New, Old, Whatever…

Two Thousand Ten is only hours away and I am practicing my annual ritual, listening to the top 100 dance/club countdown, calling, emailing and posting friends near and far, cleaning and feeling…well…damn well cheery.  I know, dance/club music?  What?  Yes, I like it and play it loud.  Anyway, when something comes to an end I always feel cheery.  The end of a vacation makes me feel cheery about home, the  end of a sports event makes me feel cheery about the adrenaline it caused and the relaxation I get to feel after.  The end of a relationship or job makes me cheery about the new things to come.

But really, I am a pessimist.  In my mind I’m really thinking, “Thank God that’s over.”  The end of things makes me glad that the past is in the past and the end of 2009, even though was really a great year, with all it’s bumps and road blocks, makes me happy that I survived the first decade of the new millennium.

I am a ritualistic person, I like the routine of things and I like breaking that routine by a long vacation, a new challenge and the meeting of new people.  The coming of a New Year forces me to clean out my closets, set goals and change my attitude toward situations, people and things I cannot control.

Every year I hope for peace.  I wish all of my friends peace within and peace in their lives.  I wish for World Peace, but it is a broad goal.  So I try to start world peace everyday by being nice to people, especially in the Starbucks parking lot, and smiling.  I like smiling, smiling is my favorite.  Although I used to hate it.

I get a lot of spam on this site, so I’ve changed my settings.  One of my goals for 2010 is to write more, on this site.  It may be erratic, it may be mundane, but I need a new paper journal, so until then, I will sacrifice my long nails for you.  Yes, anything for you, my few readers who follow.  I’m not so good at pictures, but if you can read my words with visualizations, then your imagination is far better than any photo I could post.

So to anyone who reads, may you have peace, love and prosperity in the New Year.  Amen.

It’s not about Universal Healthcare…

It’s about moving toward a healthier nation.

I get it.  I don’t want to have to pay for people who are obese, or smoke cigarettes, or are alcoholics or drug addicts to get health care.  I know that there are people in this nation who milk the disability system, and the worker’s comp insurance companies.

A quick fix, that’s America.  We expect a quick fix to our problems and it was that instant gratification mentality that got us to the place we are in now, and it’s not going to take a quick fix to repair it.  This is my country.  These are my fellow countrymen and women and I no longer want to see them suffering because they don’t have access to a healthier way of life.

Choosing a side on the universal health care debate is not going to change a thing.  As a country we need to stop convincing people that we are a nation who needs drugs to fix their problems, whatever they may be.  Did you know that there is a drug advertised to help you with the side effects from the medication for your depression?

I believe that putting high taxes on fast food and foods that have exorbitant calories and fat grams so that they can compete with the price of healthy foods, is necessary.  Force people to make the choice for themselves, not the other way around.  It’s not an accident that the worst foods for you are cheap.  It becomes more and more obvious each day that the food our nation is consuming is killing us.  When you donate food to a local food pantry, don’t pat yourself on the back because you are giving away food you wouldn’t eat yourself.

So here we are, a sick nation, a fat nation, an addicted nation.  And for the people who don’t want universal health care, guess what, you too are part of the problem.  You would rather see your people die from illness and ignorance that to give your man a helping hand up.  Go ahead, fight the universal health care system, or grow a garden of fruits and vegetables and find a family who needs them.

It’s not about universal health care, it’s about caring about our health.  It’s about making sure our country moves toward learning about how to live healthier, richer lives.  If you really care about this country you will do whatever it takes to help save the people who make it what our forefathers believed it could be, a great nation, not one that is at war with its self over whether or not all of our people deserve to see a doctor.  Of course, not matter how poor, or ignorant one may be, access to a doctor should not be determined by someone else.  I though this was a free country?

I beg all of you who read this to think about what you can do to help someone you know get healthier.  It will not be easy, but nothing worth having ever is.  But, a healthy, strong, educated country is something that I believe is worth fighting for.  So if I have to choose a side, then I choose that one.

Dear Mr. President

It’s been a while, I know, but welcome to the procrastination site.  I avoid and I choose to not log in because I have a love/hate relationship with technology.  Maybe we all feel this way, but it can be intrusive, so at times I just want to “drop out” of society.  Well I’m back and I have a few words for President Obama.

Dear Mr. President,

I am eagerly awaiting your new plans for health care for all, or most American citizens.  As an educated, healthy individual, I am without health care.  With the economy as it is, I am working only part-time, struggling to pay my bills.  Thus, as most females do, we neglect our own health in order to take care of others and the things we face daily that need our dollars.

With all the free time on my hands, I tend to be watching a bit more television that I am used to.  With all the TV watching I’ve been developing symptoms of laziness and depression.  I also think that I might be coming down with restless leg syndrome.  I have noticed that maybe I could have rosacea or maybe it’s fibromyalgia, or could I be coming down with allergies?

I wish I could afford to go to the doctor and ask him for some Cialis or maybe I need some Cymbalta.  What about Liptor or Restasis?  Will any of these drugs help me get a job?  I’m sure they make a drug for that.

What I am trying to ask you, Mr. President, is that one of the first steps toward changing the health care system is to STOP telling people that they are sick.  Bombarded with incessant ads for illnesses that only a few people have is making people believe that they have “something.”

How about placing ads that say, “Sad, depressed and feeling lonely?  Turn off the TV and take a walk outside.  Bake a cake and bring it to a neighbor.  Or even get on the internet and find a group that meets in person to talk about the things you are interested in.  There are other people in this very town that need a friend and making friends is a great way to stop feeling sorry for yourself.”

Wait!  Here’s one…”Tired of sticking yourself with a needle several times a day because you have Diabetes?  Ditch that insulin and invest in a dietitian and a personal trainer.  Educate yourself on a raw food diet and begin eating vegetables and fruits instead of fast food.”

Let’s take a better approach…”talk to your doctor about what you can do to get off the drugs.”

All over the news we see how the Mexican drug cartels are pumping more and more drugs into the U.S.  Well, what do you think that the pharmaceutical companies are doing?  Pumping more and more drugs into the U.S.  Just because a doctor prescribes them doesn’t mean that they are better for you than pot.

Let’s face it, the American public is addicted to drugs, illicit or prescribed.  Let’s start changing the health care system by not advertising them in magazines and on TV.  Plus I’m sick of those stupid commercials, they are not even entertaining to say the least.

Sincerely,

Maureen Hanusek

Bike to Work?

THIS WAS AN EMAIL SENT TO MAYOR DYER OF ORLANDO ON APRIL 28TH, 2009

Dear Mayor Dyer,
I am very excited to see the ad for your bike to work on May 22nd.  It is very important for more residents of Central Florida to ride their bikes to work, but are you sure that this is very safe?

As long time resident of Winter Park, and a long time employee of businesses located in Orlando, I have spent much time biking to and from work.  During my time on the streets of Orlando, I have noticed many Bicycle Route signs and even signs that state that Orlando is a “bicycle friendly city.”  I’m assuming that being bicycle friendly, you mean that we like bicycles and we want them to be our friends, but the riders of these bikes, we have little use for?

The reason I ask, is because on most of these roads where I have seen these “bike route” signs, I do not see a bike lane.  Is this a suggestion that we ride our bicycles on these roads?  I don’t see that to be very bike friendly.  Would you have a sign in the middle of the sidewalk that says “cross here” and not have a light to stop the traffic?

Just today, I was riding my bike on a road in Orlando, on the right hand side, following the laws and someone in an automobile came up behind me honking until they passed me.  I wondered if they were they saying “hi” to their friend the bike?  Or were they just letting me know they were there?  Or did they want me to move out of their way since I was in the road made for cars, but clearly had a sign stating “bike route”?

Another more specific issue that has bothered me over the past several weeks is the sign on Mills Avenue, southbound near the Florida Hospital that states, “Welcome to Orlando, a bicycle friendly city.”  It is at this sign is where the bicycle lanes end and the parking spaces begin.  Several months ago the city of Winter Park stripped down the pavement on Orlando Avenue, a.k.a. 17/92, which changes it name to Mills Avenue in Orlando, and repainted the street to include a bike lane.  I noticed that during that same time, Orlando stripped off the paint on 17/92 and repainted it exactly the same as it as before.  Thus, while riding my bike down into Orlando from Winter Park, I must get on the sidewalk as soon as I approach the sign that states that Orlando is a bike friendly city.

One of my frequent bike routes is down Edgewater Drive in Orlando.  A road that does have a bike lane.  I’m assuming this is the reason your “Bike to Work” holiday starts on this road.  As I take Par Avenue (another street with a bike lane) to Edgewater, and proceed towards Colonial Drive, the bike lane cuts off between Smith and Princeton Streets, forcing me either onto the sidewalk or directly into the traffic lane.  But, there are several parking spaces where the bike lane could continue for businesses who have an ample lot in the back of their shops.  How about grinding down those few parking spaces and continuing the bike lane to protect pedestrians, bike riders and of course our friends the bikes who are trying to get us to our destination?

Just last Saturday, a bicyclist was hit by a car coming out of the 7/11 on Corrine Drive.  This is very sad, especially since there are obviously more and more cyclists each day.  Just over the past couple of years several new bike shops have opened up and from time to time I have met people who have gotten rid of their cars altogether.  This is a great step forward for the environment, but unless we protect the riders of these bikes, and make car drivers more aware of us, then we are doing a disservice to all of the residents of Central Florida.

So I ask you as you prepare to ride your bike to work next month to PLEASE do more for the local residents and visitors of your City Beautiful so that we will never have to be scarred by the tragedy of seeing a cyclist injured on your streets.

Sincerely,
Maureen Hanusek

Letter No. 2, Lynx Bus System

SENT THURSDAY, APRIL 23RD, 2009

Dear Ms. Watson,

On April 7th of this year I sent you a long letter explaining my issues with the Lynx Bus System.  It as been over 2 weeks and I have yet to hear from you or anyone in your office regarding my concerns.  As a concerned citizen, I am just trying to help you understand how much more efficient the Lynx Bus system could be.

Maybe you have not had time to answer all of my questions.  Nevertheless, I have decided to send you the link for the Seoul, Korea bus system.  In a city of nearly 23 million, (including surrounding areas) I hope you will find their website more user friendly.  Maybe you could get in touch with their web designers or city planners and figure out a way to make the Lynx Bus system website similar.

When last using the Lynx website I was told that I could not get from Winter Park to Central Avenue downtown.  Well, if I had known that I would have had to walk a few blocks in a certain direction, then maybe it would have been easier for me to venture.

Taking a look at the Hi Seoul website, click on bus map and you will be directed to a map that will not only show you where the nearest bus stop to your destination is, but how far and in which exact direction you will need to walk to get to and from your exact points of departure and arrival.

I hope this helps Lynx look forward into the future so that we can truly become a mass transit city for all of our citizens and not just those who are poor or who don’t have access to a license.  As I stated in my last letter, I have many friends and coworkers who are not indigent or unable to drive who would like to take the city bus instead of sitting in traffic at 4pm on a Tuesday.  I’d rather be reading a book or magazine while someone does that for me.

Below is the link to the Hi Seoul website.  It is a useful tool for the citizens and visitors of Seoul, and should be for the executives of the Lynx Bus system too.  If you choose to to answer any of my questions from my last email, the most pertinent ones would definitely be 1.) Which bus route do you take to work?  2.)  In how many other cities have you actually taken the bus?

Thank you for your time and efforts in to making Orlando a more eco-friendly city by inviting ALL of it’s citizens to ride the bus!

Hi Seoul Website  http://english.seoul.go.kr/

Sincerely,

Maureen Hanusek

Check Your Ego at the Door

Often in a yoga class we hear, “Let go of your ego.”  It’s difficult to do unless you know what an ego is.

The first time I learned about the Ego was in Psychology class in high school, a term defined by Freud, but after several years of yoga practice, I not only have experienced the ego, but have seen it alive and brought to class by almost every student who practices yoga.  We all have one, but checking it at the door and then trying to leave it behind us altogether is something that is a difficult concept.  Which also brings me to another one of Ashtanga’s eight limbs, non-attachment.

I am often asked, “What do you mean by non-attachment?”  And my response is first to give an example of material objects, like cars, money, heirlooms or clothing.  But it goes much deeper than that.  Non-attachment refers to people, emotions, habits, and yes, the Ego.

Letting go of the ego in a mat class means releasing your expectations of what you think your body can or should do, and also letting go of your preconceived notions of what you think your body cannot do.  Two of the most common examples I notice are 1.)  the rolling of the eyes when you see someone who is better than you at a pose and thinking, “I’ll never be able to do that.”  and 2.)  The “look at me” person in the class who wants everyone to see how good they are at a pose, by also looking about the room or just staring at themselves in the mirror.

As first time practitioners we’ve all experienced the first example, especially if our first class was not a beginner.  But as in life, there will always be someone who has more than you.  Whether it be flexibility, money, or mental and spiritual awareness.  So over thinking your yoga practice can be detrimental to your progress.

In the latter example, a person who is more physically fit may want everyone in the class to know how perfectly and easily they can achieve an asana.  Some examples I may often see are those who have been dancers or bodybuilders.  Those with a dance background can easily acheive a pose, and are used to people looking at them and how wonderful their body may look while doing so.  So much so that they often “over pose,” or take a pose past the point of alignment.  This is a point where one needs to say to themselves, “I’m going to let go of what my body knows how to do and learn how to honor my body.”  A dance training regime is not good for the body, it pushes the body to extremes and that’s not the point of a strong yoga practice.

Another example of the ego in a yoga class is seen often in men.  In a gym setting when a strong, well built man decides to try a yoga class, they often try every pose to it’s deepest modification, the binds the balances and the back bends.  They often grunt and groan through the practice as if they are lifting heavy weights and they will usually sweat leaving a puddle on the floor around their mat.  But the ego for a practitioner like this is usually broken the fastest.  Once someone who is used to lifting their body weight above their head tries a yoga class and realizes how difficult it is, they are much quicker to change than someone who has the natural ability to achieve asanas.

So the next time you hit the mat, just do what your body is ready to do, because each day is different, therefor no practice will ever be the same.  Honor your body, and when the ego starts clouding your practice, bring it back to the breath.  For it is in the breath that life begins and it is in the exit of the breath that life comes to an end.

Please Use Your Blinker

This is a phenomenon that I really haven’t been able to grasp since moving to Florida nearly 18 years ago.  The blatant disrespect of not letting other drivers know which direction you are going.  Now, when I took my drivers test 19 years ago, I was taught that a blinker is used to signal which direction you plan on turning or to signal a lane change on a multi-lane road or highway.  The blinker should be turned on about 100 feet before the actual turn or lane change.

I follow this rule, which is also a law here in Florida, diligently, even when I am turning into my driveway.  I know, maybe I am a little overzealous about the blinker, but I don’t want to ever forget to use it in an actual, necessary situation.  But alas, most people on the roads today obviously don’t have any idea that their automobile is equipped with a right and left signal switch that automatically goes off after a turn.

One example of non blinker usage was this morning, I was waiting at a traffic light, attempting a left turn.  One knows that when making a left turn, one must wait for those who are going straight through the intersection from the other side before one can make the said left turn.  Yes, that is how it works folks.  But as I was waiting for the traffic to go straight, every single person at the intersection turned left also, making me wait to watch their decision instead of letting me know ahead of time by using their blinkers.  Had I known that they were ALL going to make left hand turns, I would have not had to wait for ALL of them to do so and I would have been able to save my precious time by just making my left hand turn, just as my blinker had been signaling all along.  But no one on the road really cares about what I am doing.  They only care about what they are doing and where they are going, so why notify anyone else on the road?  They obviously don’t need to know.

But then there are the overzealous blinker people who never turn their blinkers off.  They drive slow in the left lane of the highway and let everyone know that at some point they do plan on exiting the highway from the left lane, but not now.  They are basically saying, “Watch out! I may make a move.”  These people give people like me a bad name because when I do use my blinker, it’s like the boy who cried wolf,  not really going to turn or change lanes, just checking to see what this switch does.

Don’t think that I have road rage people.  I don’t and have no desire to get into an accident or piss anyone off with a concealed weapons permit who thinks I may be using my car as deadly force.  I just don’t understand why people just don’t use their blinkers in this state.  It has baffled me day after day and I have found no answer.  So it is just something that I will have to live with as long as I choose to live here.  I guess it’s the price you have to pay for not seeing snow in the “winter”.

Yoga Intimidation

Walking into our first yoga class is always very intimidating.  Many people don’t know what to expect in their first class.  Most people I talk to say, “I’ve always wanted to try yoga but I can’t touch my toes.”  My reaction is, “What does touching your toes have to do with yoga?”  I mean, yeah you do reach for your toes about million times in a yoga class, but it doesn’t mean you actually have to touch them.  Besides, it’s not about what you can’t do, it’s about what you can try to do.

Another misconception people have about yoga is that it’s a meditation thing.  I’ve heard many people say that you just sit in a cross legged position and Om for an hour.  No, that’s not it.  I think that’s what Buddhist monks do.  Many people also think that they are not going to get a good workout if they go to yoga.  Believe me, I’ve seen people sweat just reaching for their toes…no, really.

Those who have never been to a yoga class are intimidated by a lot of aspects of yoga because they are unknown and really beginning to understand yoga starts by going to a class.  A DVD is not really going to give you the “true” yoga experience because it is with a teacher that you will begin to understand what the yoga is all about.

Yoga is also called a practice, not a exercise.  Why?  Because you practice yoga to become better at it, and I’m not just talking asanas (poses).   Yoga is a way of life and you don’t need to be drinking Yerba Mate and prancing around in a leotard to experience that “way”.  But heading to a class is definitely a way of learning to live a kinder, gentler more peaceful way of life.

Many people believe that yoga is anti-Christian because it is practiced by Hindus in India.  This is also untrue.  Patanjali, the “gatekeeper” of the yoga practice, the Guru who kept yoga alive by writing the Yoga Sutras tells us that one aspect of yoga is a belief in God.  That there is something bigger than us that moves with us and through us and that the entire universe is a part of.  Without this, we are alone, but the Om reminds us that we are all one.

So, get over your ego and your fears and try a yoga class.  I know that there are many types of yoga out there and there good teachers and not so good teachers, and it all can be confusing.  If you are truly interested in trying something new, because all of the things you are doing now are not improving the quality of your life, seek change.  Seek change within yourself and seek the ones who can help you find it within you in order to become a better human being.

Unfriendly Motorists

In order to get more exercise and to save gas and to help the environment, never mind to enjoy the beautiful weather we have here in Florida, I try to ride my bike and walk to destinations close to my home.  Luckily, most of the places I travel are within a 5 mile radius of my home.  Usually I only need to fill my gas tank once every two weeks, and in the past nine months I have put less that 4000 miles on my car.

I love riding my bike all over town, especially in Winter Park and Downtown Orlando.  The cute brick streets and the old bungalow styled homes are always a nice sight to see while traveling to my destination on my pink cruiser with streamers flowing in the wind from my handlebars.  Often I see friends driving past in their cars and they honk and we wave to each other.

As much as I enjoy riding my bike, I had 2 annoying experiences last week that really pissed me off…Orlando drivers.  I don’t know if you have noticed but there are more bike riders daily in this town.  Winter Park even repainted 17/92 to include a bike lane.  This is progress, but not a very big leap forward.

On my way from Winter Park to College Park on my bike, I head down Minnesota Avenue towards Formosa.  You may not know where this is, but they are narrow, local roads that lead to an I-4 ramp and you will often find people speeding through this 30mph area.  This just happened to me.  While trying to cross over Clay Avenue, a car speeding through the the yellow light turned red almost hit me on my bike.  I was shaken, they kept going.  Unfortunately there are no bike lanes on these roads, so I am forced to ride on the sidewalk, or be forced to slow the speeding traffic on the narrow local roads.

Two days later, I decided to take a different route.  So I decided to take Orange Avenue from 17/92 (a.k.a. Orlando Avenue, a.k.a. Mills Avenue).  As pretty as Orange Avenue is in Winter Park, there is no bike lane and I am forced once again to ride on the sidewalks.  While waiting for the light and the pedestrian “go” signal at the corner of this semi-major intersection, the traffic speeds by.  Finally the light turns green for me and another car goes screaming into the intersection “trying” to beat the light honking at me as I head into the supposedly clear intersection.  THE NERVE!

You’ve seen it.  You’ve probably been a perpetrator or a victim of this behavior.  Those in automobiles believe that they are better than the ones walking or biking.  If you are walking or biking in Orlando, you are “poor” and cannot afford a car or don’t have a license.  “Why not run them over?  They are not as valuable of a citizen as I am in my luxury SUV.”   This is the mentality of many motorists in this city, I believe.

Not to mention all of the scooters we see now driving all over town.  This is a great shift in transportation in this city, but I’ve noticed all the scooterers not wearing helmet’s.  Please wear a helmet!  With obnoxious motorists in their cars acting like they are the most important people en route, they will not even see you on your tiny little 49cc scooter.

All I am saying is that things need to change.  People talk about all the “Green” crap they are doing to save the environment.  Quit the crap talk, actions speak louder than words.  Too embarrassed to walk or get on your bike?  Afraid someone will see you?  Get over it.  If you are at least going to drive your car, then at the very least be aware of all the pedestrians, bike riders and scooters popping up more frequently all around you.  Stop rushing all over the place blind to the changes that are occurring right here, right now.  You want things to change in this country for the better?  Well change begins within.  Start with yourself.

Let’s Talk Yoga…

Alright, so I’m going to send a link to all of my friends and really try to keep up with the writing this time.  Not all of my blogs will be about yoga.  Some of them will be about local fun stuff, some observations I have made about Central Florida, the news or anything else that comes to mind.  Today, it’s yoga…a subject I could go on for hours about.

Guruji, Sri. Pattabhi Jois, the generator & perpetuator of the Ashtanga Yoga Practice, in Mysore, India tells us that yoga is 99% practice and 1% theory.  Yes, I agree, but he does not say that yoga is 99% Asana and 1% theory.  Therefor we are forced to examine what that 99% entails.

There are many other aspects of yoga that do not involve the actual poses or asanas.  Some of these practices are truthfulness, cleanliness, non harm to yourself and other living beings.  This is the true practice that we seek.  It is not always the easy path, but the path of least resistance doesn’t always give us the best results.

So as we go on with our day, let us think about the ways we can practice yoga from moment to moment, instead of waiting to hit the mat to “let go.”