Airport Fun

Checked in and ready for fun!

Traveling is fun. It is more fun when you do it dressed as a clown. I typically dress as a clown when I travel to Russia. It is a tradition of sorts, ever since my first trip there on a Patch Adam's clown tour. Now I travel alone, but still dress up. I get the best reactions and questions. The questions allow me to tell people about my friend Maria and her program Maria's Children (www.mariaschildren.ru). The only other time I have dressed as a clown for travel was when my buddy Danny Donuts and I went to Brazil. I wasn't even in full clown garb, but we had so much fun with just wearing noses and colorful clothes and playing with the kids. I am considering dressing up EVERY time I travel. That seems a little excessive, and I fear it may take away some of the specialness of it. We shall see.

Not even dressed up really. Just noses.

A lot of my fun on this year's trip to Russia was had in airports. It started in Jacksonville with 2 brothers who giggled at my antics. I did a simple routine with my carry on bag and they loved it. I love improv! I ended it with the standby magic box and gave them stickers. I could hear them chattering as I continued on my way, their mother smiling. A smiling parent who is traveling alone with 2 kids under age 7 is it's own reward as well!

Natalie, a Belgium flight attendant. So sweet!

In DC the fun continued, all the way to Brussels. Typically the flight attendants love me too. I guess I am something to break up the monotony of their jobs. Some will even take photos with me, noses on. One flight attendant asked me if I wanted something sweet. I said "sure!". She brought me 2 macaroons and chips and other sweets... on a glass plate! I felt like I was in first class.

Even going thru customs and passport control, I get smiles and giggles. I do take my nose off for passport control of course, but they still enjoy the nose as long as I am respectful of their job. I am. As I get my luggage and continue to the exit I get laughs and waves, etc. This year my ride wasn't waiting for me, oops. A small miscommunication on my part. Luckily I got a hold of Natasha and Pavel was on his way. That gave me 2 hours to play some more, along with a few taxi ride offers. I assured them I had a friend coming and they smiled and left me to my play.

As we travel to and from Beslan there are even more clowns, which always gets big reactions and fun. Especially with Guillaume around. He is larger than life, yet sweeter than honey! The kids just LOVE him! Every year my friend Aslan greets me in Vladikavkaz. He is a taxi driver, but usually comes on his time off to greet me. We have a big hug and few words. Neither of us speaks the other one's language, but it doesn't even matter. We have a LIFE long friendship for sure!

Aslan and Chip

Vladikavkaz is a small airport. So we don't have a lot of time usually, but there is still some playtime. One cute boy took a nose and then promptly did some "magic" tricks with it. He would stick the nose on his thumb, put his hand behind his back, and then bring his thumb out in front to show me the nose was GONE! Wow, bravo. He was so cute. He did this a couple of times and then the last time he did it, he turned around to show me what he was doing behind his back to make the nose "disappear". I loved it!

He makes that nose disappear! :0)

I interacted with a small family right before we left. One of the kids, age 7 or so,  was in a special stroller, and obviously had Cerebral Palsy or some other disability. I can never resist kids who have special needs. His family was all smiles, but he seemed disinterested. With the language barrier it is hard to tell what he is thinking. I pulled out a nose and asked his mom if I can put it on his nose? A hand gesture by me and the word "Mozhna?" indicates what I mean. She nods with a smile. So I gently place it on his nose and his face breaks out in a HUGE smile! That just made my day I must say, and I think it is safe to say it made him and his family happy too!

Sasha and his brother.

On the way home to America, the fun continues. As I awaited my flight from Moscow to Frankfurt, I just strolled around and played with whoever was willing. I saw a small group that looked interested, so I set up to do some simple juggling. I saw 2 young girls watching with eyes wide open. I love that look on a child, so I had some fun with them... as I juggled I would "drop" one of the balls, making sure it landed in their direction. The youngest went running for it and then brought it back to me to continue my play. As she handed it to me I said "Spaciba!" and she said "Pazhulsta!". Thank you and you're welcome in Russian. She would hand me the ball and then run back to her "spot" to watch. Eventually I would start 'dropping' 2 balls at once and the girls would scatter, giggling the whole time. As I finished up my playtime with them, I learned they were sisters named Irina and Maria.

As I continued my walkabout, I saw a young girl about the age of 4 as I was coming down the escalator. She smiled and waved and I did the same. I then decided to go up the escalator and continue in a circle coming down the same escalator a few minutes later. She was chatting with her mom when she noticed me the 2nd time. She jumped up, big smile on her face, and waved fanatically at me. I did the same. I continued this circle a few more times, looking for her face and reaction as I came down. Her reaction was delightful and different every time! My heart blooms with those kinds of interactions. Pure joy with a simple connection.

My favorite interaction was my last. I came across this young boy, about 5, riding his scooter towards me. A little mullet haircut and a huge devious smile. I could tell he would be fun. We played for a while, with his mom and grandma watching and laughing at him. I showed him a few of my tricks and toys. He wanted to show me his, so he reached inside his mom's bag and pulled out a toy car. We played with that a few minutes, then he reached in and pulled out another toy, and so on. After a few toys, he started pulling out pieces of paper and explaining to me (in Russian) what it was. Of course I didn't understand a single word he was saying, but I could tell he was excited about it so I nodded enthusiastically and said "Da" every now and then. That seemed to do the trick. After a few more minutes I waved goodbye and continued walking. My plane was delayed 45 minutes, so I came across him again and we played some more... and some more... and some more. We couldn't get enough of each other I guess. Finally his mom and grandma told him they had to go to their plane. As they were leaving I winked at the mom and grandma and blew them a kiss. They both smiled lovingly at me. The young boy saw me blow this kiss to his mom, so he came running back to me and gave me a big hug AND a kiss on the cheek! So sweet!!! I will never forget him. I thought he told me his name was Sasha, but when I said "Paka Sasha", his mom told me his name was actually Ilya! Ilya is my friend, Maria's husband, who died a few years ago. It is a common name in Russia, but it still made our connection feel even stronger!!

Ilya speeding his way to me!

If you like to travel, like I do, I recommend having fun with it. If you don't like to travel, but have to, I recommend trying to have fun with it! :0). You don't have to dress up as a clown. Just bring a toy or a puppet or something else you like to have fun doing. Maybe knitting? And interact with someone around you using what you brought. Maybe even put on a nose, if you are so willing? But you don't have to. People everywhere just love to laugh and smile and play, especially when they are in an airport waiting for a plane. Tell me your stories!

Now Go Out and Hug Someone in an Airport Today!!!

 

Here and Now

I have just returned from my "annual" trip to Russia, more specifically Beslan. I try to go to Russia once a year and play with my friend Maria and her organization Maria's Children. 6 out of the last 7 years I have traveled to Moscow (Maria's Base) and together as a group we travel to Beslan for a week of Teaching, Fun, Play, Painting, and Friendship. If you don't know the story of Beslan, you can google "Beslan Siege 2004" and get a plethora of info. Some of it is inaccurate and guesswork on what happened and why, but the basic story is real and tragic.

On this year's trip I learned the phrase Here and Now. Apparently it was a common response from one of the clowns on Patch's trip this past November. I love the sentiment of this phrase and am going to adopt it as much as I possibly can into everyday life. I recommend you use it also, as it fits into your life and day.

The basic idea of the phrase is whenever asked "where are we?" the answer is always HERE and whenever asked "What time is it?" the time is NOW! For the kids in Beslan, and most kids really, that is all they need and want to know. That you are Here and your are here Now. IN THE MOMENT is mostly what kids are looking for all over the world. So live in the Here and Now.

The children love me Here and Now.

My here and now trip got rolling as I was teaching my first puppet class ever. I had a very simple idea of doing a show called "Sleepy Birds" with 6 bird puppets. I figured a smaller class would work better for me. See, usually my classes in the past have typically deteriorated into chaos. Fun and playful chaos, but chaos none the less. Last year I gave up on teaching a class and just floated around playing and joining Maria in her class for a day. This year I wanted to be part of the show and teach kids again. The first day (and only day actually) of class I realized I did not have an interpreter. No problem, I figured the puppets didn't talk so we didn't need much language. I had 6 boys with me ages 10 -12. I started out by showing them what I had in mind. They mimicked  me and we had fun with it for about 30 minutes. I then wanted to get more into the heart of what the "show" would be and that is where I lost them, Ha. It was all good, as I went with the Here and Now motto and just played with them the rest of the class. I really thought the next day I would get an interpreter and the show would be easy enough to learn.

The next day Maria told me that ALL of the children in her class were asking where I was. Last year I spent a day with Maria and her class "helping" with mosaics or painting. I couldn't say no this year. When Lena asked me if I would be in the same class as the day before, I said "No class for me today, I am going with Maria". She took it in stride along with the boys in my class. They LIVE the Here and Now anyway, so they joined in with Guillaume and his class of improv. It really was best for all involved I feel. None of the boys were disappointed and had a fabulous time with my friend Guillaume, which ALL kids do! So I was  not surprised. I played with Maria's class and had so much fun living in the Here and Now.

The third and last day of classes I thought maybe I would get my class back and finish teaching. Then someone reminded me of our annual trip to have marozhna with Maria's class. Marozhna is ice cream and I can not say no to ice cream! Or to 50 plus playful kids for that matter, ha! So I went to have ice cream and my boys played with Guillaume again, all of us living in the Here and Now!



Ice cream with the kids
 

Marozhna!/Ice cream!

The show came around on Friday and it was a hit like it is every year. Once again, I was not in the show, but my boys were... with Guillaume. All enjoying the Here and Now of the show. I was totally happy watching them play on stage while I played in the audience with kids who also didn't get to be on stage. The week turned out perfect! All because we went with the Here and Now philosophy!

Guillaume with his class on stage. So funny!

I hope you have enjoyed today's post. I have a few stories I will be sharing in the coming weeks, so look for some more posts this week and next. Some of the stories are fun and some heart wrenching. Below is a good quote to end this blog. Thanks for reading.

Abraham Lincoln is commonly regarded as the best president in USA history. His quote below rings sound and true with todays post. Living in the Here and Now. What will your Mother's son or Father's daughter be?
“I don't know who my grandfather was; I am much more concerned to know what his grandson will be.” 
― Abraham Lincoln


Now Go Out and Hug Someone Now who is with you There!!!


 

Speechless

Logo for Speechless

Hello Everyone. A friend of mine just told me about a new ABC sitcom called "Speechless" starring Minnie Driver. She felt it was hilarious, but was a little worried it might be insensitive. So she asked me to watch it and tell her my thoughts. I LOVE it! I have sent it on to some friends who work with people with disabilities to make sure I was not being insensitive. I am not the be all know all for folks with disabilities, far from it! So far, my friends feel it is very funny and shows some of the "silliness" that people who can't talk (and other people with extra challenges) have to endure.

Suse waiting for her hot air balloon ride.

I have sent it to my friend Suse to get her opinion too. Suse is "speechless" as you all know. She hasn't had a chance to watch it yet due to working 40 plus hours a week and some government regulations. But I already know she will approve it. We (Her, Connie and I) have lived some of the moments from the TV show. Believe me, it happens all the time! People get in her face and talk really slowly to her and ask her "If... she... is... doing... OK??" In slow, silly voices. It makes us laugh every time it happens, but only because we are used to it. Suse is smarter than Connie and I put together. But people assume since she can't talk and has to use a wheelchair that somehow that makes her less intelligent. It is a silly notion really. It just emphasizes that we need more education about people with disabilities, speechless or otherwise. It needs to start with our children I feel. It has gotten better over the past 20 plus years. I know, cause when I started working at Easter Seals camps in 1994, I didn't even know what Easter Seals did really. I have learned A LOT over the past 20 years, AND I still have more to learn. Just two weeks ago I jumped in an elevator in front of someone in a wheelchair! That person had to then go take another elevator because of my rudeness. Connie pointed it out to me and I felt so ashamed! The point is, if someone does something that appears silly, rude, wrong or whatever... don't chastise them, but instead educate them. We all need educated and reminders, even ME... ESPECIALLY ME! :0)

Micah Fowler. I would like to think he gives my blog post 2 thumbs up!

The characters on the show are funny and "real". I looked up the young man who plays the "speechless" teen on the show. I don't know anything about him really, other than what the world wide web tells me and some quotes by him. He is not speechless in real life, but he does live with Cerebral Palsy and has to use a wheelchair at times to get around. He knows, I am sure, what it is like to get some of the reactions that his character gets on the show. He does an exceptional job from what I have seen to portray people who have disabilities and what they might think or do or feel. Bravo to him and the writers in my opinion.

I am not a big Minnie Driver fan personally, but I love her in this. She is flat out hilarious!
The dad on the show played a character on my favorite TV show "Big Bang Theory". I didn't like his character on BBT, but I love his character on this show. The two siblings do a good job of showing what it is like to be a sibling of someone with a disability. They have their own challenges to overcome and that is depicted well in the show I feel. At the end of the day, they love their brother, but they deserve special attention just like he does. Which illustrates the point that just because someone does have a disability, doesn't mean they should be given everything... just the respect and opportunities to live like anyone else!

I have watched a few episodes of "Speechless". They are all funny. Some funnier than others. Some scenes are way over the top I feel, but that is just me. Some scenes are too mushy for my taste. But bottom line is it shows some real things that happen and it will stimulate talk about it I am sure. So, I recommend you watch a couple of episodes and educate yourself and others. At least watch the Pilot episode and one other. If you have any comments, suggestions, or questions about the show feel free to comment on my blog or email me what you think. I would LOVE to know.

I highly recommend watching the show with your children! Then having a discussion after the show about what THEY learned, felt, etc.! If your children have any questions, please have them email me directly or  better yet have them contact a local organization that works with people with disabilities and get some answers. Maybe they would like to volunteer? There are a ton of organizations and people out there that can use help. Summer camps, Easter Seals, Cerebral Palsy Foundation, Muscular Dystrophy, Autism, Elderly Folks, Youth... just to name a few.

cheepski@gmail.com
Rodney Daly


           Now Go Out and Hug Someone Today!!!

 

Go Placidly

A friend of mine posted this Poem on her blog  http://whenlifehandsyoukids.blogspot.com/
I loved it enough to share on my blog, and I will throw in my 2 cents for what they are worth. Any thoughts from my readers are always appreciated.       

"Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.                
As far as possible without surrender be on good terms with all  persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs;                                                                                
for the world is full of trickery.                                                                                   
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself.                                                                                                 
Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;                                                                                      
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment                                                                   
it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;                                                                       
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.                                

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.”

 

Go placidly amid the noise and haste. I love this sentiment. Being peaceful and quiet is the best way in my opinion. And don't mistake quiet for not speaking up. Speak your truth quietly and clearly!

Avoid Loud and aggressive people. Exactly! Put another way, we should avoid ALL things that drain our energy, people and otherwise. We don't need to be friends with everyone. We shouldn't allow ourselves to be bullied, AND we shouldn't try to
bully others. Go our own ways to whatever makes us happy.

BE YOURSELF... ALWAYS.  There are a lot of quotes out there
about being yourself. But I like Dr. Seuss's the most. You truly are
the ONLY YOU there is. Why would you even want to try and be
Someone else? That seems silly to me.

Take kindly the counsel of the years. We all get old, and that is not
a bad thing necessarily.  And be gentle with yourself. This might
be the most important part of the poem. We ALL make mistakes.
We all would "like" to do things differently perhaps. But we learn
the most from our mistakes! So, if you have done something you
consider "wrong", learn from it and continue to grow!

Keep peace with your soul. Amen. Your soul is your  most
precious and valuable asset to yourself, your existence! Don't
ever jeopardize that for ANYTHING! It is all part of being
totally true to YOU.

It is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful and strive to be happy.
Well, I think you all know how I feel about that one. Ha Ha.
Be cheerful! Love whole heartedly, and I believe Love will
lead you, me, ALL of us to Happiness! Do you agree?


No Go Out and Hug Someone Today!!!

Christmas gifts

Christmas is the time for giving AND receiving. Below is a video of my friend Suse opening a gift that Connie and I sent her. The gift was Connie's idea. I helped to make it and brain storm ideas. We thought it was good, but Suse's reaction let us know it was way better than good. She LOVED it so much, which doesn't surprise me cause she is a gracious gift receiver. Her reaction in the video was the BEST GIFT we could receive I feel. This was a classic moment of the best gift giving and the best gift reception, which turned out to be the best gift given in the end. A big circle in other words, which is how ALL gift giving and receiving should be in my humble opinion. Watch and enjoy.

 

One of the best things about the gift we gave Suse was it didn't cost much at all. And we "made" it! We bought an old scrabble board for 5 dollars, and some old scrabble tiles for 4 dollars. Less than 10 dollars to get THAT reaction??!! That reaction is priceless to us! I think people always prefer a lesser expensive gift that has thought and a personal touch. Don't you agree?

Since we are talking about gifts, I thought I would share a few more gifts from the season. Below is a video I got from St. Judes. Cute, fun, and insightful kids sharing their thoughts on Christmas and more. It is a great reminder that one of my most important gifts is my health.

https://www.stjude.org/about-st-jude/stories/meet-our-patients/happy-holidays-kids.html?sc_cid=eml000301496&sc_rid=4710918601&sc_mid=20876662&sc_elid=tg13_122216_featured_img&cm_ven=ExactTarget&tngsourcecode=THEEMAIDO17&source_code=THEEMAIDO17


Other gifts to me are Connie, Katie, Truman, Louie, Rosie, Nathan and Natalie!!
They make the season extra bright!!!

Louie loves Christmas

Louie loves his grandma

Truman and I love the snow

Two beautiful faces!

Candy cane anyone?

Katie and Louie in Santa's sled in St. Peete

Rosie

They love the beach



An oldie but a goodie!



As you go through this Holiday Season and 2017 appreciate and enjoy ALL of the gifts that surround you!! I sure will!!

 

Have a Happy Christmas and Merry New Year and all that Jazz!!

 

Now Go Out and Hug Someone This Christmas Day!!!

 

 

 

What it means to be an American

 

                                                                     

God Bless America, and rise high!

In lieu of the results of the election I have felt compelled to share.

 

Whether you voted for Trump or not. Whether you believe he can or can not lead our great country. We have to remember that EVERYONE deserves a chance. EVERYONE has the right to be LOVED and only PEACE and LOVE will prevail in the end. Kill them with kindness right?                                                

Below is an email I received from my friend Emily Cavanagh. She is a terrific singer songwriter and now poet... which is really what a singer songwriter is anyway. I feel her words are profound, sincere, worthy of sharing. Take them to heart my friends as Emily is one wise young woman!

 

Take from it what you will. But pay close attention to HER words. She is one of the best women I know.  And whatever you take from it, remember we are still America, we are still strong, and we are the best nation on Earth. We don't need to make America great "again", we just need to KEEP America Great as she always is and always will be! That will take cooperative efforts from all PEOPLE, RACES, and GENDERS. Remember that please as we go thru this unknown territory. The women I know are way to strong to let this result effect how they go forward with their lives. The international friends I know, know America is a great country regardless of who we perceive our leader to be or not to be. Don't let this result discourage you, instead use it as a spring board for educating our youth, setting a fire under those who can and will implement the proper changes and so on. Keep working for what YOU believe in and ALL will be well in the world. I truly believe this. I think my friends would agree with me!

 

By Emily Cavanagh
when i say i am american what i mean is..
that i believe wholeheartedly in having a dream, 
that i am grateful to live in a country where many have sacrificed far bigger than i know to make it possible for me to have a place i call home,
that in my home, i welcome those who don’t look like me, whose politics may be different from mine, whose worldview doesn’t quite fit into the one that has taken shape in me,
it means that i value those who come from far away places, where they have left families, friends, and have fought harder to be here than i can understand by simply reading about it in some book that sits on a shelf in my apartment,
it means that i acknowledge those who have gone before me—-
that i am born to parents on the south side of chicago (who still welcome me, though i root for the cubs:), who have worked hard to teach their children to love fearlessly,
that i have many brothers and sisters, cousins, aunts, uncles, and neighbors— that they have big hearts and great spirits, and we have loud family parties,
that my ancestors come from ireland,
that my boyfriend comes from dublin,that my friends come from everywhere—
that they are made up of different faces— some who look nothing like mine, with customs and traditions and stories and dances different from the ones i was raised with…..that they are such integral parts of me now, that you could do nothing to separate us,
that we are stronger together,

it means that i believe that you love who you love,
you pray (or you don’t) to a god who makes sense to you…. or to a universe, or to a tree, or to whatever brings you peace,
it means i believe in peace, that it is only possible when we open up to the possibility that there is more than one way of doing things,
when we acknowledge we are not as progressive as we think we are if tolerance is something we enact only when it is convenient,
that fear is not a place to make decisions from,
it means that i am pro-everyone, that I am pro-immigrant, pro-LGBTQ, pro-woman,pro-man, pro- all-of-us- having- a -voice- and a story worth telling,
it means that i have learned that “other” is something we have created…all by ourselves to keep us separate,
it means that i value togetherness,
and kindness, and having a sense of humor, and admitting when you just don’t know, and asking people to tell you about themselves, instead of deciding who they are,

it means that my songs are inspired by travels to places i never dreamed i’d see, where i have experienced tenfold the kindness of strangers who now are my friends,
that my other career in social service has exposed me to the suffering, pain, and poverty of many who are never given a fair chance…that inequality is real--that we must say that out loud, and not pretend it isn't the case, if we hope for real change....that survivors of this embody the resilience of the human spirit,
to me, being an american does not mean walls and borders,
it does not mean hate and misogyny,
it means kindness...it means faithfulness to the ones you love,and acceptance of the ones you don’t,
it means freedom.....
.... sparklers on the 4th of july, swimming in lake michigan, but it is so much more than raising a flag…
it means as a country, we are young, and other countries are old, and may have some wisdom to impart to us, and perhaps we should listen sometimes…

it means i have so much to learn, and maybe we all do,
it means that i will miss obama, and i am so glad that he was here…
that i am happy that hillary and bernie came and changed the conversation..
it means that i will continue to be hopeful and dream of a day when a black man and a woman can run side by side, and we will be wise enough to choose them,
it means we have to hold a little tighter to each other now.

Thank You Emily for sharing, caring and being an exemplary role model for women, men, children, black people, white people, and all kinds of people!

 

Now I Beg You... Go Out and Hug EVERYONE Today!!!

I Lived

Beautiful Colorado

Below is a link to a video recommended to me. "I Lived" by One Republic. It has a powerful message, presented by a young man who lives in Colorado who lives with Cystic Fibrosis. I like the message, so I am sharing it here with my friends with some added thoughts on the subject of I LIVED.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0rxydSolwU

My Dad

 

My Mom

 

I lived today for all the people who have died and can't live today. Like my dad, mom, grandparents, Theo, Hopey, Ilya, The Dawg, and all the others.

My buddy Teagan

I lived today for those who can't quite live the life they may want to. Like my friend Teagan. Yes, he lived today, but with oxygen and a lack of energy he doesn't want to have.  So I did my best to hike and do the things I love and think of him and all the others with poor health and limitations.

So, go out and live today. Live for others. Live for yourself. Whatever it may be, but just LIVE!

And Go Out and Hug Someone Today!!!