Category Archives: Random Thoughts and Musings

November 22, 2015

Flights of Fancy

Most of the time I operate from the right side of my brain. I’ve confirmed this through exhaustive testing via social media personality quizzes, so I know it’s true. By the way, don’t you just love those? I now know my aura colors, who I was in a previous life, what my power animal is, and of course, that I am right-brained!

This can be problematic when reason and logic are called for, but in general I manage just fine. Those who know and love me have learned to accept my flights of fancy without so much as a blink. It’s not that I’m incapable of a logical thought. It just takes a bit more concentration for me to get there.

Being an artistic type, I see things. Some might quip that I see things that aren’t there. But they are…there, of course. I like to think of them as muses that nurture the art I create. The best art tells a story or holds a universal truth or simply touches the heart, forever changing us.

Take my walk with the dog this morning. To some, the plastic drop cloth twisted in the pine tree in my neighbor’s yard amounts to nothing more than litter. A nuisance, suspended just high enough that a ladder is required to reach it. And so it flaps there in the wind day in and day out. But this morning? This morning it caught my eye.

photo by kat 2015

At first glance it looked like an eye looking back at me. But then, as I stepped back to catch a different angle I saw my morning’s lesson. It’s a common theme. The battle of good and evil that jousts in my head.

If you can’t see it, allow me to enlighten you. On the right we have good…angelic, winged, opaque. The opaque part surprised me. I always assumed that truth is transparent. In actuality, truth is absolute.

photo by kat 2015

On the left we have the darker side of one’s nature. A sharp-edged shadowy figure with a hollow belly. (I’ll let you simmer on that one for a minute.)

In the blink of my eye, a pine tree with trash stuck in its limbs has become a reminder to me that there are two sides to my nature. A light and dark side. And that they face off regularly. Especially when I neglect necessary house cleaning because it might be a little bit hard, or require assistance…like a ladder…or a bridge (I just added this last part…an expanded reflection that I am taking away from this encounter.)

Oh…I see your raised eyebrow. A bit of a stretch? Too bizarre an imagination, you say?

It’s okay if you don’t see what I see. If all you see is garbage hanging from a tree. I need your perspective too. I guess that’s why they say “two heads are better than one.”

Have a great Sunday!

~kat / 22 November 2015

8 Comments | posted in Digital Art & Photos, Essays, Random Thoughts and Musings

November 22, 2015

Sunday’s Week in Review – 22 November 2015

By Kat Myrman

Fear is exhausting. But in the midst of all the fear, ugliness and chaos of this past week, I learned that some things are even more important than being right or winning. Those things are community, inclusivity, compassion, empathy and love.

It doesn’t matter who we are, or where we came from, we’re in this life together. We are all made from the same cloth. Life is messy and weird and magnificent and fragile. But it is life…all our lives. A precious gift.

This week encouraged me to try to be better. When we all try to be better, miracles can and do happen.

As we head into this coming week of thanksgiving here in my country, I am grateful most of all to be on this journey with so many beautiful souls. With you.

May you have a lovely week surrounded by those you hold most dear.

This is a snapshot of the week that was…

She sighed, sweet release.
brackish atonement.
preservation from decay
come winter we’ll sleep.
She marched right past that lion never letting on how terrified she was.
His kind are all show!
Perhaps we need to have a revival.
Born of tragedy, it would be the legacy now…
leaving no stained rock unturned
Penurious souls
All twittering and conversing stopped as a hush filled the space.
peace to everyone on this night of miracles!
Directions? He preferred taking scenic detours.
It was weird and beautiful and crazy and magnificent…the night Roanoke got real.

~ kat ~ 22 November 2015

If you’re new to this blog, a bit of background to explain the verse above. It is a line from each poem or prose from the previous week. Lifted and placed in the order written. A snapshot review of the week. It helps me clean the slate…reflect and ready myself for the new week.

4 Comments | posted in Random Thoughts and Musings, Social Issues, Spirituality

November 21, 2015

A Miracle in the Star City

By Kat Myrman

The #realRoanoke gathered last night, close to 300 strong, on a Friday night when the Valley was bustling with Concerts, Black-Tie events and various HS Football Games. Beautiful souls, young and old, representing the incredible diversity of our community, chose to tell the world that we are a welcoming, inclusive town…even to refugees…even in the face of terrorism, the real Roanoke welcomes all who might seek haven here in the shadow of the Blue Ridge Mountains. It felt like a miracle to me. Smiling faces…welcoming faces…the love in the room was a tangible sign of hope!

Photo Credit: Freeda Cathcart

We met inside the UU church, standing room only filling the main hall, adjoining spill over room and lobby. But I had no sense that a religious affiliation was requisite. What drew us to this place was our common humanity.

Panoramic View by Jason Garrett

We started off with a rousing tournament of Rock-Paper-Scussors! Rising to the top was a fellow named Gary, followed, in second place, by a delightful 10 year old girl. When asked what she thought about her victory she smiled and said, “It’s kinda’ weird.” It was weird and beautiful and crazy and magnificent…the night Roanoke got real.

We heard refugee testimonials. And took away a few tools as we go forward in this scary, brave new world. Yes people are scared. Fear causes one to act out in all sorts of irrational ways. Before we left, our organizer, Delegate Sam Rasoul gave us a lesson in the art of dialog that I will close with. As he said, it’s as easy as A-B-C. With family gatherings coming up, I hope you find this useful!

A…ACKNOWLEDGE…When brooching a controversial topic with someone, listen to their side. Then acknowledge…”I get what you’re saying…”

B…BRIDGE…I know what you’re thinking…B is for a big fat “BUT”…but you should NEVER follow an acknowledgment with a but. No ifs ands or buts about it. You’ve listened to their side and acknowledged it. It’s time to share yours. The bridge phrase our wise Delagate suggested to avoid shutting down the conversation with a “but” was to simply say, “here’s the thing…” There’s a “thing”? Most people, he said, will be curious enough to let you tell them what the “thing” is.

And C…CONVINCE. This is where facts come in handy with references and a dose of personal sentiment so that you can show that you care. Use the phrase…”that is why…”

The following is an example of the A-B-C’s of discussing hot topics.

On the topic of refugees…

“I get what you’re saying and understand why you are scared to let strangers come here…here’s the thing…the conservative think tank, the Cato institute recently revealed the findings of a study that says “of the 859,629 refugees admitted from 2001 onwards, only three have been convicted of planning terrorist attacks on targets outside of the United States, and none was successfully carried out.” That is why I believe welcoming refugees is the right thing to do and doesn’t pose the threat that some would have us believe.”

Then let it simmer. Congratulations! You’ve just had a two way conversation that seemed impossible just a few short steps ago.

I wish you and yours a happy season of thanksgiving, family gatherings and productive dialog as we join together to realize our collective hopes and dreams for peace.

Peace & Love,

kat ~ 21 November 2015

6 Comments | posted in Essays, Random Thoughts and Musings, Social Issues, Spirituality

November 20, 2015

The Legend of Wolf’s Crossing Lodge

By Kat Myrman

Photo by kat 2015

It was the last night for campers at Wolf’s Crossing Lodge. Pajama-clad youngsters scurried from the bunk rooms upstairs for a night of hot chocolate, silly songs and scary folk tales.

The fire in the huge stone hearth of the old cabin crackled, as everyone settled in a circle under fluffy blankets. Their attention focused now on Miss Maude, a local native who weaved tales so real that listeners often wondered if they could actually be true.

Miss Maude, a small graying woman wearing a colorful floor-length skirt and faded brown wool sweater, took a seat in the rocking chair in the front of the room. She spent a few moments studying the wide-eyed faces around her, pausing as she gazed, to connect with each camper. All twittering and conversing stopped as a hush filled the space. Miss Maude began…

“There is a legend at Wolf’s Crossing that not all the wolves here are fully canine. Many, many years ago there was a warrior who sought to be one with his brother wolf, but his motives were not pure. He wished to be the greatest warrior, greater than those before or after him, not for the good of the tribe, but for his own selfish ambitions. He appealed to the Great Spirit to grant him his wish.

One night when the moon burned full and bright in the sky, Great Spirit decided to teach the warrior a lesson. He would grant his wish, but in the transformation no one would know who he was. He would take on all the attributes of a wolf but he would be hunted down by those he sought to impress as a fearsome monster…not a great warrior. In a flash of light it was done. The warrior’s body convulsed and contorted as he changed from man to beast.

To this day, no one has ever captured the wolf man and it is said that he roams these woods even now…especially on nights like tonight. The sages say that only a silver bullet can stop him.”

Miss Maude paused looking at each camper. As if on cue, a wolf howled in the distance causing everyone to jump in their seats. A moment later, nervous giggles rose from the huddled listeners. Miss Maude reached under the blanket on her lap for the loaded pistol in her pocket.

kat – 20 November 2015

A story for Friday Fiction with Ronovan Writes, Challenge #2 (Choose at least two from the following list to be featured in a work of fiction for this week, and to make it simple, there will be no word count limit. But please, no book lengths this time around. Prompts: Burn, Weave, Cabin, Silver, Hush, Light). To read more stories or participate click HERE.

12 Comments | posted in Challenges and Writing Prompts, Flash Fiction, Random Thoughts and Musings