community on city streets where there is none. On this morning, leaving my apartment, to watch our new president be sworn in, this man made me remember why I voted for Obama.

I didn't vote for Obama because he said that "HE" was a change we could believe in...I voted for him because he inspires change in each of us. We are the change we can believe in, in this new administration. Yesterday on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, 50 new volunteers showed up at the Give Us Wings offices in St. Paul. Inspired by Obama's call for a Day of Service, we had a 50 people who knew nothing about us show up on a Monday to volunteer their time and learn more. That is change I can believe in.

So whether you are black or white, blue or red, American or Kenyan - today is a great day...and change is on the horizon. I felt uplifted and hopeful as I jogged along through our new presidents speech. My hope is for each of us to remember that it takes each of us to build a community and make a difference...it is not up to this one man. He is the inspiration...but as he has reminded us, it will take some perspiration and hard work from each of us. American innovation can again lead the world through these trying times - I feel hopeful that this man will allow us that opportunity, by putting the red pen away and allowing positive change to occur.

On election night, back in November, I had the pleasure of seeing Bob Dylan play at the Northrup Auditorium. Although I had hoped for the icon to come out and make a political speech of some sort; the guy next to me said that he rarely speaks, and doesn't talk politics. He and the band left and when they returned for the encore, having seen the election results backstage, he made one statement...
He said: "I was born in 1941, the year Pearl Harbor was bombed...and it's been dark ever since...but I think that's all going to change now."

Today, I feel hopeful that there is light...that a light has been turned on in some of us - that we will see to it that the world is a brighter place tomorrow.

We can be the change we wish to see in the world...YES WE CAN!

In my last blog I said "Let us make our voices heard; let us not speak in words, but in dollars."

Here is one company that I think we can speak positively with:

http://www.alaffia.com/

Alaffia sells skincare products that are homemade with fair trade shea butter. The shea butter is made by cooperatives in Togo, West Africa. Fair trade means paying a fair wage in the local context; it means offering people do not have another source of employment, a job. A job that will allow the people in this community to feed themselves and their families.

You can shop from the Alaffia website and also learn more about their sustainability projects. I found this product at the Wedge Co-Op, in the Uptown area of Minneapolis. Many of our local co-ops carry quality products like this - to find a co-op near you, click on the link below:

http://www.coopdirectory.org/directory.htm

I miss Africa...

I am picturing the exchange that happens when meeting someone in Africa. There is this moment where you feel so connected with this other human being. The standard greeting is rubbing each of your cheeks against theirs. Similar to the kiss on each cheek that an Italian would greet you with. There is no kiss, but there is the connection of cheek-to-cheek - it connects you, it is intimate.

I will never forget Mary Sue's words before we left on our trip...she said "my heart is sad," She was missing the people of Africa so much...I did not really understand that statement until I met the people of Africa. And, now I am also sad, my heart is missing the amazing people I met on my trip. I cannot wait to see them again and tell them that we are here and we are working for them. I cannot wait to bring a little more hope back to Africa.

In my mind Africa remains a model of hope...If people there can work together and rise up out of their uncertain times -then we can certainly make a positive change in this country too. We have the tools we need to plant the seeds of change: education, money, we have power. We have power in our education to make wise choices and support companies and ideas that support and sustain us. We can make a conscious decision to take our spending "power" else where. Let us make our voices heard; let us not speak in words, but in dollars. This is the language of the current administration, we should all learn to speak it.

A few months ago I sub-titled this blog, "A life less comfortable and convenient." At that time the point was true, I am making it more true every day...I am making choices that will make my life less comfortable and less convenient. At the same time I am making the difficult choices that I need to make, to be fulfilled - to feel that I have a sense of purpose here in this life.

Before I left on my trip to Africa I felt fulfilled and balanced in my life: I had a good paying job at ShopNBC, I had health insurance, a 401K match, and two weeks of paid vacation. All of these things made me feel comfortable and of course comfort makes us happy, in a way. I had the paycheck at my day job and I had my volunteer efforts with Give Us Wings to balance it all out.

Upon my return, I feel like the balance that once existed has disappeared. Making money with my 40-hour-a-week and having a little time left over for Give Us Wings does not feel like enough. I am unbalanced. Suddenly, I am not calculating my time and efforts in terms of dollars and cents - but in terms of the impact they are making on the world. Through this simple math - I realized that my impact on the world is not as great as it could be. It could be much greater, if I had a little more time.

Time is truly our most valuable resource; time is money as they say...I say time is ticking. I only have so much time to accomplish the goals that I am setting for myself and if the work I am doing is not helping me reach my goals then the amount of money I make is not going to balance the equation out. Some of us are not fulfilled by a paycheck alone - some of us need to feel like we are making a real difference - in order to be happy...

All of this thinking about my paycheck and my purpose drove me to make a radical life change this week. On Wednesday I quit my full-time, comfortable...good job. I didn't quit because I hate my job, or because I can't stand going into work each day (I actually like my job). I quit because I am in need of a sense of purpose, more than a paycheck.

I am very lucky, I know, to be sinlge and able to live on less money. I think of the millions among us who would love to quit their corporate job to do something more meaningful - but they can't because they have kids and they have a mortgage. I am doing this for all of you, as much as me.

I am taking a part-time job that will pay the bills (and not much else) - so that I can put more time and energy into my work with Give Us Wings. I have to admit that this decision came easier than you may think - it is a calling, I believe. However, I hope that anyone who reads this can take it to heart and think about their own path to fulfillment.

My brother and I have been debating the internal struggle that each of us faces each day - between our heart and our heads. There are moments in life when the choices we have to make become very difficult - when your head will not let you follow your heart - or when your heart will not listen to your head. Once in a while there is a moment when your head and your heart find peace...in these moments, you can be confident that you have found your way.

Today I am reflective...I am anxiously awaiting my father's return from surgery - once again sitting on the fifth floor of the Methodist Hospital, at the Mayo Clinic. Back in January my dad was diagnosed with a rectal carcinoma - more commonly referred to as: colon cancer. I am remembering the moment that we heard the news...I can remember the eternity that seemed to pass from that moment until the moment the doctors really told us what his treatment would entail.

All of this seems like a long while ago - walking through the marble atrium in the Mayo I feel like I can reflect...I feel like this is almost over. My dad is having what should be his final surgery and his treatment is over. It has taken 28 days of radiation, along with 6 weeks of chemo, followed by a 5 hour surgery to remove the tumor, followed by additional chemo treatments, and now....the last step is reconnection of his small intestine. This last step will allow his colon to again do what it is intended to do - I won't go into any further detail on that :)

When a loved one receives a cancer diagnosis, your immediate reaction is a cross between anger and disbelief. There is this phase where you feel punished and wonder why this would happen to your father (mother, brother, etc). Cancer is the bodies way of warning us that our systems are dangerously out of balance and in need of a little TLC. A friend of my dad's died of a heart attack this past year - with no warning. I can't help but be thankful for the warning - although it was a rather painful, unwanted warning; it was no less a second chance.

In Africa, I often asked how the people kept their chins so high when there was so much pain in their lives. Mary said something about them being used to the struggle, I can't remember her exact words. I took the words to mean that when you live daily with the hardship, you get used to dealing with the pain. And naturally, the joys that seem small to us are much larger and more meaningful, relatively speaking.

Sometimes it is convenient to go through life thinking that our problems are more difficult than those of others and that life is being unfair to us. When in reality – everyone has shit that they go through…just when you think you have a mound of crap to deal with, inevitably you find out that someone else has it worse.

"If we were put here to carry a great weight, the very things we hate are here to build those muscles." - from a Brother Ali song, called The Puzzle.

Almost exactly one year ago, I met Give Us Wings. Looking back at an old journal entry a couple of days ago, I recalled the moment that led up to our meeting. After taking a strengths assessment early last year, I started thinking about the purpose of my work. At the top of my list of strengths was one I had not expected, belief. Belief in an organization: the ability to work hard for something I believe in, is my number one strength. This surprised me at first, but when I started thinking, I realized that work is not about money for me; it is about belief. I found something I can believe in with Give us wings.

I remember checking a volunteer site for a meaningful opportunity with a non-profit and stumbling upon the listing for Give Us Wings - I was excited to receive a call from Tracy. A couple of days later I met Tracy and Mary - I was instantly impressed with the spirit of the organization. They asked me what I wanted to do - and I said I wanted to help coordinate trips - organize details and lead people. In my current role at ShopNBC; I most enjoy the moments where I am managing a handful of specifics, allowing people to execute each of the pieces, in order to make the production a success. Similar to coordinating volunteers in Africa - my role is ensuring the timely execution of events.

From that moment on I have taken my role as a trip coordinator very seriuosly. I enjoy this work a great deal - it gives me a sense of purpose. I feel as though I report to the people of Africa - I look to Mary and others nearer to me for immediate feedback, but ultimately report to those people who we all touch with our thoughts and donations. My efforts are not measured with a bonus and a new possession, to mark the moment. My efforts are marked with the knowledge that nine Americans entered villages in Kenya and Uganda and left those villages with hearts overflowing - as mine is too.

We left the villages feeling as though the work of Give Us WIngs for the last 10 years had made a tremendous difference. I personally left inspired to give more of my greatest resource...time. I will continue to give my time to the cause of rebuilding the villages of eastern Africa. I will do this knowing that in another 10 years, the impact may seem small from the outside. It may seem as though only a small dent has been made in comparison to the magnitude of the problem. But I will continue and do this, knowing that the small dent I have made is combined with the efforts of many like me, many who have made the journey and have felt their hearts filled. I will continue, knowing that the smallest effort I have made has created a magnitude of feeling and difference in Africa.

Do the math: one small effort, one hour of time, multiplied by all of us - equals enough energy and effort to build a million millenium villages. (http://www.unmillenniumproject.org/mv/index.htm)

You may say I'm a dreamer...I am not the only one.

A great American moment...I was taken to another place tonight, listening to the Democratic Candidate for President of the United States, Barack Obama. I was taken to a place of hope, I felt something in this country that I have rarely felt...I felt a movement *(See note).

I took a bus down to the Walker Art Center on my day off, yesterday. I needed a day of fresh air and beautiful sights to help focus my thinking, the Walker was perfect. The sculptures in the outdoor garden are amazing! My favorite: I cannot remember the name...but it is a dome, there is a maze of vine, intertwined with objects - it reminds me of a child's mobile.

The most influential quotation, from a sculpture of "Prometheus Strangling the Vulture II":

"I wished to say to men, 'If you desire to continue freely with your creative work, it will be necessary for you to enter the struggle and conquer the forces of darkness that are about to invade the world.' " Jaques Lipchitz

On the 45th anniversary of Dr. Kings' "I Have A Dream" speech, Barack had me smiling for an entire hour. His speech was proof that he is the most genuine leader this country has seen in years. Barack said "-this election is not about me, it is about you!" And in the end, it is about us.

It is up to all of us to seek out the truth, to fix what is broken, and to chase our dreams all our lives. I truly felt tonight that we are the lucky ones - we get to go down in history as the ones who did the impossible...we need to be the ones that turn the world around right now - take an action - join a movement. When our grandchildren read their history books there is only one outcome in my mind that they will read about all of us...


*(Note): The minimum number of people required to "jump-start" a change in consciousness is the square root of 1% of the population. (My brother did the math. Looks like about 8,000 if you consider 6 billion people in the world. Imagine a smaller population, like a city...) - From: The Divine Matrix," by Gregg Braden.

Just wanted to take a quick moment to let all know that I am on the way home - I am in Amsterdam. I hopped a train down into the city and I am walking the streets, admiring the architecture of this beautiful city. I can't help but feel amazing gratitude for the trip that I have had. To be able to experience several weeks on a continent that remains mysterious and wild to the majority of us. The pictures in my mind did not live up to the Africa that I saw. All of my expectations of sorrow and joy were far exceeded.

"Be the change you wish to see in the world."