The Commenting Philosopher

Life can be amazing!!!! Just getting acclimated to my new environs and all the lovely people who have welcomed me with open arms.....

Can't wait to catch up with you in person, @Deb 🐝 Helfrich, in just a few more days!

#42 Lol @Martin Wright...Sounds like @Deb 🐝 Helfrich and I may have a new career path in the making here...Grace and Frankie impersonators;-) Now that could be great fun...and have a very healing effect by lightening things up a little! Lord knows we could all use some comic relief;-)

#42 So am I to infer by its absence that you can picture me sitting in an enormous chair, spotting the wisdom of age six? I will make sure to trot out some acerbic jabs in the near future, @Martin Wright View more

I cant picture you being as acerbic as lily tomlin, or working at a phone exchange (laugh-in).

#34 That "beBee Day" shall be a great one @Deb 🐝 Helfrich

#31 I call shotgun first so I can have the hammock. That was very ironic that you called as I was typing comment!

#38 Now that is a good question - why don't we just use the monkey bars as support for hammocks on playgrounds? It just might tone down the squealing volume.... And nap time would no longer induce tears!

I hereby dedicate my first entire day of sloth - marinating in the sound of the pounding surf - the hardest working writer in Bali!

@Deb 🐝 Helfrich Ahhhh finally going out to play on those scary monkey bars!!! Travel safe an revel in the new adventures that await !!

#26 Always glad to have you drop by @@Julio Angel 🐝Lopez Lopez. I do intend to make this a global promenade in the future!

#25 This comment is so precious, I am actually glad it got the carbon paper treatment, digital style, @🐝 Fatima G. Williams. I responded earlier in the day on LI, so that reply probably has a more zippy response.

It has been an emotional day of love and support and encouragement - and I just feel like the responses to this piece of writing that I often thought probably wasn't anything others wanted to read - have put the cherry on the top of the sundae I am building of learning to exist just a little bit differently in the world.

I am going to stop shifting myself into neutral so much, in order to do a thorough analysis, and just put things out there, even when I haven't thought them entirely through. I know how to swim, so why not catch a few more rapids of life?

#24 Extroverts and grouchy people - they both seem to think their way is the only way.... You definitely have the writerly style that shows off the noticing skills of an introverted observer!

#22 It tickles me to think of all the possible meetings that will occur in the future as the beBee experience will surely result in many interesting meetings and long lasting friendships.

And come that fateful day, @Ali 🐝 Anani, Brand Ambassador @beBee View more

#32 and now the body has a voice! a voice that has been longing for this move and is being listened to and is moving you in many ways.

#21 You know, @Deb🐝 Lange, Brand Ambassador @beBee, it was the second time around when basically the same 'movie' played in my mind that gave me the courage to voice this crazy longing that had been showing up in a variety of ways for quite some time. But of course, in the past, my mind started up with 'everyone dreams of walking along the ocean each day' and issued a command that there was nothing more to see here, time to move along to 'reality.'

We are a curious specious, given that our mind is often debating and even belittling our heart....

#20 Speaking of synchronicities - It was a fact that I called you as were typing out this comment. We have these little signals all the time that can guide us to seeing just below the surface of what we regard as reality!

It will be such a great opportunity to have some time to talk and share face-to-face.

Plus I think Bali would do you a world of good and someone has got to check out that hammock Paul is so fond of.....

#17 I have this crazy feeling we will now be referred to as "Grace and Frankie." Taking such a leap of faith with a virtual relationship takes a great deal of courage and trusting that you know you will be in good hands when you reach your destination. It is an honor for me to take part in such a huge life transition with a sense gratitude to be on the receiving end of a friendship with one of the networks most talented and compassionate bees;-) You deserve the best that life has to offer @Deb 🐝 Helfrich...When you give of yourself as much as you do...the world is your oyster!

A witty and relevant testament to the power of relationships! Deb Helfrich  paints a beautiful and poignant message.

Infectious enthusiasm. Wit. Clarity. Gravity. This is a beautifully written article and testament to the power of relationships, especially those with people who are willing to delve beneath the surface of things. I experience you as a gift, Deb, one I am very grateful for. We have awesome synergy! I am very excited for you and wish you the best on your new adventure. The ancient prayer of the Lakota permeates the atmosphere of South Dakota -- it is an extremely unique place and beautiful in it's desolate landscape. You will feel it!

Best wishes always, Enjoy your encounters with the bees, regards @Deb 🐝 Helfrich

#45 Hi Deb 🐝 Helfrich, finally here with a tiny answer .. I am such a "bad" reader over the last years :-(
This is one of the BIG authors: Herman Koch -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herman_Koch View more

#44 Thanks for giving me a glimpse of your teacher's world, @Ella de Jong. I am struck by the 'changing' frequency. I am certain that our impatience in the digital world is adding to our lack of focus in the physical world. And maybe young brains will adapt in ways I don't let comprehend, but it seems to me that we will hit a biological hard stop to this lack of attention in just a handful of years.

I am really glad, though, that there is still a chance for the joy of turning pages to resonate, although I am resigned to their being a historical legacy at some point.... books are inefficient when it comes to weight and space and are very susceptible to water and insect damage, among other things.

So, I'd love to be introduced to a contemporary Dutch writer of fiction, if you can point me in that direction.

@Deb 🐝 Helfrich#43 I can only tell you what I see happening while I'm the temporary teacher in class. I've been in 7 schools since February 1rst and what I saw was this: large differences in classes regarding children reading books, physical books. In classes where there are a lot of books, on places where the children have easy access, where there is serious 'taking care of / respect for' the books, in those classes I've seen a lot of children reading and enjoying it.
In other classes there was time for reading but a lot of children didn't liked it and kept on 'changing' their book. "I don't like this one, I want to find an other one" and then hanging around the books hoping to have a chat with someone ..

I've seen quiet a bit of schoolwork on tablets, but no reading books on their tablet, so I cannot say anything about that. My guess is they really like to turn the pages, see an actual book, feeling it, touching it. Being busy a lot of hours per day looking at a screen, only touching their tablet or the school laptop with their fingertips ... it's a very positive sensation to read and hold a physical book is my guess!
At home I've spoiled my kids: they want to HAVE the books... None of us read e-books (certainly not the one Ive written :-) )

#34 @Ella de Jong, I would love to hear your teacher's take on whether electronic books are lacking something when it comes to engaging youth, is there a richness in getting to turn a page. Or do they find screens and pixels as or maybe more captivating?

I do certainly 'envy' the access that the digital formats provide. I only had access to the books physically present in my small town, I think I would be changed in some unknowable way if I'd had a broader access to online search functionality rather than definitively limited to the stroll through the stacks.

#39 The feeling is mutual! One day I'll travel up the coast in my RV and we'll write a new page in our Life books. :)

#33 I agree, @🐝 Fatima G. Williams, books are a great way to celebrate life. I love that you remember the book that revealed true love to you. There are just so many for me, that it really is hard to even start to pull together a list.

#31 I sort of figured you would be a book person, @Lada 🏡 Prkic. I'd would to see a virtual book club blossom in the hives, it is especially fertile ground for authors themselves to create a lot of deep engagement and a way for readers to participate with others around a book that means a lot. I hope to participate in a lot of discussions around books in the future.

#30 It is a gift that you are a central member of my virtual book club, @Melissa Hefferman. My life is richer for knowing you!

#13 "I never had you tagged as one of the 'billion' sheep, Deb. I see you rather as a border collie, nipping at their heels and cajoling them to go in your direction."
Excellent metaphor @Ken Boddie View more

#15 I don't know how many times I have had to backtrack a chapter or two, to refresh my recollection of a story @Deb 🐝 Helfrich, that is the wonder of getting lost in a tale. Love it!

#35 Thanks so much @Deb 🐝 Helfrich :) I very much appreciate you.

#29 I have to say that your book falls in the category of one that I will turn to again and again, @Chris Spurvey. You weave a fantastic story that changed my relationship to sales in a major way. In fact, I am starting to work on partnering on a Business Development project - and Your Personalized Sales Plan was the first thing that came to my mind as I start to plan out my work stream.... I'd really recommend "It's Time to Sell: Cultivating the Sales Mind-Set" for anyone pivoting into a role that requires a healthy mindset towards sales!

https://www.amazon.com/Its-Time-Sell-Cultivating-Mind-Set-ebook/dp/B019D70NHA

Thank you @Deb 🐝 Helfrich for reminding me of the importance of books and how I ALWAYS take picture books with me when I'm going to school and teach (for one day as a temporary teacher, like my current situation). I'm used to it, I'm not sure how many other teachers do the same :-)
Even for the 12 year olds there are interesting, fun and beautiful warm picture books about emotions!
I adore the book: "Rose and the midnight cat. by John Brown; Illustrations Ron Brooks" for it's story about jealousy and the beautiful fine art illustrations!

@Deb 🐝 Helfrich aren't book's man's best friend. I remember my first book. The one that made me fall in love with reading. Pride and Prejudice By Jane. I loved the book so much and reading became a thing after that. I have alot of books that are up the loft cause nobody reads at home apart from me.And I'm not home. 🙄

This emotions has a purpose video was such a great experience to watch you transform the book to reality. I love the idea of a emotions journal. I've gone back to the habit of writing a daily journal and it's going good so far. Thank you Deb. I look forward to our conversations.

Finally Books help our celebrate our life So it can be well-lived. Stay awesome always.

I am a book lover and a definition of books as a girl's best friend is close enough to what books really mean to me. Although I don't read the life-affirming books, I enjoyed the video and find the whole concept of a virtual book club very interesting.
What a great idea of a double buying some titles! Some of my books which I revisit often are pretty battered.
Deb, I really enjoyed your excellent article that celebrates the art of reading.

Virtual book club! Worlds within networks of articles and connections, love that descriptive thought. :)

Love this Deb! Books decorate a well-lived life.

#27 Now you're Talking Heads!

#25 Well, @Praveen Raj Gullepalli, nothing reminds me more of the bliss of reading & college than these 3 words in a row "Stop Making Sense" .....this ain't no party, this ain't no disco, this ain't no fooling around.

#13 There may be a touch o' the Irish, @Ken Boddie, but mostly I descend from the land of the printing press - at least that is my excuse for being a kindle refusnik. I read ebooks on my monitor and type up notes and quotes, but 'reading' is something I cannot divorce from sitting in a comfortable position, most likely with a blanket around my feet, beverage at hand, book propped just so for easy page turning.

Now about my flock..... I typically just do what I do, but when someone stops to ask for directions, they tend to realize I think pretty exhaustively about any position I care enough to espouse. I save the heel nipping for when someone tries to get the sheep all confused over specious claims, then I can run around and bring some clarity to the fields.

And Producer could indeed be christened with the nom de plume 'virtual emotions journal' just between us and our hundreds of worldwide followers and hive-mates.

#3 Looking forward to future exchanges @Deb 🐝 Helfrich. We help each other see "old" facts in a "new" way.

I am quite honored, @Sara Jacobovici. Your post was truly enlightening and I am still deep in thought about how sound & balance information enters the brain via a combined nerve. One of those 'facts' which I had seen many times before, but did not comprehend.

#1 I appreciate reading how poetically your comment resonates with the discussion. Thank you @Ali 🐝 Anani, Brand Ambassador @beBee for your response.

This is a great buzz @Sara Jacobovici on a worthy and deep comment of @Deb 🐝 Helfrich. I am silenced to talk more as I feel the waves of silence penetrating my brain.

#34 Thank you Lynda...And yes, completely different personalities colliding with 'kindred spirits' does feel quite like a homecoming;-)

I love this video with the two of you sharing an experience that I think all of us go through - burned out can't get outta bed-ness. I know for sure that spending a few days with the two of you felt like coming home - 3 women from different backgrounds and ages who found so much commonality. I'm in on anything Deb and Cyndi want to do.

#32 This post will put a smile on my face forever.

If you watch the short video clip at the end of this article, you will see how simple conversation can lead to re-location...Just ask @Deb 🐝 Helfrich;-)

#30 I loved Mrs. Doubtfire...What a daddy will do to be with his children. "We are human beings...and human beings are filled with passion." RIP "O Captain my Captain."...I miss you...

@Cyndi wilkins as I watched the video with you and Deb Lange and your talking of saying what needs to be said , doing what needs to be done and seizing the moment it made me think of the Dead Poets Society. For a musical version https://youtu.be/G2e_M06YDyY?t=5 and then a poignant clip that underscores the essence of Carpe Diem: https://youtu.be/vi0Lbjs5ECI?t=5 . Thanks for sharing the video and the impactful insights.

#26 Looking at it now.

Dear @Cyndi wilkins - for me as a writer and recent new publisher to find out how my book landed in your hands and had such an impact has been amazing! I wanted people to find buddies, to do the exercises, etc etc and you and @debhelfrich have done me just st that and what has come out of that for you both is beautiful! Keep on embracing and loving every part of you - you are both beautiful people!

#25 What else can I say @Shawn Quinlivan, C.Ht....Other than you have also been an integral part of this journey as well...Perhaps more behind the scenes so to speak, but rest assured your influence reverberates all throughout this entire process...So glad to have you aboard;-)

#24 Thank you @Joel Anderson...If you haven't already, you might want to take a peek at the session I filmed with Deb Lange...The youtube link is below on my comment #13...I share a bit of insight into my last days with my dad...I know you and I have discovered that "kindred connection" just recently, but it strikes a deep chord on a universal level for everyone...We are all headed to the same place...Some paths we share, on others we separate...but we will always cross paths again;-)

You offer the impetus to actually integrate a plan of action for reconciling conflicts. Very inspiring! It takes more than contemplation to resolve fear-driven emotions, such as anger, which both separate us from others and within ourselves. And to remind us that being filled with child-like trust, wonder and non-conditional regard for one another is insight into your own enlightenment. Thank you @Cyndi wilkins and @Deb 🐝 Helfrich! I appreciate sincerity, authenticity, vulnerability and emotional presence. Nicely done!

Wow, some great wisdom from two wonderful people. Thank you both @Cyndi wilkins and @Deb 🐝 Helfrich

Mending fences: Being in touch with grief...My moment of Impact...A beautiful share with @Deb🐝 Lange, Brand Ambassador @beBee...
https://youtu.be/QOQ9iFc_Jwg

Thank you again Fatima Williams 🐝...You are an angel in my virtual world;-)

#20 #21 Thank you so very kindly @debasish majumderand @Franci🐝Eugenia Hoffman, Brand Ambassador @ beBee...This is most certainly one of the "Moments Of Impact"....when everything seems to be happening in sync ...It is one of those synergies that we hear of from @Milos Djukic in his many brilliant posts...acting on the current in the "Moment." The only way to do that is via participation in active conversation. Moving beyond the "Read."

A lovely and enlightening post @Cyndi wilkins and @Deb 🐝 Helfrich. I love the idea of the two of you working together and find it refreshing. Great minds think alike.

absolutely stunning post @Cyndi wilkins! equally @Deb 🐝 Helfrich is a true imperative for having a fruitful engagement which soothes our lives. Great share! enjoyed read. thank you very much for the share.

#18 Namaste Cyndi in it's truest sense "I bow to you".

#10 @CityVP 🐝 Manjit...Now that I have given your eloquent comment it's very own space in my heart...I will attempt to convey the message I am feeling so profoundly in this "Moment of Impact." Let me be a bringer light into the darkest corners of my being...Let me trust that this light is to be shared among the others who are willing and able to accept it. It is a very powerful position you hold when you love yourself and those around you as a means of bringing more light into a very dark world...When you connect with the heart of others, you connect with spirit and ALL THERE IS to guide us through especially turbulent times...Whatever that may mean for the individual, know that what connects us is the truth of existence...It is the tapestry that feeds our intuitive fire and you must learn to trust...It is more reliable than any information you receive in your "external" environment...That is not denial or ignorance...THAT is emotional honesty in it's purest expression...THAT is self-awareness...THAT is truth...THAT is LOVE.....

#14 I concur this comment from City VP has left me in a state of "breathlessness" ...I shall have to percolate on my response here as I must first process that "lump" in my throat again.....Thank you for your kind support @Sara Jacobovici View more

#15 I quite look forward to those morning showers now @Ali 🐝 Anani, Brand Ambassador @beBee...It is when all the insights delivered by the "Idea Fairy" seem to come raining down on me!
Perhaps @Deb 🐝 Helfrich won't mind if I change her name;-)

#27 Perfect quote, @Chas ✌️ Wyatt. It captures some of what I conveyed in comments on @Joel Anderson's series of posts about footprints and lines.

This is a both/and situation.

Fresh perspectives, clean slates, starting from scratch, not being attached to things are all occasionally preferred.

Other scenarios require an established path, a line that we will not cross, the tracks of a life well-lived.

It is all part of the duality of life. Just like in-person or virtual relationships.

We now have the technology for it to be a dynamic, joy-promoting Both/And depending on circumstances.

#26 I was so touched by your comment, @🐝 Fatima G. Williams, that I just kept rereading it. A worthy response was eluding me until now.

We may have lost the comfort of belonging to a village, but we cannot discount the soul enlivening effect of finding the perfect virtual village.

"It is a pleasant feeling to be the first to walk on sands which the tide has just left. It is like being the first to visit a new land. It produces a freshness of sensation something akin to that of early morning, or of spring. It is like entering upon a new stage of life, having a new world before us from which to receive, and upon which to make impressions." ~Henry James Slack (1818–1896), "The Ministry of the Beautiful", "Conversation II: Footsteps on the Sand," 1850.

@Deb 🐝 Helfrich Having had the opportunity to have a personal chat with you I know I'm blessed beyond words can describe for having met you.
The way I describe my relationship with you is as below
"The energy I collectively feel is unique. It feeds my soul in a new, exciting, and fulfilling ways. It satisfies my heart with a feeling of a content conversation"
Fulfilment and satisfaction of talking to someone. I haven't had that in a very long time. As real friends tend to drift away seemingly concerned about their social status. People like me who is no longer worried who got the lastest car or designer clothes tend to drift away in search of meaning and true relationships.

As I mentioned in my Why I love beBee buzz. I found beBee and it replaced the human connection I needed at that time. Is there any better way for me to explain how I feel about being here and knowing you all. Thank you.Stay blessed.

#18 What a great way to put it, @Renée 🐝 Cormier. Being a place to make virtual friendships is an online evolution, in terms that everyone can participate in.

#16 A few of my favorite words, @Mohammed Sultan - sea waves of the Pacific. There is undoubtedly a relationship between each of us and the planet we inhabit, we only have to focus our perspective accurately.

#13 I truly value your comment, Sara. There is definitely some discussion needed here to understand how it is that we have, in some cases, these really vibrant relationships happening in tiny 2-D comment boxes. We are still in the rather early stages of getting to know each other, but if life where to occur and we became neighbors, I suspect that our concepts of each other would just blossom with all the new sensory information and 'time' to learn about how we participate in daily life.

I just cannot get around the fact that the Sara I imagine talking/typing to is in my own head. It will be coming up on a year that we've been in an orbit of friendship and the amount of data points we have both directly and via numerous other people is a rather immense set of information. But I am still creating a version of you that exists in my own mind.

We've been doing this since kids with books. I can vibrantly describe most of the books I have read in terms of a full bodily existence, even though so many of these sensory details are likely my own construct. So I don't really see it as transcending bodies exactly, just setting aside some of the realities.

For instance, I find it jolting sometimes when one of the Australians mentions how hot it is, when it is winter in Seattle. Other times, most likely when they have mentioned place, the heat is a given.

What is similar between interacting with imagination when reading books and interacting with reality when conversing on social media is that many parts of the background and environment are filled by my own local senses. While what is different is that you can answer in your own unique and completely different words. It can be a new sense in a very practical way, while also being extraordinarily magical and spiritual.

#21 Now that would be an amazing honor Sara!...I have my "Jetpack" fueled and ready for take-off;-)

#17 Your generous (and flattering) invitation is too good to pass up. It will be my pleasure to take part in the dynamic meeting organized by you two ladies @Cyndi wilkins. I sent Deb a PM that although I can not commit to the first meeting, I will keep my "eyes and ears open" to future opportunities.

#19 I don't think that was a typo at all @Renée 🐝 Cormier...It was a "God" wink;-)

Grrr. Typo alert! Good, not god.

I have to say, I have met some truly wonderful people on beBee. In my opinion, beBee is the only social media platform that really makes it easy to develop friendships with other members. A world where people seek out commonalities and community will always be more loving and peaceful than a world focused on separation and differences. This microcosm called beBee is a good place. It's god to communicate with kind-hearted people like you, @Deb 🐝 Helfrich.

#15 Perhaps the "Time" is right to take a small step beyond the boundaries of the "Read" and dip your toe in a little....Sounds like we have a couple of discussions emerging here that would present the perfect opportunities for us all to finally meet...face to face and ear to ear:-) @Deb 🐝 Helfrich and I would be honored if you would consider lending us an ear and better yet your input on some up and coming discussions we will be hosting. The first of the series will begin this Saturday, Feb. 4th via Skype. Check out the above link for details...We would love to "See" you all there!

@Deb 🐝 Helfrich.Your ideas are hitting our imagination as the sea waves are always hitting the shore of the pacific.I find such group discussions are quite natural ,since they convey the emotions,feelings and thoughts which shape people's personal brands on beBee.Thank you Deb.

Hearing @Deb 🐝 Helfrich's voice. A must read!

Great buzz @Deb 🐝 Helfrich. Sharing !

Dear @Deb 🐝 Helfrich, I am slowly allowing myself to land from your piece as I attempt to form the words I need to communicate with you. (Deep breath.) First, let me thank you for the mention and for being in any way connected to your writing. I feel privileged to have witnessed the process you described, intellectually and artistically, of your SM self-discovery here on beBee. My "sense" of you is that you are an exceptional human being, with your heart in the right place, and your mind "a right place". And speaking of places....you write: when we "look past their body and 24/7 personality and our own typical human senses and we communicate directly with someone else as pure consciousness that actually lives inside of our own mind." From my perspective, this reflects you are in a different place than me. I am still where you write in the "full, physical, proximal, flawed" sensory, complicated body. If I had to place myself, I would be, not in the new sense you describe but "pivoting" on my older senses. I have never been good at transcending the physical. I am still navigating the integration of the physical, psychological and spiritual. My experiences of SM is still connected to the meanings I have formed from my sensory experiences. I am very "conscious" of being open to expanding my experiences and awareness but that is an expansion of my existing boundaries. I have yet to navigate outside those boundaries. You, Deb, have truly broken through and have reached beyond. All the power to you!

Aha...What a world of vicinity with the buzzing beBee community! :)

#10 Milos, has anyone called you the backup generator of beBee, lately? You power this contraption mightily!

cc. @Javier 🐝 beBee, @Matt 🐝 Sweetwood, @Juan Imaz, @John White, MBA and @David B. Grinberg.

#55 Absolutely! :)

#53 Indeed, that is a very healthy way to approach writing, @Bernard Poulin. I suspect this was a rather long-winded way of encouraging myself to move on already! Now...about painting....does déjà peint exist? :)

#52 I believe wholeheartedly that we take everyone into account and that all voices are heard. That is precisely what has to occur to envision a "world where what we hold precious, more than any other resource, is the value of a human hour of work"

I feel that right now what we show we value as most precious is the stock price of a piece of paper.

It is unbelievably complex to move from the latter to the former. I want no one to suffer along the way. The place to start is within the mega-large corporations. With the obscene agglomerations of resources and capital that can be utilized a few percentage points more equitably.

I am someone who focuses more on the why and the context, rather than the how, because we've gotten here by looking too narrowly.

I experience what I have written when someone chooses to read, takes in and either accepts or rejects my offerings. Other than that, I don't think about it because I have already moved on; and am already engrossed in writing something else. .

#48 The interesting thing, I feel, is that being an ambassador gives me the impetus to be more verbose. I suspect that most would say I am the same Deb here as on LI. I simply choose to spend my time here because I want to be part of an actual community, even though what that means is very amorphous - as everyone is entitled to their own voice.

I categorize my time as professional because I work at what I want to say. I am still pondering what to say about the state minimum wage, as we see this from vastly different angles. No single person can put a roof over their head in Seattle on $15, let alone have water, electricity, internet, and food.

Full time work deserves a living wage. We have to put humans first. If a person dedicates themselves to your business for 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, or longer, they must be able to have a home to go home to.

The how is guaranteed to be complex, I don't want to minimize the size of this inequitable system, but I am going to stand for a world where what we hold precious, more than any other resource, is the value of a human hour of work.

We may need to trend your way to start righting a very lopsided ship, but we have to go there with a much better future in mind.

This is an example of wanting to feel that future Deb's will be proud of me for what I wrote - I don't give a toss whether anyone else agrees - but I want to feel that I put my own personal level of thought into what I wrote.

#46 I have dinged the prize-winning bell. You win the little stuffed lizard, @Lisa Vanderburg for Ms. Amy. I will never be able to get that little nugget of shear & sheer creativity out of my noggin.

Another wonderful journey of discovery, @Deb 🐝 Helfrich - thank you! As a [would-be, but dubious] writer with a particularly verbose style, I have attempted to quantify the names of my mental detractors: Limp Dick and Amy G. Dala . I try to keep them locked up on my Hippo Campus, but they keep escaping, as is most students' wont. I can do incoherent, just not twice in a row :)

#43 💐 🌷 🌹

#39 @Chad Carroll or should I speak to Bobical via comments? Thank you for making me feel like I am not the only one with a hyper-active delete mechanism. I have the same, real struggle.

Here's how I see it. I am actually here - on social media - for 'work' in an amorphous, ever-changing way. I really do consider each little nugget as part of my oeuvre, a grain of rice in my personal brand. So if I feel compelled to comment, I make sure it is authentically part of my strategy of being Deb.

Running my words through the inner sieve is then just a bit of professional 'Quality Assurance'.

#36 @Franci🐝Eugenia Hoffman, Brand Ambassador @ beBee - yep, variety is the allspice of life, as they should have said. I feel like you do such a great job of expressing the person you are, of really representing yourself, in words. That is an important talent. And I am so glad I get to learn all about you via your words as you buzz around the hives. You are a super pollinator guide. Making sure we all know the stunning variety of fields we can visit when we show up on beBee.

#41 @Tony 🐝 Rossi you have buoyed my resolve. I am so grateful for your compliment.

Writing can be such an internal minefield and I feel their is a continuum from highly polished, investigative, complex articles like the New Yorker and more personal pieces of writing meant to help the author share their own voice.

The immense capacity of the internet is showing us that "If you need to write it, someone needs to read it."

I love your writing, @Deb 🐝 Helfrich! I'm nowhere near as practiced as yourself, but i completely relate with how your mind works and the words that come out. I hope others get a boost of confidence to get more of their thoughts out into written word as you've challenged yourself. Don't stop!

#38 My marinade of choice would be a whiskey sour;-)

"A Well-Lived Life is Seasoned with a Nice Long Marinade." - @Deb 🐝 Helfrich

#2 Thanks for the mention @Deb 🐝 Helfrich. I am honoured. In your honour I wrote: https://www.bebee.com/producer/@sara-jacobovici/a-chronology-of-admiration.

Deb, your writing is eloquent and you have an outstanding command of the English language. My inner critic is overworked at times because I like variety and change. Thus the reason for my liking beBee so much - never boring. My own site is always changing and is an ongoing reflection of my ideas - I consider everything, including myself, a work in progress.

#34 You have a fantastic command of the language, @Deb 🐝 Helfrich! Objectivity, however, often requires some collaborative effort. I can see that happening with some folks on beBee and that is a great thing. Thanks for the endorsement and I am so glad the meditations are working for you.

#33 Wow, what an interesting experience, @Shawn Quinlivan, C.Ht. I can see the benefits of writing with a 'partner' and having that inner editor be based on a real, disciplined, yet compassionate person. I talk myself out of things so much via over-analyzing.

I spent way too long in my life going it alone. I think 2017 is definitely my year of collaboration.

I can honestly recommend your new series of 10-15 minute guided meditations as a phenomenal way to ease out of too much self-editing mode. They are refreshing mental breaks to disrupt the overwhelm that was holding me back for the last few weeks.

http://shawnquinlivan.com/discovery-a-guided-meditation/

I love this article, @Deb 🐝 Helfrich. It reminds me of a process I established when I wrote my first novel. I achieved that by participating in a Writer's Digest sponsored program that coupled me with a published author named Ardath Mayer. Through that relationship, which entailed me producing a few chapters at a time and sending them to her for review, I developed an inner editor, which I came to call 'the Ardath factor.' I wrote over 150,000 words with her and began to see through her eyes. It was one of the most beneficial educational experiences of my life. I learned to transcend seeing my own words on the page, and to be really critical and objective with my work in terms of compositional structure and literary value. I now use two elements to determine if I am satisfied: 1) the Ardath factor; and 2) my emotional reaction. I have to be thrilled and moved emotionally or it's not ready. And this process requires a lot of editing and re-reading. My inner critic is Ardath (who passed away a few years back but still lives inside me), and I write to invoke feeling. Thanks for the invitation to revisit and share . . . it was a fantasy novel and an extremely special time in my life. All the best . . .

#30 Bob has a good head on your shoulders.

#18 Thanks Mark. And a fine job you do indeed.

“The greatest use of a life is to spend it on something that will outlast it.”
--William James

“Every job is a self-portrait of the person who did it. Autograph your work with excellence.”
--Betty M. Nelson

When I graduated from High School, he gifted me a book, "I Dare You" By WILLIAM H. DANFORTH (1870-1956). I think that he epitomized the daring soul that Danforth challenged to be different in the series of dares from within that book. He did uplifting things in taking each and every one of his steps. He laid the foundation for me to want to follow him and, yes, make a difference.

"It might have appeared to go unnoticed,
but I've got it all here in my heart.
I want you to know I know the truth, of course I know it.
I would be nothing without you.

Did you ever know that you're my hero?
You're everything I wish I could be.
I could fly higher than an eagle,
'cause you are the wind beneath my wings."
--Bette Midler: Wind Beneath My Wings

One of the things I've been trying to do is make sure that some of the lines you've described don't become erased, covered over, or forgotten. Your Dad was so good at connecting those lines, making sure they tied us together rather than divided the people so lucky to have been touched by his steps.

#16 Thank you @Sara Jacobovici That one evening made me so aware of the lines in our lives why connections are so important, and as you say, in taking the time to make and sustain them.

One line that is obvious here @Joel Anderson is the one straight from the heart! The lines of connection that you describe, from both time and place, verbal and nonverbal, are as you say; "straight and narrow, squiggly, or dotted focused in one direction or left to meander down paths well or less travelled." The connections don't just form lines, but patterns and imprints. What is significant is that, nothing can be formed if no connection exists; between individuals, community, nature, our environment. In your words, connections made through lines that "converge, rather than diverge".

Lines are everywhere :)

Some lines aren't even relevant...in the end who among us would waste an iota of our precious time and energy (best not wasted...all of our lives, all of our loved ones lives...all over --in the blink of an eye) on the political views of "The Federalists" vs. "The Whigs"?
I don't mean to be obtuse or provincial...FWIW...it's a reference to the ghost of a line in the sand...in which existed in the ghost of a place called "America"; neither of which exist. They are Dead. No sand. No line. Remains.

#12 Hi @Joel Anderson, no apologies necessary :)) I understand typing on the phone. I can't type messages well at all from my phone. I agree, snapshots in time... one moment- so well said!

#5 @Lisa 🐝 Gallagher Sorry, was trying to write, read and respond on my phone and in between meetings and other distractions that come with the work day. I am truly thankful for your comments and thoughts on this particular piece. Amazing how simple "Moments:Snap shots in time" can become become so profound.

Thank you I am so glad you loved it! I am humbled. #7

#9 These lines of text leave the footprints of family, along the path of its glorious complexity.

#4 Deb your kindness and compassion are truly appreciated.

#5 Thank you Lisa Gallagher.

#6 Thank you so much. "Our threads cross and tangle with twists" indeed. I didn't like it, I loved Crimson Thread. Keep making a difference.

This reminds me of the Red Thread Ancient chinese Proverb. If you have a moment take a look at a poem I wrote on my blog, Crimson Thread. I think you will like it. Thank you for sharing your deep amazing thoughts, I enjoyed this post immensely. Cheers

@Joel Anderson, this was 'mind' altering. Thank you for giving the reader another perspective through your eyes. This just made SO much sense. I'm glad you and your daughter are able to talk as you do!

Masterpiece.

#1 In time dear cousin we will make it so. Thanks and all the best to you and yours

#1 In time dear cousin we will make it so. Thanks and all the best to yiu and yours

So when are you and Marybeth's lines going to intertwine and head out to Monterey for a visit?

#1 not sure if you mean the orthography of soljesystin or the orthography of this order

For some reasons i ended up thinking about Soljesystin (not sure about the orthograph) when reading this ☺

I don’t know what the whole fuss is about. I read both articles and found the controversial buzz about snake oil by Don Kerr, with which I disagree although I admire the author. By the way, I think we should be able to speak bluntly and to indicate the article or the author to whom it refers. It's the fair thing to do.
I have a positive attitude towards holistic medicine because I was convinced in its effects at the example of my family. It is logical approach to the healing process that includes the whole person and not just the human body. But I can also understand the opposite opinions.
For example, my highly religious colleague is strongly against yoga. When she heard that I was intended to start doing yoga she tried to talk me out of it. She thinks about yoga as some kind of demonic activity. This is her attitude toward meditation, too.
Unlike her I grew up in an environment which has always been open to new ideas. That’s why I also believe that the ability to discuss any topic is how we grow and learn to be tolerant, the value greatly lacking in society.
@Deb 🐝 Helfrich, thanks for the post that broadens horizons.

#77
It was more than I expected, Robert but it will have been worthwhile if I get the results I expect. I HAD to take action. The consequences of continuing to deteriorate would have put me in a wheelchair.

snake have a fixed eye ball, which is a hindrance to them, in terms of catching their prey! on contrary, human have an eye ball, enabling them to keep a vision and even enable to widen their vistas! wonderful post @Deb 🐝 Helfrich View more

#73
Thanks, Deb. Very much. I couldn't even get near a cyber cafe, so I came back to a backlog of correspondence. Which I knew.

#72
Time will tell, Robert. It will take intensive rehab and a recovery period of up to three months. The screws, the apparatus, needs to fuse with the bone. I had two surgeries. I fell shortly after the first one. A disaster. But there's this; I finally understand why people commit suicide over chronic pain. Physician-assisted suicide. At times the pain was extraordinary.

#71 I am tremendously glad you are on the mend - alive and with a back all the better to kick with. I am certain it was a lot to go through.

#68
I can only really tell the truth about myself, Cyndi. I just got back from surgery in Mexico, and I'm exhausted. I mean to write it up as a story. It was a lot more than I had anticipated. Thank you.

#69 I love them and loathe them at the same time! And things that go bump in the night;-)

#68 You know, @Cyndi wilkins, snakes add a lot to the natural eco-system in harmony with a natural balance. I kind of am fascinated by them, offer my respect for their habitat, and constantly exercise my ability to steer clear.

Speaking of snakes...They really don't like it when you make them squirm, do they? Good for you for speaking your truth Deb...Jesse and Max are two of my favorite "cage rattler's" on this platform...Dare to be different;-)

#61 You can call me any name you want, Pablo! I am certain I will either smile or laugh so hard my keyboard is in jeopardy of frizzing from the coffee spatter.

Bullies are not trolls. Bullies are taking a public place, marking their territory, and enforcing their arbitrary rules, often in the guise of doing what everyone else wants. Depending on the territory, as @David Navarro López so poignantly points out, we may simply not be able to have a meaningful effect on their activities. Religious, governmental bullies and anyone with weaponry needs to be avoided.

But a social media platform is the place for open, civil, and impactful discussions. I won't be shamed into silence.

I am drawing my own line in the sand for tolerance.

#59 #60 Absolutely anything can be said with respect, for instance - "I honestly have trouble regarding this as anything but snakeoil - am I missing something?" "Do you think this might be giving people false hope and be dangerous in the way we think of snakeoil?" Opinion stated in a way discussion can ensue.

I haven't the slightest problem with the basic challenging question. I object vehemently to the methodology used. Because as I titled this buzz - I believe it to be intolerance masked.

#63 True, but sometimes I feel like being an ambassador is like having a target painted on your back. Some people think that we can't fight back. We shouldn't fight back. Or, we mustn't fight back.

They're wrong.

Javier and Juan saw fit to make me an ambassador. It sure wasn't because of my pretty face. Unless. . . maybe they're Homer Simpson fans? Whatever the reason was, I didn't change what I do or how I do it on this or other platforms. I promoted beBee before, I continue to promote it now.

I'm not here to hold hands and sing Kumbaya either.

It's a social network, emphasis on the "social." It's easy for cowards to hide behind a keyboard. We need to accept the fact that it's impossible to please everyone.

I don't really give a rat's patootie what anyone else thinks an ambassador "should" do or "must" do. Javier and Juan selected us, they can unselect us.

Everybody else is entitled to their opinion, but it ain't worth much. No worries, as was said in another comment, "Haters gonna hate." I chalk it up to jealousy....

Let the flaming begin.

I'll start my comment with some direct name calling. Deb, you Inspiration, you.

Frankly, it boggles my mind that anyone should take offense at what you wrote. While I'm not a fan of any holistic treatments, I respect the individual's right to choose.

I see little point in forcing my opinion down someone's throat.

On the larger issue of online bullying, there are several thoughts I would like to share. There is a common thought that one should not "feed the trolls." That's true for trolls. Not so much for bullies. You do not stop a bully by giving in or running away. Most are cowards at the core. Just don't show them they hit a nerve.

The worst type, and probably the one you allude to, disguises the bullying as a rebuttal or an expression of "difference of opinion." These posts are easy to recognize. They are full of semantically charged words. They draw "conclusions" from misinterpreted data. They claim their conjectures are "facts."

Some of these are simply taken badly. The written word lacks inflection, so misinterpretations are common. Some aren't. They are deliberate.

When a post or a comment pisses me off, I do two things. One, I reply immediately but in Word not directly. That helps me get the anger out of they way. Two, I wait a day and read it again. If it still pisses me off, I'll wait a little more.I once waited 10 days.

To the commenters who draw such ire: It is not enough that you hide behind "I have a right to express my opinion." So do they. Why does your right supersede theirs? It doesn't.

It is up to YOU to take all reasonable steps to avoid the impression of bullying. No, saying, "My opinion" or "No offense, but," doesn't cut it.

To authors: Don't leave. Thank the commenter for their comment. Say something like, "You are certainly entitled to your opinion, even if I don't share it. Thanks for the comment and have a great day." Then get on with your life. Is their opinion that important to you?

Don't sweat it.

#57 I take absolutely no credit. The original quote came from Viktor Frankl and its prominence on beBee is attributed to a few folks I admire and call friends.

#56 Love that last line; I'll have to use it!

#53 It is not a common occurrence, at all, as the vast, vast majority of people find beBee to be a refreshingly positive, supportive place to be. I work hard at adding that exact sort of value every day.

My own personal standard is that no one should experience 'name calling abuse' that causes them to leave beBee. In this case, it was the very subtlety of an indirect attack that I thought lent itself to a discussion that might bring about more awareness.

Interacting with tolerance is actual hard work on a global site based on open participation. We all have biases. We all have buttons that will get pushed.

This community is one where we celebrate the pause between a stimulus and a response, so that we may state our views with respect toward the person who holds the opposing view.

#1 Oh, that's so sad! That wasn't my initial experience at all - far from it, which is why I got hooked on beBee.

#51 We must be like-minded then, as I only speak when I have satisfied myself that I have all the relevant context, am not spreading rumors, and have an important principle or two to take a stand for. The 'inflammatory' comments happened off-piste, as the judgement really wasn't about what it was purported to be about. The intolerance was masked.

My tolerance is wide out in the open.

#50 Well, @Deb 🐝 Helfrich perhaps yes, perhaps no. If it got so bad that this happened (quoting you)

My last post was recently accused of being so detrimental to the beBee community that a new policy had to be put in place to add a disclaimer that Ambassador's views are their own opinion.

then that's relevant to all of us. However, this ain't High School and I decided years ago that I didn't need to know *everything*; all the gossip, I mean.

I can't find the inflammatory comments anyway.