What if you were lost and no one found you?

Posted by random olio

A colleague at work alerted me to Benjamin Kyle. Have you heard of him? I had not. Benjamin Kyle is not this man’s real name. His real name in unknown. He was found in 2004 behind a Burger King, with amnesia. He had no identification on him, and since he does not know who he is, and the government has not been able to determine who he is. He does not have a social security number and until someone hired him, he was not able to work. You will want to watch this short documentary video of what has happened to him between 2004 and today. No one has claimed him, or has sent out a missing person alert for him. Authorities have named him Benjamin Kyle. That is who he has been for the last 8 years.

Learning about him made me ask the question: “What if you were lost and no one found you?” Quite the deep and slightly depressing question. Yet, it makes you think about belonging, connections, friends, and family. What would it be like if we did not have our friends and family to check on us? To know if we were missing, or if something happened to us? I am sure there are plenty of people out there that have lost their friends and family and do not have others to check in on them. Do you know anyone like that? If so, have you checked in on them recently?

That is part of what makes Benjamin so interesting. It is an anomaly for someone to be lost, then found, and not be claimed. It is against what we feel should happen to others. It makes me grateful for the family and friends in my life. To know that I would be missed.

Portrait of Benjamin Kyle

I want to leave you today with an awe-inspiring portrait of Benjamin Kyle. It was done with over 2 million ink dots. You can find a few more images of this portrait and further background details at this link on Colossal. The artist is selling 200 limited edition prints of Benjamin Kyle. “50% of all proceeds made through this limited edition will be dedicated to helping Benjaman Kyle retrieve a new SSN and to get his life back on track.”

An amazing story of a man finding his identity. Please share his story.

Safety. Horror. Why?

Posted by random olio

Last week I came across this article about bringing guns to work. I found it after the Clackamas Town Center mall shootings. I was shocked that this is even a conversation, or that it is even legal in some states to bring a gun to work. I do not even want to think about my co-workers bringing a gun to work.

Guns at work adds to the already full social commentary about gun laws and mental health. The events of last week have brought us all to reflect on our lives, appreciate our loved ones, and pray for the families affected by these tragedies. My heart and tears go out to those that have been affected by the shootings in Oregon and Connecticut. Horror. Safety. Why? All three of these words come to my mind. Many individuals are asking why this happened, and what needs to change in our country. I am asking myself the same questions. What needs to shift?

Besides understanding the facts, many are talking about what needs to be done with gun laws and mental health issues in our country. Both issues need to be discussed. We also need to address the fear of safety from the public. What does a shooting in a mall, movie theater, and an elementary school do to the fear and comfort level for many families across America. Is it immobilizing them or are they able to continue to live their lives? What effects do these events have on the general trust among strangers? Will we all begin to start looking at each other different?

I do not have any answers. Only questions right now. What I do know is like with many of the natural disasters that have hit around the world in the recent months and years, that this is a time to come together. To work together in our communities and try to find answers to our questions. To not move on as though this was all okay. It is not okay.

Articles I have found interesting from the online conversation:

‘I Am Adam Lanza’s Mother’: A Mom’s Perspective On The Mental Illness Conversation In America – Huffington Post

Guns-to-Work Laws Spread in U.S. as Business Fights NRA – Bloomberg

How do you come across?

Posted by random olio

Do you ever wonder what others think of you? Do you ever wonder if others think about how they are coming across, or how they are portraying themselves? I recently finished the book: “Friendkeeping” by Julie Klam. She discusses all types of friendships in her life, which ones feed and fuel her and which ones suck the life out of her. A quote from her book made me think of friends, but it can also really apply to anyone in our life.

“A lot of times people don’t realize how they’re coming across, and sometimes you need to tell them.” page 192

It is an idea that I have thought about often. Have you ever been in an awkward situation with a friend where they are being rude or unkind and you know in your heart that you have to tell them? Or, maybe they are sad and depressed all the time and they do not realize that is the energy they have brought to an experience with others. Another scenario might be where they often plow over you and are thinking only about their situation and completely disregard you or think not a second about your feelings. These are the times when we have to be honest and upfront.

Yet, that can be hard. Why is it that so often we hold back with our closest friends and do not tell them what we think they should hear? Do we think they are not ready for it? Do we think they cannot handle it? Or, is it more that we are concerned that our honesty will drive them away from us, and while they might agree, they are not ready to deal with our honesty? It is a tough position to sometimes be in.

It can be a lot of work. Friends are supposed to be the ones that tell it like it is, where we can be completely transparent and state exactly what is on our mind, but is that always really true? Is it sometimes easier to just not say anything at all and keep it to ourselves? Often the other person is stuck in their own world and cannot for the life of them see where you are coming from and that you have their best interest in mind. You are concerned because you love and care about them!

Rush of adrenaline…

Posted by random olio

What gets your adrenaline going? Do you feel it after a long run? A presentation in front of many people in your company, or just a few peers in your department? Do you feel exhilarated after climbing, camping, or hiking? Or after salsa dancing? Do you feel it when you finally fit into your bathing suit or jeans? Or, is it after completing a painting or making a new business sale or partnership?

For me, it’s how I feel after a good long run, when I feel that a painting is complete and I hang it on the wall, sometimes it is a new experience with someone I’ve never met before and I feel a bit nervous. Other times it’s when I am direct with someone and am not always sure how they will respond. I have other encounters and experiences, but that is just a start.

When we let our juices flow, and our adrenaline is up, we feel alive. Sometimes it is a day full of meetings, with then a night of connecting with friends you have not seen. When you finally crawl into bed for sleep your mind is going a mile a minute of all the notes you did not have time to make at work, or the conversations you had with your friends. Your mind will not shut down and so sleep is fleeting.

What gets your adrenaline going?

12.12.12

Posted by random olio

It happened last year on 11.11.11, and the year before that on 10.10.10, and before that and before that. However, these repeating dates will not happen until 01.01.2101. They only occur in the first 12 years of a new century. What will you be doing at 12:12 pm on 12.12.12?

Doing a bit of research I came across quite a few websites specifically for 12.12.12. A bit shocking to go to so much trouble on a website meant for one day in a year. Some are calling it doomsday like the Mayans have selected December 21, 2012, some are calling it a spiritually enlightened day, and others are using it to raise money. There is a concert for Sandy Relief will be happening on December 12, 2012. It looks like it will be televised tonight at 7:30 ET. There is also a group calling 12.12.12: World Day of Interconnectedness.

For me it is just another day. However, because there will not be another repeating day while I am alive, I want to do something fun and memorable. What should I do at 12:12:12 on 12.12.12?