It doesn't Impress Me like Peace does

I was in a workshop the other day and the speaker was talking about conflict. Specifically he was talking about conflict within a cohort, but the symbolism he used to describe the conflict can be applied to anything you can think of - marriage, work, friends, family, or self. He showed a picture of an iceberg. Now, even without the help of James Cameron we all know the story of the Titanic and its fate with that damn iceberg. The ship is on a historic journey, plugging along across the Atlantic while it's passengers are intoxicated by merriment and gaiety. Suddenly the watch stander sees the tip of an iceberg ahead. All efforts to avoid it by those in charge fail, the ship goes down and hundreds perish amongst confusion and panic. But it wasn't the tip that brought down the Titanic, it was the mountain of dense ice under the water that sealed its fate. Why does an iceberg represent a conflict? Because as the cliché goes, a conflict is the tip. It's what we see and hear- it's the tangible product of what lies beneath the surface (by the way, the tip of the iceberg is usually only one tenth of the whole thing).

Although this cliche is familiar, I never put much thought into it. It hasn't meant much until I started really honing in on what constitutes my dense ice under the surface. Right now I'm working on trying to let go and not control (or have a feeling that I can control) so much- to realize that I cannot control many many many things and just focus on the here and now- not a year ago and not a year from now. I can't get all worked up over the crazy holiday marathon/schedule that is about to come up in a few months when we get home. I can't get all worked up over the 'what ifs' and the 'maybes' or 'only ifs' of the navy life and i certainly can't get worked up over finances- I don't do well when I think like that. I just have to realize things happen for a reason and if I try to maintain a postive outlook, positive things will always materialize.

For me, appreciation for peace of mind doesn't manifest from a peaceful mind- it comes from a place that was not peaceful, always churning, always planning, always trying to control. Now, that I am letting go more, I do have a more peaceful mind as compared to what it was. If it weren't for the constant conflict, I wouldn't be able to truly appreciate how much more calm and carefree I can live life. I want peace because I know conflict.

These thoughts brought back memories of our trip to Hiroshima. The documentation of devestation and human suffering was gut wrenching. The museum was so graphic at points that I got sick to my stomach and had to leave. The Holocaust Muesum in D.C. is moving in much of the same ways- your heart hurts when you listen to the stories of those who lived through it- their lives forever changed by the hands of others. Now I'm not here to debate why it happened or if it could have been avoided. I just know that this was the tip of the iceberg for our relations with Japan during WWII.

I am not impressed that a couple ton bomb could level an entire city. I am not impressed that the US was able to bring the Japanese to their knees within days of dropping these bombs. What impresses me is that Hiroshima and Nagasaki have just put in bids to be a candidate city for the 2020 Olympics. They have rebuilt, they have grown, they have come to terms with their past and want to shed light on the possibilities of tomorrow. They want the world to know Peace because they do not want the world to relive their conflict. Now, to me, that's impressive.

Time Out for a Typhoon

Batten down the hatches, (well in my case, slide over the aluminum doors) it's about to get nasty! This is the first typhoon that we'll be going through. No, not we as in Mark and me, we, as in me and Tigger! For those of you who don't know, Mark and I adopted a Japanese Labrador in need of a home about two weeks ago. She is a great dog who lost her chance to go with her owners when they left last year cause she was overweight. Well, obese was the word her foster parent used. Apparently, they fed her everything except dog food causing her to get so heavy when the foster parent took Tigger, she said the dog had to rock to get from sitting to standing! Ok, no fat jokes- we're a little sensitive. But, we're working on it. Two to three times a day (and recently any time the rain slows down from pouring to drizzling) we're out either walking or biking (I bike, Tigger trots) around the neighborhood.
Two weeks ago, Mark and I took her to the beach to see if she likes the water. I had very high hopes with this one, as my pup Sandy would have nothing to do with it except drink it. It was a success!! She didn't go in to the point of swimming but she did run in neck deep after Mark along the breakers. Can't wait to get back to the water! I have only heard her bark a handful of times and it's mostly at school kids passing by- she was teased by kids at her last home. But, no need to worry about that anymore. She is in great hands! We haven't had a thunderstorm since she's been with us, so I'm wondering how she'll react to a Typhoon! They have canceled school and work for the base tomorrow- everyone is advised to stay in the residences. I'm going to use the day to catch up on the blog. It's funny how people and things- sorry, Mom- get neglected when Mark is home. We're too busy catching up on this or doing that or having new adventures that time gets away from me. Now that Mark is gone until late November I have ample time to reflect back on the memories that were made and share in what's going through my head now a days.