You Can't Make Mistakes.

When I work with other people, I sometimes feel as though I am juggling tigers. During a meeting people are generally amicable, but as soon as the meeting is dispersed and everyone goes back to e-mail and cellular phones, and that is when you see nothing but bloodshot eyes, claws, teeth, rage and hunger. I suppose what separates the men from the boys in these situations is having the ability to deal with the barrage of requests, demands, complaints, problems, etc. It would be folly for me to leave that statement unqualified of course. The ability to deal with this isn’t something that anyone can learn, nor is it something that one might innately have.

Having patience is the primary quality of people who can lead other people. Sometimes the best thing to do in terribly stressful and touchy situations is to simply wait them out instead of reacting immediately. This is how I study as well. Sometimes if I am blocked when researching and writing, I will just wait. I call it the incubation method. Usually, in time, the block is lifted, new evidence is discovered, and I can continue in my studies. The same thing can be applied to organizational leadership. If someone is panicking about this issue or that, if there are demands being levied on the organization for which the reasons seem untenable, if there are personal conflicts which occur within the body of the organization: waiting is the best solution. Most of these problems will simply blow over, or if they don’t, waiting to deal with them will often will simply afford the opportunity to figure out ways to deal with these situations.

There is no good way to develop the ability to have patience. However, patience requires discipline as well. I would imagine that this ability is derived from observing our parents and other authoriy figures in youth and then reflecting and responding to their styles of interation in adulthood. I don’t believe that anyone is innately patient, though, the most patient people will seem that way. They simply learn very quickly.

Now, I have to get donuts for a meeting of tigers.

Well folks, it is Sunday morning, I am feeling a bit under the weather, and now — I suppose — is as good a time as any to write my first blog entry.

Initially my goal in creating this site was to have a place where I could write about my experiences in the coming year while studying in Alexandria, Egypt. However, I think that this space will give me a forum for discussing developments in my research and professional activities as well as a way to keep family and friends updated.

In the past, I have maintained a blog as a journal. I found that it was always helpful for me to process my thoughts, but as well it helped to keep me on track because I would discuss the projects that I was working on. Hopefully, this will allow me to do the same thing.

Currently, I am working on the following projects:

• Thesis research: I am investigating a Sufi (Islamic Mystic) order based in New York City,¹ the head of which is a woman named Shaykha Fariha Fatima al-Jerrahi. This order is very progressive and utilizes an inclusive theology that has been extracted from older Sufi sources. My project is called Innovation without Bida‘: The Nur Ashki Jerrahi Sufi Order and will be completed over the course of the next year as I finish up my research.
• Kalamazoo Pride: I am the currently the Finance Coordinator and Web Designer for this progressive non-profit organization in Kalamazoo, MI. We are currently working on planning the first annual Kalamazoo Pride event, which will take place on 9 June, 2007. We are interested in community-building and the integration of the GLBT population into the community at large.
• My Arabic Story: I am currently working as he English language editor for My Arabic Story, a non-profit organization based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. We translate Arabic folk tales and stories into English and French, perform puppet shows and tell stories at festivals and in classrooms, libraries, and anywhere else we can. I will be performing a story at the Carassauga Festival in Missauga, ON, in late may.

Well, I hope that you all will enjoy my musings, commentary, stories, and updates. You can add this blog to your news aggregator/web browser using the rss link in the sidebar.

John