Musings from a Traffic Jam

: Written by J.J.

"Go, go, go" and rush, rush, rush describe the holiday scene today. Many of us will struggle to meet the dominant pace, expectation and commercialism while others will drop out or dive in ---perhaps regretting their decision in the new year. Some of us will find stillness, reflection time; peace.

I found that time in a traffic jam. Flying down the southbound interstate on my way home from shopping I came to a stop behind a long line of vehicles idling in the night. Like them, I expected to drive on soon. The sound of sirens approaching caused us to squeeze aside on that narrow forested stretch of freeway and, when they'd passed, we eased back onto the lanes. Some drivers inched along the area where emergency vehicles had passed in hopes of going through. Those first trespassers got a horn from the semi truck in front of me and before more could pass the trucker moved quickly to shut off that lane. I wondered what he knew that I didn't to make such an aggressive move? More sirens forced us to quickly pull aside helter-skelter and then we waited, frozen in our disorganization, cars idling for another 15-20 minutes until, one by one, drivers shut off their engines; the road and forest dark around us.

Is It Time To Update Your Heart Health Strategy?

: Written by J.J.

It's common to think of your heart as an insulated powerhouse though recent medical research tells us that our hearts are in fact linked with our brains and impacted by the environment around us. Your cardiovascular system reacts to air and noise pollution, for instance. Sudden shock or loss can stop your heart. Science now tells us that pollution, shock, ongoing stress and emotional health all carry potentially deadly cardiovascular impact. Is it time to update your heart health strategy?

#youtoo? Taking the next step in the #metoo movement

: Written by J.J.

Whether you're on or off of Twitter it's hard to miss the #metoo firestorm that erupted on social media, spilled over to print publications, and animated conversations among friends in 2017. #metoo steamed into 2018 fanning out Internationally compelling men and women everywhere to review their interactions with the opposite sex. Were we personally involved in sexual harassment, sexual power plays or sexual abuse? For some this review may feel threatening or painful. It may bring up feelings of shame. For others perhaps it's somewhere between justice overdue or reactions out of proportion. Wherever this resonates in your life the question is what can our wisdom contribute to this discussion and how can we learn from this complex National dialogue?

2017 Year in Review

: Written by J.J.

As I look back on 2017 I wonder why I didn't notice the stories that would normally have been on my radar? Did they burn up in the worst California fire in history, flood in Houston, die in Las Vegas, or disappear somewhere in the debate about fake news? Did they shrink in comparison to the bold re-emergence of the KKK, the Russia/Trump drama, or the disturbing threats from North Korea? Were they destroyed in Puerto Rico, confounded by tax reform, eliminated in the upending of rules and policy or strung out on opiods? No, as I review I realize they were happening each and every day while we were distracted by a barrage of tweets and shocking, often troubling, developments. Consequently I'll remember 2017 as the year I was blinded by too much news!