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Doing Less is More?

Saturday. Feeling the fatigue of the last few weeks. One of my talking points in therapy has been acknowledging that my relentless pursuit of “doing” has implications. I’m referring to the kind of doing that is the antithesis of “just being” which is often just slowing down and recognizing that being productive is not always the best game plan. The recommendation that I find time to decouple from keeping up with the joneses has not been lost on me. It seems to be most apparent when I am exhausted, tired and recognize that I have little energy for the continual push. Why do I find it particularly annoying and bothersome that my cognitive energy is lacking? I should appreciate that we have growing self-care recognition in our cultural dialogue and that it’s relevant to find “more balance”. Nevertheless, I find it difficult to stay still.

My nephew Logan. I did get to spend some time with him, my sister and parents this week. I was particularly grateful for how much time my son spent with his cousins and helped out by being present and aware of their needs. Can’t take your eye off this one for even moment!

For example, I often discover that a good session of morning mediation sets the best tone for the day.  It decreases my anxiety, if I’m anxious. It often reveals the subconscious motivations that are driving me. Yet, I find myself often forgoing the practice so I can get at it. Whatever that is. Usually, it’s rushing to the office and the first meeting of the day. Plugging into the expectations of work, home and family responsibilities without framing that trajectory with self-reflection can be haphazard.

Today, I remind myself. Let this weekend have deeper symbolism and utility. It’s important that I set the baseline before many interactions. What are we trying to do? How will our efforts make an impact to do the best? How can we be of service to the community uniformly and equitably? Do I walk the walk?

SIM workshop was a great experience. I learned a lot about where we “intercept” those who move through our local criminal justice system. A stabilization center would be of great service to this community. I think we can find a way.

In recognition of self-care, stillness, and doing less to be of greater service in the future – I’ll keep it on the down low this weekend. Helping my wife prepare for my brother’s wedding, getting some veggies at farmers market, reading, finishing my final NICA course certification and getting groceries are on the weekend agenda.

One work-related exception today. I’ll hand out awards to the Barrel to Keg Relay participants at the Rogue Brewery this afternoon representing as county commissioner.

“The Barrel to Keg Relay is a team-based event where most participants form teams of 7 runners or 4 walkers.  Each team provides a volunteer to assist on the course.  With an average of about 100 teams.”

Final leg of the Barrel to Keg. This event is the 10th Anniversary Celebration. It included a camp out at Harris Bridge Vineyard on Friday evening, relaxation by the river, indulging in delicious drinks, a family-style potluck meal and live music.

My favorite quote(s) so far today comes from Maria Popova.

“Well, there are certain core beliefs, I guess. I think a lot about the relationship between cynicism and hope. Critical thinking without hope is cynicism, but hope without critical thinking is naïveté. I try to live in this place between the two, to try to build a life there. Because finding fault and feeling hopeless about improving our situation produces resignation, of which cynicism is a symptom, a sort of futile self-protection mechanism. But on the other hand, believing blindly that everything will work out just fine also produces a kind of resignation, because we have no motive to apply ourselves toward making things better. I think in order to survive, both as individuals and as a civilization, but especially in order to thrive, we need to bridge critical thinking with hope.”

The Barrel to Keg will have many legs within Lincoln County. Wondering if a road is a state highway, city street, local access road, private road or belongs to another entity such as US Forest Service or a special road district? You can call Public Works at (541) 265-5747 for road jurisdiction information.

“So much of culture deals with what is urgent right now and not what is important in the grand scheme of things. And there is this sort of time bias or presentism bias that happens.”

“Which is in part because of the way that the Internet is structured. So when you think of anything from a Twitter feed or a Facebook feed to a news website, the most recent floats to the top, always. And it’s always in reverse chronology. And I think that’s conditioning us to believe, rather falsely, that the most recent is the most important, and that the older matters less or just exists less, to a point where we really have come to believe that things that are not on Google or on the news never happened, never existed, or don’t matter. The internet — its beauty is that it’s a self-perfecting organism, right? But as long as it’s an ad-supported medium, the motive will be to perfect commercial interest, to perfect the art of the listicle, the endless slideshow, the infinitely paginated article, and not to perfect the human spirit of the reader or the writer.”

(https://onbeing.org/programs/mapping-meaning-digital-age-maria-popova/)

Finally, I appreciate a quote here from a reviewer of Werner Herzog – A Guide for the Perplexed. This person says “Herzog’s philosophy is clearly stated throughout. Simply put, he believes that real life is everything, and it is through intimate and committed contact with real life that we discover true understanding and meaning.” I like this. Enjoy the weekend.

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Phones, Intercepts and Flamenco Guitars

Every day is an opportunity to be grateful and learn. I finally have a functioning work phone back in my hands. Long gone are the days in which I was able to use a personal cell phone for both work and home. When I became an elected official, it was wise to separate the one into two. Also, required by my legal counsel.

Despite the occasional notion of its impracticality, I have acclimated to this new normal. I felt rather alone without my work cell over the last week. In fact, that’s exactly how long it took our IT department to acquire a new one. One week. Seven days. After the extensive process of cyber securing me with the recommended and current standards of dual, triple and quadruple authentication I am running on all cylinders again.  

What I discovered is just how often I rely upon it to check in with the mother ship. In our current era of cyber security, we are hi tech. I have about the most protections and security of any within our workforce. Accessing my email requires that I be on a county approved laptop or phone.  Rarely does a day go by that I am not compelled to check in with a constituent or compelled to review the in box for work related issues and opportunities. Not having a phone was a reminder of just how much I check in with work and am tethered to this public life.

One of today’s meditations include how our organization might transform services for persons with mental illness that encounter the county’s criminal justice system. I’ll engage in a “Sequential Intercept Mapping and Taking Action for Change Workshop”. And an eight-hour analysis of the resources, gaps, and barriers in our existing systems.


Objective: Development of a comprehensive picture of how people with mental illness and co-occurring disorders flow through the Lincoln County criminal justice system along six distinct intercept points: Community Services, Law Enforcement and Emergency Services, Initial Detention/Initial Court Hearings, Jails and Courts, Re-entry, and Community Corrections/Community Support. – Sequential Intercept Model Mapping Report, September 2019

I continue to work with our Local Public Safety Coordinating Council and the subcommittee to develop a deflection program defined by HB4002. My hope is this SIM workshop will expand my understanding of our existing system and the overlays with those challenged with substance use. It seems the sub committee is certain to make sure that many instances of substance possession are kept out of the judicial process. Yet, some undoubtedly will continue to through the criminal justice system organizational model. How does it serve the individual and our community when either pathway is taken?

As complicated as it all might seem to me and possibly you dear reader. I do intend to develop better understanding of these complexities and pass on an integrated picture of how we keep our community safe and how we can further evolve the welfare of our fellow humans.  May we all realize the best versions of ourselves and live a life of less suffering and more joy where possible.

On another note, I am grateful yet again for the vinyl dollar bin.  This discovery is from Happy Trails in Corvallis. Bernabé De Morón – Flamenco España: The Classical Spanish Guitar. It’s in good condition and sounds great. I especially appreciate the athleticism of the performance. This is as musical as it is foot stomping energetic. Pressed By – Hermanos Antor S.A. Real Name: Bernabé Mejías Macho. Spanish flamenco guitarist (Morón de la Frontera, 1921).