Where were YOU and what were YOU doing between 1997 and 2006??? If you weren’t among the 20,000 people on the world famous “Walt’s Friday Inspirations” mailing list, then you missed out on something truly amazing! But, don’t worry! through the magic of technology, you can now sign up to receive the “just like it was” weekly email of these timeless Life Rhymes! Yes, Life Rhymes timeless! Life Rhymes show up in your life just when you need them like MAGIC! And, now,, Life Rhymes are back…RELOADED!! And you can experience them in 2012! Trust me, and trust the testimonials of 20,000 people who experienced them before, they’re more fun and amazing when the show up in your email inbox each week! So, sign up! And, if you prefer, they’ve also been compiled into a beautiful coffee table, bedside inspiration, dinner guest conversation piece book! Click here to see more, and to sign up! It’s absolutely free!

Share this:

As I’ve shared before, people do in fact Google the darndest things. Someone found my blog when they googled (or more accurately asked Jeeves “Why don’t Jamaicans like frogs?”

Click to see I’m not making this up!

Ooooh! Ooooh!I can answer that one! Pick me! Pick me!

Well then, the answer is simple. Frogs are disgusting.

As I think about all the various creatures one could encounter growing up in Jamaica, frogs probably rank highest in overall “revulsion factor.” The revulsion factor, in case you’re not aware, includes three components: outdoors, low-dwelling & slimy.

The more of these criteria a particular creature meets, the higher the revulsion factor. So, based on the above, you can see that even rats and roaches don’t rank as high (or low) as frogs do. Rats are dry. Even lizards, of which I have a personal and unmitigated distaste, don’t rank as high (or low) as frogs. Lizards are tree and wall-dwellers.

Of course, if you’re a child growing up in the “country” as I did, then you’d only see frogs come out at night, and it’s a terrifying experience to have to use an outhouse in the late evening, and step on a low-dwelling, slimy, squishy frog. So, there’s also the fear factor too. That’s why Jamaicans don’t like frogs.

Now then, in case you’re wondering, and in anticipation of anyone asking: we also don’t like dogs. Okay, that may be a bit harsh, but for Jamaicans, dogs are outdoor animals. Dogs don’t belong in the house. Dogs don’t belong in your bed. Dogs don’t belong in your bathtub. Dogs don’t belong anywhere near your face. Period. This is how I was raised. So, imagine my absolute horror and trauma, when–as a child–upon arriving in the US and seeing television commercials and situation comedies with dogs in the house, in the bed, in the bathtub, and horror of horrors, licking people’s faces!!!! Egad! Sharing spit with a dog???? I wouldn’t even drink from the same soda bottle as my best friend!!

For Jamaicans, pets are functional. Jamaicans don’t buy food for pets. Dogs and cats earn our tolerance and their sustenance–table scraps, bones, and leftovers–by performing necessary tasks for the good of the household. Dogs bark at intruders. Cats catch mice. Got it? Good. Now you can stay. Outside.

If you have any Jamaican friends, you’ve no doubt observed that yes, Jamaicans will own fancy tail guppies and goldfish as pets, but even fish in an aquarium are not exempt from the JPFR (Jamaican Pet Functionality Requirement). Fish serve the function of beautifying the home. And even though we’ll buy food for them, we make that allowance because the food that fish require is not that expensive, and, last but not least, we don’t actually have to touch them. In other words, fish in a bowl are sort of like furniture. They are beautifying, observable, rearrangeable pets–the best type.

In any event, there’s your answer. Have a great day.

Share this:

Here’s the latest in the series of passion-centered mavericks I’m featuring in the Communal Capitalism series referenced in an earlier post. My cousin, Isa Benn, in Toronto is a filmmaker! She’s posted a brief trailer of what she intends to be a five-part series….Here is the overview:

A brief, yet moving, glimpse of three young girls (Age: 5, 14, 17) and their trials and tribulations throughout one day. Eunice, Savannah and Asa set out to rent a bike, adding some happiness to what we witness as monotony, the absence of authority and poverty. Their euphoria is unexpectedly interrupted by the presence of strange males who rupture a beautiful and sound moment. The story ends with two girls, an apprehensive walk home and a moment of displacement.

Indiegogo.com is another great “support my project” site that allows credible creative folks like Isa to seek your support to complete their projects….and is a great example of …what CNN called “communal capitalism,” [which] demonstrates that even in this difficult economy and with no clear profit potential, people are willing to invest in entities about which they care and in entities that they believe will have a positive impact on their community.”

She’s about 1/4 of the way there! It would mean a lot to me to be able to share her success story and the release of her film in a future post!

CHECK IT OUTmeet her team, read their individual stories and let’s get this film made so we can find out the true significance of the title!

Share this:

The Jamaican in China gets political!

It was the perfect storm. A dangerous combination. Too much time on my hands. The humor of the Rachel Maddow Show. The Republican campaign….and Mitt Romney. I couldn’t help it.

So, I’m watching the March 30th Rachel Maddow show segment entitled “Friends with Detriments” where she highlights the numerous dubious endorsements Mitt Romney has gotten from various Republican politicians.

Mitt’s friends in high places all seem to endorse him while at the same time, acknowledging quite publicly that Mitt’s not quite the candidate the party had hoped for. In other words, Rachel suggested, “He’s not the best, but vote for Mitt in the meantime….” and immediately, the lyrics “…until the real thing comes along” popped into my head!

Trust me, I fought it. I gave myself a thousand reasons NOT to do this. I’m not into politics. I’m just a humble author and writer. I’m just a non-political Jamaican enjoying my freedom traveling the world. The last thing I want to do is get involved in the political debate. Not to mention, I happen to like the Billie Holiday version of that song.

So many questions. How will this affect my brand? Should I do this under a secret identity? Will I forever ruin people’s association with this beautiful song? Should I use the Frank Sinatra or Dean Martin version instead?

Ultimately, my creativity (i.e. my ego) got the better of me. Quite honestly, I couldn’t be the only one who had the same thought last night. And quite frankly, I didn’t want someone else creating this and getting a million hits on Youtube. After all, Billie Holiday took time out of her busy afterlife to inspire me, and I’ve always dreamt of having a Youtube video go viral.

So, brand be damned. Pishaw to Political correctness! I must do this. All publicity is good publicity, anyway. Just spell my name right.

So, with appropriate and heartfelt apologies to the estate and memory of Billie Holiday, I present to you a campaign ad with my suggestion for Mitt Romney’s new election slogan: “Elect Mitt Romney. Until the Real Thing Comes Along.”

click to view on youtube

For China: Click to view

Share this:

My friend, Nancy, whom I met at a Beijing Social Club dinner, and who I wrote about in my Saipan Tribune column, sent me this email.

Hi Walt,

Hope you are well! Since that time that we shared a meal, a lot has happened. I have discovered what I truly want to do- teach Jivamukti yoga. Not coincidentally, Jivamukti emphasizes nonviolence via ethical veganism…so it’s really a good fit! Thank you so much for your thought-provoking questions. And the article you wrote, I reread it when I feel the pain of animal cruelty.

I’d like to ask you to please visit the page below. I am hoping to raise funds for my yoga education and yoga community service project! Your help in any way, through donation or posting it at your newsletters or sites, would be much appreciated

Namaste,
Nancy
Click here to read and help

I’ve received several such requests for support of passion-centered ventures. One friend of mine, in particular, was able to exceed his goal and is now somewhere in Ecuador living his dream!

Through sites like Gofundme.com, a person with a passion-centered business or project posts his/her idea and seeks the financial support of the public. I thought about this trend, and how to name it, and came up with the phrase “communal capitalism!” So, I did what any self-respecting, self-conscious entrepreneur with a penchant for coining new phrases would do: I googled it, and sure enough, I’m not the first to come up with the concept. (Maybe I ought to read more!)

In any event, I found this quote….…what CNN called “communal capitalism,” demonstrates that even in this difficult economy and with no clear profit potential, people are willing to invest in entities about which they care and in entities that they believe will have a positive impact on their community.”

Once you read Nancy’s promise and proposal, you’ll see how she intends to make that positive impact on the community.

Please help any way you can!

Nancy to my left and members of the Beijing Social Club last year

p.s. To read some of the ideas Nancy and I talked about over dinner, check out
Turn Your Passion into Profit

Share this:

Okay, so I’m mad at Google. In the past, I’ve been elated when someone searched for “I want to date a Jamaican in China.” That was cool. But, yesterday, someone googled “a picture of a healthy Jamaican middle age man” and my blog showed up. What the—?!! I mean, come on!

See? Click to see the tracker evidence!

Now, as you know, I never reveal my age, (That’s one of the rules of “How to Reverse Aging,” and the few people who know my earthly calendar age, have been, um….taken care of…..but, really now…Do I LOOK like a middle aged man??? Ahem…

I’ll have you know, Google, I have the body of a 26-year old!!……um, it’s in my basement. Please don’t tell the authorities.

Share this:

Sounds like the name of a song, doesn’t it? Here’s how I spent many a sunny, summer afternoon while I was in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan Province, People’s Republic of China. I would visit one of the jade shops on the main thoroughfare and hang out with my friend, Rohanna. Rohanna is from Myanmar, and he introduced me to some great music including the track playing in the background. It’s entitled “Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna,” which means Never Say Goodbye, from a famous Bollywood film. I love that song! Now, every time I hear it, it sends me back in time to those sweet Xishuangbanna Summer days! It’s just a video of me and Rohanna and friend sitting around the shop…pretty laid back…

P.S. My external hard drive crashed shortly after returning from China, so I never got around to editing and compiling the videos I shot while there. I got an intuitive urge to plug one of them in and see if I could fix it, and lo and behold, after working a little magic, I was able to access one of the drives and locate a few videos. There are still more videos on the other hard drive, but until I get that one fixed, please enjoy this video trip down memory lane!

View on youtube

For China: View Jade Shop video

Share this:

Yesterday, I looked out my apartment window, and saw a woman sitting in her car. She had just parked in order to visit someone in the building, and as she sat preparing to exit her auto for a visit, she was pounced upon by a marshal and a tow truck operator who proceeded to seize her car.

The way it works is that the marshals drive around the city punching in license plate numbers into their computers, and when they find someone who owes unpaid fines above a certain threshold, they pull up along with a tow truck operator, plaster a sticker on the window of the vehicle, and simply tow it away. To retrieve your car, you’ll have to pay the Marshal fee, tow truck fee, as well as the fines owed.

New York City Marshals are public officials, appointed by the Mayor, but they are not paid employees of the City of New York. They earn income by performing certain tasks in Civil Court cases, including the enforcement of judgments. City marshals charge fees for their services and receive a percentage of the money they collect. (from the NYC.gov website)
 

This woman had to suffer the embarrassment of having her car towed away while she frantically searched the trunk, the back seats, and the glove compartment to make sure she had all of her valuables. People stopped and stared, traffic was held up, cars’ horns were blaring for the approximately 20 minutes it took for the whole scene to play itself out, leaving her car-less, with her shopping bags stranded on the street.

An on-looking tenant in the building I’m in, commented, “That’s how things are in the real world.”

I thought about that, and later had a conversation with the doorman who had witnessed the whole scene, and we talked about people being evicted from their homes, pawn shops, repossessions, law suits, exploiting others’ ignorance and weaknesses for cash, and the mercenary nature of those who prey and survive on the misfortunes of others, and I thought to myself, “I don’t want to live in a world like this.”

Sure, regarding the scene in front of my building, you can justify it anyway you wish–yes, there was money owed; Yes, we all can’t keep shirking our obligations, people have to pay for their utilities, rents, etc., or the whole system crumbles. I know. However, I’m taking a step back, and looking at the bigger picture. There’s just a certain inhumanity and lack of compassion in the way the officials/agents treat other humans in situations like this, in addition to how the entire system is constructed to begin with. There’s a whole perverse, mercenary nature to how things are organized in our money-makes-the-world-go-round society that is disturbing to me. Where’s the compassion? Where’s the courtesy? Where’s the humanity?

CONVERSATION:

Earlier in the week, I spoke with a friend who is feeling the stress of her life and feels like making some major life changes. She is feeling a bit overwhelmed by what she feels is her inability to cope; she’s worried that her desire to make changes will be seen and judged by others as “merely” a mid-life crisis. I reminded her that what we’re all doing here in our society–particularly in big cities like New York–is trying to live a natural, normal and sane life in an unnatural, abnormal and insane bizarre world. The normal things you want to do–raise kids, sustain a relationship, survive and thrive–are actually thwarted and made more challenging by the abnormal things you have to do–work away from home and children every day, live in polluted environments, conform to arbitrary societal expectations.

And all the things we’ve come to accept and call “real” are so totally out of alignment with who we truly are, and what is truly normal that it’s no wonder we get stressed out. It’s no wonder we feel like escaping. It’s no wonder we have “crises.” I suggested to her, that while society’s label of “mid-life crisis” implies that one’s actions are irresponsible or flighty, that there’s absolutely nothing wrong with aligning your thoughts, feelings and actions and doing the things you think and feel will make you happy. Rather than being flighty and ill- advised, honoring those desires may actually be the most sane thing you’ll ever do!

COMMENT:

Finally, a friend of mine, who has lived all of his life in South Asia as well as the Pacific, and who raised his now three teen-aged children there, is now visiting New York.

As I was giving my newly-arrived friend a tour of New York, I had to help him make sense of the isolation, the lack of eye contact, lack of camaraderie and lack of compassion he’d already noticed just by being here in New York for only 14 days. At the same time, and for that very reason, he commented that he wants his kids to come to America and live in New York so they can experience “the real world.”

I commented to him that I, personally, wouldn’t call this “the real world.” I suggested to him, “Just because a portion of the planet has fallen for the deception of competition and cutthroat, doesn’t mean it is better, advantageous, or more real than the compassion and camaraderie you’ve left behind in your homeland. It’s common, but it’s not natural. It’s accepted, but it’s not normal. It is now ingrained, but it is not real.”

Empires rise and fall. The time to follow Rome is on the way up,
not on the way down.
 

Don’t mistake devolution for progress. What’s needed is NOT for you to join the madness and to participate in the fall, but to see it for what it is, and most of all, don’t let it change you.

The Real World?

I wouldn’t call it real, my friend
there’s danger in that thought
Accept it and fall victim
to this madness we’ve been taught

We’re taught to seek advantage
at another man’s expense
and build a wall of wealth
to serve as comfort and defense

Pit one against another
in a struggle to survive?
It doesn’t have to be like this
My friend, it’s all contrived

Yes, think of what we suffer
in the playing of this game:
the fear, and the suspicion,
and the anger and the shame

No please, no smiles, no thank you
for the nice are seen as weak
No one is made to answer
for the havoc that they wreak

Or, think of what you gain
in this mad scramble and pretense
You trade your soul for salary
and hope that it makes cents

And what shall be the outcome
of such madness left unchecked?
The loss of what is human
with no way to reconnect

The time to follow Rome’s
not in the fall, but in the rise
It’s time to change our hearts
and see the world through different eyes

© 2012 Walt F.J. Goodridge

Please let me know what you think of my first life rhyme in 6 years! Should I do like Sylvester Stallone and keep making comebacks?

HISTORICAL NOTE:
Starting back in 1997, and every Friday for nine straight years thereafter, I wrote and emailed my own brand of motivational poem I call a “life rhyme” to the 10,000+ subscribers to my Walt’s Friday Inspiration newsletter. After a very exciting and fulfilling run, I wrote and sent the last official life rhyme just about the same time I escaped from America in 2006. The full archives are here at LifeRhymes.com and if you want it in book form, you can order here or on Amazon.com

Share this: