There is a theme to this week here at the Crowe house. Plumbing. Mechanical, physical, and spiritual. I’m practicing that thing the experts say to do—try committing to 15 minutes a day in order to get something done. Well I’ve decided to work on a schedule of 15 minutes of exercise, 15 minutes of bible reading, and 15 minutes of working on other projects I have going on around the house. And now I’m going to segue into the plumbing theme…(too much of a stretch?).
My new friend Julio, a competent, friendly and honest man is at this moment fixing all the leaky old pipes in my house and putting in a new faucet on my big bathtub. You may be saying, so what? Well, smartypants, a) the tub is why I bought the house and b) do you know how hard it is to find a good, honest plumber who doesn’t charge you an arm and a leg?
I like Julio. It’s a bit strange that he hugs me (we don’t really know each other), but I think he’s a Godly man and he’s got a great smile and a cheerful spirit. But as much as I like him, I can’t wait for him to be done so I can work on the physical plumbing. That 15 minutes a day exercise has put the muscles in my neck and back in a spasm of mighty pain, so I want to heal a bit with some warm water and bubbles.
This weekend I’m also preparing for 10 days of cleaning the spiritual and physical pipes by means of a Daniel Fast. I did it last year and our pastor is encouraging us to do it again as a way to begin the new year firmly grounded with the will of God in our plans. I talked about promises in my last post and before I make any serious ones, I’m going to focus on God and hope that I can calm my mind enough to see His will for me. A good way to do that is through this fast.
So Monday begins the 10 day journey of eating only things from plants and seeds. Veggies, fruits, nuts, whole wheat and only water to drink. Nothing processed, no yeast, no caffeine or tea or dairy or meat. All the things I love and struggle with. I’m going to miss my bread, cheese, and wine—I’ll admit that because anyone who knows me knows I’ll be hankering for those temporary thrills. But, without sacrifice you can’t see the majesty of what God can do in your life.
I want to finish this off with some witty, final metaphor that will explain the title but I think we all have had to deal with that pesky toilet handle problem. Just one of life’s fun quirks that shows us things aren’t always perfect but they can still work.
…A now a minion version of how yummy (not) a fast can be.
On Sunday I came back home from church feeling inspired, anxious, ready to begin anew, excited and a wee bit scared. Why? Because my pastor gave this really motivational sermon on, well, a whole bunch of stuff. As my campus pastor said, you can get kind of tired after listening to pastor Mark because he has so much energy and drive and it’s hard to keep up. He is encouraging us to pray and start the new year with a plan.
So, with my mind reeling—where to start? I need to:
Start writing again—the book I started that will not be published but maybe read by three or four of my closest friends, my blog, a gratitude journal, a prayer journal…
Get exercising again so I can get physically fit and get in shape (this is particularly hard for me).
Be productive with my time (stop watching so much TV and do one and two above).
Get my charity web site and blog finished and published.
Create a life list of the things I want to do in the coming years and actually start doing them. To be fair I have been getting through that list slowly with my travels.
These are the big things—but you know all the little things we do everyday that get in the way—cleaning, fixing, blah, blah, blah. I hate those things.
So again, where to start? I decided not to get bogged down in the thinking of it too much and just do a couple of things to get it rolling. So I walked the Grendel dog and worked on designing a new web site for the charity I created. And in the hours since the sermon, I spoke to my niece who knew about the gratitude journal (turns out that’s an excellent tool to keep anxiety down and to keep your spiritual life heightened) and have seen a number of messages about writing, communicating, and getting things done.
One such message I learned today as I was writing copy for a client. A guy name Alex Sheen will be speaking at my client’s conference about the importance of keeping promises. The more I read about it, the more I wanted to cry and then join in on his vision. His non profit is called Because I Said I Would. He started it after his Dad died in 2012. I thought about my brother Greg and the charity I’m creating to honor him. Like Sheen, I want to honor what my loved one stood for. His organization is dedicated to bettering humanity through the power of a promise. He encourages positive change and acts of kindness and doesn’t just talk about it, he actually participates in fund raising and awareness campaigns and events for those who need help.
Sheen wrote 52 promises in 2013 and tackled one each week. Some of his fans have committed to huge promises. But Sheen says the promises don’t have to be big things. They can be things you need to get to and all together they represent things left undone. So it feels good to have them completed and off your plate. I like this idea.
Pastor Mark said one thing I really took to heart—it’s better to have 80% of a plan that’s 100% implemented right then 100% of a plan that’s only implemented 80% of the way. So, a few tweaks to get some of my plans to 80% and then we’re off!
I’ve started with one simple thing today. Writing this blog post. My next promise? Hmmm, I need to keep this, so I’m going to:
1. Finish my charity web site and publish it before the summer.
2. By the end of February, give away the proceeds from the past year from the charity fund I created to at least three charities. 3. Write at least one blog post per month in this blog and one in the charity blog.
4. Complete a life list and post it.
Here are some things on my REALLY TRY to do list:
Spend 15 minutes a day on the physical, 15 on the spiritual, and 15 on the projects (charity, travel, etc.). And always keep an eye out to be there for those I love and listen to them with all my heart.I’ll still have time to catch Downton Abby and will be healthier and happier in 2014!
I was recently asked to describe in one word a place that has been a big part of my life for more than 30 years. I didn’t have to think too hard before answering, “Friends.” But now that I’ve had more time to think, I realize there are so many excellent words to describe Camp Tockwogh. I know—it may sound silly to have such a connection to a summer camp but I’m guessing you are thinking about your own camping experience as a kid and saying, yeah, I remember how fun that was.
Last weekend I attended a 75th anniversary alumni weekend at Camp Tockwogh. It’s a beautiful 309-acre YMCA camp on the Northeastern shore of the Chesapeake Bay. I saw some old friends, counselors, and campers I haven’t seen in awhile. The age differences between some of us may have meant a lot back in the day, but the wrinkles and grey hair were spread pretty evenly among most of the group of alumni staff at the reunion.
One of our group members is a professional cameraman and brought his equipment to film our stories. It got pretty emotional for many of us—tears from good memories and thoughts of friends who aren’t with us anymore flowed as much as the laughter. It got me to thinking…
Tockwogh is quite a magical place. It’s beautiful and the activities are fun, but there’s more to it than the physical space. There is a special bond formed between the people who have experienced camp. Regardless of when you worked there or even if you went there as a camper, you can count on being part of a wonderful, talented, kind and fun group of people for the rest of your life. It doesn’t matter if you haven’t seen your friends for days, months, or many years, you pick up right where you left off. You see, the songs may change, new buildings go up, new boats replace the old, activities change, and new staff come on board, but the essence of camp remains.
Everyone who goes to camp, young or old, can expect to find acceptance, kindness, encouragement, and support from the people there. And they can build new skills, grow their self esteem, and make life-long friends like mine.
There are a few things I think camp could improve—the beds are a bit hard on my back and the food is okay but I miss the old chicken slop and grilled cheese the way Rosalie made it—but here are a few things I’m glad have lasted and are perfect the way they are:
My first roommate Wendy. When I was a Junior Counselor I asked my village chief if I could live with Wendy for the summer because she was so fun and easy going. I am blessed to have Wendy as one of my best friends because every single time I see her she never fails to make me laugh. There’s a lot of other stuff too…
My first boss (my village chief), Amy, is also still one of my BFFs. With all due respect to his holiness, Amy is more popular than the Pope and looks better in a dress. I am amazed at her unlimited energy and glad she’s a fighter so we can have her around for many, many more years.
My first (one of) counselor, Kathy. Kathy has become one of my best friends and we still laugh at the fact that I was her camper and we used to sing Michael Jackson songs loud and without embarrassment. Kathy knows everyone in Delaware and if she ran for governor today, would win in a landslide.
All the other wonderful women I have become close with—some were adopted into the clan and others had my back when I needed to relieve myself in a cornfield—are amazing in their own rights. I am blessed to call them my friends and my sisters.
As for the men, sometimes I call them my boys but they are true men. I have always had a tiny crush on each one of them and have also considered them my brothers. These men were exceptional role models for the kids they guided, taught, played with, and protected. I saw them in roles of big brothers and dads before they were mature enough to think that way, and always knew they would be great fathers one day. Some days they teased me and brought me to tears but most days they protected and supported me, accepted me as their friend, and helped me become a better woman. I will always love them and each time they found love, became a parent, accomplished a milestone, or were rewarded for something great, I was overjoyed.
One word? I don’t think so. Here are some other descriptors I heard friends say in their interviews:
Family
Friendship
Love
Priceless
Tockwogh.
Before I leave you with this poem that one of our alumni read at the campfire to honor our lost friends, I want to say that I’m going to write a book and include the stories I heard this weekend. Some of what was overheard included,
“And his hand was in a cast after he punched the horse the second time.”
“I had to think for a second, what do you wear to a fire?”
Oh yea, best seller for sure.
“So many things have happened
Since they were called away.
So many things to share with them
Had they been left to stay.
And now on this reunion day,
Memories do come our way.
Though absent, they are ever near,
Still missed, remembered, always dear.”
—Author unknown
This is a song that one of our alumni sang at the campfire. It was a beautiful honor to our friends.
And on to the evidence! Beautiful people, wonderful friends…
From the Observation Deck 