A look back at some of the best, hardest and most surprising parts of my week.
The Good
Springtime. There was definitely evidence of springtime in Washington, DC while I was there, but I was too early for the real cherry blossom show. (Peak blossom time is predicted to be in the next week or so.) While back in Portland, everyone was enjoying spectacular spring weather and flowers and blooming trees. I was afraid it’d be over by the time I got home and I’d miss it on both ends! But, I arrived home to a couple of lovely days, enjoyed a beautiful run and some lovely walks around the neighborhood and in my favorite park.
Progress. I’m making some progress on that project that I shared with you a few weeks ago. No other details to share, yet. But stay tuned!
The Bad
Lack of Systems. As I whined about shared two weeks ago, I’m not so good at the workation. Yet. This most recent experience really highlighted for me what doesn’t go so smoothly, and better yet, what would help. And for me, it’s systems. Some ground rules. Having clear Conditions of Satisfaction, and meeting them. Every. Single. Day. This will give me more productive work time, and more enjoyable play time. Two wins!
Sneaky Calendar. Ha. Like it’s the calendar’s fault. The second Tuesday of the month comes at a very predicable time — a week after the first Tuesday and a day after the second Monday (most months). It has been one of my favorite days of the month for just about two years now. By now, it really shouldn’t be a surprise. But somehow, the fact that next Tuesday is the second Tuesday sneaked up on me this month. 
I can blame it on traveling, but really, it’s about systems. Again.
The Rad
Memorials. My brother-in-law is currently working at the Pentagon. So, he gave me a tour this week before I headed home. I tend toward the peacenik end of the continuum, so I always have mixed feelings about places that seem to glorify military strength, combat, war. I can’t help but wish we didn’t have it in our 
world.
The Pentagon is filled with displays on the history of wars, the military, the building itself. I found those things interesting. I’m always curious about something, even if it’s not something I’m a fan of. But then we got to the memorials.
I got emotional all over again just getting the link to the them.
The Faces of the Fallen display, which originally was exhibited at Arlington Cemetery, was particularly heart-rending. Over 200 different artists have created portraits of more than 1200 soldiers who died in Iraq and Afghanistan. Somehow the pieces convey so much more than photographs alone.
And then there was the memorial for the victims of the 9/11 attack on the Pentagon.
It seems sort of strange to have such a sad thing to be my rad of the week, but I choose this item based on what was most surprising to me. While I know that I always feel emotional with these kind of things, I somehow wasn’t expecting. And it’s serving as a reminder to me to live my life in a way that feels good and right, to feel happiness and to help others feel more happiness, to have gratitude for what I have and what I’m capable of being/doing/having.
And you?
What were the Good | Bad | Rad parts of your week? Share them here, in the comments, or on the Perception Studios Facebook page.
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