Silence = Agreement

I took a break tonight from my still frighteningly busy desk to hear Paul Rusesabagina speak as part of the university's Distinguished Speaker series.

He explained the political/ethnic context leading up to the 1994 Rwanda genocide and talked us through the events as they unfolded. He said he didn't make the decision to help people survive; initially, people showed up at his home seeking refuge and he couldn't turn them away.

Although his remarks were mainly narrative, he did make several points worth repeating. First, the best (and worst) weapons humans use are the words we say. Paul recounted how he opened dialogues with soldiers and militia that lasted for hours before they arrived at some kind of agreement. Fight with words, not with guns, he advocated. Guns have never been the best solution.

Second, it's essential to listen to each other. We can't find other solutions if we don't understand the other party or what they want/need. He also said he kept his enemies close to him so he'd know what was happening with them.

His final point was to say NO to the killing fields. Don't look the other way. Don't stay silent on the issue because silence equals agreement. If we find genocide abhorrent, we need to SAY SO.

In the Q&A following his remarks, Paul said that America has been largely silent on the genocide in Rwanda. He said Africa needs diplomats to start dialogues and bring truth to the table and that America can help support these dialogues.

And if we ever despair thinking one person's action (or inaction) can't make that much difference, perhaps it's time to re-rent the movie, Hotel Rwanda.

Now: Feeling Groovy

Twas the busiest work week in recent memory--and it's not quite over.

I have a newsletter article about my job processes due tomorrow. (I hope they meant end of business because I only have one paragraph so far). I have 64 audit findings to comb through (plus 3 people the audit missed) and results to summarize for a Monday meeting.

The audit got the higher-ups attention. Yesterday, I was pulled into a meeting with key stakeholders to figure out how we can solve problems more efficiently. The top guy said that I am to ask for help if I need it and told everyone else to give help because certification isn't just my job; it reflects on everyone involved. This was a pleasing development.

And I was pleased with how I handled being called into a meeting with a dozen people and put on the hot seat to explain the problems (diplomatically) and saying where they could help.

New certifications went out today in another meeting where I fielded questions and explained processes like a pro. And I actually FELT like a pro, too. You know, that confident, I did a good routine and I STUCK THE LANDING, TOO feeling. And that feels groovy.

Overload

Spent ALL morning going over my spring reports with the woman who audited them. She shows up, we go over the discrepancies and POOF: it's lunch time.

Some known problems never got fixed. (I passed them off to people who did nothing).

Some corrected, signed reports weren't included in the audit although they were provided to the auditors.

Some employees had another work assignment pop up since the reports ran last July, which makes me feel like I'm trying to hit a bloody moving target.

FY 07 is closed, so there are some adjustments we can't make.

Certification is supposed to happen 30 days after the semester ends and all cost transfers/corrections are supposed to be completed within 90 days. If accounting is late closing the month, I can't run reports.

I stay on top of things pretty well and let go of the things I can't personally fix. But I wonder: How is anyone compliant under these circumstances?!?

After going through all the spring reports twice, the auditor said she was glad she didn't have my job. Ditto that.

Today's Mail

Nothing but a postcard from the Texas Department of Public Safety informing us there is a high risk sex offender living in our neighborhood.

Of course, I Googled the address provided to see exactly how close the guy is. The local police verified the address on January 3, but according to Google Earth, he lives in La Vista Park.

Close enough for a good case of the heebies.

Ding, dong, the Book Group's Dead

I was a slug over the holidays and didn't get around to emailing the book group about our January meeting. When I finally did, I proposed shifting A Tale of Two Cities to February and figuring out the reading schedule then.

Book group has been limping along, never attracting more than the same two or three people. One of the regulars moved and then it was just me and Melissa and one other semi-regular drop-in who usually brought her two kids along. The ward boundary changes put both regular attendees (and almost everyone on the mailing list) in a different ward.

There's been one reply to the announcement from the semi-regular letting me know that she only has time to read scriptures and materials for a class she's teaching. She said someone in her new ward (whom I don't know) is starting up a book group; maybe I could join that? She thanked me for my diligence and hoped more sisters would join me in the future.

This leaves me with two thoughts:

1. Why not hook me up with this other book group organizer and combine efforts? Unless they want to read only church lit, in which case never mind.

2. In theory, friendships or activity groups survive ward boundary changes. But in reality, not so much.

Other than book group, I barely had relationships with these women even when I saw them every week. The ones who've moved away don't keep in touch. Nor apparently do the ones who've "moved" to the McAllen 3rd ward.

I miss my lovely Pasadena Ward book group! I'm still on their mailing list. Maybe I'll just read along with them. I can't help feeling down that another enjoyable pursuit has gone belly up.

10 Weeks of Jane

I know I'm woefully behind and there is much to catch up on about the holidays, etc. I think I have now fully recovered from having all 4 step kids visit at the same time, so look for fresh content in the next couple of days.

In the meantime, enjoy this tasty treat: PBS's Masterpiece is showing Jane Austen movies for the next 10 weeks! I watched a nicely done version of Persuasion last night. I really do need to read the book.

The link below shows the 10-week lineup or check your local listings. Looks like I'll be parked on the couch Sunday nights between now and April. Awesome!

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/austen/index.html

Wreck the Halls

The top half of our tree with slightly askew bow:



And the bottom half, post-Cosby:



Also, our lovely after-Christmas dinner: filet mignon with roasted shallots and not-quite-cream sauce (in which I learn not to substitute half and half for heavy cream):

Community of Christ, Part Deux

We went to the C of C's Christmas Day potluck with a cheesecake topped with raspberry pinot noir sauce. (Ironic, no?)

After winding around the tables and self-serving the wonderful repast, we adjourned to the sanctuary to sing Christmas songs. I saw one our choir sang and suggested it. The fellow leading the music said he didn't know it and asked me to lead everyone--and slunk away chuckling, leaving me to lead the music for the rest of the songs.

After the music, we went back into the room where we'd eaten. The non-singers had cleaned up and set up for the gift exchange. The pastor, Pat, said she had brought extra gifts so the people who hadn't brought one (or hadn't known to [like us]) could participate. We drew numbers and then the gift picking/gift stealing began.

It was a pretty good natured exchange; I've seen this game get ugly--mostly at work where the gift stealing manifested along the lines of extant hostility.

The two clear canisters of cashews changed hands several times over the course of the game. One guy wanted someone to take his gift and took to saying "I have jam!" and later, "I have jam--and a DOLLAR!" One woman finally took the jam (and dollar) off his hands and he looked a little sad.

When someone stole Hetty Jane's vase, she took a full lap around the gift table with her walker checking out the opened and unopened gifts. HJ cracks me up. She's in her 70s at least and at the party the night before, she said some "old geezer" had hit on her.

Anyway, after the game we collected our spoils and went home to open our gifts. Twas a lovely Christmas all around.