time for writing ran out on me today, but I wanted to share the inspiration for I wanted to the last of yesterday's entries... it's the fourth in the series of Messages from Mississippi from our very own Tim:

I started my day today with coffee and remote, but after a very few moments of watching Geraldo , I realized that I was overloaded with information. I've spent over nine days now either listening to XM satelilite radio while on my way back home to prepare my home and family, or in front of a cathode ray tube absorbing information, data, or visuals about Katrina.

It dawns on me that this can't possibly be healthy for me.

I swallowed the last of my coffee and cut Geraldo off in mid-sentence then headed outdoors to do something, anything to take my mind off the terrible things of the past week.

I decided to do some work on my truck that I had been wanting to, some "Just because I want to work".

It helped.

The only other thing worth commenting on tonight is the multi-billion dollar company I am connected with, or partnered with if you will. Unless it's something I am totally unaware of, and that's possible, the second largest shipping company in the world (I can't say the name but it rhymes with Fred Hex) is only helping its own people in the disaster area.

I hope I'm wrong about that.

There is Other commentary I could make about certain rap stars and other celebs jumping on bandwagons, but really, I'm trying to calm down a bit just now.

The only remarkable footage I managed to see today, other than the downed chopper in NO, was of the church service in Pascagola, MS. What's remarkable about a church service at Pascagola? The only thing remaining of the church was the concrete slab.

I think that's rather remarkable.

Sent via BlackBerry from Cingular Wireless

the human spirit, that is the bottom live... survival is worth nothing (and may be impossible) without the inner strength we find in our beliefs... whether it is belief in the goodness and abilities of self or belief in some external entity, the strength of our beliefs inspires and motivates and provides the confidence and energy necessary to do what must be done in any situation so that survival continues, so that living and experiencing the joys of life can continue...

so I read Tim's email and wrote back (tomorrow maybe I'll share more of my response, for yesterday I chose to share the conclusion as I felt very good about the thoughts and feelings I felt as I concluded... I had to work through some anger and fruistration to get there though)...

and I remembered how stress can overload, how sometimes we just have to pause, take a deep breath and let out a sigh... not a sigh of failure... not a dish of despair... not a sigh of sorrow... but a sigh of determination... a sigh of hope... a sigh of knowing it is time to get up, get out, and do something that needs to be done...

to get on with life...

and I remembered how important it is to reach out, to share, to care and believe someone else cares, especially to believe that there are no hidden ulterior motives... just caring because you respect and appreciate the person and want the person in your live, just being cared about for the same reasons...

that's the essense of the social beings we are and the essense of developing and maintaining a healthy social life...

like coming out of a fog, I am remembering...

I want to thank the few of you who stopped by to read yesterday's entries (actually I've been getting more than a hundred hits a day mmore than I usually do in the past week, so welcome new visitors and thanks for stopping by for whatever reasons you stop by)...

extra big thanks to the few of you using my comments to let me know you've been here because it definitely feels better to know you are out there as something more than a statistic...

beyond my selfish hunger to share, to love and be loved, to feel like I am cared about and worth reading, the messages you leave help me stay out of the cynical and angry thoughts that come more easily when there's no sharing because it's easy to say "who cares" in an isolated vacuum...

I hope you find time to read my more thoughtful entries (and respond if you felt anything stir in you, whether it's agreement or disagreement or just a smile or frown)... and I hope to find more time to read more of yours because you inspire me to continue overcoming obstacles and believing in the worth of living and sharing and believing in people...

a few entries are in the pipe, not complete enough to be uploaded even as 'to be continued' entries, so more shall follow (hopefully tomorrow)...

can you feel the excitement?

can you hear the laughter?

can you name the reference?

be good to yourselfs today... and if you have time or something to share, leave words in comments, or reach out to one of these links below and give what you can...

read the next installment of Messages From Mississippi




this weekend week was my attempt to support The Red Cross by partricipating in Blogging for Relief... the first entries inspired by this effort and the events in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina can be found here:

and you noticed missing numbers, of course you did, you're no fools... the missing numbers are the following three entries now dedicated to deliverance (from evil, madness, dirty drawers, and many other things) and respectfully dubbed:

because they were mostly guest entries to pass along email from a friend who witnessed Mississippi first hand cuz he lives there... bless him and his family, in fact, do it yourself...

find someone touched by the events of the past week and share some love...

and then go tell Michael and Tim and our own DLand Michael something good J

You can go into Walmart anywhere in the country, log onto any walmart website, even call an 800 number and either post a message to loved ones or search for messages from loved ones. Anyone can use it.

It is available at any Wal-Mart Store, SAM'S CLUB, Neighborhood Market, or Distribution Center via the hiring center kiosks, connection center kiosks, gift registry, and all Wal-Mart websites.

. o O ( NOTES ARE THE NEW HAPPY PILL ) O o .
(just let me know you were here)