Our Troubled Lives Put in a New Perspective

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  • Every January I re-examine my way of looking at what’s important in my life

Hello my friends
Welcome to another new year. I hope it finds you healthy and and continuing your quest for peace and happiness.

Last night as I was wandering around Youtube continuing my quest for research topics, I took a quick break to watch a compilation of the 10 most viewed America’s Got Talent stars. One that I had seen before, caught my attention again, and it stimulated some thinking relevant to these times in which we find ourselves. This woman’s name is Jane Marczewski. She has cancer in several areas of her body and has been diagnosed with a two percent chance to live. Nevertheless, she prepared and came on the show to sing her original song, “It’s Okay.” She has of course, a beautiful voice, and the message of her song was that even though bad things happen to us, it is all part of the natural human condition.


A poignant message in these times especially. But when she told the judges that she is doing this because she wants people to know that she is so much more than the worst things happening to her, she caught my attention. Then she said “You can’t wait until life isn’t hard anymore before you decide feel to be happy.” And that was my reminder that being happy is a choice that we all make everyday. While we are all constantly bombarded with the tribulations of our lives, we can still make a choice to be happy, even if it’s only from moment to moment.


We may not have control over all that happens to us, but we do have control over our emotional responses to those stimuli. We have all witnessed what seems an insurmountable wave of anger and intolerance since the beginning of 2020. It seems to hang over our lives and take it’s toll on everything we do and say.


I know it sounds trivial and naive to say “choose to be happy.” It’s too simple a message, and how do we start? Many years ago I suggested answers to the love of my life with three simple rules:


Be Kind
Have faith
Be more in love every day.

Try to be kind always. Spreading kindness rewards us and everyone we meet.


Hold your faith in your ability to make the future better close to your heart. And, really believe that you can do this.


Try to remember that love is not a verb, it is a noun. It is a place in your being where you experience the joy of living.


I know I will lose some of you with this last one. You may argue that when you say “I love you” it is a verb. I would propose that “I love you” is a tragically abbreviated version of “I am in love with you.” We say things like “I love pie” or I love chocolate” and we all know what that means. I believe that to say “I love you” in this casual sense demeans the depth and sincerity of what we are trying to communicate.


Will that ever change? I doubt it. Using love as a verb has been in use for a very, very long time. Is it useful? Sure, just remember what you’re really trying to say when it’s most important. The abbreviation of language so common in our digital age has, in my humble opinion, diminished the meaning and beauty of how we communicate with each other.


There is a prayer of unknown origin that may help guide us all through these troubled times and those still ahead entitled “The Desiderata.” You’ll find the text with a simple search. It reminds us that we are human, with all the accompanying blessings and spiritual tests common in our times.


Quest for joy and choose happiness.

  • Here is the information you’ll need to find the AGT performance I addressed.
    Her name is Jane Marczewski. Professionally known as Nightbirde

I am amazed at the wonderful turns life can take.

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Blue skies with puffy clouds green corn

Since my last post, a great many things have changed for Cristina, Quinn and I. Cristina has been burdened with a variety of health issues this year and is now making terrific progress toward a new state of wellness. Quinn has stabilized in his health as well, and seems to enjoy life more than ever (except that now that I am working outside the home for the first time in years, he lets me know that life with less of me to attend to his needs day-to-day is not approved).

I’ve moved on from my writing gig with Best Version Media. After a year, and in light of Cristina’s health issues, I am now a project coordinator in training for Beeline & Blue, a commercial printing firm of large format promotion material and architectural services. I work with a group of people that care about each other and work as a team to complete every project with exceptional grace and high standards.

It’s been three weeks now, and I have to admit, I was not fully prepared for the scope of the change. The first week of November, I was working at home, happily writing articles and exploring marketing opportunities with many new contacts made over this past year. Arose about 8am to largely sunny mornings, followed by a couple of hours researching and keeping up with changes in the economy and stock market, then off for my morning walk with Quinn, then back to work for 3 or 4 hours with breaks for food and a little time to look out the window and dream of Portugal. Then back to work for a bit before I start dinner prep and get the boy and I out for our afternoon walk Then we eat and make plans for the evening amusement. And it was still light outside.

After a couple of hours of reading in our library or watching our favorite shows or a movie, back to work until midnight+/-. I suited me well as a night person. I struggled getting off to bed as early as midnight, but it seemed to work pretty well and kept me healthy.

Then came the fifth of November. Daylight savings time had just ended on the fourth.

Now my days are arising at 6am in the darkness, taking care of Quinns food and relief issues, getting myself ready, commuting 20-30 minutes to work, learning all the protocols and “lingua printa” to adapt to my new role, walking out the door at 5pm to near darkness, commuting again, and arriving at home in moonlight, and trying to make the most of the evening schedule as it was. And even though I’m just starting to get in the creative groove again, pushing myself off to bed by 11 to have my wits about me at 8 the next morning.

While it certainly sounds like giving up a lot for a new pursuit, I’ll get my first check tomorrow. This new influx of cash will go a long way to securing our future. And I now have access to health insurance that will cover Cristina as necessary no matter how her circumstances at work evolve.

Overall, I’m hoping these new changes will contribute to my success as a freelance writer and improve cash flow for my family. So far, I can see a path from here that will work out well. It may require a bit less freedom in my schedule, but the long-range view looks very promising.

Wish me luck if you can. I may need some.

Most of the Latest

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It has been a roller coaster ride here at Persausive Comm for the past year!

My boy Quinn has had some serious problems stabilizing his glucose levels since he was diagnosed with diabetes in January 2017. We are still working with IVRC here in Des Moines to bring him up to the best health we can. And Dr. Jansen at the Westside Vet Clinic has been extremely helpful.

My boy Quinn, Irish Setter
My Boy Quinn, a handsome devil of an Irish Setter

And I have taken on a gig with Best Version Media to produce a local magazine, North Ankeny Neighbors. They call me a Content Coordinator, but this position is much more a managing editor. I do everything but selling ads and mailing the issues each month. Working on my seventh monthly issue now, and ahead of schedule so far. The first two months were a struggle since I didn’t know but one person who lived in Ankeny. But the work went well and both have been well received. I becomes easier and easier to get families on board to be featured.

Consequently, I had pushed my own work onto the back burner for a spell. Now that things are a bit smoother I will be updating much more often.

Best wishes healthy and prosperous year!

I Do Love Paris!

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I have been a photographer probably longer than anything else I’ve done. I know I must have thousands of old film slides and some thousands of digital images stashed away.

I am going to start cataloging and posting some of these images. Please comment as you wish. I will try to respond as I can.

Most recently, I’ve been going through images from a couple of trips to France in 2011 and 2015. I took quite a few really nice shots there, not what you can buy on any postcard, and not what most tourists consider an accurate rendition of their vacation, rather, the images that captured my attention for their graphic quality and composition.

You’ll find many images in a vertical format. For some forgotten reason I was constantly considering how an image would look as a wallpaper on a phone or pad. And I just like the strength of a vertical graphic over the classic landscape format.

Please enjoy. I hope you appreciate what I have to offer.