May 2, 2008 by jacquie.

I want to thank everyone who sent me encouragement and techniques for developing will power. You are all wonderful. I also want to report that my mental cravings subsided the very day after I wrote the article. Thoughts of food obsessed me until my body realized that I was giving it the nutrients it needed. Real hunger and my brain chemistry settled down to support me. Then all I had to do was control my habit of thinking about food.

It’s amazing how everything in my part of the world promotes food. It’s impossible to go anywhere without seeing a restaurant. I heard once that there are so many restaurants in the area that every single person in the local population could sit in a food establishment at the same time! Does anyone eat at home? And when we’re at home, there’s television. Oh, the food that happens on TV – there are people eating, people preparing, and people selling food of all manner, most of it unhealthy, but thought stimulating anyway. I’m sure many statisticians are being paid to compile the number of food-minutes we encounter in a day.

Well, I’m making progress with this health program. I’ve truly settled into few food thoughts. I plan my one meal a day with relish (no, not that kind of relish!) and I drink my protein shakes and I celebrate when I measure results. Eleven pounds and 15 inches, and I’m only 10 days into it! My biggest celebration is about my blood pressure, which was embarrassingly high and now has plunged to normal and stayed there.

What did I learn from all of this? First of all, I learned not to hide. My best friend was shocked that I hadn’t told him about my blood pressure creeping up. I was embarrassed to be caught not being perfect! I couldn’t hide my physical size but I did ignore it even as I worried inwardly that I was becoming unhealthy.

I also learned that I do have will power. I made it through that first day. That was a huge success for me. I’ve developed a healthy outlook when I think of food. Just today, my daughter mentioned getting an oat scone from my favorite bakery. When I heard that, I thought, “Hmm, those scones are really good but I don’t have to have one, at least not today.” It reminds me of window shopping – where we see things we appreciate but we know that we don’t have to own. It’s a lovely kind of freedom.

© 2008, Jacqueline Hale

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April 25, 2008 by jacquie.

Here I am face-to-face or better yet, cheek-to-jowl, with my own will power. Guess what the topic is? You guessed it—a diet. Call it nutrition if you want it to sound healthy. The program I’m on calls it cleansing, which in fact it is. Whatever you call it, I call it challenging. I’m on my second pre-cleanse day and I’m having trouble sticking with it because I have a horrendous habit. I graze. Just like a cow, I munch, munch, munch all day long. Hmm, those almonds look wonderful … now I need an apple–but first I’ll have a glass of iced tea … it’s time for lunch … now I need something sweet … it goes on and on! My head is awhirl with wanting!

They say it will get better. Do they know about my constant thoughts about food? I’m either planning meals, shopping for ingredients, preparing meals, eating meals, eating between meals, or thinking about a restaurant where I’d like to eat. I have thoughts about food all day long! No wonder I got to this portly, chunky, generously proportioned size! I think about food constantly! And I live in the gourmet ghetto, how ironic is that?

Honestly, it was easier to stop smoking thirty years ago because at least with cigarettes, I simply wasn’t going to indulge in them anymore. Food is a necessity. I have to have some of it and that’s what’s so maddening. I do have to think about it. For this cleansing program, I don’t need to think very much – just one regular meal a day – except once a week when I don’t get any meal because I’m savoring a cleansing drink!

Oh, doesn’t that all sound fabulous? Well, I knew what I was getting into when I signed up for this program. I knew I wanted to do it because I really need to lose 40 pounds or so. Probably more, but I’ll start with 40 and see where that takes me. This is about health and when I found a program that was more about health than about appearance, I simply could not resist and still have integrity.

One advantage to not messing about with food is that I have so many extra hours. But that can be a curse because when I’m bored, I think about food even more. I’ll have to come up with some activity that takes my attention to far off places and keeps me occupied. I have a stack of mysteries by one of my newly found favorite authors. I can spend all kinds of time, languishing on our deck, not sipping mint juleps, but reading some fascinating page-turner. It’s a plan anyway.

UPDATE: Marlowe, our Dog Share companion is here today! He goes home every night to his real parents, Annette and Lloyd.

© 2008, Jacqueline Hale

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April 18, 2008 by jacquie.

It’s April 15. You know what that means. Well, maybe you don’t. This is the date I set last November when our sweet dog Charlie died. I decided that I shouldn’t think of getting another dog until April 15^th because we had a lot of travelling to do before that date. It is the fifteenth of April as I write and now the travel is done and the house feels mighty empty. What’s next? I have to be careful because I will probably take the next available dog I see.

It isn’t surprising that Jim and I have ended up liking the freedom and flexibility we’ve enjoyed these past four months. We could travel and not think about a dog sitter. We could stay out until 3 AM and not worry about the poor dog’s bursting bladder. It was nice to be totally animal-concern free. But I’ve missed having a dog. I’ve missed the connection, the friend who doesn’t talk back, the unconditional love. To this day, I have yet to open the front door without expecting the happy barks and sweet kisses. I thought that expectation would have ended long ago.

An innovative idea I’ve had is to share a dog with a neighbor – someone who works all day and whose dog would love coming to our house to play with us. That way we could have our cake and eat it too, so to speak. We could watch Rover while the other “parents” are on trips and they could watch Rover when we are away. It seems like a great idea. I’ve even gone scouting to see what dogs are out at 8 AM. I’ve seen a few possibilities – a good owner, the right-sized dog, one who loves to play with other dogs, and likes to swim in the nearby creek. Over and over, I thought, “Maybe that’s the right dog?” But then I get overwhelmed with the quandary and wonder if the whole idea would even be satisfying?

Today being April 15, I went online to look at the dogs up for adoption. Oh dear, that was a mistake! I want a lot of them. I am filled with longing. I want my own fluffy dog who knows I am her/his best friend. I want to rush right out and snatch up one of those Belgian shepherds I saw. (It’s a good thing they are all spoken for!) But I think I should try the dog-sharing idea first. I think that’s what I should do.

I’m sure that by next week, one dog or another will be at my feet as I type. Maybe my heart will be in shreds by then, agonizing over which one is the one. In the meanwhile, I keep remembering Lassie, Muggs, Snap, Tinka, Jessie, Benny, and Charlie, my companions for sixty years of my life. I am ready to have my heart filled one more time.

©2008, Jacqueline Hale

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April 9, 2008 by jacquie.

This morning I asked myself again, “Now, what do I want to do with my life?” It seems I ask myself this question fairly often. Wouldn’t you think I’d already know what I want to do with my life? After all, I’ve recently gotten my Medicare card! However, when I finish a project or come to the end of some saga, I find myself pondering what’s next.

The choices seem endless. Being multi-talented and incredibly interested in many things can be frustrating. I have skills and training in more areas than seems sensible. Sometimes it seems like I dabble rather than take an occupation seriously. Am I really required to pick one and stick with it forever? Am I a dilettante when I move fluidly between various activities? I don’t know.

What I do know is that I feel it’s time to quit floating down the river. It’s time to climb onto the shore and assess where I am and what my resources are. Brrr! It’s a little chilly out here, standing dripping wet in my birthday suit. What would make me feel warm and cozy?

·         What engages my mind so completely that I forget what time it is?

·         What activities engage my heart?

·         What motivates me to do more?

·         What challenges me to be better?

OK, that’s clear. I answered those questions, and now I know what I want to do next. A few months ago, I might have had trouble answering those questions. I was restless and feeling dull. I was waiting for the next thing to appear.

Here’s a question that helps people determine what has heart and meaning for them: What do you want to be remembered for when you die? Since I came home from Africa, one of my answers is to be remembered as the woman who changed the health of thousands (or millions) of people around the world by disseminating information about purifying water in discarded plastic bottles. This idea has engaged my heart, stimulated my mind, and when I talk about it or think about it, I lose all track of time. The challenge for me is to find out how to get the information to the people who need it and to motivate them to use the low tech method I discovered on the internet to eliminate water-borne diseases from their lives.

And then I think, “Who am I to accomplish this daring goal?” That question reminds me of Marianne Williamson’s words about our greatest fear:

We ask ourselves, “Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?” Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world.  

I know I get scared when I think I don’t know what I am doing, but I keep moving forward and finding the most wonderful information. And people have contacted me to say they want to help! It does seem like the path has been illuminated for me. So here I go, taking another step!

© 2008, Jacqueline Hale

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March 28, 2008 by jacquie.

This has been a marital topic in our house for years, actually, ever since we met! Jim and I each have a penchant for being right. Over time, we’ve learned to recognize it earlier in the “discussion” and can even make a joke about it, but being right still comes up. Just last week, we were coming home from Yosemite and noticed that we started to defend our differing ideas about when the road stops following the river and takes off uphill – as if that matters in the grand scheme of things! Of course, it mattered to the engineers and laborers who built the road and nowadays it matters to bicyclists and motorists who are about to run out of gas, but to Jim and Jacquie, it only mattered as a test of observation and memory.

What’s the importance of these little skirmishes about being right? Back when friends and family told us that they were uncomfortable hearing us grappling for position, I started to investigate the origin of our attitudes. As we engaged rather trivial differing points of view, each of us had an inner feeling as though winning the point was a matter of life and death. What a lot of energy to expend on the name of the last movie we saw or when we took a specific trip. Being right is necessary when you’re doing brain surgery or landing a plane, but being right about the fastest or easiest way to complete a task is downright silly!

Last night I got a big clue to our inner workings and here I am at 3AM writing about it. It’s very exciting to finally understand. Thank you, Oprah and Eckhart Tolle, for the webinar you have produced. (You can watch it free on www.oprah.com.) Here’s what I learned in the second session: many people define themselves by roles, skills, or characteristics. “I’m a teacher.” “I’m a happy person.” “I’m intellectual.” “I’m smart” “I’m accurate.” I’m an arthritic.” “I’m cute.” When anything changes our definition of ourselves, we feel like a part of us has been taken away. So if I think of myself as accurate and I make a mistake, it feels like life or death. If I define myself by my career and I lose my job, it’s like my arm was cut off. That definitely was a light-bulb moment!

In my earlier writing about this, I’ve quoted Gay Hendricks, who said, “You can be right, or you can be loved.” This is certainly true if being right makes someone else wrong. Jim and I don’t get into our discussions in order to make the other person wrong. That’s probably why we’ve been able to stay together for 30 years! We aren’t saying that the other person is stupid or anything negative. Well, OK, maybe we think, “Why is s/he so stubborn? Why doesn’t s/he just give up and say I’m right?” We don’t give up because we are struggling to keep our identities. He perceives himself as having a great memory; I perceive myself as being accurate.

Now that I know that, what can I do? Maybe just stopping thinking of me as being accurate is all that I need to do. Hey, I’m only on Session 2 of the New World Webinar, there’s still much to learn. Who am I? I’m not some external characteristic; I am my essence, my soul, if you will. It’s unlikely that my soul would be damaged if I make a mistake. I suspect my soul might be damaged if I don’t forgive myself for making a mistake, but that’s another article!

©2008, Jacqueline Hale

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March 17, 2008 by jacquie.

We were lucky to see many schools because Global Partners, the NGO (non-government organization) that coordinated our trip is involved in schools and scholarships in East Africa. Many things amazed me during these visits: the lack of books, classes with 100 students, no electricity, and in some cases, no walls or roof. The enthusiasm of the kids and the devotion of the teachers are impressive when there are virtually no supplies and, occasionally, no food! Oh my. I constantly wondered, “What can I do?” It’s a daunting prospect for an organization with a staff and thousands of dollars. What can I, an individual, do to make a difference?

A few schools have a computer or two. One school had a whole room full of computers. They even had electricity to use them! What they didn’t have was the knowledge of how to use them. Imagine that you’ve never seen a computer before. How would you know what it could do? These days, when you get a computer, the only instruction you get is a manual that tells you how to plug in the components and turn it on. Then what? That’s why the computers at Kimnyak Secondary School sit unused in the “computer lab.”

Well, there’s something I can do. At one time, I wrote user manuals and tutorials for computers and software. I even wrote about computers way back when they were unusual to have, so I have experience explaining tasks that computers can do. Since I got home from Africa, I’ve been writing a tutorial for those languishing computers. That’s the easy part.

The dilemma is what to do with the tutorial once I’ve written it. How do I get it to the schools that need it? If I send it electronically, would they be able to print it? Will they have paper to print it on? Is there a central resource for teachers in each city that distributes teacher materials? I did get the names of two teachers who asked for help. Maybe I’ll collaborate with them to refine the materials and then decide how to set up a wide distribution. As you can see, even having something to contribute doesn’t mean it will help. Certainly an individual needs support. That’s why I am working with Global Partners. They have resources and connections in Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda.

How You Can Help

Do you want to help with any of the projects I’ve described so far? You can send a check or use PayPal for a credit card donation. Send a check to Global Partners and mark it for “Jacquie Hale’s Fund.” Such a donation gives me permission to determine how the money is used for Global Partners’ projects and/or my new projects. If you want to use PayPal, go to www.GPFD.org and click Give/Donate. Once the PayPal page appears, you can leave a memo for my fund. Blessings on your generosity!

Global Partners
320 Professional Center Drive, Suite 120
Rohnert Park, CA  94928

I’ve found that many people want to help and simply don’t know how, so here’s your chance!

© 2008, Jacqueline Hale

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March 13, 2008 by jacquie.

Discarded water bottles! We saw them everywhere. Our group personally emptied nearly a thousand while we were in Tanzania for two weeks. What was happening to all those bottles? Nothing. The resort burned them. Ick! They didn’t even know that the smoke was toxic. We saw them strewn along the roadsides and in gullies everywhere.

I resolved to figure out how these ubiquitous bottles could be turned into building materials. One idea I had was to cut them up on one side, spread them out, and overlap them like roofing tiles. That may still be a good idea, especially for people who are trying to keep the rain out with tattered plastic bags and old rags. In my research to find a simple use for plastic bottles, I discovered that water can be purified in them. The picture above shows an elaborate system for exposing the water to the sun’s UV rays and warmth. In Tanzania, the bottles could simply be laid on a black plastic bag because near the equator, the sun is overhead all year long.

In countries where water-borne diseases are a significant cause of discomfort, disease, and death, a low-tech method of purifying the water would make a huge difference. This sun method doesn’t remove naturally occurring chemicals or industrial pollutants, but it can change the lives of people who have few resources. Currently, the only method millions of people have for killing pathogens in their water is to boil it. That means not only carrying the water, but also carrying the wood (if there is any) and building a fire. I wonder how many people, when faced with such daunting problems just drink the water untreated?

All it takes is a stash of 10 bottles, a black plastic bag, and a sunny day. The process even works on a cloudy day, it just takes longer. I have been captivated with this idea and have set about finding a way to bring this low-tech solution to people who need it desperately. This is one of the projects that followed me home from Africa and I am committed to follow through with it. I’m still working out the how-to aspect, but I thought I’d share my excitement with you and let you know that you can help make a difference with this or any of my other projects.

How You Can Help

You can send a check or use PayPal for a credit card donation. Send a check to Global Partners and mark it for “Jacquie Hale’s Fund.” Such a donation gives me permission to determine how the money is used for Global Partners’ projects and/or new projects, which I’ll be describing in future articles. If you want to use PayPal, go to www.GPFD.org and click Give/Donate. Once the PayPal page appears, you can leave a memo for my fund. Blessings on your generosity!

Global Partners
320 Professional Center Drive, Suite 120
Rohnert Park, CA  94928

I am creating other reports about projects you might want to support. I have qualms about sending this appeal because I don’t want my subscribers to feel I’m exploiting them. I’ve found that many people want to help and simply don’t know how, so here’s your chance!

© 2008, Jacqueline Hale

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March 6, 2008 by jacquie.

Vincent is a waiter at a resort in Arusha, Tanzania. This picture shows him with three of the ten orphans he adopted when their parents died from HIV. That’s their home in the background. This isn’t an unusual home in Tanzania. Vincent has taken on not only the well-being of the children, but also the cost of their secondary education ($500/year), as well as the education of his own children. A typical salary in Tanzania is $1/day, but he probably makes more because he gets tips. Mostly, he relies on the donations of friends and guests at the resort to support both of his families.

How You Can Help

I’ll be creating other reports about projects you might want to support. I have qualms about sending this appeal because I don’t want my subscribers to feel I’m exploiting them. But as a good friend of mine often says, “If you don’t ask, the answer is ALWAYS no”. I’ve found that many people want to help and simply don’t know how, so here’s your chance:

You can send a check or use PayPal for a credit card donation. Send a check to Global Partners and mark it for “Jacquie Hale’s Fund.” Such a donation gives me permission to determine how the money is used for Global Partners’ projects and/or new projects, which I’ll be describing in future articles. If you want to use PayPal, go to www.GPFD.org  and click Give/Donate. Once the PayPal page appears, you can leave a memo for my fund. Blessings on your generosity!

Global Partners
320 Professional Center Drive, Suite 120
Rohnert Park, CA  94928

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March 6, 2008 by jacquie.

Before I left for East Africa, I couldn’t imagine what I would do when I came home. Now that I’m home, I still don’t know because there’s so much I could do! People always say that visiting Africa changes your life. For me, it broadened my perspective of the world, as if I added a room to my brain – or maybe a whole building, or even a stadium. I learned more in two weeks than I have learned in years. It was the trip of a lifetime!

What influenced me most? It could be how happy Tanzanians are even when ten people live in a one room house with its roof of tattered plastic bags. Or it might be how one high school student in science could answer any question I asked even though the 70 students sat two to a desk with no books, and only a few scraps of paper and stubs of pencils.

Another compelling observation was how the Masai people hold on to their traditions while also making changes that bring them into alignment with current human rights concepts. This means that while the boys still herd cattle, they can also go to school. The fathers are beginning to allow their daughters to go to school rather than requiring them to marry in order to get the bride price of a few cows. During the Leadership Workshop I co-led for 20 motivated girls in the Global Partners Scholarship program, we heard a lot of talk about how women can improve their own lives and the future of their villages and their country. This important aspect of modern life is not lost on the girls in secondary school.

One of my most amazing encounters was with Janeth Daniel. She was one of the girls in our Leadership Workshop who chose a project of informing fellow students of how to avoid getting pregnant. Girls who get pregnant are expelled from school. In addition, HIV has taken a horrific toll on the whole country and Janeth is determined to do something about it. Even though sex education is not taught in school, she had gathered correct information and wanted to inform her sisters. This was not because she needed to be informed personally; she’s never had a boyfriend, and she’s committed to completing her education without male influence. Janeth’s plan is to tell the headmaster of her project and give him an outline of the information she wants to deliver. Imagine doing that when you were 17 years old! Sex was a taboo subject five years ago and adults currently don’t know what to say, so they don’t say anything. Not this young woman! She took advantage of my education and background to confirm her knowledge so that she didn’t give any misleading or incorrect information. She said that if her project is successful in the school, she’ll take it to her village where women need family planning info and have no place to get it. 

Men’s recognition of women’s abilities and contributions is something new in East Africa. The women create businesses that demonstrate the value of commerce over subservience. The mission of Global Partners, the organization Jim and I travelled with, is to promote partnerships that empower the people (men and women) to raise their living and health standards and create sustainable livelihood. We definitely saw this in action through schools, water projects, clinics, and animal husbandry.

More than anything, I was touched by the beauty of Tanzania. From the smiles and songs of the people to the lions, cheetahs and giraffes, we saw beauty every day. Two mountains, Meru and Kilimanjaro, are silent sentinels overseeing a country that is peaceful in the midst of countries engaged in internal conflict. The contrast between the breathlessly primitive life style and the struggling attempt to be modern is fear-inducing and awe-inspiring. I fear their traditions will be lost and I am inspired by their determination to improve. I am so blessed to have been in this country for even the few days we visited and I hope that more people can benefit from similar ecotourism.

© 2008, Jacqueline Hale

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January 17, 2008 by jacquie.

I’m in the midst of a moral dilemma. We’re leaving for Africa in two weeks and I’ve had a recurring, nagging thought from the very first time I entertained the idea of going to Africa. I’ve resisted a lifelong longing to go to Africa. I’ve wanted to see the wildlife, but more than that, I’ve wanted to get to know Africans, especially Africans living in villages. I want to see how people live a simpler life than I do. For years, Jim and I have sent money to East African partnership projects through Global Partners for Development (www.gpfd.org), and it’s knowledge I’ve gained from contributing through them that exacerbates my moral dilemma.

You see, I know that the price of this trip would provide many needed services for the African people. At the same time, I hear from everyone I’ve talked to who has taken this trip that I will be changed in Africa. Hmmm. Which is more important, my life being changed or providing clean water for hundreds of people, giving them better health and freeing them from daily, hours-long walks where lions roam? Which is more important, providing the materials needed for sustainable income or providing life-changing experiences for two people from Berkeley, California?

I’ve avoided going on one of these trips for years, and only agreed to go last summer when one of the leaders who has created scholarships for girls asked me to co-lead a project for girls who are finishing school and returning to their community to begin life as an adult. Here was an opportunity to give rather than gawk. And yet, the dilemma still nags me. I wonder, even at this late date, if the exchange is equitable. Will my life be changed enough to warrant spending so much money?

I don’t feel the exchange of value has to be exactly reciprocal. In other words, if being in Africa makes me a different person (and I assume “different” means better) I don’t necessarily have to apply the better me to East Africa. I am a citizen of the world and any way I can be a better person makes the world a better place.

Since my plans have continued to evolve, even after the unrest in Kenya, it looks like I trust myself in making this decision. Basically, I feel this is the right thing to do and I am trusting my instinct that the better me and my leadership with the girls will offset the money we will use for our trip. I am sorry we have had to cancel one of our workshops and are spending our entire trip in Tanzania rather than risk the turmoil in Kenya. Hearing of the hundreds of displaced people one of our partners is working with makes this an even more poignant question. Surely, you’ll hear more about this when we return in mid-February. In the meanwhile, hold well-being for all people in your hearts.

© 2008, Jacqueline Hale

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