Making people cry...

Making People Cry

Wow...what a mixed bag of emotions today.  Its kind of like the good news bad news thing, so i'll start with the bad news.  My children do not want to visit me in Bahrain.  I'm rather sad about that.  I know they would have a tremendous time here.  It's like paradise in the desert. (local legend has it that this place was the Garden of Eden)  The Arabs love families, they are very very very dear to the culture.  They usually spare no expense in throwing the amazingly lavish wedding and birthday parties.  The family is the bedrock in which this culture has been established.  They do a lot things right here, and America could stand to learn a thing or two...as they could also learn a thing or two about us.  And that is the great opportunity of me being here.  Trying to bridge the cultural gap, both by understanding and helping to understand.   Every culture, even every church thinks their way is the absolute best and only way.  Think about it, First Assembly of God, First Baptist Church, First Methodist Church, First Presbyterian, There aren't a ton of Second Assemblies, or Second Methodists...Everyone think their way/their faith/their mode of believing is the right way.  Or they are in first place and everyone else is just slightly misguided in second place.  I think its human nature.  A man's ways is right in his own eyes, but God weighs the heart. I often quote that verse in Proverbs.   This is the problem im running into with my family.  Im sure my former spouse fervently believes that she is doing the right thing, while i fervently believe otherwise.  Yet she has the children and exerts the most influence, im more like a silent partner now in their rearing (have i mentioned that divorce sucks).  So my kids last night called and cried and pleaded with me that they didn't want to go to Bahrain.  They claimed i wasn't listening to them, i was listening.  I was just disagreeing.  They ultimately hung up on me.  That's sobering that your children can be that defiant, yet im powerless to teach them the right way to behave or act.  It really really is difficult.  When i called back, they were crying frustrated and upset.  They didn't want to talk.  Did i cause all this grief.  All i did was try to keep the marriage together, yet now everything is my fault for moving halfway across the world.  It totally sucks.  I wear my heart on my sleeve in this blog in hopes that it speaks to some of you.  So now i have a decision to make.  I know that being with me for the Summer is the best thing for the children.  I believe Im a very good Godly influence in their lives, when i can be in their lives.  Plus being over here is an absolute adventure.  What a tremendous cultural learning experience it would be for them.  For me its an opportunity of a lifetime.  But they don't want to come.  I certainly am in a no win situation.  Your prayers are coveted.  I prayed and know what direction I need to head in.  I know God is in control of me...and the lives of my children.  Maybe its my calling in life to reach out to people that are discontent in their marriage...to say DONT DO IT....Whatever you might be encountering it can be overcome.  The alternative not worth it...HANG IN THERE.  I have spoken to so many divorced men and women.  The major consensus amongst the people ive talked to (except in the cases of repetitive adultery, abuse etc...)  they all say they wish they wouldn't have gotten divorced.  So maybe some good will come out of my bad thing.  If that is the case...i will continue to blog away.  

OK the good part of the day.  I finished my first project for KSDI.   It was for a non-profit group called the Palm Association which is like the United Way for Bahrain.  They help out the underprivileged here on the island.  i didn't shoot the piece, i only put together the elements that were given to me, i.e. photos, videos, and song.  Nadia, Also Khalifa's daughter, is the president of the association.  thus she had some strings to pull for me to make the video for her.  Im in management now, so my days as a creative filmmaker are becoming fewer and fewer.  Though its my job to train up a team in my style (which I believe works and is pretty innovative) so we can expand the company and increase our reach.  So after I screened the video for Nadia...i looked up and there were tears just streaming down her face.   Now for a filmmaker that tries to inspire and motivate, there really is no greater compliment than seeing tears.  She was touched and i was touched because she was touched.  We are going to raise a lot of money for her organization at her elite fundraising gala.  That was the purpose.  Tears are like dollar signs rolling down your cheeks when you are trying to raise $$$$  I also showed the video to Manoj and Saji, our editors.  They were very excited.  They really liked it.  And they said the words a good manager loves to hear:  "Teach us."  And i will they are very technically adept.  But when you edit/direct videos you have to do it from your heart and how the edit feels.  Its a tricky art form, but its one i believe can be taught.  

After the video, we had a staff meeting with all 15 of us including Khalifa.  Im told by others that there is a great spirit of hope and anticipation in the company since i arrived.  i guess before i arrived there was discord and insecurity.  I am quite honored that the staff has reacted as well as they have for me coming on board.  Its totally God's favor.    Im the first non-Shaheen (non-family member) to take the reigns.  It feels good to provide a spirit of hope and optimism to our team.  They all believe that we are going to be a part of something very special.  We all are going to change the world, and we believe we are going to do it through our company.  With God's grace, we will have a mighty global impact.  After the company become secure and financially solvent (it might be a little bit because we just bought about $25,000 worth of cameras and equipment to get the company up with the latest in technology).  Along with the investment of bringing me over, there is a strong belief from the Shaheen family that we are going to do great things.  That sort of optimism and hope flows from the top down.  Im making sure that not only the management sees this vision...but those at the bottom of the totem pole...the janitors see it as well.  We are all a team.  Wow...im beginning to sound like Zig Ziglar.  

Thanks again for all your prayers, and notes of encouragement and support.  I know i am not alone....