Introduction

Each New Year is greeted with resolutions to do this or that. We speculated that the creation of this blog will stimulate creative juices and a lasting effort.
Misty Mawn's class "Stretching within" http://mistymawn.typepad.com/ starts on Monday, January 10.

Before the class started we had an exercises to introduce ourselves, and the prompt was "I come from..."
What happened after this, was breathtaking, my classmates poured their souls out, fearlessly and bravely shared the most vulnerable and most beautiful moments of their lives. I'm so proud of being a part of this group.

I thought this would be the best way to introduce ourselves to our readers. Here are Russell's and mine "I come from..." efforts. Try it, you may surprise yourself ... and others.

Russell:
I come from Wisconsin, America's Dairyland.
I have the Midwest work ethic...but I'm lazy.
I have many careers but still don't know what I want to be when I grow up.
I will die of old age before growing up.

I come from Wisconsin, land of intellectual curiosity tempered by Methodist restraint.
I went to California to pursue my curiosity and become a hedonist.
I'm a physicist that has never worked in his field. Humanity probably benefited from this.
I am a "jack of all trades" and a 'Master of absolutely none."

I come from Wisconsin and I went to California.
Camera in hand, in Hollywood, a photo-op around every corner.
Learned I was a great technician,
But a digital camera with lots of memory can make me an artist.

I come from Wisconsin and when I went to California, I left my heart in San Francisco.

Like Hollywood, San Francisco is a state of mind...there should be two states just as in physics.
Sea Cliff and Baker Beach are heaven on earth...but earthly heavens have a shelf life.
Can never go back and will never return.

I come from Wisconsin and I went to Texas
From an old Physics book, I learned about the automobile business.
Car dealers are the last of the true entrepreneurs
Marketing cars is not a bit different than marketing movies
Texas is like California, just better drivers and roads.


I come from Wisconsin and I went to Texas
Found a beautiful Russian scientist, two foreigners in a strange land.
We met and I haven't stopped talking since.
Our shared experiences demand a revisit to all places held sacred by each of us.
Art & photography have become the Rosetta stone for a shared language and vision.

Love is renewed...Life is great!





Elena:

I come from...
A country which does not exist anymore,
I come through the doors, some of which will never be open again,
Carrying my memories, the best of them...

I come from...
The kindness of my mother and
The strength of my father.
The family ties, my children, amazing friends,
and someone, who thinks that I'm wonderful.

I come from...

The land of white nights,
A great river, sea and sand,
Sunrise over the lake,
Foggy mornings and rainbow in the sky,
Walks in the forest, campfires and stargazing.

I come from...
Getting satisfaction in hard work,
From bad days and good days,
From losing friends and finding new ones,
From hope and love,
From gardens full of flowers.


I come from...
My teachers and mentors,
Who taught me that the main question is: "What if...?"
Still learning, developing, keep surprising myself.