The Importance of Story in My Life

Marge and I have an exercise that we've heard of several times in our lives, listening to speakers, attending personal development workshops, and reading in that same field. The exercise is about one's own life story. Often the starting point is, "Write your own life story at the age of 100", or "Write your obituary", or "What speech would you like an important person in your life to make on your 100th birthday."

Chris Brogan recently wrote about The Importance of Story In Your Life in his blog and it reminded me once more how useful and helpful it is to me at times to consider my life a story.

Now, if you're wondering, "Whaaa? What is he talking about? Is he in some other reality?", please allow me (to attempt to) disabuse you of that notion. Here's how it works, for me.

When I see my life as a story, with a timeline, characters, some drama, romance, and mystery, with settings and props, costumes, conflict, challenges, flaws, wins and losses, lessons learned, history and backstory, and all the other elements that can go into an epic novel or movie, it helps me keep perspective.

When I think about my parents and grandparents, all of whom have passed away, it's easier to see the stories of their lives overall than it is to see my own or that of my living family and friends. My mother was in a group when she was in her late 60s or early 70s in which she wrote her life story, to that point, starting as a girl growing up on a farm in rural Maine through many transitions and events including traveling to Russia, China, and Japan and experiencing many wondrous things. People were, frankly, blown away by her story and a few years later she wrote a sequel, catching the people up on more recent events and some realized and remembered people, events, and changes that had occurred throughout her life.

Blogging, in this personal blog, is a way I write my own story, as I live in the process of transition from being a person focusing on "doing" all the time to one who strives to focus on "being" and enjoying the moments as they pass.

I'm sure confronting one's life story works differently for others, but for me it's been about self-growth and understanding and providing a perspective and backdrop against which to weigh my current dreams, challenges, decisions, and opportunities.

So thanks once again, Chris, for a helpful reminder.

My Adventure with Dancing with the Brunswick Stars - Journal Entry 2

So tomorrow is the big day. Well, actually it's the first big day. Tomorrow I go to Brunswick Community College to meet with the other "Stars" of Dancing with the Brunswick Stars (may I shorthand it as DTWBS?) and also to meet my professional partner. They're having a luncheon and a photo op and I guess some TV and press coverage. Woohoo!

I'm pretty pumped about this competition/fund raiser. This will be the third and last year the college has a DWTBS fundraiser. Apparently so many other schools and places are using this format it's getting hard to get professionals to commit the time and energy required (they volunteer, you know). That seems too bad because last year DWTBS raised more than $336,720 which provided 200+ scholarships! Why mess with something that's working so well?

Anyway, it's not my concern. My concern is doing a good job in this competition, which means both doing my best on the dance floor the night of the competition (August 6th, btw) AND helping to raise scholarship money in the form of ticket sales and I imagine other means as well.

The past two years Dinah Gore has won the competition and I understand she's a fabulous dancer and also a great fundraiser. I guess there were rumors or maybe an earlier decision that she wasn't going to compete this year, but the latest word is that she's in! That's very cool. I'm looking forward to meeting her.

I'm not supposed to know who my professional partner is till tomorrow, but someone gave me a hint. I won't mention her name (just in case there are changes or I'd embarrass someone), but will be sure to report on it after I really meet her. I'll try to get some photos, too, of the luncheon tomorrow and the various goings on. Maybe I can get a short video or two, but I'm not getting my hopes up.

One thing I've heard about the competition is that this year there's a Hollywood theme. I also heard, sort of off hand and maybe it was a test, that my pro is considering doing a Fred Astaire/Ginger Rogers number. Hmmm, I'm not sure I can do elegant. I do own a tux and will likely be able to fit in it by contest time (for sure not right now), but I'm kinda hoping we do something like "Footloose" or "Dirty Dancing." If my pro happens to read this ahead of time, I'm much more a hard rock kinda guy. I won't say I detest slow music, because I'm sure I don't have to, but my idea of an ideal song is something by a band with three guitars and a drummer who takes charge. Maybe I should burn a copy of my "Bruce's Car Cuts" mix to give my pro an ideal of the kind of music I like. Let's put it this way, my car radio was (literally) engineered to be heard at 155MPH with the top down and I like to play it with the top up! Back in the day when I was going to 7-9 aerobics classes a week I was always in the front row and always the one hollering "Turn it UP!!" And I now have the tinnitis to prove it, but nothing else has changed about my taste in music. So, what do you think? Have I made my point here?

I'd be very happy to hear what YOU think I should ask for as a song to dance to. Please comment on this blog and I'll pass it on to my pro, whoever she turns out to be.

BTW, there are going to be three winners this year. The Categories are: Best Choreography, Most Entertaining and Best Fundraiser.

- Brown Out

Wonderful Lives

I sit in awe and wonder. In the past three weeks three wonderful beings in the lives of our family have made significant passages.

First, a birth:

Libby Jean Tracy, newborn daughter of our daughter and son-in-law Liz and Conor Tracy, was born on April 6th.







And two deaths:

Joe B. Parks passed away March 31st at the age of 94. He was the maternal grandfather of our daughter-in-law Megan Forbes, who is married to our elder son Richard Brown. Joe Parks served his family, his church, his community, and his country. He was a legislator, explorer, and a highly acclaimed horticulturist, awarded for his work and development of rhododendrons. He was a lively, learned, giving man who brought pleasure and service to others along with a hearty smile. You can read about Joe B. Parks in the Washington Post, the Boston Globe, and the blog Ageless Dreamer.





Pepper Brown our beloved Giant Schnauzer passed away on March 23rd. Pepper was a consistent graceful presence in our lives during many transitions in location, vocation, and as other people and animals in our lives arrived and passed.



So it's been a full three weeks. Life is good. It isn't always easy, but it's richer for the family and friends who touch us.