Archive for the ‘Thankful November’ Category
{Thankful November} 10: My Guitar
November 10th, 2011 | Rachel
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This guitar was a law school graduation gift from my dad. I have since bought a second electric-acoustic guitar to use on stage, however this is the guitar I play when I am at home. Since I no longer play the clarinet or piano, it is nice to have a way to exercise the musical part of my brain. Right now I only play in a church band every once and a while, but I think it’d be really fun to be more involved in a musical ensemble. Maybe one of these days I’ll get up enough nerve to sing and play in front of a crowd.
Thank you, guitar, and thank you dad for giving it to me.
{Thankful November} 9: My Bike
November 9th, 2011 | Rachel
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I found this beauty at a used bike shop in the West Village. I picked it because it is light weight and was easy to carry up the stairs to my 4th floor walk-up.
My bike and I have had some good rides around the city (riding through Times Square on a bicycle is quite an experience), but I feel our time together is just beginning. I have a secret goal (not so secret now, I suppose) of doing one of those 1oo-mile bike races/events. The one around Lake Tahoe is supposed to be pretty incredible.
I am definitely looking forward to year-round cycling weather and having a car with a bike rack. On the other hand, I will miss riding along the Hudson River and in Central Park. I will not miss having taxis driving within inches of my handle bars.
Thanks, bicycle!
{Thankful November} 8: Progress
November 8th, 2011 | Rachel
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Recent wedding cake from Three Green Ducks
Marriage equality is an issue that I have been involved with and very passionate about for the last few years. While working at the firm, I wrote my first amicus brief for New York’s highest court in support of recognizing same-sex marriages for the purpose of New York state benefits. The court decided in our favor.
I’m happy to announce that earlier this year the New York State Assembly finally voted to legalize same-sex marriages in this state. I’m even happier to share that I was at a house warming party when this news was announced, and the room erupted in cheers.
Although it feels like it is taking too long, I believe that as the world gets more connected and informed (see previous blog post), people will let go of their baseless biases (“that’s the way it’s always been” is not a valid reason) and focus their passion on issues that really matter. I look forward to the day when same-sex marriages are so common place that no one even makes the distinction.
In other news, look at this gorgeous cake!
Thank you, progress.
{Thankful November} 7: Information
November 7th, 2011 | Rachel
Join me in the comments or on your own blog as I give thanks every day this month.
Today, I am thankful to be connected to the world and to have free access to information. This is an easy one to take for granted in the United States, but I think it is important to remember that not everyone has such unlimited access to such a wide variety of information sources. I was reminded of this fact during my travels through China this past winter. For example, social media has revolutionized the way that information is shared, and a lot of it is still blocked in China.
Its amazing what a difference information can make. Throughout history, parties in power (or trying to get into power) have limited information as method of control. Just look at the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia in the late 1970s. Even in the United States today, many politicians and other persons in positions of power carefully choose which information to share in an effort to sway viewers and voters to act in a certain way. Sadly, this is an effective tool because many people are either too busy or too lazy to seek out the other sides of the story.
One of my favorite quotes is from the movie The Elephant Man. John Merrick, the “Elephant Man” is having tea with a socially prominent man and his nervous wife who is terrified by the sight of Merrick. As she sips her tea with a trembling hand, John calmly states, “People are frightened by what they don’t understand.” Merrick says that even he has a hard time understanding why he looks the way he looks because his mother was so beautiful.
For many of us, our instinctual reaction to something new and different or perhaps contrary to what we are used to ranges from distrust to overt hostility. Most of the time we don’t even realize that is what is happening. However, as my latest business book suggests, “Don’t get furious, get curious.” In Merrick’s case, anyone who took the time to get to know him discovered that he was not only very well-mannered and kind-hearted but also very intelligent and interesting to talk to.
We don’t have to accept anything at face value because we have the resources to investigate what is deep below the surface. We can connect with people with alternative viewpoints to see why they think differently and we can find hard facts and figures to help determine the reality of the situation.
For these reasons, I am thankful to have such an open access to information.
{Thankful November} 6: Sleep
November 6th, 2011 | Rachel
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Sneaking off and falling asleep at Carey’s birthday party
I stayed out late last night singing karaoke in honor of a co-worker’s birthday (and rapping, I should add). Then I had to wake up at 5:30am this morning because I had to open the bakery. After a very busy day of work due to the New York City Marathon spectator crowd, I attempted to take a nap at my friend Arthur’s house. The nap never happened, but Arthur and I did plan a menu for our jointly hosted “southern-style” Thanksgiving dinner for all of the orphans in the city who can’t go home. I’m actually scheduled to work on Thanksgiving, so unfortunately I will not be spending it with my family this year.
Later this afternoon, I remembered my former co-worker Amelia was running the marathon and having a little celebratory get together afterward. Despite my increasing exhaustion. I drug myself back to the bakery to pick up some cupcakes for Amelia. Afterward giving her my congratulations in person, I went back to the east side for church, and then grabbed dinner with a friend after that.
All of that on four hours of sleep, and I suspect the night before was similar.
Right now the only thing I can think about is lying down on our fancy tempurpedic bed and instantly falling asleep. It is going to feel so good.
Whenever I am living alone, or in this case when Steve is on the ship, I develop terrible sleeping habits. I fall asleep on the sofa or sit and waste hours on the internet. This past week my average schedule involved sleeping on the sofa from about 1am to 4am, attempting to be productive from about 4am to 8am, and then finally putting myself to bed a few hours before I have to wake up. Even right now I am fighting the urge to lie down on this sofa and sleep for a few hours.
I’m so tired I already forgot what the point of this post was.
Oh, right, sleep.
Sleep is essential to being a balanced, sane person, and we could all stand to get a little more of it. I’m thankful for the bliss of lying down on my soft bed after a hectic day and the refreshing feeling that comes after getting a good night’s sleep.
On that note, good night and thank you sleep.
Join me in the comments or on your own blog as I give thanks every day this month.
