It was all about peace. From beginning to end, our meeting was all about peace.

Making it. Having it. Creating it. Dreaming it up. Drumming it wild. Co-creative. Generative. Aligned.

We met, as we meet every Tuesday night, to envision ‘what next’.

We had a new visitor. Karen Huggins of Project Ploughshares Calgary joined us to talk about some of Ploughshares peace initiatives, in particular, the Calgary Peace Run which is set for Sunday, September 23.

“What can we do to build on the run/walk,” asked Kerry, our head peacemaker as she invited us to free associate and let our imaginations reign.

And that’s when the magic started. Judy Atkinson whose Friday night Circles of Rhythm on June 21 kicked-off Calgary Summer of Peace Calgary 2012 at Drumming Up Peace mentioned a collaborative drum circle that is taking place on Saturday around the globe. Howard mentioned walking across the Peace Bridge. I saw lanterns floating down the river and Marilyn saw them as being carried along as we marched from the Peace Bridge to Prince’s Island where Judy suggested we create the world’s largest human peace sign. I hear children’s voices singing John Lennon’s “Imagine” Judy H. threw out.

And we were off. Imagining peace. Imagining an entire weekend that brings awareness to peace while engaging Calgarians in taking note of this year’s International Day of Peace on September 21.

It was exciting. Energizing. Fun. Creative.

And, it was peaceful.

Now, to get to work. Planning. Organizing. Strategizing. Engaging volunteers. Registering our walk. Soliciting sponsorship. Igniting support.

We know we can. We know we will. Because we know, peace makes a difference.

And if not us, who?

If not now, when?

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You too can be part of Summer of Peace Calgary 2012. Check out the website — http://www.summarofpeacecalgary.com  .  Come to one or all of five Peace Academy sessions — I teach this Thursday, July 26 — Making peace with your inner muse — a poetic guide to finding peace within. Next week, the amazing Heather Compton co–author with Dennis Blas of Retirement Rocks! Canadian Boomers Invest in Life! will guide you in Making Peace with Money — and there’s more. Do check out the Peace Academy!

Peace is in us all. To make. Create. Give. Share. Be.

Be Peace Now.

C.C. and I unplugged yesterday. It was a beautiful day. C.C. golfed in the morning. I completed the first draft of a report I’m writing for a not-for-profit. I moved my laptop to the desk in our bedroom and typed while outside my window, birds twittered around the bird-feeder and the sound of water in the fountain played beautiful music in my ears. When C.C.  got home, we headed off to the Sun and Salsa Fest for a divine afternoon of people watching that ended at The River Cafe on Prince’s Island. Sublime.

Driving to the north side of the city where the Salsa Fest is held, we listened to an interview on CBC Radio. The man being interviewed was talking about  ‘what makes a difference in the world’. “Noticing the world around us.” “Observing what’s happening,” he said and then he ended with, “turning off electronics.”

He talked about families driving the Banff Jasper Highway, travelling through some of the most stunningly beautiful country in the world and not seeing a thing. Children with eyes glued to video screens and electronic games. Everyone encased in their own electronic bubble of personal gadgetry that is separating them from seeing the world around them.

As C.C. and I walked along the river, we passed a father and son out for a Sunday walk together. Except. The father was on his cellphone. The son clutched a video game in two hands and was systematically destroying the world — okay, maybe he was killing off bad guys and creating peace, I’m not sure. But his head was down, his thumbs were flying and he was making grunting sounds as he blew things up.

Of the many people we passed, several were on cellphones, even if they were walking with someone. About the only people we were guaranteed didn’t have an electronic device pasted against their ear were the rafters floating down the river — though with the waters so high the current is fast and ‘floating’ is a bit of a misnomer.

We have a policy in our home that there are no electronic devices at the dinner table. Both my daughters are cellphone polixei. Any sign of texting during a meal and they will ‘out’ the offender in a flash. Walking with Ellie, my wonder pooch, and either of my daughters also requires walking without electronic devices — though they do allow my iPhone for picture-taking!

And I am grateful. For in the disconnecting from the virtual world, we connect in the here and now. Conversation happens, sharing takes place and we ‘see’ into the hearts of eachother, we hear what is on the other’s mind and create opportunities for connection far beyond what is possible in the one-dimensional space of the lit-up screen of a personal device.

Dont’ get me wrong — I really, really like my iPad and my iPhone. What I don’t like is my perceived need to always be connected. To always have it with me which is why, other than for work purposes, I commit to unplugging myself from Twitter, FB and texts today for a minimum of ………………..stretches.

See, that’s what’s so interesting. Trying to figure out what is an acceptable/doable period of time to not check my online status is not easy. Is it acceptable to check every 15 minutes, half hour, one hour, 3 hours…  What is acceptable without the checking becoming a ‘problem’? What is the fine line between, useful tool and an addictive need to be online?

Now, I am known for not remembering to take my cellphone. For not checking messages. For not answering the phone. What is disturbing isn’t that I forget to do it, it is that when I have the device with me, I feel compelled to check it. A lot.

I’m sure if I can figure out what is healthy in being part of the virtual world, it will make a difference. I’m sure if I can find a balance in how and when I check my online connections, I will be more at ease in the real world around me.

In the meantime, I shall consciously watch my online status, noting how and when I check so that I can determine what is healthy, or unhealthy in my plugged in connections. And in the interim, I gift myself 3 hour stretches of no checking. Other than at the office where being online is part of the drill that is! Though, even there, I am more productive when I measure my email responses as opposed to responding as if everything is a crisis.

Hmmm… what makes a difference in your plugged in versus unplugged world? How do you measure your virtual versus real world connections? What is the secret of plugging healthily into the virtual world?

I know when I drive to Police HQ to sign a contract for a course I will be teaching in the fall that I have a meeting at 4:30. I am excited. This is work I love. Work I know makes a difference.

I’ll go sign the contract, go home, let Ellie out, go to my meeting and when I get home, go to bed early. A good night’s sleep and I’ll feel better, I tell myself.

I am really tired. Driving a full day, a broken night’s sleep the night before and one the night after have taken a toll. I am tired.

I have an hour between signing the contract and my meeting to grab a quick nap. Ample time for me to restore my equilibrium and energy I tell myself.

I fall asleep.

At 7pm, I wake up.

I do not remember I had a meeting that I have missed.

I am groggy. Disoriented. I take Ellie for a walk. I do not remember my phone. Which is okay because I made a deal with myself that I only use it on walks to take photos. Walks are restorative, me time. Ellie traipses along and I semi-sleep-walk. There are lots of photos to take, but I don’t think about taking them and don’t realize my phone is at home until I get home.

When I remember my meeting it is too late. I am home again and puttering quietly around the house, organizing, unpacking, doing laundry. C.C. phones. We chat and suddenly, in the midst of our conversation, I remember. I had a meeting.

Oh no!

I missed it! We even rescheduled our regular Wednesday night meeting because I couldn’t be there. I even emailed with one of the individual’s involved earlier in the day. I closed my email with, I’ll be there. Looking forward to connecting.

That’s the thing about driving for a full day bookended by two nights of really poor sleep. My mind goes to mush. And once mushy, there’s no way to unmush it except… sleep and time.

I phone. Leave a message. My apologies…..

A friend calls. We chat for a few minutes and they mention forgiving themselves for the past. “It’s not anything specific,” they say. “It’s just, I know I hurt people…”

Self-forgiveness is a daily act of grace, I write later in my journal when I go to bed.

I sleep better.

Brain is not as mushy this morning.

Sleep and time make a difference in the mushiness in  my brain, but even time can’t undo itself. Yesterday is gone, as is the meeting I missed.

I let down three people who mean a lot to me, I owe them an apology.

And for myself, self-forgiveness makes a difference.  My intent was not to break a commitment. My intent was to be there. Mushy-mind syndrome took over and I fell short of my desired outcome.

Begin again.

Always begin again.

Today, I commit to keeping my commitments. To being conscious of what I’m doing, of what I say, of commitments I make and my need to keep them. Today, I commit to being my best and accept that yesterday, that was my best and forgive myself for those moments where my actions did not reflect what I wanted to do, be, have in the world.

And I begin again. I give myself the gift of grace. I forgive myself.

It makes a difference.

.

Sleep and time make a difference.

I am heading east again this morning.  Leaving the sparkling waters and green slopes of Vancouver to return to big sky country.

I love this city.  The greenery, rich verdant hills, flowers andthe water.  Definitely the waters.

But I love Calgary too. Big sky. Wide open spaces.  The Rockies lining the horizon. The prairies rolling away into yesterday far to the east.

My roots are there. Dug into the prairie soils.  Planted deep at the edge of the Rockies.  Most of my adult life has been lived in Calgary.  My family, friends, community is there and I am grateful to be going home.

As always though when I leave this beautiful city I have mixed feelings of joy and sadness, especially now that I leave my eldest daughter here. This is her home. Her city, she says. The prairies have lost her, but I never will. She is always at home in my heart.

It has been a quick trip — but very worthwhile. Time in the sun, by the water, with people I love.

It makes a difference. Getting away, kicking back, spending time walking and talking and just being together.

Today, while at Lonsdale Quay, I bought several peace bracelets from a woman from Tibet. We talked about peace and the need for it in our world. We talked about women and our voices and our need to use them wildly and passionately in our world. And we talked about freedom.

“I have a gift for you,” she said as I paid her for the bracelets. And she disappeared into her stall, came back with a package wrapped up in paper and handed it to me

“This is for you,” she said. “So you can make peace in the world

I opened the package and inside was a beautiful carved amulet with a dove and Peace on Earth carved into it.

“May I give you a hug?” I asked.

She smiled, nodded her head. We gently wrapped our arms around eachother and we stood, two women, making peace.

It made a difference, that hug, her gift, our connection.

He is sitting on the sidewalk, back up against a wall. Older man. Grey beard. Wrinkled face. Red hoodie, jeans, a soiled cap outstretched in his hands. I drop a Tooonie into his cap. Smile, wish him a good day and move along.

My eldest daughter, Alexis, looks at me surprised. “I thought you don’t give to panhandlers anymore,” she comments.

I sigh. “He looked so sad,” I tell her.

“He did, didn’t he? Look really sad.”

Money won’t help his sadness but I didn’t really care. It was all I had to offer.

Later, my cousin’s daughter, Elise, and I are sitting on a bench in Gastown withe my sister Anne who has joined us after work. We’ve been all over. From the west end we took an Aquabus to Granville Island, wandered around, had lunch and then hopped on another Aquabus over to the bottom of Yaletown. We walked up, took Elise for a tour of Vancouver’s amazing Public Library (one of my favourite places) and then walked over to Gastown where Alexis had a meeting and Anne was meeting up with us.

We are sitting on the bench taking a break from walking all over this oh so walkable city. I see Alexis walking towards us, smile and wave and a woman, broken teeth, dirty hair, tired body stops and thinks I’m calling out to her.

“Excuse me ma’am,” she starts and rolls into her planned script of why she needs money. Need to get to Coquitlam. Hoping to spend the night there. Have stuff there. My belongings. So tired. So…. Please can you help?

Alexis has joined us by then and offers the woman a bus ticket.

The woman looks at me and says, “Can’t you just check to see if you have a Toonie please?” (A Toonie is a $2 coin)

I don’t really want to. I don’t really believe her story, in fact, I want to challenge her to tell the truth and then I’ll give her money.

But I do none of that. I find a Toonie in my wallet and give it to her. I remember a man I used to date who was once an alcoholic with a million dollar cocaine habit. “You gotta give to the junkies,” he used to say. “Not getting their fix could lead them to doing something desperate.”

I know he was right.

I give the woman the Toonie and she continues on her way and for a moment, I feel the heaviness of knowing her next step will be to get high once she gets the money. And then, I say a little prayer for her and me. “Bless her. Forgive me.” Whether giving the money was right or wrong, is not the issue. She is a fellow human being in distress. She does not need my criticism, complaints nor condemnation. Along with my courteousness and consideration, she deserves my compassion.

Handing out a Toonie can only be done with compassion.

As it suggests in the little journal I bought yesterday, “One Good Deed A Day” — Kindness is contagious.

There are   lots of panhandlers in Vancouver. If I shift my perspective from seeing them as annoying, pushy, persistent, and see them through eyes of kindness and compassion, I see the human being, the lost soul, the person struggling to make sense of a life that they never dreamed would be theiir’s — lost, addicted, wandering the streets of one of the most beautiful citiies in the world  unable to see the beauty all around.

When I shift my eyes to look through compassion and kindness, I see, they are no different than me, only the circumstances of their lives are different.  More challenging. More dangerous. Less loving and filled with beauty.  Yet, regardless of the circumstances of ourr lives,  we are  all coonnected.. We must  look out for each other..

And sometimes, all I can do to make a difference is share a Toonie and a smile. A kind word and a gentle heart.  All I  can do is be myself and let  them be who they are  in this moment in time  without  my judgments getting in the way  of our connection.

Namaste.

I am sitting in a comfy chair in the Starbucks at Lonsdale Quay in N. Vancouver. The sky is streaked with white wispy clouds. The sun casts a pale lemon yellow light. The air is damp from the rain that fell during the night and I am feeling at ease.

I drove out yesterday with my daughter Alexis and my cousin’s daughter, Elise, who is here visiting from France. At 15 I’m not sure Elise understood the concept of the distance of this country — an 11 hour drive did not equate to sitting in the car for 11 hours to her — like Alexis, she dozed and read and watched a movie on her ipod and oohed and aahed at the scenery.

I am a proud Canadian and this is one vast, beautiful country.

My sister has left for work, her husband has gone over to Gabriola Island to check out their house there and Elise still sleeps. Which explains why I’m aat one of my favourite places this morning. As I drove here, I stopped to let two pedeestrians cross the streets. Surprised, they waved and smiled and crossed. I waved at a driver trying to cross through the intersection to pass in front of me. He waved, smiled and zipped through.

I laughed.

I figure I’m doing my bit to support the image of Albertans as courteous  drivers!

It’s so easy, this making a difference. Be considerate, courteous and compassionate to others on the road of life.

Do not criticize, complain or condemn!

Always live the 3 Cs of making a difference — Celebrate. Create (better). Collaborate.

II am off for a day with Alexis and Elise, wandering Granville Island. The Seawall. The westend. We’ll meet up with my sisster later, walk around Gastown and Robson Street and then dinner.Spending time with people I love always makes a difference!

Hope your day is made different through celebrating, creating and collaborating with those you love, and everyone you meet on this road of life feels your difference as sweet lemony sunshine streaming down upon their face.

Namaste.