Day 23, Level 2: Coffee, culture, community and the pressures of co-presidency!

Had a coffee catch up this morning with a friend who lives locally. We met up at the Omaha Cafe. Believe it or not, it was the first time I've actually ordered a coffee from a cafe since lockdown began!! Yes really! As mentioned in earlier posts, I have a great coffee machine at home in Omaha, so never went without. But how good to enjoy one out in a cafe with a friend!

We both agreed that, despite the negatives and challenges of the whole bizarre Covid thing, we'd actually enjoyed the more mellow and less frenetic lifestyle it engendered. And were disappointed at how quickly traffic and general life chaos resumed. 

Such a lovely catch-up. I walked back home along the beach. Hardly a soul there. Pretty windy. Beautiful.

Looking north

Looking south

Looking out to sea - how beautiful is this vista?

As I walked, I reflected ...

Kim and I worked together in the early 2000s in the organisational culture/facilitation realm. We were part of a small team developing and delivering concepts that were cutting edge and, back then, often misunderstood and even maligned. Considered "out there" and "kooky" they are are now utterly mainstream. And, to us, out of date!

Those were intriguing, exciting and highly challenging times that often took us to the edge in our pursuit to make a difference to individuals and organisations in an era where pushing the limits for authenticity and true leadership were simply too scary for most. I cannot begin to describe how we ourselves were pushed to our limits - which enabled robustness, resilience, insight and compassion beyond what we realised we were capable of. Some tried to wield power, others fell by the way or scarpered quickly! There was a bit of bullshit that went down.

Those days certainly helped shape those of us who worked in what was most certainly a rather crazy organisation to be emotionally hardy and gain a degree of enlightenment that now stands us in good stead (we hope!) We were challenged and confronted on a daily basis. We were tasked to come up with new concepts, explain ourselves, divulge every inner everything. You never got away with a half answer, you were never allowed to hide, you were made to say what you really felt. Shit it was challenging. 

But, on a personal development level, we gained inner resourcing and insight that was before its time. Now, it's second nature. That was 20-odd years ago. 

We're all mostly doing other stuff now, with so much under our belts - but boy do we understand the challenges for those starting out in that realm!

Personally, those years of facilitation, coaching, creating were both a challenge and a gift. I was with the team for seven years and learnt more about people and the foibles of humanity than I could ever have imagined (and I already had a heap of that on board having worked all round the world with people from just about everywhere!) Hard to describe those days - but those who were part of them know exactly what I mean. We still all keep in touch - in fact, I'd arranged a reunion for March but in view of Covid and impending lockdown, we had to cancel it. We'd got together last year and had a blast but a real shame we couldn't do it again this year. When we can, we will.  

Back home - and straight back to work on my laptop.

I'd hoped to be free to work on my own business.

But no - still so much I need to do in prep for the AGM I'm running on Monday - on Zoom for the first time. Barely moved from my computer, finalising reports, editing citations, and a zillion other things. I have no printer up here at Omaha and it's so hard to bounce between drafts and final editions. But, it's doable and that's why working remotely is great - there may be limitations but they can be overcome and it can be done! And I did!

Brett arrived as I finished up for the day. We had a wine and catch up and then headed along to the local Community Centre. They have the bar open on Fridays and encourage locals to come down for a drink. I'd read they were doing fish & chip Fridays, so off we went.  We were surprised that there was hardly a park to be had and the place was full to brimming. Average age 70+. I was the youngest by years. But that's cool, older people are great and I adore them - and they're also my target market for my travel services. Hmmm, a marketing potentiality ...

We ordered the fish and chips and a glass of wine, chatted, ate, drank and headed home. The meal was very good. The wine choice very limited. We recommended some wine options to the young guy on the bar when he asked what we thought of the one choice of merlot. Hopefully next time we go, there might be some more options as young guy seemed open to exploration!

Back home - with our warm and fabulous central heating offering ambient unobtrusive heat, controlled by a highly sensitive thermostat - we settled in, watched some TV, had some better red wine, some chocolate, and relaxed in the manner of a good Friday night. 

Full moon is coming ... it's scheduled for peak early tomorrow morning in NZ - which means the full moon and its glory can be in action and doing its magic either/or (and likely both) tonight or tomorrow night. 

I popped out at 9pm and this is what I saw ... 

Half an hour later it was raining a bit. But the moon glow was still there - and never a breath of wind.

I'd had all the doors and windows closed much of the day due to wind - but tonight - NOTHING!

That full moon calmness pervaded and the sky looked good!

BRUNCH: Scone

DINNER: Fish & chips

SHARE-NOTE OF THE DAY:

They say give a job to a busy person - and nothing is truer than that. 

All my life, I've always taken on work that's come my way, paid - but over the past three decades much of the work I've done has been unpaid, in the community realm. I love it, or else I wouldn't do it, but it becomes overwhelming and, eventually, unsustainable. As others who do the same will attest to.

Sadly, I actually turned down a rather lovely creative [paid] project yesterday - but I just don't have the capacity right now and don't want to promise something I can't deliver, given my focus is now on things other than creating art. 

This week has been wall to wall unpaid work in my capacity as Co-President of EGGS Old Girls. No, I don't have to have this hat on and don't have to do this work, but yes I can, and yes I want to progress the organisation and make a difference. That's satisfaction far beyond money - even though I'm really not in a position to do it unpaid, despite people thinking I am. 

Perception is a funny thing. The more you put in the hard yards for nothing, the more people think you can because you're rich. But the more you do it the more you want to do it, because you fully understand that the rewards are so much greater than money. And that makes you "rich" - way beyond money. It's a bit of a vicious circle, catch-22. I'm caught in it, and have been for years! I've sustained myself so I can sustain my work with the organisations I do voluntary work for. That's kind of the reality. It's become unsustainable.

Today, I wanted (needed) to work on my own business - but what happened? I worked on EGGS stuff. I need to - I have an AGM to run on Zoom on Monday. I have to be fully prepared. That takes time and energy. We've got the best turnout ever in terms of RSVPs - with people from around the country and the world - because, with Zoom, we can!

The EGGS work the committee does is valuable and enduring. 

And once this AGM is done and dusted, I'll be focussing on my own business! I simply have to if I'm to make it work. 

BTW, as I head for bed at 12:30am on 6th June ... the sky is glorious inky black. The almost full moon is hanging beautifully in the sky - plus Jupiter and Saturn. But not a lot else. Just a bit of light swirling cloud. 

There is not one breath of wind and if you'd chosen tonight as your party night in June, winter-time, you'd be pretty pleased - up till tonight the wind has been horrid!

No wind, moon glowing, glorious night. That's a tick in my Full Moon research data (been recording for 8 years now!) Go you full moon!