LITTLE RED SCARS

"Lost & Insecure, You Found Me.....
In the end everyone ends up alone...."

You Found Me- The Fray


Your mantra, only you didn't know it...
I found you lying there hating life
Cutting pain from your soul by slashing your flesh
I reached out my hand and pulled you back to being
Rebuilt your confidence while my life slowly ripped apart
The scales tipped unevenly until I was almost lost,
While your wounds healed and left little red scars
where the blade had sliced

What is the cost of saving a life?
I know the answer to that question
It is the sum of losing your own......

Copyright Michelle Beckham-Corbin 2009

THAT PEACEFUL PLACE

"Frozen in time-no
Life goes on yes, but the heart carries a whisper
True connections forge a link that never breaks
Long stretches of time can pass
but the memory of your words remain
waiting to be reunited with their owner

Being with you as if no time has passed
Feeling that spiritual connection of two hearts
beating for each other across the world

You are an angel watching over me
you feel my sadness, my joy......"

***********************************
And so she laid the pen down and closed her journal. It was time to meet up with her destiny:


A smile, a touch
shy eyes hidden under the veil of
brightly manicured hands
he whispers words into her ears,
promises of eternal love
of missing her light; her energy
and of longing- the constant ache
he carries with him into the long days
and even longer nights

Work, followed by illness has driven him away
She thought he had disappeared from her life
swallowed up in an unimaginable world
one of foreign scents and sounds and culture

But he had only retreated from the hurt of
what he deemed a rejection
misunderstandings become mountains in the molehills
of no communication
and so it was for more than a year

A chance encounter, or a step on the path of destiny
has brought them back together again
They talk, they smile, they laugh
as if no time has passed

"Nadira- you have remained in my heart always
I carry you with me everywhere I go..."
She hears the words coming deep from within his chest
the familiar voice putting her at ease
making her feel peaceful as if nothing else exists
but the here and now

"I have never forgotten you", she whispers
speaking the words from deep within her heart
Her piercing green eyes stare into his obsidian orbs
becoming lost in their depths

"I have much to tell you, but all in good time
For now I want to look at you
to breathe in your smells
Come to me my angel, my babeee
I want to take in your nectar;
to be rejuvenated by your loving spirit"

And so they were reunited
Two souls joined forever, now together in the flesh

Love provides a cloak that closes off the world
If you only allow yourself access to it's center.......

तुम मेरी किस्मत है. मैं तुम्हारा हमेशा के लिए हूँ.

انت قدري. أنا لك الى الأبد






Copyright Michelle Beckham-Corbin 2009

Christmas Ice

Snow slowly falls, and I gaze out the window
seeing your reflection etched into the glass
reaching out to touch your face there in the frozen pane
I am struck by the cold radiating through my fingers
and the physical pain pulls me back
Back to the room; the place once a source of happiness
hosting now only emptiness and shadows

It is times like these when I am alone and
Surrounded by the memories that you come achingly back to me
Your laugh, your voice, the touch of your fingers on my lips
all the memories come crashing back shattering my brain
until I can no longer move
Immobile, I sit frozen in time, frozen in space
hoping beyond hope that you will somehow appear;
released from your resting space in the sky
And melt my chains of loneliness away


Oh what I would give to have you back just for one day
To tell you all those things I couldn't for so many years
the things that I kept hidden inside
waiting for the right day
Who knew that the right day would never ever come?
Who knew that you would be taken away from me so soon?


A canvass half painted- you were a work of art in motion
You inspired me to be my best; you knocked me down a peg
When I became too full of myself
You were my friend, my confidante, my everything
If you were here today, I would tell you this:
You made a huge difference in my life
And I loved you with all of my heart
I thought we would be together forever
Destiny showed her hand and it was time for you to depart
Suddenly your spark was put out and you were gone before
I could reach your side

I tear my gaze from the window and the falling snow
My frozen state of immobility has melted
The fire-hot tears that fall silently from my eyes
cracking the ice in my heart
I feel again....but it is pain
Will it ever go away...........






Copyright Michelle Beckham-Corbin 2009

Letting the Words Flow.....

An Actual Skype Chat with a Friend in Palestine:

[3:40:06 PM ] Moye: what are u doing now?

Me:

working on a blog post

being cold

feeling sick to my stomach

wishing my office was clean

wondering why all I see is you and a white wall

as if there is nothing there in the office with you

is your life truly made up of the starkness of desk and screen

no color to brighten your days

no photos or paintings or music to touch your heart?

all work and no play makes for a dull life

yours needs to be rich in beauty and wonder

and inspiration

because in the end you can't take your work

or your money

or your time with you

when you die

only your soul

make sure your soul is fed

your heart is happy

and you die with a smile on your face

knowing that you have truly lived

damn

that would make a great poem

[3:45:39 PM] Moye: nice

[3:45:44 PM] Moye: so sweet

And so I took the actual flow of my words and deposited them here as they fell. Yeah, sometimes it works that way. Deadlines kill creativity........ Side note: Moye is the creator of my company logo.


Copyright Michelle Beckham-Corbin 2009

The ReIncarnation of Vash

So strange to have you reappear into my life
Is this a whim, an ill-fated wind or a tsunami waiting
To take us backwards in time
I sit at my desk hanging on Chris Brogan's latest newsletter
And my android friend keeps bursting out "DROID"
very loudly, letting me know that you have sent another text
Back and Forth we go discussing philosophy and writing
fingers tapping the tiny touch screen
and I'm wondering all the while, what the hell is going on.....


Copyright Michelle Beckham-Corbin 2009

Lost Love

Sinking deep into the cushions
Losing myself to the music
and the candles and the pungent smell
of incense in the dimly lit room
Three minutes
That is all that we are given
to enter into a meditative state
The instructor tells us to focus
on the face of God I try, I really do,
but All I see is you
Every detail of your face is chiseled
into my mind
I gaze into your eyes and see
your lips curl into a smile
My mind wanders to one
of our many conversations
I feel warm to the depths of my soul
I feel at peace, my heart is happy
I want to reach out and touch your face
To make you real once again
The bell rings, the three minutes are up
You are gone like a stream of smoke
evaporating into the night
Perhaps I will find you again in my dreams.....



Copyright Michelle Beckham-Corbin 2009

Zombies in My Back Yard?!!

Love a school where the students can create any manner of extra-curriculars. St. Xavier High School's newest club will be debuting on Thursday, 11/19/09 and is all about ZOMBIES. Here is the blurb from the Announcements Page:

"The newest co-curricular may be the one that will save the life of you and your family. Join the Zombie Defense Council for its inaugural meeting during first flex, 11/19 in room 1506 and learn how to protect yourself from the flesh-eating undead."


Just in case the undead appear in Anderson, it's good to know that Zombie Busters Abound!!


Copyright Michelle Beckham-Corbin 2009

Trapped in the Kingdom

"The first thing you see as you open your eyes, the last thing you say as you're saying 'good bye'
If you hadn't found me, I would have found you..........." ("Elgar/Something Inside" -August Rush Soundtrack)

Ancient music from the bazaars of India makes its way to
my mind's ear
The tambourine plays and the brightly colored scarves dance in the wind
Where are you my friend, my confidante?
Why have you disappeared from the landscape?

Gone are the lengthy discourses on life
and its true meaning
The discussions on happiness and solitude
The debates on Islam vs. Christianity

I miss your wisdom
I miss your heart and your soul

I hope all is well in your tucked away place
in the middle of the King's palace

A country so demoralizing of women,
You are a beacon of light in a place of darkness
A shining orb in the midst of great riches
Remember my friend to be well and to be safe

You reached out and made a difference in my life
And for this I am eternally grateful

Firoze ، وأتمنى لكم السلام والسعادة دائما.




Copyright Michelle Beckham-Corbin 2009

Resurrecting Memories....

Final days of 2009 are flying by
so fast that memories of you are fleeting
like the vibrant orange-red leaves of the Red Maple tree
that stands like a bastion before my front door
a flash of color in the sun light that falls to the ground
with the fickle twist of the wind,
relegating vibrancy back to the source of it's origin
until it stands alone, branches bare and spreading upwards
towards the cloudless blue sky which holds your essence


Life has gone on and yesterday seems like a million miles removed
And so you flash into the present only in the most random of ways:
a long lost poem
a tucked away letter
a chance photo on my screen saver slide show
your birthday popping up on my PDA
your voice from a saved message still able to be resurrected

You no longer exist, save within the pages of my mind
within the pages of my words
within the company that you helped name
but you have created a lasting effect on my life
and helped to form the woman that I am

For that I am grateful.
I wish you peace in whatever realm you are existing....

**********************************************
This one is for you- I will remember you always.






Copyright Michelle Beckham-Corbin 2009

Life is a Highway: Adding Some Road to My Words

News Flash:

Have finally gotten my writing space organized into the three realms where my words will exist. They are:

• Here at Kaleidoscope Discoveries:

Creative Writing, Random Thoughts, Slice of Life Essays

• C3 Website Biz Blog- All things on the seriously business side of social media & business development

• *NEW* Blog- Michelle Beckham's Blog (ok, the title really needs to be tweaked!)- all things on Social Media from my personally, unique perspective. This is where I am as authentic as it gets; where being PC gets put aside in favor of the stark, naked truth as I see it. Will also be a birds'-eye view of how I use social media in my life and in my business.
  

It's a highway and I'm on a journey of discovery. Come along and hitch a ride with me. I promise you won't be disappointed and you certainly will be entertained!



Copyright Michelle Beckham-Corbin 2009

It's an H1N1 World....

You know that life has shifted
and you have entered the other side of existence
when the late night owl that has always been you
needs to enter into conversation
any conversation, just to stay awake
in anticipation of a bus load of kids
back from an out-of-state field trip

If only I didn't have an early morning meeting
I could sleep in to make up for this loss
such a difference from five years ago, when I
existed on 3 to 4 hours of sleep

So much has changed
So much has changed me

Living anti-parallel lives now,
I remember when we lived for the conversation
any conversation
any time of day or night

The place between darkness and dawn
between separateness and being one
When time stood still and the world passed
by around us.

That was then, this is now.
Text message alerts me that the bus
is crossing the Ohio River
It's 1:00 a.m., do you know where your child is??
Mine is on a packed bus with H1N1
Lying in wait on every iTouch and cell phone surface.
I'm outta here- taking the hand sanitizer with me!



Copyright Michelle Beckham-Corbin 2009

Animoto.com

SummitUp: A Social Media Confab in Images

Fabulous SummitUp Social Media Conference in Dayton this week. Will be posting key take-aways at a later date, but wanted to get the vid that I created from some pics that I took at the event up on the Blog. Just a bit of a video montage:






Copyright Michelle Beckham-Corbin 2009

Social Media in Dayton

Next week finds C3 in Dayton participating in two exciting Social Media events. The first is the SummitUp conference which consists of local and national speakers. I was excited to register for this conference because one of the keynote speakers is a Twitter personality and social media guru that I respect, Chris Brogan. Was thrilled to get to hear him speak live (have participated in a couple of webinars that he has been part of) and to get a copy of his new book. Recently found out that I was the winner of a Twitter contest whose prize is a seat at the speakers' table for this event. Now I am triply thrilled about going!!!

The second event is one in which I will be speaking on, or rather leading a discussion around Social Media and how a successful strategy can help to build business. It is a very unique event that is part of Cox Media's Dynamic Dialogue Series and involves three speed discussions that rotate for the first hour of the event. The second hour will be spent with more traditional networking with food and drinks all within the gorgeous back drop of the Dayton Art Institute.


My friend and Internet Marketing Czar, Rob Bunting, does a great job detailing the event and interviewing event coordinator, Cathi Eastman from Cox Ohio Media. Check it out here.


Chris Brogan's book: "Trust Agents: Using the Web to Build Influence, Improve Reputation, and Earn Trust".

Copyright Michelle Beckham-Corbin 2009

Surround Yourself With Brilliance!

" Time keeps on slippin, slippin, slippin into the future..."

*Fly Like An Eagle- Steve Miller

Feeling like the days and weeks are flying by. Just want to grab a hold of the day and screenshot it into permanency. To take those rich, vibrant fall colors and unusually lush, green grass populated by seasonal displays of pumpkins and scarecrows and bales of hay and frame them forever in my mind. Don't get me wrong, the days are flying, but I am loving every minute of the life I am leading. I am truly where I want to be and traveling the path that has been my destiny for some time. All of our inherent gifts, personality traits, education, idiosyncrasies and life experiences join forces to carve us into who we are today. The people that intersect our path for a moment, a day, a life-time, leave an indelible mark on who we are and we are forever changed by their presence in our lives.

So my thought for the day is this: Surround yourself with the best possible friends and mentors and be "gift" to others by intersecting their path of life. I truly believe from the bottom of my heart that it is in giving that we receive. While you are at it, make a list of the people who have deeply affected your life. You may be surprised by what you find!




Image credit: http://www.northshorefallcolors.com/images/fall_colors_2007_5.jpg

Copyright Michelle Beckham-Corbin 2009

Reaching Out Through Social Media

What would you do if you found a long forgotten journal that detailed every day of your high school life? Imagine what would happen if the very first love of your teenage life, lifted from the pages of said journal, finds you via Twitter and you begin a conversation many decades later. What would happen if those present day conversations began to include pages from the forgotten journal that detail the birth and death of that first love between the two of you?

I do have that journal (among many others) and my first boyfriend from age 13 recently found me through Twitter. Actually the truth of the matter is that he found me via Classmates.com (who even remembers they have a profile on this archaic site!). Received an email letting me know that "someone" signed my guest book (WTH- guest book???). Followed the link and saw who it was, but could not read the message he had left for me because I wasn't a paying Gold member. Is anyone a member of Classmates.com? Why would you want to pay for info that you can get for free on other social media sites??

Imagine getting a message that someone left for you- someone you had heard nothing about since you were a junior in high school- and you were unable to see what the message contained!!! I was dying to find out what he possibly would have to say to me so many years later--so I circumvented the program (long story) and was able to get a simple message to him: "Google me for contact info."

Well he happened upon my Twitter profile, and despite being part of the clueless over 35 population with regard to social media tools, he created a Twitter profile and proceeded to make contact with me. I was shocked to say the least. Since then, we have taken our tweeting to email. I have been sharing the pages of his life with him as seen through my eyes and it has been a completely fascinating journey.

I am seeing myself through adult eyes as well and looking at the pre-cursor of who I am today. I have written many posts expounding on my belief that we truly are made up of a sum of our experiences and interactions with the people who travel our path in life. I am so blessed to be crossing paths again with so many people who played an integral part in helping to shape who I am today and I thank social media applications for enabling these connections to happen.


Copyright Michelle Beckham-Corbin 2009

The Art of Creating Conversations: Dynamic Dialogues Social Media Event

A little Picasso, some oozing Brie nestled among the foie gras, Chopin playing lightly in the background and the sound of a whistle calling all social media enthusiasts to their discussion tables. Piqued your interest? Come check out my latest Social Media Event:

C3 was approached by Cox Media/Dayton B2B Magazine to be a Discussion Leader at a very unique social media event for local businesses on October 21st, 2009 from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.. The event is part of the Dynamic Dialogues Series and the topic for this event will be "New Media: Effective Business Applications". This will be an incredibly unique event not only for its format, but also for it's venue. The format is reminiscent of speed dating or speed networking. Participants will receive a "dance card" of sorts indicating which three of the many discussion tables they will be visiting on a 20 minute rotation that night. The event is being held at the Dayton Art Institute among the many inspiring pieces in the museum's collection. When the rotation hour is up, all participants meet up for general networking, wine and hors d'oeuvres. This gives people a chance to continue some spirited discussions previously interrupted by the rotation bell as well as to make contact with a discussion leader that was not on the "dance card".

Sounds to me like a great time! This follows the big SummitUp Social Media conference being held the day before at Wright State University featuring my favorite social media guru: Chris Brogan. I like Brogan's style: straight to the point with humor. He keeps it real and most importantly he practices the main principle of social media: conversation. The guy actually responds to tweets, despite having 102,308 followers this very minute. Now watch, someone is going to burst my bubble and tell me that he is operating @chrisbrogan with a staff of ghost tweeters like Guy Kawasaki!

Anyway, if you like social media, wine, cheese, moonlight and great art-you need to check this event out and sign up immediately. The last event in this series SOLD OUT!



Check out info here: Dynamic Dialogues Event

Let me know if you are stopping by!

Image Credits: inside919.ning.com
www.architettura.uniss.it/.../1374/1/30/
Copyright Michelle Beckham-Corbin 2009

Social Media Ranting: Time to Dialogue!!

Ok, this is simply pathetic. It has been so long since I lasted posted that Blogger has changed it's background design and added some new capabilities. Ugggh. Have been incredibly busy with the business and new clients and projects. All good- but so many very cool things to work on and so little time. I already have lots of people asking me 'when do I sleep?' Ummm, are the dark circles showing or are they just following me on all of the spokes of my social media presence?? I need a clone now!! Preferably one that can make incredible gourmet meals; bake goodies to share with others; clean my house so that it doesn't look like it has been taken over by dust mites; attend out-of-town seminars like the very cool social media event going on in Boston- wait, I WANT to attend that event- the clone can work on client projects...... Anyway,

I have been meaning to blog on several key business/networking events and hoping to deposit the impressions of my experiences in a brand new business blog dedicated to all things flying around in my C3: Creating Connections World- but just couldn't get the blog going and it was causing a stalemate in the writing end of things. No point in developing brilliant business analysis if you have no garage to park it in, so back to Kaleidoscope Discoveries, which as the explanation and disclaimer states: is a place for my random musings.

So, here are some key events that will be future blog posts on the new Biz Blog (coaching note to self- write it down on the To Do list and put a date next to it with the letter 'A'- can we say graduate of Franklin Planner Time Mangement System???):

• New Media Cincinnati 2nd Saturday Event-Topic: Dealing with Competitors
• Digital Hub Inititative non-Conference- Very cool Social Media/Digital Event- won a prize for being the most prolific tweeter of Day 1 at the event #dhi09- link is to Chuck Gose's recap

• Get Motivated! Seminar featuring Laura Bush, General Colin Powell, Rudy Giuliani and others. I have lots to say on this!!!! Would I do it again?......NO!!!

Want to leave you with some very cool quotes from a very eye-catching (especially in the title) presentation on Social Media by Marta Kagan.


"Technology is shifting the power away from the editors, the publishers, the establishment, the media elite. Now it's the people who are in control."

-Rupert Murdoch, Global Media Entrepreneur


"The word blog is irrelevant. What's important is that it is now common and will soon be expected that every intelligent person (and quite a few unintelligent ones) will have a media platform where they share what they care about with the world."

-Seth Godin, Author

Ok, last one from the presentation creator herself:

"If your product sucks, then social media won't fix it."

-Marta Kagan

Amen. I'm outta here- back to the social media of my own business. Remember folks it's all in the conversation. Strike up a dialogue- you just might like what happens (hey, you can quote ME on that one!).










Copyright Michelle Beckham-Corbin 2009

CREATING CONNECTIONS CONTINUALLY

Creating Connections

So strange how the voices are moving in and out
Mixing decades with each other
Until the blender of a time serves them all up smooth
I drink down their memories, their words
I take them in because it is their essence that
Made me who I am today

Looking forward, I wonder what affect there will be
From those who currently cross my path
But for now, I revel in the daily missives and the phone calls
And the Facebook comments and the Tweets and of course
The old-time emails that faithfully file into my inbox
Bringing a plethora of pithy comments: statements really,
That underlie the connection that still exists between us

The woven web widely written about in the past
Was apparently not a phenomenon that was uniquely part of yesterday
It is clear to see now with distance and time and past relationships
That the connections which were spun came from the same centric sphere:

My driving need to know you truly…….- everything about you
And my brain’s extraordinary ability to store, sift, analyze and regurgitate your life’s story.
In the end, a human’s greatest need is to feel connected to others
To be heard
To be cared for
To be appreciated
Perhaps that is my gift to those who walk the path with me
Because it has become apparent that those multiple journeys are now
Intersecting and returning me back to the beginning


Back to when the lines first crossed and I asked the simple question:
“Tell me more……….”



Michelle Beckham-Corbin
Copyright: 9/22/09



Copyright Michelle Beckham-Corbin 2009

Brotherhood of the Long Blue Line & The Social Media Revolution

Social Media can start a revolution or spread a message rapidly in the same amount of time. Upon hearing the news that St. Xavier Junior Kevin Le succumbed to his injuries yesterday afternoon, the cell phones started texting and the Facebook pages started updating all over Cincinnati as Kevin's Bomber Brothers began to organize a way to honor Kevin's memory.

I first heard the organizational news when my son walked into my office last night and said that he was looking for his dress pants because the boys at St. Xavier high school had made the decision to all wear a dress shirt and tie to school in memory of Kevin. Facebook Group pages quickly sprang up and students left the most heartfelt messages for their fallen brother. Poetry and song lyrics mixed with memories and messages for Kevin in update after update.

Just got in from doing the Soc Med Biz thing and received this letter from St. Xavier's principal about what the boys did to organize themselves into a revolution of brotherhood and caring. This is only the beginning- I surmise that the first home football game tonight holds even more wondrous surprises. This is a school where the boys are truly taught to be "Men For Others" and today they were Men For One Of Their Own: Kevin Le- who will always be a member of the Long Blue Line.

Principal’s Weekly

September 18, 2009

"Hello St. Xavier Parents,

As you learned from yesterday’s phone call from Fr. Tim Howe and have undoubtedly seen covered in the media today, the St. Xavier family is dealing with a devastating loss. Junior Kevin Le’s mother Diane informed the school Kevin was declared brain dead yesterday afternoon. We will continue to keep Kevin and his family in our prayers as our attention turns to the care and well being of the immediate St. Xavier family today and in the days ahead. As ever, your sons are our first priority. Today we have prayed with them, provided counselors for those who need them, and shared stories of Kevin and the times he shared with his friends. We’ve celebrated a Mass in Kevin’s honor, where the Psalm reminded us, “The Lord is my shepherd, nothing shall I want.” We are in God’s hands, and I can’t think of a better place to be in such a challenging time. I have been deeply impressed by the ways in which your sons have demonstrated a brotherhood of caring for Kevin and his family and for one another today. On their own they decided to wear ties as a sign of solidarity. On their own they asked for the regular lunch-time Mass to be moved from the chapel to the larger space of the gym and then filled all of the bleachers. Together they are showing us that they know how to be God’s hands for each other and for Kevin and his family. Please continue to pray for Kevin and his family.

A number of people have asked about how to help the Le family financially. The Le family has set up the Kevin Le Fund at Fifth Third Bank. Donations can be mailed or taken to any branch of Fifth Third Bank."

President's letter credit: http://www.stxavier.org/s/106/index.aspx

Copyright Michelle Beckham-Corbin 2009

The Deepest Sadness One Can Endure

The greatest sadness on earth has descended on a family. The worst fear a parent can ever have: that of losing a child, has come to fruition for a local family. Imagine that you make it through the early worries:

• the first time they ride the school bus
• the first sleep over at a friend's house
• the first overnight summer camp
• the first time they take up a contact sport as a young child
• the first time they take the car out on their own

And then your talented 16 year old, honor-roll son is walking along the road for an after-school job. A job that probably helps to pay for expenses at his large Jesuit boys' high school. A school where he is loved by many and participates on the wrestling team as well as the audition-only, renowned singing group, the X Men. Perhaps he is thinking about homework or maybe about an upcoming performance as he walks slowly to his destination.

In a split second, a middle-aged woman runs a red light going 50 miles an hour and slams into the young man. In that small amount of time, a life is compromised; a destiny changed. His life hangs in the balance as he lays in a coma at University Hospital for nine days, most of his organs massively affected by the impact.

The school community prays for him daily. And then the phone call comes. He has been pronounced officially brain dead. A mother has lost a son, two brothers have lost their middle brother and his class mates have lost a dear friend. My heart continues to ache hours after I received the phone call from St. Xavier stating that Kevin Le had died this afternoon. I sobbed for Kevin and the injustice of it all.

I am a mother with a son close to Kevin's age and I know that news of this kind would destroy me if I were in her place. I continue to pray for Kevin and for strength for his family and I know that in the end he has found peace from his many injuries and release from the coma that he had been in. My hope is that his life will be celebrated for all of the good that he achieved in his short 16 years and that everyone, parent or not, will take the time to appreciate the gift of those who are in their lives on a daily basis. I tell my children that I love them often, after today often won't be nearly enough......
Copyright Michelle Beckham-Corbin 2009