Green Room - Week 9 - Day 2

[clauderainsrm.livejournal.com]

It’s funny how things strike you. The exact same events can knock one person down and inspire someone else.

I’ve been thinking a lot over the last 24 hours about this particular story: http://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/accidents/woman-who-died-in-skydiving-accident-identified-as-st-petersburg-doctor/1208912

In and of itself, it’s a tragic story. The fact that she was my doctor, that I knew her, makes it a lot more personal.

It still hasn’t sunk in, and I’m sure the realities of the situation probably won’t for some time. But there is something that I keep coming back to, something worth repeating – she had photographs around her office of her jumps from over the years. She had fantastic stories of the adventures, and the injuries, from each and every one of them.

Skydiving wasn’t a whim she decided to do for the New Year. It was a passion that she took on as often as she could.

I don’t think that I ever saw her without a sparkle in her eye. She loved to help people with their problems, and she loved adventure wherever she could find it.

That’s not a bad way to live, and dying doing something you are passionate about – that’s not a bad way to go.

Go out and live like you mean it. Find what you are passionate about, and do it.

***
There’s no transition that wouldn’t be awkward – so here’s a link to the Work Room http://therealljidol.livejournal.com/514107.html and new topic http://therealljidol.livejournal.com/513841.html

Hopefully those are things you love as well. I know that, personally, Idol Is something that I am passionate about, and extremely proud of creating. So thank you for being a part of it!

In case you missed it, our own amenquohi, winner of Season 7, was just named as one of 10 Most People on Livejournal! http://www.dailydot.com/news/daily-dot-top-10-2011-livejournal/ Considering that most of her section was about how she won Idol, and what she did it with, I’m considering it as a win for Idol in general! ;) (thank you to bonnie_rocks for bringing that article to my attention)
I wonder what is in store for our winner this season?!!??

Comments

[myrna-bird.livejournal.com]

First?


Gary, I am so sorry you lost your doctor-friend. It sounds like she will be truly missed by many. Her husband's quote was touching though, that she went doing something she loved.

[noodledays.livejournal.com]

yay for your first! :D

[tigrkittn.livejournal.com]

Woohoo yay for amenquohi!!

[amenquohi.livejournal.com]

Thanks! But the honor really should go to Gary - he's the one who does the grunt work.

[noodledays.livejournal.com]

I agree, it's not a bad way at all to leave doing something you love or that means a lot to you.

and I am sorry it's someone you personally knew.

[unmowngrass.livejournal.com]

Sorry to hear about your doctor, Gary.

[similiesslip.livejournal.com]

Gary, I am sorry for your loss.

I have to say, this sentence is the best obituary I ever read:

"She loved to help people with their problems, and she loved adventure wherever she could find it."

May we live and love so others can say the same about us!

[pixiebelle.livejournal.com]

I agree. I would love to live in such a way that people could say the same type of thing for me. She sounds like a wonderful person.

[pixiebelle.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry for your loss, Gary :(

You do bring up some very valid points. People should live their life to the fullest, find something they love and do it. There's a quote I love that says something about life being both too short and too long to spend it not doing things you enjoy. It actually fits in with my entry this week. I've got a baby brother who wants to be a stuntman, who does scary stuff like flipping off cliffs and whatnot. It scares me that he might seriously hurt himself one day... But it's his passion. To take that away from him simply to be "safe" would destroy him. He recently broke his collar bone, and he's had other injuries, but I must say that he truly knows how to love life through exploring his passion. Who am I to take that away from him? In fact, I'm a bit envious and insured by him.

Very deep thoughts for a Wednesday, but certainly stuff to think about.

Speaking of stuff we love, I have a first draft of my entry written and sent to my amazing boyfriend. Anyone else care to beta for me this week?

I also started my novel last night. Now that's some crazy stuff.

[unmowngrass.livejournal.com]

Congrats on starting that novel! I've seen from the GR that you've been meaning to for a while, well done on that first step!

[noodledays.livejournal.com]

wow, and that is very cool about amenquohi! way to go, and it's definitely a kudos for LJ Idol as well. :D

[amenquohi.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

[bonnie-rocks.livejournal.com]

You're welcome for the link.

So sorry to hear about your doctor, Gary. ::comforting huggles::

~*::Meow::*~

[clauderainsrm.livejournal.com]

Thank you for bring it to my attention yesterday! I figured it needed a little more exposure, so I posted it myself today! ;)

[wookiewife.livejournal.com]

Since high school, I've always imagined that I would go out while skydiving. Usually as a (old age) birthday present to myself. I think making my exit doing something awesome or grand would be the best way -- with a smile on my face, of course.

[pixiebelle.livejournal.com]

I want to look into freelancing for magazines too, but I'm in the same boat. I'm thinking of asking for help in my journal soon and see what I come up with. I'll be happy to share anyinfo or you are welcome to friend me to get involved in the discussion when it posts :)

[roina-arwen.livejournal.com]

That's sad about your doctor, Gary. At least she left this world doing something she loved! I've always wanted to try skydiving, and I'm impressed that she was still doing it at 60.

As far as amenquohi - w00t! You go, girl!

[amenquohi.livejournal.com]

Thanks! Like I told Gary, I'm sure the product endorsements and speaking engagements will be rolling in anytime now.

Anytime.

*whistles*

Yep.

[nyxocity.livejournal.com]

Tough room this morning. I'm sorry to hear about your acquaintance, Gary.

Hi all. *crawls in* I'm still recovering from the holiday. NYE was the best yet, the day after was so nice, and I find myself wanting to hang on to that feeling as long as I can. It's tough getting back into the groove of things.

Over this holiday season, I got addicted to The Big Bang Theory. We're currently working our way through season 2 when I haven't been busy as all get out. I got absolutely no writing done. That has to change this week.

So how was everyone else's holiday? Did you do what you're passionate about?

[pixiebelle.livejournal.com]

It really is tough getting back into the groove of things. I spent time with Java, so I did get to do something I was passionate about (that's worded awkwardly and sounds bad, but I figure you won't mind :p). So that was good.

[muchtooarrogant.livejournal.com]

Gary, condolences on your loss. Losing someone that close to you is never easy, even if they lost their life while doing something they loved.

Yay to amenquohi! I'm happy that LJI made that list, although I would've put it as #1. :)

As for me, its back to work this week, with a weekend conference I'm exhibiting at on Saturday. Yuck! Even worse, I haven't even thought about this week's topic yet. What is it again? *scratches head*

Dan

[pixiebelle.livejournal.com]

I hope you get time to write this week! I know you didn't mean it for real, but I keep forgetting this week's topic and thinking it's a inconceiavable and not counterintuitive. I have that right, right? I'm not all confused again?

My entry is based on counterintuitive, so I hope I'm right!

[liret.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry about your doctor. It sounds like she was a pretty awesome person.

There's a quote I read that goes something like 'One of the burdens of leading an interesting life is that there have to be moments when you almost lose it.' And I think it's true, though we all have to set our limits in different places. Skydiving wouldn't be worth the risk to me, but if that's what someone loves, I can see why they wouldn't be willing to let the danger stop them.

[phoenixejc.livejournal.com]

Good morning everyone!

Gary, I'm sorry to hear about your friend passing. I'd hug you, but you might hold my hippie teen age years against me with a kick. ;)

[banyangirl1832.livejournal.com]

I'm so sorry, Gary. She sounds like she was a truly special person. :(

Still no idea for this week's topic. Work tonight from 3-7 so I'm hoping I can get something written then. I also have my thousand words to hit today for my new novel project, which I've been working on for the past two days. 3k, here I come.

Went mattress shopping with the boyfriend last night, which caused its own kettle of drama, but I'm hoping to get him out this weekend to buy a sheet set and mail belated Christmas presents. We shall see!

[pixiebelle.livejournal.com]

Good luck with the shopping! The one thing I am happy about living alone for... When I want sheets, I pick out the sheets I want. No drama. Then again, my ex was always a drama queen when shopping.

Good luck with the novel too :)

[mac-arthur-park.livejournal.com]

Good morning, GR!

I'm so sorry to hear about your loss, Gary.

The whole thing about living life and doing what your passionate has really hit home for me recently, both on the job hunting front and the family drama over my little SIL front (she's taken a job in Nicaragua. The MIL is in hysterics. I think it's cool that she's following her passion).

[pixiebelle.livejournal.com]

It's been hitting me a lot too lately and the entry I'm writing this week hits upon this idea a bit. Good for your SIL! I had so many people put down my dreams and who tried to tel me I needed to live life a certain way. Screw them. Life is too short for that stuff.

[nodressrehersal.livejournal.com]

Sometimes there's news of a death that's so horrific and tragic and awful you can barely stand to read the story. But other times, as in the case of the skydiving doctor, you feel...inspired, awed, sad too, and maybe envious, or hopeful that it could be that way for the people you know and love.

I never made it to LJ Idol over the break - not to write, or to read - I had an incredibly damaging computer crash.
*insert frowny face here* and I'm now faced with the task of recreating what couldn't be recovered. Blech.

[pixiebelle.livejournal.com]

That first part was very well said.

I'm sorry your computer crashed. That's never fun. Technology can be so frustrating at times :/

[jem0000000.livejournal.com]

*hugs and hot tea*

[jem0000000.livejournal.com]

...the good thing about vitual tea is that it stays hot until you need it. :)

[java-fiend.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry for your loss, Gary. That's definitely not an easy thing to wrap your mind around. :-(

But what you say is true... live like you mean it. I think too many of us play it safe and never really put ourselves out there like we mean it. That's something I've realized lately and something I aim to change. I would much rather spend the balance of my life doing something that I love and am passionate about rather than just mucking through day-to-day waiting for my ticket to get punched.

So... got my rental car situation squared away and will be picking it up later today. I'm sure it's a little tin can of a thing but at least it will get me where I need to go until my poor, sick car is all fixed up again. Big thanks to pixie117 and whipchick for pointing me in the right direction as well as to michikatinski for all of her help as well. I am so fortunate to be surrounded by so many amazing people.

Hope everybody is having a fantastic Hump Day! I know a few people who aren't... yeah, I'm lookin' at you, Newt, Michele and Rickster!!!

[pixiebelle.livejournal.com]

*hugs* I'm so glad that you've come to realize that about life honey. And let me reiterate, you're surrounded by amazing people who love you because you deserve it. You're just as amazing <3

[lawchicky.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry for your loss Gary. I suppose dying during a skydiving accident like that isn't the worst way to go, but still, it's a tragedy.

I'm still shocked that I got my entry written already. I didn't have a choice- the characters from my traveling travesty piece just WILL NOT leave me alone, so I gave them another chapter.

Otherwise, I'm still trying to transition back to work. So much to do and not nearly enough time to get it all done! With any luck, I will get back to my trip report again tonight once I've stopped working for the day.

[pixiebelle.livejournal.com]

I'm looking forward to your piece! I really liked the characters from Traveling Travesty!

[sdaisyk.livejournal.com]

Poking my head in because I finally got a breather from the onslaught of students wanting to pay for classes and pick up parking decals.

Besides having a busy day, I also found out someone tried to used my credit card yesterday. CC company contacted me when they made a $1 charge to google (successfully), and then tried to charge $1 over my credit limit at walmart.com (declined) and another $1 google charge (declined). Getting a new card and account number. Worried about what other information might be in the wrong hands...

[pixiebelle.livejournal.com]

Wow. That's just scary. My debit card was just shut down recently thanks to suspicious activity, though they never figured out what was suspicious. It's nice they contacted you (unlike my bank, they just shut it down without warning). I hope nothing else of yours got leaked out and that this is cleared up easily.

[amenquohi.livejournal.com]

Gary, I'm so sorry. It sounds like she had a life well-lived, and really, that's the best kind of life anyone could leave behind. It's just so damn hard to have a senseless death in the wake of an amazing life.

Thanks for the shout-out about my shout-out, which really should be your shout-out because you're the one who made my shout-out possible.

[clauderainsrm.livejournal.com]

You definitely deserve all the praise you are getting.

I'm not saying thst I won't accept credit for it, because I fully intend to take it - but it is also well deserved! ;)

[ashgaelsonaria.livejournal.com]

condolances.
Lousy way to loose your docter. Mine just left.
Been a bad year for that my nerologist left too. He went to florida to further his education.

StPetersburge must be nice this time of year. An interesting city with an interesting history.

[p-m-cryan.livejournal.com]

Gary---

Checking in with my real blog, because your loss shouldn't be trivialized by an alt.

I'm sorry you've lost someone important to you, and I will honour her... and you... by continuing to do the things I am passionate about... selling books, sharing joy, and writing in LJ Idol.

I thought about using one of my "sad" icons, and then re-read your post. I think your friend and you, deserve a happy and passionate icon instead.

Much affection,

Patty Cryan
[also known here as n_maranda_coy]