Yesterday, I had an experience that has been coming back and touching me all day today – and so I decided I'd like to blog about it.

I was sitting in a busy cafe, surrounded by people, most of whom I am not personally connected to. At the same time, I was engaged in an IM conversation online, with a person who I am very connected to – one of my dearest friends.

I'm not even sure how it came about, but at one point he said to me "choose a person in the room. Any old one." So I looked around, chose someone, and said okay. "Now write me one true compliment about this person," he wrote.

I paused. And then I watched this man for a few moments.

My initial reaction was resistance. I didn't know this guy from Adam, and my snap judgment of him told me that he was a bit annoying. Between those two things, how was I to come up with a true compliment?

But I've been noticing a subtle breakdown lately in my perception of other people as "separate" from me – that's the best I can describe it – and so I just sat there, and softened, and did my best to "feel" him. To be present with this stranger, and to wait for a feeling about who he was and what made him beautiful. And sure enough, it came.

All day I have been considering this. It reminds me of an exercise I once did in a workshop, where you go around and stand in front of a different person every minute, and for a full minute, you look them in the eye and say nice things about them. Doesn't matter whether they are a close friend or a total stranger, you just keep talking. When you run out of things you "know" about them, then the challenge is to tune in, and to feel what else there is to offer.

1. Cut a hole in the box.

Just kidding...

I just felt like I had to blog *something*, it being the first day of 2007 and all. Only I have no predictions, and I have no lists.

Right now I am tired, and here in Vancouver the new year started with the kind of day that makes me wonder why on earth I stay in this city. SO icky and grey. But that's okay, because all I did was sleep in, eat brunch on the Drive with my bio sister, my honorary sister, and my sweetie, and then go see "The Pursuit of Happyness". Which was heart-wrenchingly good, actually. Will Smith was really brilliant.

In other news, I have knitted two lovely Moebii. I am hooked and they are beautiful.

I feel a lot of changes ahead. I actually have no idea where 2007 will lead me and right now that's kind of terrifying. Stay tuned...

I've been meaning to go to a Witness Weekend for about... oh, 5 years now. And there's always something else that comes up. But this coming weekend (tomorrow!) is the last one EVER, and so I'm dropping everything else and i'm actually going to go.

Mostly I'm just excited to be out in the woods in an incredibly beautiful place. But there is some official content, and it's along these lines...

Sacred Land Use Plan
Presentation of the Squamish Nation Forest and Wilderness Land Use Plan by telàlsemkin/siyam/Chief Bill Williams, Sekyú Siyám’ Chief Ian Campbell and KáKeltn Siyám/Chief Gibby Jacobs.

Ecological Economics
Engage with Micheal Barkusky, ecological economist, in a dialogue on envisioning a wilderness-friendly economy.

Slahal / Bone Game
Nexws Chenchents/Eugene Harry will involve participants in traditional Coast Salish games at the fireside gathering on Saturday evening.

Should be interesting! I'm looking forward to it.

Yep, it's true! I am now the proud bearer of the title of Community Manager for http://desmogblog.com, another fine site by your Drupal Rockstar friends at Raincity Studios.

That's "DeSmogBlog", as in "we don't want no more smog, thanks," and its mission is to "clear the PR pollution that clouds climate change science". It's the personal project of Jim Hoggan of Hoggan and Associates, which he began after he got frustrated by watching his fellow PR professionals use their talents to confuse the public. The science is clear, the site says, and there is too much bad PR out there being used to make the public think otherwise. Check out the Manifesto here.

I'll be spending 15 hours a week building community, driving traffic, researching the wide world of climate change action and discussion on the web, and generally driving momentum behind a project with an existing strong team that deserves even wider exposure. Know of any great resources? Feel free to email me suggestions to sarah AT desmogblog DOT com.

Special thanks go to Scales and kk+ for the recommendation and the consistent vote of confidence. :)

I haven't been blogging much lately, and I guess it's because my life for the past couple of weeks hasn't been particularly lived online. I checked out of it all last week, and retreated to my parents' home on Vancouver Island for a few days, where I did my utmost to NOT be online at all. Instead, I slept, did yoga, went for walks, did some meditation, and ate healthy food. Bonded with my mother. It was very lovely.

Easter weekend I went to a gathering on the Sunshine Coast, which was fun and all but kind of muddy. And then I spent the rest of the weekend (which included Monday, for me) assembling an Ikea dresser (ooooooh, man), and trying to fit all my stuff into my new and very small bedroom, in a way that feels nice and tidy. I've been building shelves and feeling like a handywoman. (Hear me roar! I love using a drill!)

I have to say that the act of NOT being online for 4 days did wonders for the compulsive nature of my online-ness. Sometimes I feel like a slave to the internet, and it's a great feeling to break the shackles of that addiction somewhat. You know how there's a TV Turn-off Week? (Coming up, actually - April 24-30) Well, I highly recommend a computer turn-off week. Or even just a couple days. Give it a whirl, and see what comes up...

From a birthday greeting I received:

"Happiness is the result of inner maturity. It depends on us alone, and requires patient work, carried out from day to day. Happiness must be built, and this requires time and effort. In the long term, happiness and unhappiness are therefore a way of being, or a life skill."

Thanks, Bonnie. :)

Irritation
Originally uploaded by sarahfelicity.

I miss having a digital camera. It's making me feel like such a FlickrFailur, not to have posted anything original in so long.

So hey, if anyone out there knows of anyone looking to get rid of their great camera in favour of an even greater one... let me know!