Friends, I rarely post viral memes anymore, but sometimes one just seems so right. This is one. I tag you and anyone else you know to join the Blog Blast For Peace.

Now, my friend Sandee, at Comedy Plus, reminded me that it’s almost here, and I thank her for that. You see, the annual Blog Blast for Peace is right around the corner (June 4th, 2008). Bloggers are encouraged to fly their peace globes and write about peace on that day (which reminds me that I need to create a new peace globe for this year!).

So who came up with the grand idea? It’s was the marvelous Mimi Pencil Skirt, the QUEEN of meme’s, the creator of The Peace Globes who is the author of BlogBlast for Peace.

Mimi said:

Peace Globes did not begin as a meme. But it began to behave like a meme. Blog to blog to blog. Like a fog. We didn’t use the word “tag” ….but that’s what we did when we invited others in our blogrolls to participate. The fact that you did so without the obligatory tag is proof that the concept is powerful.

It’s a fact that the fastest and most effective way to spiral an idea out of control in the blogosphere is via a meme. I should know! The 700+ bloggers who participated in past launches (and that truly is the tip of The-Iceberg-I-Never-Found) knows what it means to them. It’s about unity. We have that in spades. It’s about activism, awareness, crossing political lines, making a statement and sharing ideas. We’ve done that. We have the vision as a core group of bloggers for peace; but we do not - yet - have the power in numbers behind the message.

Here is a chance for you to join in a peaceful revolution. You always wanted to be a revolutionary, didn’t you? Let’s tell people about the event before the fact, and just see how powerful blogging can be. If you want to post this, let me know and I’ll add your link to the end of the list.

Here you go:

**start copy**

BlogBlast For Peace Meme ~ Join The Revolution

Here are the rules and the story. Copy this into a post and tag as many people as you’d like.

The Peace Globe project began in the fall of 2006 with a simple post from one blog, Mimi Writes. The post ignited a flame in the blogosphere. The flame became a passion. The passion became a movement. It amazingly traveled from blog to blog to blog across the globe. Bloggers wrote passionate articles on what peace means to them, along with the promise of three Latin words scribbled on a globe - Dona Nobis Pacem (Grant Us Peace) - branded with the integrity of their names or blog names. It was positively inspiring to watch. And it began to happen all over the world - from Singapore to China to Afghanistan to Brooklyn.

It was simple. And powerful.

In less than two weeks bloggers from all
across the globe will blog for peace.
We will speak with one voice. One subject. One day.
Won’t you join us?
June 4, 2008

How To Get Your Peace Globe In 4 easy steps!

1. Choose one of the four Peace Globe designs in this post. Right CLICK and SAVE in JPG format.

2. Sign the globe using Paint, Photoshop or a similar graphics tool. Decorate the globe anyway you wish. You can even include the name of your blog. Click here for hundreds of inspiring examples from previous BlogBlasts.
3. Return the peace globe to me via email ~ mimiwrites2005 at yahoo.com - Let me know your blog’s name and url by leaving a comment here and signing the Mr. Linky. Your submission will be numbered and dated in the official gallery . Your globe and post will be listed on the Official BlogBlast For Peace website and The Peace Globe Posts page.
4. Here’s the most important part — On June 4, 2008 DISPLAY YOUR GLOBE IN A POST. Title your post “Dona Nobis Pacem”. This is important. The goal is for all blog post titles to say the same thing on the same day. Write about peace that day or simply fly your globe.

   Click here for examples of peace globe posts from previous BlogBlasts.

(Go HERE for the other 3 globe template choices!)

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You do not have to be tagged to play!
Please consider passing this meme through the blogosphere.
This is Mimi Pencil Skirt reporting from
the lovely land of the Peace Globes.
Memeing the Movement.

**End Copy**

Now, use your powers for good. Don’t you feel better already?

Name an aspect of modern technology that creates a moral dilemma.

Say whut? That was my first response when I saw the statement.

It is the question that my husband’s employer posed to the children of their employee’s who were graduating seniors. If they wrote an essay on the subject (and met other academic criteria), they would be considered for a college scholarship.

My stepson, Our son, Joseph, chose to write about private jets (and wisely excluded jets used for business from the moral dilemma!). Evidently, the boy made a pretty good case for it, because his essay did, indeed, garner him a college scholarship. Only about 29 were awarded from several hundred eligible students.

Joseph was awarded $10,000!

Whoot!

That scholarship is wonderful, and delightful. That alone would be grand, but that’s not all!!

In Tuesday’s mail was a letter from The University of Texas at Dallas awarding him a four year Academic Achievement Scholarship, which pays all tuition and fees AND $500 living expenses per semester. OK, I have to brag for him (though genetically I had nothing to do with it): It’s not surprising from a young man whose SAT score was 1400.

Are we bustin’ at the seams proud of him? You betcha.

I overheard Joseph telling a friend, “I got a free ride.”

Baby, you didn’t get a “free ride.” You earned your ticket, every bit of it.

Congratulations, Joseph!

Joseph Tucker
Denton High School
Class of 2008

I’ve told you before that I wanted to learn to dance. My momma and daddy could tear up the floor dancing, and one of my fondest dreams was to be able to do that. If William hadn’t ruined it for me in the 6th grade, I’d already be there. My problem is that I’m too self-conscious on a dance floor, thanks to his remarks!

My Sweet Spousal Unit and I had won dance lessons at an auction last fall. Because of my busy work schedule, we had not been able to take the lessons until last month, but we finally got the chance and learned to do a passable Texas Shuffle.

Now, our dance teacher told us that we have good rhythm, but I knew we needed to relax. We both hold our mouths funny while we dance, because we are counting the steps. I admit that I have a little bit of trouble with the twirling, and never end the twirl right where I’m supposed to be.

Even with that, we felt confident enough to go dancing with friends last Saturday night. What a wonderful feeling to be shuffling across the floor in the arms of my fella!

Our dance teacher was there, and she is a joy to watch. She’s so graceful as she glides across the floor and she makes it look so easy! She gives me hope, because she said she didn’t learn to dance until she was in her thirties! She had to overcome her Southern Baptist upbringing, you see. My Mamaw was Southern Baptist, so I understand that it was a huge obstacle.

As much as I enjoy watching Cathy dance, though, I had to admit that the best dancer on the floor was Sam. Any dancer who partnered with Sam was an excellent dancer, too. Though sometimes they seemed to be dancing a traditional shuffle or waltz, most often the dancing looked like the “boogie woogie” dancing that my parents did. I was enthralled watching the Boot Scootin’ Boogie.

Then, Sam asked me to dance! I jumped at the chance, but said, “Sam, I can’t figure out the steps you are doing!”

The reply I got shook my world. “ Don’t worry about steps. I don’t follow any particular rules. I like to walk for a minute before I dance. Close your eyes and listen to the music. Feel the beat. Then, we’ll just move with the rhythm.”

I tell you what, people! By the time we had danced through two songs, I was twirling across the floor and looked like I had been dancing all my life. My husband looked at me with a forlorn expression and said, “You looked good when you were dancing with Sam.”

So I grabbed his hand and dragged him out on the dance floor. I told him, “Let’s just move with the rhythm.” Before you know it, he loosened up. My SSU and I were whirling and twirling across the floor in a pretty good imitation of the dancing my parents did.

As I think about Sam’s words, I realize that perhaps I’ve just gotten the answer I was seeking when I asked y’all to help me find life’s balance. Maybe life isn’t about following certain steps? Maybe, just maybe, I need to close my eyes and “listen to the music.” Then, I can just move with the rhythm.