What's So Funny 'Bout Peace, Love and. . .

You have a choice.

Jerry is the manager of a restaurant. He is always in a good mood. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would always reply, "If I were any better, I would be twins!" Many of the waiters at his restaurant quit their jobs when he changed jobs, so they could follow him around from restaurant to restaurant. Why? Because Jerry was a natural motivator. If an employee was having a bad day, Jerry was always there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation. Seeing this style really made me curious. So one day I went up to Jerry and asked him, “I don’t get it? No one can be a positive person all the time. How do you do it?” Jerry replied, "Each morning I wake up and say to myself, I have two choices today. I can choose to be in a good mood or I can choose to be in a bad mood. I always choose to be in a good mood. Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be victim or I can choose to learn from it. I always choose to learn from it. Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or I can point out the positive side of life. I always choose the positive side of life." "But it's not always that easy, “ I protested. "Yes it is," Jerry said. "Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people will affect your mood. You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. It's your choice how you live your life." Several years later, I heard that Jerry accidentally did something you are never supposed to do in the restaurant business. He left the back door of his restaurant open. . . and then??? In the morning, he was robbed by three armed men. While Jerry trying to open the safe box, his hand, shaking from nervousness, slipped off the combination. The robbers panicked and shot him. Luckily, Jerry was found quickly and rushed to the hospital. After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, Jerry was released from the hospital with fragments of the bullets still in his body.… I saw Jerry about six months after the accident. When I asked him how he was, he replied, "If I were any better, I'd be twins. Want to see my scars?" I declined to see his wounds, but did ask him what had gone through his mind as the robbery took place. “The first thing that went through my mind was that I should have locked the back door," Jerry replied. "Then, after they shot me, as I lay on the floor, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live or could choose to die. I chose to live." "Weren't you scared“ I asked? Jerry continued, "The paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the Emergency Room and I saw the expression on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read 'He's a dead man.' I knew I needed to take action." "What did you do?" I asked. "Well, there was a big nurse shouting questions at me," said Jerry. "She asked if I was allergic to anything." 'Yes,' I replied. The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled, 'Bullets!' Over their laughter, I told them, 'I am choosing to live. Please operate on me as if I am alive, not dead'. "Jerry lived thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude. I learned from him that every day you have the choice to either enjoy your life or to hate it. The only thing that is truly yours -- that no one can control or take from you- is your attitude, so if you can take care of that, everything else in life becomes much easier. Note:

What you do with this message will NOT affect the amount of luck you will have in the future, result in any inordinate amount of ‘blessings’, alter in any way our friendship (if we, indeed, have one) or relationship as acquaintance, sibling or other family member, co-worker or just plain ‘guy’ on the street.

(Hear my music at http://www.rayjozwiak.com)

Monday morning. . .

There's a cool social and collaborative website for musicians called INDABA MUSIC which allows you to play on 'sessions', to which you are either invited or accepted to join, in essence, playing with a band on-line. I've been a member for some years. Here's one of the 'fruits' or our Indaba labors.

(Go to HO-HUM session at http://www.indabamusic.com/asset/show/28059)

Well, I've been working on a new session.

(Hear my music at http://www.rayjozwiak.com)

It's fast becoming. . .

. . . my conviction that truth is really so much stranger than fiction.
Is that the way it ought to be ?
It's not my eyes that do the seeking. Even a blind man sees agenda we're keeping.
Is that the way it ought to be?
I never thought I'd be looking behind like I do. Not quite sure just what I'll see.
But I'm rarely surprised by the antics of many; surprised by the antics of few.

It's one thing that they never mentioned. Back in my school was only so much convention.
Is that the way it ought to be?
And now we find it's what we're teaching. We're all conditioned. See the numbers we're reaching?
Is that the way it ought to be?
How can we say there's a god in his heaven above watching, directing with love?
And while on bended knee, we proceed to make judgement on things that we don't like to see.

It's fast becoming my conviction that truth is really so much stranger than ficion.

(Hear my music at http://www.rayjozwiak.com)

Man. . .

. . .I am tired, frustrated, overwhelmed, concerned, tired, involved, connected, hopeful, fatigued, disenchanted, subversive, dedicated, persevering, mortal, hypersensitive, disenchanted, wise. achy, underappreciated. . .

Hope I feel better tomorrow.

(Hear my music at http://www.rayjozwiak.com)

I would like. . .

. . . to be BORED again.

I have NOT been bored since I was probably 20 years old. What once seemed a fate worse than death. But now, with additional years and responsibility, the very prospect of having more time available that activities to fill it holds desirability comparable to that of winning the lottery.

. . . eight hours of work five days a week, composers group meetings and plans to be made, band rehearsals, playing piano, composing, transcribing, recording, cooking, cleaning, sleeping, moving furniture, clothes etc. for the painter, preparing for my son's shoulder surgery, attempting to stay warm as winter winds down, hearing of Tokyo's severe earthquake and resultant tsunami activity with warnings issued for the U.S. West Coast where another son resides wondering if he is aware, wondering how close he is to the ocean, wondering how high in altitude is his neighborhood, mentally planning how to accomplish my goals at work today in half a workday. . .

Ah, to be able to wander down the alley, kicking a stone and wondering how to fill the hours of just another day. BORING!!!???

(Hear my music at http://www.rayjozwiak.com)

What's wrong with Egypt?

Thirteen people have died in the recent clashes between Muslims and Christians in Egypt. THIRTEEN!

After exhibiting a remarkable solidarity in their quest to depose what they viewed as a corrupt, dictatorial leader in favor of a more democratic government, they have now digressed to squabbling amongst themselves along religious lines. This population that inspired the world with their peaceful (mostly) demonstration for their basic human rights now shows the world an immature, tribal, self-defeating side that no one would have dreamed of two weeks ago.

Is there something in the atmosphere, the drinking water or the gummy bears in that part of the world that forces people to live in a constant state of turmoil?

Which country will take the lead and become an example to the region and the rest of the world, of what people can do when united for a just cause, without losing sight of the humanity of each and everyone of the members of the group and the humanity of entire population of the country???!!!!

(Hear my music at http://www.rayjozwiak.com)

A Terrible Thing to Waste. . .

A while back, a widely broadcast public service announcement and slogan of the United Negro College fund included the line, ". . . because a mind is a terrible thing to waste."

To be sure, it was and is most certainly true.

But in addition, we, as homosapiens, seem to waste a lot of things. No, this isn't going to be a rant about conservation, nature or the environment. This thought came home to me thinking about my extended family. My wife and I half-jokingly say things like
"you're so close" when names of my extended family members arise, mainly because her family always made it a point to STAY CLOSE. After all, they were FAMILY! My family on the other hand, drifted apart, not because of squabbles, disagreements or fights, but simply due to neglect. Maybe neglect is the wrong word. Apathy? Preoccupation?

Whatever the appropriate word may be, WE DID IT. And now as the years progress, MOST of the older generation is now gone and the remaining 'cousins' have only been in contact at funerals. Very sad indeed.

My hope, as a result, it to (possibly) initiate and maintain some semblance of contact. (I hope.) With this remarkable technology that should be fairly simple, shouldn't it? Well, we'll see. Stay tuned.