|
Gratitude, the simple and profound feeling of being thankful, is the foundation of all generosity.
—Sallie Tisdale, "As If There is Nothing to Lose"
A personal blog by a graying (mostly Anglo with light African-American roots) gay left leaning liberal progressive married college-educated Buddhist Baha'i BBC/NPR-listening Professor Emeritus now following the Dharma in Minas Gerais, Brasil.
|
Not
only do I harm others by generating these defilements of anger or
passion or fear or evil, I harm myself also, simultaneously.
—S. N. Goenka, "Superscience" |
Much
of the time our mind is thick, with thoughts and emotions and cognitive
content, but when focused on the breath or on some other object it
narrows, gets sharper and more precise, and is increasingly capable of
becoming aware of just that thin sliver of experience presenting itself
in the present moment.
—Andrew Olendzki, "Giving Pain the Slip" |
The White House on Wednesday announced the recipients of the Presidential Medal Of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor. The prestigious accolade is given to people “who have made especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.” This year’s recipients include famous actors (Robert De Niro, Tom Hanks, Robert Redford) legendary athletes (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan) and television icons (Ellen DeGeneres, Lorne Michaels).Here’s what the official White House notice says about Ellen:
Ellen DeGeneres is an award-winning comedian who has hosted her popular daytime talk show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, since 2003 with her trademarked humor, humility, and optimism. In 2003 Ellen lent her voice to a forgetful but unforgettable little fish named Dory in Finding Nemo. She reprised her role again in 2016 with the hugely successful Finding Dory. Ellen also hosted the Academy Awards twice, in 2007 and 2014. In 1997, after coming out herself, DeGeneres made TV history when her character on Ellen revealed she was a lesbian. In her work and in her life, she has been a passionate advocate for equality and fairness.See the White House bio for each honoree here. We shudder to think who will be on the 2017 list.