by Heather Plett | Aug 2, 2010 | Uncategorized
I have been away. Venturing out into the wilderness with six other adventurous women. We did a canoe trip that included 4 lakes; 4 portages; 2 campsites; approximately 7 campfires; a dozen or so scratches and bruises; loads of great conversation; a few refreshing swims (not all of which included bathing suits – hey we were miles from civilization :-)); a whole lot of laughs; no disagreements; a few wild blueberry patches; lots of loons, ducks, and other birds; one thunderstorm in which we huddled cozily under a tarp; lots of good food; and no contact with the outside world.
The most memorable part of the adventure came right near the end, on our way home. It was a nearly impossible portage up the Devil’s Staircase in the mud – from one lake to the next. The only people who’d been there before were almost completely convinced we couldn’t make it through that portage without strong and agile men to carry our canoes up the treacherous path (imagine rock climbing up a nearly vertical cliff with a canoe on your back), but we were running out of time and couldn’t find the alternate portage. So we proved our own strength and determination by conquering it. And we did it together, all of us pitching in and proving that women working together can prevail against almost insurmountable odds. It was a beautiful moment that we celebrated by diving into the water and cleansing our exhausted, muddy bodies.
It was so very, very good to spend time in nature with supportive women, reminding ourselves of our connection to each other, to the earth, and to our Creator.
Here are just a few of the pictures from the trip. I meant to put together a more thorough video that included video clips and other things, but the technology isn’t cooperating tonight, so this is what I have to offer. Enjoy.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68NHXAcFSAg]
by Heather Plett | Jul 22, 2010 | Uncategorized
The internet is like a candy shop for me. There are SO many interesting people to meet and ideas to explore. When it comes to the places I visit most regularly, though, it’s almost always about the people. I’m drawn to new sites/blogs if I feel drawn to the people behind them.
Here are a few of the people who’ve caught my fancy recently:
1. My sister Cynthia, a talented photographer who inspires me with her capacity for artistic captures, has started a new project she’s calling 100 Conversations. She’s approaching 100 strangers and asking their permission to photograph them. In the process, she’s having delightful conversations with them that alternately make me giggle and bring tears to my eyes. I only found out about her little secret last night (even though I was at the Folk Fest with her where she took a good portion of the photos she’s taken so far – she’s sneaky that way), and couldn’t stop until I’d seen every picture and read every word. It’s beautiful.
- Me & Katharine
2. Standing in the lunch line on one of the first days at ALIA, I started chatting with Katherine Weinmann and within minutes we knew that we were kindred spirits. After that first meeting, we bonded over meals, in the hallways, along the wooded paths, and on the dance floor. When we left for home, she gave me a wonderful, heartfelt gift – a children’s crown, accompanied by her beautiful words “I see the queen in you”. She’s on a sabbatical right now and has started a new blog to talk about the personal journey she’s on.
3. Speaking of kindred spirits, I haven’t met Julie Daley (yet), but I’m pretty sure we’ll bond pretty quickly if/when we do meet. I first connected with her on Twitter and since then her blog has become one of my favourite places for wise, soulful writing about what it means to be wholly, beautifully female. Her words make me feel like I have come home.
4. I met so many inspirational people at ALIA, I couldn’t begin to list them all. But one that’s definitely worth mentioning is Thomas Arthur, a contemplative juggler/photographer with the heart of a poet/mystic (or perhaps it’s the other way around). His evening performance (a combination of juggling, speaking, and film) was one of the most moving things I’ve seen in a long time. And one of my favourite fun moments at ALIA was the evening on the dance floor when he taught us how to group juggle. He’s got an intriguing new project on the go, called earthanima – a beautiful, whimsical look at the way the earth speaks to us.
5. Mihirini De Zoysa is one of those people you almost can’t resist looking at, partly because of her stunningly beautiful eyes and smile, but mostly because she has such an open compassionate face you just know that you will feel safe in her presence. She’s another one of the people I bonded with at ALIA, though we didn’t get to spend as much time together as I would have liked. She lives in Sri Lanka and she has recently started a new project there called “I Can” in which she and others are inspiring kids in schools to be change-makers in their communities. She wrote about it here. Some day I’d like to visit her in Sri Lanka and hear more of the hopeful stories coming out of this inspiring project.
- Kathy (on the right)
6. Last but not least in my “people who inspired me at ALIA” list is Kathy Jourdain. She was one of my companions in the Leader as Shambhala Warrior workshop, and together we worked through some pretty big stuff – like fear and resistance – especially when we found out we each had to write a blues song. I would have loved to have had more opportunity to hear Kathy’s fascinating life story – she found out she was adopted at the age of 46 (she found out through Facebook! There’s a new take on how social media impacts our lives!), and has worked through divorce and some other fairly significant obstacles – but since our time for story-sharing was limited, I’m now catching up on some of her stories on her blog.
Who’s inspiring you these days?
by Heather Plett | Jul 21, 2010 | Uncategorized
me, curious about what it's like to receive a Hindu blessing
In my humble opinion, curiousity didn’t kill the cat. Nope… I think it gave him a few of those nine lives! I think it completely rejuvenated that poor dying cat and gave him a reason to live!
I don’t remember who said it, but somebody at ALIA last month gave voice to one of my deepest beliefs. “Curiousity is one of your best assets.” Amen!
Maddie, my eight year old daughter, is one of my greatest teachers when it comes to curiousity. One of her favourite ways to start a sentence is “Can you imagine if…” That phrase is always followed by some outlandish thing she’s been imagining – like “Can you imagine if you had to eat nothing but grass for a year?” or “Can you imagine if you grew an extra head and both of your mouths always wanted to speak at the same time?”
She also likes to play “Would you rather…?” As in “Would you rather walk through a dark forest full of bears, or swim through an ocean full of sharks?” (Honestly – I can’t come up with ones that are quite as imaginative as hers.)
Where would we be in this world if nobody had entertained their curiousity about “What would happen if I stuck this hunk of meat in the fire instead of eating it raw?” Or “I wonder whether it might be possible to talk to someone far away from me if I used the right wires and sound pieces?” Or “If this piece of wood can float, maybe I could build something from wood that would be big enough to hold people and we could float across the river in it.” Or “What if I started writing a journal on the internet and shared it with whomever wanted to visit?”
I’m curious about a lot of things. Sometimes that curiousity is insatiable. It’s even got this tendency to take over my life on occasion. Sometimes I can barely sleep until I follow my curiousity to wherever it leads.
I want to know how people live in India or Africa, and so I travel there. While I’m there, I find myself dying to know about the stories people carry with them, and so I ask. I want to know how it feels to float down from the sky, and so I go skydiving. I want to know what it’s like to paint a picture, and so I take art classes. I want to know SO many things!
I’m planning to follow my curiousity until the day I find out the answer to “I wonder what it feels like to breathe my last breath.”
Summer seems like the perfect time to follow your curiousity. You’ve heard of “artist’s dates” (made popular by Julia Cameron). Well, today let me suggest an alternative (or companion – you decide). Take yourself on a “curiousity date”.
What are you curious about today? The art work you spotted on a random wall in a back alley you cycled down? The way it feels to sit in a bubbling stream with the water flowing over your shoulders? How long you can sit in meditative silence in the middle of a busy sidewalk? What it would feel like to leave random love notes taped to the bus stop window? How many people would hug you if you held up a “Free Hugs” sign in the subway station?
Tell me what you’re curious about in the comments and then… GO! Find out! Step away from your keyboard, grab your bus pass, your car keys, or (my personal preference) your bicycle, your camera, your journal, your “Free Hugs” sign – whatever you need – and follow your curiousity!
And then tell us about it, in case we’re curious about the same things.
As for me, I think I might just let an eight year old (or her older sisters, who still have wonderful moments of curiousity tucked in between the longer moments of acting like cool teenagers) direct me to whatever SHE’S curious about.
me, grinning like the proverbial cat upon receipt of that blessing
by Heather Plett | Jul 12, 2010 | Uncategorized
I’m just popping in to say hello. Just enough time for a little game of peek-a-boo. 🙂
I have so much to tell you… SO MUCH! But that will have to wait for a week or two, since I am currently on vacation with my family and will not be spending much time on a computer.
I just had to stop by for a few minutes though, because I’m showing up in lots of fun places online and I wanted you to know about them.
1. I am very happy and excited that I had a chance to be interviewed by the amazing, creative, and warm-hearted Jamie Ridler! Though the interview took place a few weeks ago, I’m today’s guest on her Creative Living podcast. I have long been a fan of Jamie’s, so I’m tickled pink to be her guest. Listen to the podcast, and you’ll hear a little secret about something I’ll be working on this summer – for a Fall launch!
2. Another one of my favourite people online is Christine, a.k.a. Blisschick. Christine recently honoured me with the WarriorChick award! Christine has been a source of strength for me in some really tough times, so when she honours the strength in me with this award, I can’t help but feel humbled by it.
3. And last but not least, I’m also rather fond of Jane Steen, a fellow writer who I had the pleasure of hanging out with in Chicago back in the Spring. We had a wonderful visit to the Art Institute, followed by a photo op at the giant Bean and then a glass of wine. Jane honoured me with a “Versatile Blogger” award this week, and once again, I’m honoured! Blushing, in fact.
Once I’m back to more regular blogging, I’ll try to pass on these awards, but this little game of peek-a-boo is over for now and I have to go back to hanging out with my family now. I hope you’re all enjoying the summer!
p.s. The delightful model for the above photos is my nephew Jack. We had lots of fun together at this year’s Folk Festival, playing with one of my Indian scarves. Just for fun, here are a few more photos from the Folk Festival.
by Heather Plett | Jun 24, 2010 | Uncategorized
My apologies to the beautiful creatures who have been killed, covered in oil, or forced to watch their habitat be destroyed by this massive oil spill.
My apologies for being complicit in a system that is so tolerant of an addiction to oil that we allow oil companies to rape and pillage your habitat.
My apologies for all of the times my own greed, laziness, or assumption of entitlement have contributed to this broken system that forgets that all of creation relies on each other for survival.
My apologies for neglect, for turning a blind eye, for giving in to the ease of consumption.
My apologies for not challenging the system, for allowing it to move in this direction, for valuing “things” over life, for putting my own comfort and ease of living over your well-being.
My apologies for not trusting my own ability to have even a small influence in the radical change that is needed to help this planet be healed from the hurt we have caused.
My apologies and my deepest regret.
May your hurt serve as a beacon for us in this darkness of greed and self-indulgence.
May your suffering not be wasted.
May we reach deep in our hearts and learn from this massive mistake.
May we all find better ways of co-existing on this amazing planet crafted by the Master Artist.
Thank you, beautiful creatures, for teaching us the value of the fragile yet vibrant eco-systems we so often take for granted.
by Heather Plett | Jun 8, 2010 | Uncategorized
It would be impossible to wrap words around what the experience of ALIA has been for me so far. It’s just too big to fit on a blog. Some day I hope that I can share some of the powerful moments that have shaken me up, broken me open, and sent me spiraling into a big and powerful life… but not yet. A lot of processing will have to be done.
For now, though, let me offer you a little metaphor that paints the picture of what I am experiencing here.
Yesterday morning, on the first morning here, I was dressing for breakfast. I dug my favourite silver necklace out of the simple ziploc bag that holds my jewellery when I travel. The thin chain was completely tangled – wrapped around the triple spiral pendant. I struggled with it for awhile – tugging, unwinding, trying to pinch the chain between my fingernails to grasp it enough to untie the knots. It wasn’t working. Determined though, I would not give up the struggle.
And then the necklace slipped from my fingers and dropped to the floor. There it lay at my feet, perfectly untangled. Perfectly ready to be worn as it was made to be worn.
This week, I am that necklace. Letting go, giving in, trusting the fall to untangle my knots.
Just like that moment that I let go of the wing of the airplane and leaned in to the parachute as it untangled itself from my pack and held me gently as I drifted toward the earth. I am soaring, floating, trusting – listening to the distant silence of the earth and learning what the sky tastes like.
