Conversations with Calliope- New Challenges

There is no greater challenge than to have someone relying upon you; no greater satisfaction than to vindicate his expectation.~Kingman Brewster

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: Exhilarated. I completed all my registration procedures at AmeriCorps and planned my initial activities at my GoArt placement yesterday.
CALLIOPE: Congratulations. Any surprises?
JOE: I wasn't expecting any and none appeared.
CALLIOPE: I guess that's good.
JOE: It is.
CALLIOPE: What are your duties.
JOE: I will work three days a week. One task will be working on web presence. Another will be to develop more interaction with the artists.
CALLIOPE: Anything else.
JOE: I most likely will be working with teens on creative writing. The program is still at the idea stage.
CALLIOPE: Sounds like you will have plenty to keep you busy.
JOE: I think so. If not, new challenges always arise.
CALLIOPE: Good luck with you project.
JOE: Thanks. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Technology Wins a Hand

(Dog Days of Summer)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: Realizing I spoke too soon about my mastery of technology.
CALLIOPE: How so?
JOE: I thought I had everything under control with my websites and emails.
CALLIOPE: Not quite?
JOE: No. A while ago when I reloaded my websites, my e-mail got put somewhere else so it would not disappear. Friday I tried to put it back where it belonged but it got blocked.
CALLIOPE: So now what?
JOE: I called this morning to straighten it out and think it will be okay, but possibly not until tomorrow morning.
CALLIOPE: What are the implications for your e-book?
JOE: I want to make sure everything is working correctly before I post the file on my website.
CALLIOPE: Sounds like you're getting close.
JOE: That's the way it sounds to me too.
CALLIOPE: So now what?
JOE: I have correspondence to catch up with and then back to work on Marital Property. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Life and Writing Priorities

(Oatka Geese)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. You mentioned Joan Chittister's book yesterday. Any further thoughts about what she has to say?
JOE: I haven't finished reading The Gift of Years yet but so far I have read about her thoughts on the challenges and fears of growing old and look forward to reading her thoughts about the opportunities.
CALLIOPE: What do you think got you interested in this topic?
JOE: I just celebrated ( I was going to say "had") my sixty-sixth birthday. It seems like it crept up on me. Joan would say that people perceive us as old even if we don't feel old.
CALLIOPE: Do you feel old?
JOE: Not really. I have some difficulty with arthritis which I never had when I was younger.
CALLIOPE: So you're doing okay physically?
JOE: I can't complain.
CALLIOPE: What about psychologically?
JOE: I feel released from family and work responsibilities and able to set my own direction without anyone else getting upset about it. That's a freeing feeling.
CALLIOPE: What are you going to do with it?
JOE: I was thinking this morning that none of us knows how much life remains. There's no point fretting about it. Many people don't live as long as I have already.
CALLIOPE: So what challenge remains for you?
JOE: Right now, to use my writing to continue unfolding life's mysteries for myself and helping readers make the best of their lives for their benefit and that of others they encounter. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Dialogue with My Muse

(Curacao waterfront)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Gook morning Joe. How's the move coming?
JOE: I did some packing Saturday but was busy socializing and attending church yesterday.
CALLIOPE: What did you get from church?
JOE: A chance to reflect on my life, how it has progressed so far and where it is headed.
CALLIOPE: Are you satisfied with your progress?
JOE: I learned some time ago that we only have limited control over our life paths. I have no major complaints but wish I had done some things differently in hindsight.
CALLIOPE: Would that have made a difference in your life?
JOE: Maybe, but then I would have missed some of the experiences I have treasured.
CALLIOPE: I think of what Frost wrote about the two paths in the wood.
JOE: I have been thinking of that quite a bit lately as well.
CALLIOPE: You only have one life to live.
JOE: I agree. All we have are the experiences and choices which face us from moment to moment. We never get a chance to go back and relive our lives.
CALLIOPE: Quite true.
JOE: I am busy trying to make the best of today's opportunities. Talk with you tomorrow.