Empathy

Today as I read this article I was grateful for the empathy of others


Arianna Huffington On The Rise Of Empathy In America
WRITTEN BY: Arianna Huffington
The only way to bring the world out of the recession and onto a better track is for everyone to tap into a collective sense of responsibility toward each other.
 
Last month, I spent a fascinating couple of days at the Skoll World Forum on Social Entrepreneurship in Oxford, England. It was exhilarating--and deeply moving--to hear example after example of social entrepreneurs making quantifiable improvements in lives all around the world. As Stephan Chambers, chairman of the Skoll Centre, put it: "I have cried every day this week. Remember as I tell you this, that I’m male. And British. And from Oxford." I actually cried every hour. But, remember, I’m female. And Greek. And from Cambridge.


This post is part of a series on the future of service in America, in conjunction with Catchafire.
It was a reminder that the innovation, passion, and empathy on display at Skoll transcend gender, politics, geography and education. Service is in the zeitgeist. Now, zeitgeist is a German word almost untranslatable in English, but it does exist as a concept. And when individuals and businesses tap into it, they have the wind at their back.

This trend for giving back provides a stark relief for the uninspiring spirit of the 2012 election. On a national level, we’re paralyzed and polarized. Politicians are trying to use our ongoing financial crisis to roll back society to the days before safety net programs provided the essential services that helped grow the American middle class. Our leaders are engaged in misguided debates about budget cuts instead of how to spur growth. And there is a widespread refusal, especially in the media, to acknowledge that the crises we are facing go beyond the obsolete dichotomy of left versus right.

Service is in the zeitgeist.
Pushing back against the failures of our leaders and institutions--and the resulting lack of trust--is a growing movement of people and organizations taking the initiative to share, engage, connect, solve problems, and demand some control over their future. While we wait for our leaders to act, thousands are looking at the leader in the mirror and taking action.

We see this in Jennifer Pahlka, founder of Code for America, which connects young tech professionals with the needs of city governments. And Charles Best, founder of DonorsChoose, which connects donors to underprivileged schools. There’s Ben Berkowitz, who launched SeeClickFix, the site that connects people with non-emergency problems in their neighborhoods--such as a broken street lamp or potholed road--to others who can chime in with solutions. And Jacqueline Novogratz, founder of Acumen Fund, which combines financial expertise with empathy, investing in startups around the world that help improve the lives of people unable to do so on their own.

With unemployment still over 8%, we have more ingenuity, energy, spirit, and expertise than we have jobs--and definitely more time on our hands. We’ve seen individuals using that time to tap into the all-American barn-raising spirit to "widen the circle of our concern," as President Obama said in his speech responding to the shooting of then-Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords.

"We are on the cusp of an epic shift," wrote Jeremy Rifkin in his 2010 book The Empathic Civilization. "The Age of Reason is being eclipsed by the Age of Empathy." He makes the case that as technology is increasingly connecting us to one another, we need to understand what the goal of all this connectivity is, and allow humanity to see itself as an extended family living in an interconnected world. The innovators I’ve listed, along with countless others, are the drivers of that worldview.

So, if you’ve forgotten Physics 101, here’s a quick refresher. To a physicist, a critical mass is the amount of radioactive material that must be present for a nuclear reaction to become self-sustaining. For the service movement a critical mass is when the service habit hits enough people so that it can begin to spread spontaneously around the country. Think of it as an outbreak of a positive infection. And everyone is a carrier. What we need to do is go out and carry this positive infection, so that together we can reach that critical mass.


ARIANNA HUFFINGTON
Arianna is the president and editor-in-chief of the Huffington Post Media Group. Continued

Fire Drill

As spring weather arrives so do the office building annual fire and tornado drills. Loud shrill alarms, obnoxious volunteers herding the masses along, five flights of stairs down so you don't get trapped in the elevator. So today the alarm went off and we trudged down the stairs and out the doors queueing up in the  parking lot. Needed a coat - didn't have one, with a steady, stiff breeze.

So as we complained we noticed real smoke circling the building. As it turns out no drill - real thing. Our building landscape uses mulch and mulch chips. Apparently someone walking into the building flipped their 'almost ' finished cigarette into the weeds. Unfortunately, dry conditions, hot wind, and flame combine to form fire.

No one hurt.
No major damage.
Just remember to leave the building next time you think its just a drill - it just might be real!

Temple Visit

dale sally tim rindy

We drove down to Kansas City, MO to visit my sister Sally, her husband Dale and to visit the Kansas City Temple Open House. I've been to a number of them including: Provo, Chicago, Nauvoo, St Paul; and this did not disappoint it was a peaceful, spiritual, edifying visit to the  Temple; and one in which Mackey could share with us.

"The temple is the house of the Lord. The basis for every temple ordinance and covenant…is the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Every activity, every lesson, all we do in the Church, point to the Lord and His holy house."

—Russell M. Nelson

"I know your lives are busy. I know that you have much to do. But I make you a promise that if you will go to the house of the Lord, you will be blessed; life will be better for you."

—Gordon B. Hinckley

We will receive inspiration sufficient for the challenges of life."

—Boyd K. Packer

"In a world filled with chaos, conflict and challenge the Temple is a safe haven. It is an island of peace and sweetness which brings calm to our spirit and clarity to our souls. When the clouds gather it brings the ray of hope; when things are well it amplifies the joy. Whether during an open house like this weekend; or with a youth baptismal trip, or Wednesday night when I serve in the Chicago Temple, or sitting next to my Rindy while attending the Temple together - The Temple is the House of God, a place of solace, guidance, and peace. Come join us at the Temple and feel the difference it makes.

—Tim 

kansas city temple

kansas city temple

mac tim rindy

Weekend Road Trip

Rindy Mac Sally Dale

The Church built a new Temple in Kansas City, and was hosting an open house tour this week; Mackey was little when we last had the opportunity to tour a temple during its open house - so we went. 


SJ and Dale live in Kansas City, and were actually in town, and our great hosts; and we rarely are in the same place together - so we went. 


It was Easter weekend and the weather was fresh but sunny; the roads were clear - so we went.

Saturday morning Dale & I visited the bomb squad

Sally & Mac dyed eggs

We ate lunch at Arthur Bryant's - our fav restaurant in KC

drove thru st louis on way home - ate at cousin Blair Lofgreen

Sunday Easter service delightful 
Temple open house divine
Staying with Sj and Dale - priceless

Old favorites

Reading is a delight, an open-door,an education, and occasionally an escape. Sharing, books, reading lists, new titles, a turn of a phrase, a meaningful quote brings life to the written word.
Mainly these days I read business books, theology books, and rarely, rarely diversionary books. So for this past spring break I chose to re-read a couple of old favorites that my dad and I had jointly read in days gone by. Tritely one could describe them as simple murder mysteries, or perhaps historic fiction -but nonetheless, entertaining diversionary books.

1 Hunting Badger - by Tony Hillerman
2. An Excellent Mystery - by Ellis Peters
3. The Prague Cemetery - by Umberto Eco

1. One of the better of his genre. A series I enjoyed and fun to revisit
(The marvelous Hunting Badger is Tony Hillerman's 14th novel featuring Navajo tribal police officers Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee.)

2. Had forgotten how much I liked the middle-ages britain setting for this amiable sleuth, predictable, yet satisfying for its purposes
(AN EXCELLENT MYSTERY by Ellis Peters is just that an excellent mystery. Set in 12th Century Britain following the destruction of the Abbey of Hyde Meade an ailing monk and his companion arrive at Shrewsberry seeking shelter.)

3. Expected the most and truly got the least. Eco has written some well-crafted literature, some compelling novels, and thoughtful essays. This was none of that. Took a significant time commitment to finally track with him and by the time I did I wasn't sure I had gotten to where I wanted to go - and knew that I had to step in the mud to get there by the time I did.It is an interesting book in that it is based on a true account of a fictional piece that was/is historically significant - The protocols of the elders of Zion .
(  Nineteenth-century Europe, from Turin to Prague to Paris, abounds with the ghastly and the mysterious. Conspiracies rule history.)

Lego

some people have an eye for lego
some people don't

peter does

Saturday Night

General Priesthood meeting on Saturday night is meant to be spent with your sons. I miss attending with my dad; and the few times I have attended one by myself I have felt lonely indeed. So it was easy to respond to Blair's invitation to drive up to Watertown and attend General Priesthood with him at the Lake Mills Chapel.

We stayed the night and enjoyed spending Sunday morning with Julie, Blair and the gang.

Eden - just happy

Blair & June

June - jumping and playing

conference

Sunday at 11 am and 3pm cst

South Carolina

my favorite friend

Spring break is a great concept; with or without kids it's a timely recharge from the winter blues transitioning into spring. Thankfully, we still have a wonderful reason to go on spring break, even if it's a short break - Mackey.

Great deal found by rindy brought us to South Carolina. Great weather, great beach, and an extra treat. Honor and kids were in Gafney and driving back to Florida and we happened to be halfway on their road home - they came, they stopped, they partied. It was a treat to share a little vacation time together.

Long bike rides on the beach

new board games to master

rocking good ice cream

salty dogs

pool time fun

Eagles

I enjoyed working in boy scouts before my boys were in the program.
I enjoyed working in boy scouts with my boys.
I enjoy working in boy scouts after my boys were done.
I now have a couple of favorite eagle photos

napervillle eagles: mariano, parker, grant, jacob, keaton

5 wilson boy eagles

the evan eagle

med lake eagles:sean, stu, evan, jeff, conrad, brock