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Portrait by Greg Bottali

  • Alison Bert

    • I'm a writer who used to make my living as a musician. And somewhere along the way, I developed a passion for photography.

    Whatever I do, I try to make it meaningful. The best training I ever had was as a reporter The Journal News, covering everything from 9-11 to education and business. Now, as an editor for Elsevier, I try to bring the same journalistic integrity to corporate communications.

    In the previous century, I was a classical guitarist and music professor. I will always be grateful for the opportunities it gave me. While working on a doctorate at the University of Arizona, I was a Fulbright Scholar in Spain and studied with Andrés Segovia in a master class. I performed with wonderful musicians in places I will never forget, like Berlin, Krakow, Jerusalem and Caracas. And was able to share what I learned with with some incredible students.

    But ultimately I decided to return to my roots as a writer. When I was on the music faculty of Syracuse University, the Newhouse School was right across the street. I signed up for a few courses, but a professor there convinced me to get a master's in journalism and make it my living.

    Many people ask me why I changed careers, but I don't see it that way. For me, art in any form is about finding what is fascinating and building a technique to express it to others. Which is what I hope to do here. I hope you will join me.

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     My photo gallery 

    Zen and the art of life maintenance

    Alison Bert on April 1st, 2007 | Filed under Life Maintenance, Spirituality

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    My to-do list is up to 78 entries, and they’re all essential.

    1. Do the dishes

    4. Do my taxes

    9. Do yoga or tai chi

    23. Do the dishes 

    47. Look into buying a long-term care policy

    52. Do the dishes

    Then there’s stuff I hate to include on a to-do list. Like 32. Call Dale (my cousin in California who had a baby two weeks ago. Of course, she’s No. 1 in my heart, but I had started the list before I heard the news.)

    To make matters more frustrating, each time I check off an item, I think of two others that must be done. If only I could be done with this list so I could get on with the business of living, so I could enjoy my conversation with Dale without thinking about 57. Laundry becoming wrinkled because I let it sit in the machine for half an hour after the spin cycle.

    In my finer moments, I become Zen-like and tell myself that I should embrace these chores, pay attention, that life is contained in the things we do, moment by moment. And you never know who or what you might encounter when mailing that rent check. After all, a chance meeting at the mailbox could change your life.

    Which reminds me: 79. Buy stamps.

    10 Comments »


    10 Responses to “Zen and the art of life maintenance”

    1. Krumhorn Says:
      April 3rd, 2007 at 9:46 am

      Alison, I learned a while back that the first 3 or 4 items on any to-do list should be something that makes you happy. Something you WANT to do.

      I remember it was a birthday. I was sitting at my desk at home with a yellow pad making lists of things that I do during the day and evening. Things I have to do.

      I also made a list of things that I enjoy doing. Things I want to do.

      In comparing the two lists, I was astounded to discover that virtually none of one list was on the other list.

      The next day, I started to resign one position and activity after the other.

      I am pleased to say that with rare exception virtually everything on my to-do list is stuff that I want to do and enjoy doing. Of course, paying the bills is a necessity but I can stomach the idea for a couple of hours.

      The other test of a chore is whether or not it is achievable in one easy day…or two very easy days at the max. So for example, painting the house no longer is on my list. That keeps the list from growing painfully every longer with items that never seem to get done.

      If I awoke one morning and found a to-do list with 79 items, the new number 1 on the 80 item list would be “shoot myself”.

      Of course, there is an easier course. Just scratch through 77 of them and leave a couple that you want to do and can do easily. And forget the rest with a clear heart.

      ……

    2. Alison Bert Says:
      April 3rd, 2007 at 7:43 pm

      I’m going to have to think about this, Mr. K. Everything on my list seems very important. And a few things, like yoga or tai chi, I enjoy doing once I get into them, and I feel a lot better afterwards. But like any exercise or discipline, the first few minutes (or workouts when you’ve let things slide) are not much fun.

      There’s actually a bigger question I must answer, which you wouldn’t be privy to with just a portion of the list. In fact it only now occurred to me.

      Yes, I must think about this and get back to you. In the meantime, thank you for your thoughtful answer.

    3. Krumhorn Says:
      April 5th, 2007 at 9:50 am

      So, what’s that ‘bigger question’? Anything to do with boyfriend: the concept?

    4. holism.com Says:
      April 10th, 2007 at 8:16 pm

      Tai Chi, a traditional Chinese form of exercise, may help older adults avoid getting shingles by increasing immunity to varicella-zoster virus (VZV) and boosting the immune response to varicella vaccine in older adults.

    5. Alison Bert Says:
      April 11th, 2007 at 6:51 am

      Not sure how this post relates to shingles, but I can certainly vouch for the potential health benefits of tai chi, having practiced it for many years.

    6. ok Says:
      September 24th, 2008 at 11:32 pm

      good site urtliy

    7. William Moore Says:
      July 3rd, 2010 at 2:21 pm

      I practive both Tai-Chi and meditation on my spare time. It is really good for general health.;~*

    8. Liam Price Says:
      August 1st, 2010 at 10:46 am

      i would also like to learn Tai-Chi but there seems to be no practitioner in our area”`”

    9. Alison Says:
      August 1st, 2010 at 10:58 am

      Hi Liam,
      It seems like there’s tai chi almost everywhere these days. Where do you live?

    10. Alexia Ellison Says:
      July 24th, 2011 at 7:22 am

      Cheers good feed. Does someone use cheaper SMS message marketing services for a shop at California than 12stores.com? They only cost 9 dollars per thirty days which is not much, but I have to show four more choices for my boss. #:-)

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