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Your Name:
Dr. Jean Fisher Robinson
Your
Email: drjeanrobinson@yahoo.com
Your
Address:
Your
Telephone: (301) 292-7600 – work
To my
fellow classmates at our 50th reunion (with me in absentia).
May God grant us wisdom and direction.
I carry a part of all of you in me.
Forgive me for my lack of brevity and presence.
1.
What is your
favorite leisure activity?
a)
b)
Visiting places,
participating in activities and meeting people that invite me to see deeper into
my soul.
2.
How has your life
changed since our last reunion?
(a) Family – been blessed with three beautiful
grandchildren who transport me back in time and teach me to live in the present.
They have made the second half of my life gloriously happy and gratifying beyond
my grandest dreams. They continue to light up my life.
I have been continually inspired and taught by the sage wisdom of my severely
learning disabled daughter, Kimberly Dawn – as I watch in awe of my younger
talented daughter Cameron Marlo Esquire (after raising 3 children) re-enter her
legal career as a highly touted up and coming trial lawyer.
(b) Professionally -- wrote a multimillion dollar grant with
3.
What would you
still like to do or accomplish?
a)
See #2b above –
try, try again
1.
Develop a
dedicated website to create a sharing platform for psychologists, educators and
parents to pass along tips, cutting edge technology, therapy, techniques and
other forms of advice for young adults with special needs.
2.
Develop practicum
and internship opportunities with a small monetary incentive stipend, (as a post
secondary option) for special needs young adults to learn Job skills though volunteer
job experiences with a job coach
in a supportive employment setting funded by DRS etc.
3.
Develop a
therapeutic website for private practice Psychology
and Eductation Associates, Center for Enrichment
(P.E.A.C.E.)
b) I’d like to finish
and publish several books and thought
provoking inspirational articles 365 days a year activity cards, magnetic quote calendars and ungames
that are near
completion
c) Continue traveling expeditions around the world.
d) Finishing my Masters of Divinity Degree at the Episcopal
Seminary
e) Pursue passionate
causes through civil disobedience (social
justice) conscientious objector for the weak, voiceless, and defenseless (man and animal)
f) Photo –
journalist, naturalist – create the pictures “worth a
thousand words”
g) Create transcendent
powerful visual arts that reveal a flash of
revelation, a map of thoughts and inspiration through art genre – a microcosm that
instructs, dazzles and transforms (fabrigee
eggs, sculptor, paintings i.e. inspire myself and others in many different genres.
“A work of art which did not begin in emotion
is not art.” (Paul Cezanne)
h) Write a screen
play (from my books)
i) Film a
documentary
j) Study
gorillas in
k) Work with Dr.
Jane Goodall
l) Travel
around with world with Dr. Wade Davis, Jared Diamond (author of Guns, Germs,
Steel), Chris Rainier, Dr. Donald Johanson
m) Pet Humpback whales
in
o)
p) Study tigers in
India, panda bears in China, Polar Bears in the Arctic, Penguins in Antarctica and Grizzly and Black Bears
in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks and Giant
Sequoias in the Redwood Forest
q) Take Kim to Joao
Teixeria de Favia - John of God –
in
r) To help myself
and others prepare for eternity while winning
souls and saving my own.
s) Provide
resources that inform and instruct to maximize the
potential of everyone I come in contact with (and therefore myself too)
t) Provide a
mission that centers on humanity.
u) Help people
(the walking wounded) go from victims to victorious
v) Continue to
excavate peoples lives and empower them towards finding their passions and
purpose in life.
w) Continue to venture
into the unknown to discover the secrets of
the universe, flora and fauna and share the splendor of our incredible planet with
myself and others.
4.
What did you accomplish that you are most proud of?
a.
Planting the
seeds that sprouted the lives of my 2 children and 3 grandchildren and hopefully
making a difference in their lives individually and collectively and building a
treasure trove of happy family memories and rituals together.
b.
Teaching
psychology and being the Founder and Director of two nonprofits – all of
which, I pray, in some small way humbly made a difference in their lives as they
surely impacted and made a difference in mine.
c.
Establishing my
private practice, Psychology and
1.
integrating
scientifically proven strategies from Eastern and Western Psychology through
personal life coaching
2.
help patients
develop a spiritual dimension in their lives through a practice drawn from a
Christian based perspective, psychotherapy,(EMDR) Buddhist psychology, positive
psychology mindfulness training, nutrition of science, integrative medicine
model and inseparability of body and mind
d.
Designed multiple
applied psychology curriculums
e.
Traveled around
the world on an expedition circumnavigated the globe!
f.
Did a DNA
ancestry search to discover my world wide geographic origins
g.
Analyzed the DNA
of isolated cultures around the world (Genographic project – Dr. Spencer
Wells)
5.
Where is a happy place for you?
a. making others happy[1]
b. stepping out of my ordinary life to contemplate
transcendent matters, losing myself in the sacred recesses of my mind, in
absence of thought (to a place that gives
peace and joy that circumstances cannot touch) - to the Divinity within –
“the peace that passeth all understanding”
c. In nature (“Look deep into nature and then you will
understand everything better.” Albert Einstein)
d. In love
e. In mindfulness
f.
Surrounded by loved ones
g. teaching and Life-long learning on a plethora of topics
led by some of the best minds and educated members of an extraordinary community
h.
In company with
curious, creative, empathic, humorous knowledge seekers on a spiritual journey
while sharing a seething cauldron of ideas
i.
Swimming with the
Dolphins in a research facility in
j.
Snorkeling with
penguins, sea turtles, sea lions, sharks, and the marine iguanas in the
Galapagos with Dr. Carol Baldwin(curator at the
k.
On safari in
l.
Studying remote
primitive cultures i.e. San Bushman in Kalahari Desert, Huli Wigman in
m.
Michelangelo’s
Sistine chapal
n.
Walking in the
footsteps of Christ in
6.
What makes you
happiest?
a.
Giving to others
b.
Building
unforgettable enriching memories etched into my mind
c.
“The love of
learning, the sequestered nooks and all the sweet serenity of books!”
d.
Reflecting on,
reviewing, retrieving and reliving the golden and diamond days memories of my
life stored in the sacred recesses of my mind (life review)
7.
What is your
favorite novel, movie or song?
Movie – independent foreign films (i.e. Intouchable)
Documentaries, Earth Day films (nature and animals, humorous films (Big Mamma, Martin
Lawrence, Eddie Murpyhy, Woody Allen, Jay
Leno) Religious Films i.e. “Courageous,”
“Fireproof”
novels – Dostoyevsky
and Tolstoy novels
–“The Brother’s
Karamazov, etc… I prefer nonfiction always over fiction – Carl Young,
Joseph Campbell, Deepak Chopra
songs – Handel’s Messiah, Hallelujah chorus, “Annie’s
Song” any of John Denver,
Kenny Rogers, Johny Cash, Willie Nelson,
Roger Whittaker, Religious- Sandy - Patti:
“How Great Thou Art”, “In
the Garden,” “Amazing
Grace,” “To God Be the Glory,” “In the
Garden,” “Breathe on me Breath of God”
8.
Do you have any
pet peeves?
a.
“One may have a
blazing hearth in one’s soul and yet no one ever comes to sit by it.
Passersbye see only a wisp of smoke from the chimney and continue on their
way” (van Gogh)
b.
What we are tuned
into – we are turned into. Be
selective! What we pour into
our heads through books, films, T.V., internet etc. we “act on and become”
9.
Do you have any
favorite mottos or sayings?
(a)
“I have learned silence from the talkative; tolerance form the intolerant and
kindness from the unkind. I should not be ungrateful to those teachers.”
(Kahil Gibran)
(b)
“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a
listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which
have the potential to turn a life around (Leo Buscaglia)
(c)
“We acquire the strength we have overcome”
(Ralph Waldo Emerson)
(d)
“I am part of all that I have met” (Alfred Lord Tennyson)
10.
What important
message do you have for today’s youth or for senior citizens?
(a)
Constantly recalibrate your future by piecing together the rubble of the past,
as well as personal scars, and learn from it with a depth of insight and
righteous indignation.
(b)
Follow the sage advise of Lama Kinle, a Buddhist monk form Bhutan “If you get
to the end of your life and you have regrets that you could have done better –
then you blew it” (words said through his translator)
(c)
Live less for material things and more for things eternal and spiritual
(d)
Follow your bliss.
(e)
Family is priority
(f)
Cherish, nurture and enrich friendships
(g)
Suffering is your accomplishments and resume is your greatest teacher
(h)
Take your accomplishment to the dump ( the good stuff, credentials titles
and diplomas – “there are no pockets in shrouds”)
(I)
This world is a classroom for the next.
(j)
The less broken have to take care of the more broken
(k)
To who much is given much is expected.”
(l)
How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young compassionate
with the aged; sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and strong
– because someday you will have been all of these.” (George Washington
Carver)
A Prayer of Saint Francis of
Lord,
make me an instrument of
Your peace.
Where
there is hatred, let me sow
love.
Where
there is injury, pardon,
Where
there is doubt, faith,
Where
there is despair, hope,
Where
there is darkness, light,
and where there is sadness, joy.
O
Divine Master, grant that I may
not so much seek to be consoled,
as to console;
To
be understood, as to understand;
To
be loved, as to love;
For
it is in giving that we
receive---
It
is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
And
it is in dying that we are
born to eternal life.
DESIDERATA
Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain or bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs;
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment
it is as perennial as the grass.
Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.[2]
My Child, I’ve
Often Heard Your Question:
This message is
my answer.
You’r e
concerned about the hungry in the world, millions
who are
starving… and you ask,
“What can I
do?”… FEED ONE.
You grieve for all the unborn children
murdered
everyday… and you ask:
“What can I
do?”…SAVE ONE.
You’re haunted
by the homeless poor who wander
city streets…
and yo ask: “What can I do?”…
SHELTER ONE.
You feel
compassion for those who suffer pain, sorrow
and despair…
and you ask: “What can I do?”…
COMFORT ONE
Your heart goes
out to the lonely, the abused and
the imprisoned…
and you ask: “What can I do?”…
LOVE ONE
You can light one
candle or curse the darkness.
“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I
was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited
me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me,
I was in prison and you came to visit me.
Then the righteous will answer him, Lord, when did we see
you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?
When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, needing clothes and
clothed you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to assist you?
“The King will reply, I tell you the truth whatever you did for one of
the least of these my brethren, you did it unto me.”
(Matthew 25, 35, 37, 38, 40)
No
Man Is An
No man is an island,
Entire of itself.
Each is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.
If a clod be washed away by the sea,
As well as if a promontory were.
As well as if a manor of thine own
Or of thine friend's were.
Each man's death diminishes me,
For I am involved in mankind.
Therefore, send not to know
For whom the bell tolls,
It tolls for thee.
John
Donne
We
shall not cease from exploration
And
the end of all our exploring
Will
be to arrive where we started
And
know the place for the first time.
T.S. Eliot
11.
Name four places
you have been to: states, countries,
or places of interest
National Geographic Expedition – “Journey of Man” around the world
with Dr. Spencer Wells.
1.
2.
3.
Siem Reap,
4.
Port
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
Dordogne, and
parts of
Other Trips
1) Paris, 2)Zanzibar, 3)Galapagos, 4) Galapagos (Ecuador), 5) Italy,
Rome, Florence, Sorrento, Umbria, and Tuscany, and their Medieval hill towns –
Assisi, Siena, San Gimignanon, Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel, Isle of Capri 6)
United Kingdom (London, England), 7) Greece, Athens, Sentorini 8) The Holy land,
Tel Aviv, Israel/Jerusalem, Bethlehem and the West Bank, The Jordan River
Valley/Tiberias (I was baptized in the Jordan River), Galilee, Nazareth,
Caesarea, 9) American Southwest, Grand Canyon, Bryce and Zion National Parks,
California, 10) Mexico
I’ve traveled to 6 of the 7 Continents of the world 1)
Asia, 2) Africa, 3) North America, 4) South America, 5) Europe, 6)
7) But “The view I love the most is my front porch looking
in.”
In conclusion, life is banquet and I want to taste every
dish. So far it has been a glorious
adventure! But
“I’ve still got a few more dances with the devil…”
May we finish the work we’ve been sent here to do.
See you at
our 60th.
Love,
Jeanne
