Poetry and Prose by #1 Amazon Bestselling Author of Nature Speaks of Love and Sorrow, Co-Author of #1 Amazon Bestseller, Wounds I Healed: The Poetry of Strong Women, and Jan/Feb 2022 Spillwords Press Author of the Month
Wow, what a busy, busy week. I know, I know, I always start out that way. Yet, it really was. So much so, in fact, that my time was allocated to other things, and writing in some ways, not all ways for sure, took a little bit of a back seat this week.
Writing
Simply meaning that I didn’t get to work on larger pieces this week. Yet, you know what I did get to work on? Yep. Poetry. I am absolutely falling in love with writing poetry. Love. And, here’s what that looked like.
And, next week? Yep, here is what I’m currently working on.
An Insight Poem
The Reflection Series Part 4: What Does it Mean to Live a Life Full of Insight?
The Reflection Series Part 5: What Does it Mean to Live and Love a Communicative Life?
I am finding that it is necessary to shorten my articles a little. That certainly doesn’t mean I’ll stop writing longer pieces. Yet, at least for the time being, I am working on some shorter posts. We will see.
Okay, so I am still reading the book on Ramana Maharshi, yet am also now reading another book for the book club, which I’ll write more about in a moment. Ramana?
I am about 1/3 of the way through the book, maybe more, and here is what I love the most about the book thus far.
The book is set up as a Q&A session with Ramana and the narrator. And? Time and again, the narrator basically asks Ramana the same question in different ways. And, each time? Yep.
Ramana gives a very different answer that points the narrator, and the reader, back to the same place. Fun. The place?
Inside of you, of course. No matter the question, the seeking, the apparent frustration, the answer? Yep, already lives inside of you. Stay quiet and listen. Lovely.
Well, here in Oregon, we are now on a 2-week freeze, which the Governor did say would be extended if the cases continued to stay steady or rise. Impact?
Hardest hit are the local small businesses, especially those in the food industry. Phew. Difficult.
We will be working with small business owners in the coming days and weeks to ensure they have what they need to pivot their businesses once again.
I’m not sure a more resilient group exist right now, with the exception of those in healthcare. Amazing people all around.
Quick updated. I was able to get the remote book club together for our first meeting a week ago Saturday. Fun!
We’ve chosen to read, Anxious People, by Fredrik Backman. It’s actually pretty good thus far.
Sort of an inquiry, as the title relates, into the human condition in regard to emotionality, and the spectrum of how that plays out in stressful situations. Interesting.
Closing
Well, that’s about it for this week. Time to go see what you are all up to, and to see if I can finish the insight poem on this night. Ha! Even more fun.
The first stanza? Sure. Here we go.
Insight is such a delight, A fancy quite bright, which lives Beyond the pale moonlight
Fun, fun, fun.
Alright, everyone, please stay healthy and well, and have a wonderful week ahead.
Remember, you are an inspiration to me, and to everyone around you.
All around you, look And see, what’s hidden Beneath the sea of tranquility,
Bathed in a light so bright And responsive to A plight, that’s right, Which lives beyond the night Of everlasting daylight,
Shining on
You and me, and all that see What’s already there, just stare Off into the distance, A common affair, so don’t beware
Rather take care Of yourself in this instance, For the perspiration of your inspiration Takes root there
It’s lives inside you, and me, And the common tree, Asunder not, One Full of thunder, and A distant and harmonic wonder
Believe in that which you see, A mirror of Mind, You and me, and yes, The uncommon tree, both, One And the same, playing the same game, Amidst the same flame, so
Breathe deep, and take in All there is to keep close to heart A majestical start, and a Rightful and delightful creation Is this thing we call inspiration
I am often fond of saying something like, or more, exactly like, relationships are everything. Really. Everything we do is predicated on a relationship. Yes? I think so.
And, I’ve written many articles about relationships, because I do believe they are the basis for all social and cultural phenomena. Yep.
But, what does that really mean? Good question.
In this article we will explore the concept of the interaction ritual, termed and written about by Irving Goffman.
Yet, before we get to that part of our discussion, let’s define both interaction and ritual. Ready? Good. Here we go.
Reciprocal action or influence. ‘ongoing interaction between the two languages’
Communication or direct involvement with someone or something. ‘for a shy person, social interaction can be a stomach-churning, anxiety-filled experience’
An interaction ritual, then, is a reciprocal series of actions, influence, or types of behaviour regularly and invariably followed by someone.
Pretty straight forward, yes? Good. Now, what about Goffman? Good question. Here is how Goffman defines interaction ritual.
“The subject matter [Interaction Ritual], however, can be identified. It is that class of events which occurs during the co-presence and by virtue of co-presence. The ultimate behavioral materials are the glances, gestures, positionings, and verbal statements that people continuously feed into the situation, whether intended or not. These are the external signs of orientation and involved-states of mind and body not ordinarily examined with respect to their social organization.” (Goffman, 1967).
A concept or perception of something based on the collective views developed and maintained within a society or social group; a social phenomenon or convention originating within and cultivated by society or a particular social group, as opposed to existing inherently or naturally.
Now, what does it mean for the interaction ritual to be socially constructed? Good question. Here we go.
It means that all of the glances, gestures, positionings, and verbal statements we utilize in our interactions are maintained within a society or social group.
Meaning that the way we interact and the rules governing such behavior are merely ideas about how interactions are to take place. They are not inherent or natural. Nope.
Further, it means that the maintenance of the ideas we have about how we are to conduct ourselves in our interactions are ritualized
Simply meaning that the behaviors we display in our interactions become codified as mores and norms, and then are past down as truth to future generations through socialization. The issue? Sure.
Mores and norms are also social constructions. Watch.
Now, we can see in these definitions that both mores and norms are also ideas that are constructed in language as customary or typical, which are then agreed upon within a particular social milieux.
Hence, they are also socially constructed. Meaning?
That mores and norms are not naturally occurring phenomena. Nope. They are ideas people have, and end up believing, about what should or should not happen in a society, or social setting. And, what, prey, happens in a social setting? Yep.
In sociology there is another theoretical concept called the definition of the situation. Here is an excerpt.
“The definition of “the situation” is what people use to know what is expected of them and what is expected of others in any given situation. Through the definition of the situation, people obtain a sense of the statuses and roles of those involved in the situation so that they know how to behave. It is the agreed upon, subjective understanding of what will happen in a given situation or setting, and who will play which roles in the action. The concept refers to how our understanding of the social context of where we may be, like a movie theater, bank, library, or supermarket informs our expectations of what we will do, who we will interact with, and for what purpose. As such, the definition of the situation is a core aspect of social order — of a smoothly operating society.”
Very similar to what we’ve already discussed, yes? Yep.
Why Does the Interaction Ritual and the Definition of the Situation Matter?
Now, I think the definition of the situation is important in our discussion about interaction rituals, because the way a situation is defined is also socially constructed, which you can interpret just by reading the excerpt above. Meaning?
That, we are all, each of us, within our own cultural milieu, continuously affirming and confirming the socially agreed upon interaction ritual within the scope of a particularly defined situation, or defined context. Yep.
And, guess what?
We can change that, if we choose. Yep. How? Sure.
Create new denitions, or realities. I believe creating new realities is what all great leaders do. Yep.
They understand both the strengths and opportunities of the contexts they navigate, and take advantage of the strengths, while also creating possibilities within the opportunities. And?
We can all do this. You, me, everyone of us. Really.
If you look at how social change occurs, it is due to individual people, just like you and me, choosing to create a new reality, define a new context, and then act in that context in new ways, shifting what was known to a new known. Just like that. Beautiful.
Alright, as a novice blogger, I only really learned about these blogging awards in the past couple of months. How, prey? Well, from you of course. 🙂
Now, I’ve been nominated a couple of times alongside some fantastic bloggers, of which I am honored to share nomination space, by, for instance, Soni, of Soni’s thoughts. An amazing and talented writer, artist, and singer.
This is the first time, however, that I’ve actually written a nomination post. Fun!
From Laura, of Lotus Laura. Another amazing blogger. On Laura’s blog I’ve read about spirituality, music, food, and much, much more. Wonderfully talented. Thank you, Larua, for the lovely nomination.
Alright, Laura, and friends, ready? Good. Here we go.
Rules
Thank the person that nominated you and put a link to their blog
Answer the questions given to you
Nominate 2-6 bloggers and notify them of their nomination
Create 11 new questions, or use the same ones below
Questions from Laura
Do you have any nicknames (or childhood nicknames)?
What’s your favorite type of weather?
How would you describe your style of writing?
Do you prefer music or TV/movies?
What’s a good meal you’ve recently had?
Are you currently working from home?
What’s your favorite planet?
Are you looking forward to Christmas?
Do you think much about the future?
Do you prefer to be serious or joke around?
What is your current mood?
1. Do you have any nicknames (or childhood nicknames)?
Hm. I don’t think so. Unless you count the variation of Jeff and Jeffrey, which, of course, are not nicknames proper. Thus, I would say no, no nicknames.
Ah, yes. Well, growing up in sunny Los Angeles was great in that, well, it was sunny all the time. Yet, what you miss in that kind of environment is the beauty and majesty in seasonal changes.
Right, right, the question at hand. Here we go.
I LOVE the time of year where I currently live, when we shift from summer to fall. We still get lots of sun, which I love, and the temperature cools down a bit, which is also nice.
3. How would you describe your style of writing?
A good question. Let’s see. I think it is always changing. At one time, I would have described my writing as academic. You know, very mechanical. Yep. True. Not so much today, however.
I am learning that I can write in a more relaxed style and still investigate, with all of you, of course, intellectual topics. Hm. For today, I would describe my writing style as relaxed. Tomorrow? Don’t know. 🙂
LOVE this question. Alright, so I adore, and I mean, adore music. This one, then, is really easy. I much prefer music over the other two. Though, I will add here that I do enjoy a good movie, or television show.
5. What’s a good meal you’ve recently had?
Hm. Well, they are all mostly cooked by me at the moment, due to the pandemic. Meaning, that I am not really eating out right now. Okay, ready?
Here’s one I’ve been preparing a lot lately. And, I love it.
Many of you may know that I am practicing a vegan diet today and have been for, well, over a year now, so protein? Yep, you’ve got to be creative.
Alright, so my son taught me how to cook lentils, which I love, in such a way that they end up cooked through, yet a little crunchy. They are an amazing substitute for the protein in street tacos, which are one of my absolute favorite foods. Delicious.
Mmm. Yes and no. I am looking forward to the holidays generally, as I do every year, yet, due to my father’s passing last year, and the pandemic, it will probably be a little rough this year.
These are the moments where I am truly grateful for technology, like Zoom and Skype, which will be a nice way to connect with my mother and sisters in Los Angeles.
Fun! My answer will not surprise most of you, as I’ve written quite a lot on this topic.
I believe that we create our future in each and every moment. Yep. Every action we take, connected to a future self we know ourselves to be, means that we are creating tomorrow today.
Therefore, I believe the future lives in the present moment. In that way, you can say I think about the future a lot!
10. Do you prefer to be serious or joke around?
Another fun question! Might depend on who you ask, and when you ask them. Generally, I would say that I am both. That is, when focused, I am serious, driven, and determined to create a new and more equitable world and future.
At the same time, however, I am full of life, love, and laughter. Therefore, it is possible to see me in one moment, super focused on the task or project at hand, and in the next, laughing until I fall out of my chair. Really. Just like that.
Mmmm. A lovely question. Phew. I would say that right now, I am filled with both hope and optimism about the future. And?
At the same time, I am also filled with sadness and grief. Sadness about just how hard everything is right now. Really hard.
And, grief for many of the local small business owners that will have to once again pivot their business models, if possible, as the entire State of Oregon is now in a 2-week freeze. Yep.
And, you know what? It is okay and perfectly normal to be filled with both hope and optimism, and grief and sadness. Yep. Perfectly normal.
It’s hard to believe, I know, I know, cliche, yet, it is hard to believe that the holidays are upon us. Phew. A busy week, as always, and a stressful one for people that live in this country. Yep. True.
Writing
Right, so, first, in the event you’ve not yet seen what I’ve been up to, here it is.
Well, well, well, look at that. More poems than any other type of writing this week. Hm. Well, I did write last week that I was going to continue writing poems. How fun.
And, this week?
Well, as always, there is a plan, yet I’m never really sure what will happen. More fun that way. Really. Let’s see. Yes, I am thinking about a few different pieces. Here they are.
Poems on
Courage
Movement
Vulnerability
Majesty
A new social construction series entry on interaction ritual – it’s a sociological thing, of course, and will be fun.
Some new thinking I’ve done on interactions. More specifically on coaching type conversation.
And, I’m still pondering that piece on moving towards a more resilient and positivistic approach to sociology. Not sure.
It’s super fun to look back on what I’ve written during the week, reflect upon it, and then consider the following week’s writing. I am very curious to see how much poetry comes this next week. Hm.
Right. Well, that’s all about writing. Now? Yep, here we go.
Though, I’m not going to go on and on here, I do want to acknowledge how much stress, worry, and anxiety people in this country have been feeling about the election over the past week
And, no matter where you align yourself along the political spectrum, the aforementioned statement is true.
I am grateful that the election is complete, and that Biden and Harris will be in office for the next 4 years.
Whereas, I am hopeful they will do some good for a very fractured country, I do believe they are a bridge to a better day. Meaning?
That both political parties have work to do; and, they need to begin today.
That’s about all I have to write about that for now. Music? Yep. Good. Here we go.
Alright, so, like many of you, I’m sure, I listen to music when I write. Well, actually, I listen to music when I do lots of things, writing is simply one of them. And?
Well, a good friend of mine turned me on to a new pianist this past week. And?
WOW!
I mean, phew, moving, inspiring, exceptional. Ready? Here you go.
Now, whether you enjoy piano, or not, I invite you to please take a listen. Yiruma plays some of the most beautiful music I’ve ever heard. Really. Phew. Lovely.
Alright, that’s about all for this week.
Before I go, I want to add one more thing. Ready? Good. Here we go.
A New Day
Though divided, They simply had forgotten, That division is the seed of begotten Times past, and
That there was need Of a new day, where the kids could play Free from fear of reprisal,
Along a path toward survival With a much needed revival
Let us then not be stifled, but rather Set a course Quite more delightful
And work side by side One and all Toward a future That holds the promise Of what is rightful and insightful
Develop. Inspire. Transform. 