On the occasion of my 1,182nd post
- Wed, May 09 2012
- Filed under: Fun stuff
Sometimes people ask me about my blogging, and how I manage to do it each day. So I thought I’d tell you how it works. Around 10 or 11 pm the night before I schedule a post to be published, I sit down and reflect on what meaningful thing I heard, read or thought during the day, and I write about it. It’s that simple and that hard.
This time, I was tired (as I often am after being at my job all day). And I got to wondering just how many times I have gone through this exercise. The answer was 1,182. Then I started wondering what I said in my first post, years ago. It wasn’t half bad, so on the occasion of post # 1,182, here it is.
(And in case you’re wondering, yes, I suppose this is recycled content. But since no one read the first post other than my mother, I think that’s okay!)
Dancing corpses and the art of impatience
When I lived in Madagascar, people would open the tombs of their dead relatives each winter, pull out the cloth-wrapped corpses of their loved ones and dance with them held aloft. Truly. They would party all night with their withered dead, catching the spirits up on family gossip and then wrapping the remains in new cloth before placing them back in the tomb.
The death-dancing season, which was in August (winter in the Southern Hemisphere), meant sleepless nights. My house had many tombs nearby, and the raucous all-night parties featured the binge drinking and blaring music that you’d expect from any serious throw-down. One night, lying in bed and listening to the festivities, I contemplated my own mortality. (Actually, I tend to do this a lot, even when I’m not around tombs.) I thought of how life is so very short, especially when you don’t believe your spirit will be partying with the living at your tomb after you’re laid to rest.
I tell this story in my first post because even if you don’t live in Madagascar, I believe we should keep reminding ourselves of our own mortality and that we as do-gooders should become profoundly impatient. Impatient to accomplish something good. Impatient with petty things that get in the way of what is important. Impatient to move people and make a difference.
This blog will be about inspired impatience. It’s about making things happen quickly by stealing corporate savvy, swapping inspired ideas and sharing the kind of thinking that gets the attention of our audience and advances our mission today. Tomorrow we may be one more dancing corpse.
Comments
I love the idea of inspired impatience… puts into sharp focus the sense of urgency and hopefulness that collides in this kind of work everyday. Thanks for this post and the 1,181 since!
Hi Katya,
Congratulations! As you know, I read your blog every day and share it often with others. I LOVE “inspired impatience” and making things happen quickly.
I also LOVE, “we as do-gooders should become profoundly impatient. Impatient to accomplish something good. Impatient with petty things that get in the way of what is important. Impatient to move people and make a difference.”
I’ve worked or volunteered with too many nonprofits that view marketing as “bad” or “evil” and move as slowly as frozen custard in January (in Michigan!) and think they are moving like wildlfire! 
I’ll share you post with some of these groups and pray that they “get it” and that it does not pass right over their heads.
Thank you and keep up your great work,
Kirt
Inspired impatience is such a great concept and it was a beautifully written piece. How fantastic to look back and realise you are still on the same trajectory as you started and are still achieving these goals.
Katya,
What a great idea to re-post your inaugural piece on the blog. I love the image of dancing with the dead and agree that life is short and we are wise to think carefully about how and with whom we share this adventure!
As you know, I feel privileged to be a journeyer with you! You are an inspiration to me an many.
XO, Joc