It was the last one.

JWST is a scientific inspiration.  It is the most incredible and complex, optical instrument we can feasibly put into space with the technology we have today.   It will capture the most detailed pictures ever recorded of our universe, and give us hard evidence of things we can just barely guess at.

I’ve personally been working on it for the last 7 years, and part of the JWST Primary Mirror Segment Assembly testing team for the last 4 years. 

All 18 flight mirrors have completed their last cryogenic optical test.  This is a major milestone, and has been one of the reasons JWST has been able to keep funding this year.  As an optical engineer the PMSAs are by far the most interesting and complex portion of JWST, and I am thrilled to have played such a large role.

Light is a huge part of our world, and has been the focus of my career and schooling for the last 11 years.  Today is the Winter Solstice, the shortest day, and the longest night, a time that has always been special in my life. 

Last year I organized a fire above Boulder to watch the Full Lunar Eclipse.  The year before we sent a flaming balloon into the heavens above Boulder.  This year I am sending JWST mirrors on their final trip back to Colorado. 

Since the last Winter Solstice I’ve dove into the most beautiful relationship of my lifetime, one in which purpose, deepening connection, and sharing with the world are the guiding principles.

 I went part time at Ball, opening up energy for more creative projects while maintaining my connection with JWST, space, and optical engineering. 

I rafted the Grand Canyon for 21 days with my dad, 280miles of adventure and exploration. 

I bought a house, and moved up Sunshine Canyon with three of the people I care about the most, returning to the forest, and mountain life I crave. 

I stepped down from Assistant Chief at BES, making time and gaining perspective on what it means to truly help someone.

I performed a wedding for a close friend, starting his partnership journey with a ceremony of love. 

I’ve continued helping to organize Ignite Boulder, running our 17th event at the sold out Boulder Theater a few weeks ago, challanging and changing my fear of public speaking and public spotlight into something I am cumfortable and capable of.

I climbed trees for a month in Oregon with Kate and my Dad, exploring my love of biology and climbing, and really opening up my life to the possibility of alternative jobs, and life experiences since I moved to Colorado.

I’ve continually opened my heart, and listened to it more than ever before.  It’s been hard and scary many times, but more and more I find myself inspired to empower the world around me with what I know I can give.

I think back on this solar year, and forward to the next one, and I feel hope, excitement, and love.  Join me in making this next cycle beautiful and inspiring for the whole world.

The supports for the temple fell to the right, toppling each other one after another like a row of dominoes.  As each fell a heatwave and mini fireball was released.  We watched, some full of tears, some full of smiles, as dreams, fears, hopes, and baggage was released into the night.

The smoke plume washed across the eastern half of Colorado, and deep into Nebraska and Kansas. Over 6000 acres and 150+ homes burned.  Thousands were evacuated.  From around the country firefighters, hot-shot crews, tankers, choppers , and command teams came to help. 

Fire: the reduction of complex organized structures to ash accompanied by the intense release of energy.

Late this summer these three fire events have deeply impacted me, and those I love.  And yet in each case no one was physically harmed, and so, the intense feelings wash through, and leave us battered, and yet intact. 

The incredible things is what was left behind!   In each case, I spent some time in the direct aftermath, and watched each community pick itself up, check for serious injury, and then give itself a collective squeeze. 

Donations and offers poured in to my sister’s family and her neighbors; more “do you need a place to stay?” offers than could possibly be used. 

At Burningman the Temple has a noble, emotional purpose akin to letting go of the worst of our humanness, the fears, the painful loves, the failed endeavors.  It burns Sunday night, the last night of the week, closing the circle that was opened by stepping onto the playa.

In Boulder it was particularly revitalizing.  Thousands of displaced residents were taken in by the town, cared for, sheltered, fed.  Everywhere  I looked there was a “Thank You Firefighters” sign, or a special discount for people affected by the fire.  It is heartwarming and bright to call such a place home.  Thank you Boulder!

Post fire, there has been a lot of fundraising efforts to help with the fire departments who lost stations and vehicles during the fire.  We (Ignite Boulder) are throwing Ignite Boulder 13 as a benefit towards these firefighters as well.  Boulder Emergency Squad’s chief will be doing a spark on the fire, sharing some of what happened behind the lines, in command, and away from cameras. 

I am ecstatic these two communities I love, and work hard to help grow and develop will be working together on December 8^th.  Ignite Boulder and the geeky tech crew, and Boulder Emergency Squad and the caring volunteers are both full of some really incredible people, and to have both on the same awesome Boulder Theater stage working  to inspire the Boulder Community will be really special.

  You can also donate by texting “FIRE” to  27722 ($10), or by buying your Ignite Boulder ticket (less than 100 now as of Dec 2nd), or bring cash to the event.  Either way, Boulder, you’ve been amazing this fall.  Thanks for being my home.

Join us, December 8^th, 6pm, Boulder Theater for Ignite Boulder 13, which happens to be a dress up event, so bring out your fancy!

We’re good at what we do; we continue to act, to do our job and live our lives, until a moment like this comes along and there is a pause, a moment to stop and feel.  I stood in that road for hours feeling my body grow tired, watching for the stars to come out, and then realizing they wouldn’t because it was cloudy, listening to the evening silence of nature.  The now stretches for hours, or days, or years, or maybe a lifetime if you’re quick about it. 

Death is a doorway through which the soul travels, sometimes when it is ready, sometimes not.  There is an important moment that comes, a need to recognize all the love that transcends this doorway of death.  A moment where we need to sit, watch the moon as it rises above the earth, appreciate its beauty fully and completely because at any moment it could disappear behind the clouds, leaving us without its brilliance. 

I strive to experience each moment, each interaction with this intention.  I pause, dive in completely, let it wash over me with everything it has to share.  Each death comes with so much sadness closing out something beautiful, but more than anything it is a reminder to live!

The Big Thompson flood killed over 150 people and was caused by nothing more than rain.  The same thing can (will) happen again in many other Front Range canyons.  Will you have enough time to get out of the floodpath?

Boulder County has recently implemented a new emergency notification system to augment the current systems.  Citizens can be notified via email, text message, and cell phone calls but you must sign up! (http://BoCo911Alert.com).   This adds a new level of notification for those not near a landline, and also supplements the traditional sirens located throughout Boulder County that sound during emergencies.

Because of its wide use and rapid communication social media has vast potential to increase the safety of citizens of the world.  It is in the beginning stages, but already some see the potential.  Los Angeles Fire Department (@LAFD) has been using Twitter to notify citizens of incidents https://twitter.com/LAFD as well as an increasing number of public safety agencies throughout the world. 

9-1-1 is the most reliable way to notify of an emergency; but additional methods help increase safety.  There have been many recorded events (such as the recent Haiti Quake) where mobile texting helped notify authorities of possible dangers.  Twitter being one of the fastest growing social networks, and one of the most succinct and mobile, is a perfect place to expand this capability.

The problem: no one is on the other end.  Government Twitter streams are usually sent out by ‘bots or automatic tweeting programs.  While this is great for getting info out, it does not help use the twitterverse to receive info.  We have a lot of growing to do before we can use the social media world effectively to gather information.

Signup for mobile alerts at BoCo911Alert.com if you live or work in Boulder County, and also follow @BoCoAlert  (https://twitter.com/BoCoAlert) if you are on Twitter for Emergency only Tweets (consider having these tweets pushed directly to your mobile device).  There are a few other public safety agencies within Boulder County that sometimes have a person behind the stream.  @BoulderRescue (https://twitter.com/BoulderRescue) is one who often tweets alerts and info (From Boulder Emergency Squad) and @BoulderPolice (https://twitter.com/BoulderPolice) is another who always has valuable information to share,  and usually knows first.
Some emails exchanged with those integrating the new CAD (Computer Aided Dispatch) system in Boulder County left me less than satisfied with the plans to integrate mobile warning system technology into Boulder County.  However, a year later we have BoCo911Alert.com.  Awesome!  We have forward progress.

I led a discussion at PodCamp Boulder this winter about Social media and Emergencies.  We concluded that it is a great addition, but will never be a stable replacement.  The discussion was wonderful and inspiring!  There is a lot of potential for increased safety in the world, and lot of people willing to help make it happen. 

I often use social media to judge what people are interested in and what the general public knows.  Last Monday there was a shooting in Boulder (turned out to be a double homicide suicide), and at the time there was a possibility of a shooter on the loose in Boulder.  It took 3 hours for this to reach the twitterverse (and general public), which is far too long if there was actually a shooter loose, or any other major emergency in Boulder.

BoCo911Alert.com came into existence a couple months ago, and today was the first message that came through; an alert for a missing person with dementia within Boulder County.  There are two types of messages that can come through: alerts such as the one today, and emergencies such as a flood, fire, terrorist attack, etc.  Signup!  You can’t be notified if you don’t.

Also, check out BoulderFloodInfo.net  for more information of what to do during the next flood in Boulder County. 

My family. You are amazing. I tell you this whenever I can, but truly, you are the most amazing people, and the fact that I get to call you family makes my heart sing. You taught me all my first lessons, nurtured my first curiosities, and showed me how to quest for the wonderful, and why it was worth looking for. Thank you. I love you.

The Jensen family. This thanksgiving was so special to spend with you. You are my family here, with all your quirks, and funny ways. You have taken me in as a brother, a son, a friend, and you are amazing. I’ve become so close with all of you, and I feel truly lucky to have gotten the chance to rekindle the friendships we started back in Oregon. August, living with you has been the most awesome experience. Our friendship deepens every day. Thank you for learning lessons with me, and teaching me about the world the way you see it. James, I miss you.

My best friends through the years and throughout the world. You are my true world family. You are the people my soul connects with the best. Thank you for being open to letting our lives twist together for a moment or a lifetime. You’ve shown me more about myself and the world than all of my travels and adventures. It saddens me that our life paths stray off in new directions and don’t allow us to connect so often sometimes, but it makes me smile to see where yours is taking you. Amazing things you are doing, incredible places you are going. I look forward to continuing to share throughout life, and all our future connections.

Boulder, thank you for being a places to cultivate dreams. You are so full of energy and possibilities, that you spill over with desire to make connections happen. These last 5 years have been the most empowering of my life, and have taught me more than anything else, that the world is wonderful, open, full of magic, and ready to help me create a paradise.

My roommates, Thank you for teaching me about community, about living with people in a happy, healthy, fantastic household. These lessons in diplomacy, organization, respect, have been some of the most powerful I’ve learned the last 8 years. You’ve made the “daily grind” so great, with a smile, a hug, a hello, goodbye, goodnight, goodmorning. Thank you, for always caring, for being real, and for teaching me so much.

Momentary sparks, connections, smiles, discussions every day, since arrival in this universe. You who have taken a moment to connect, to be in the moment and say “how are you?” and really mean it. You have taught the the value of pause, the value of the moment, and the value of human connection. A days that is going by slowly, painfully, is so easily changed to sunny wonderfulness with a smile and connection with a real soul. You are beautiful and you make this great world magnificent with your diverse and caring beings.

My body, thank you for always being ready and eager to embark on the next adventure. You make it possible to do anything in this world. You are powerful, beautiful, and full of healthy brilliance. Thank you for sending me messages to keep my life on track, and to warn me of dangers, and thank you for understanding when I need to ignore the message and do it anyway, because it feeds a greater purpose.

Love and intimacy, thank you for breaking down my walls, for reminding me of the value of the inside beauty, and for repeatedly opening my heart to the raw emotions that take me on the most wonderfully terrifying flight the brilliance of the universe can share. And thank you lover, for being the key to that door, the guide in the darkness, and the one holding my hand at the scary amazingness of each new experience. Every crush, every love, every head-over-heels twitterpation has been the gift that brings so much. I hope you are feeling loved, happy, and thankful wherever you are.

BES, you are a family has taught me about myself, about how to help the world, and why it is so important to do so. You make my ears perk up when a siren goes off, you have given me the tools to save lives, and act quickly and responsibly in an emergency. But you are also fun, wonderful people, who inspire me with your dedication to life, both your own, and everyone else’s. Thank you for making adrenaline a healthy part of my life, and giving me the opportunity to help the world, and in doing so bring meaning to mine.

Ball and JWST, thank you for giving the the opportunity to be a rocket scientist, to work on the most incredible optical-anything to ever go into space. You rock! It has been the most rewarding and fantastic job I’ve ever had. Thank you for being flexible, feeding my passion, and really caring about me as a person. I am honored to be a part of the team, and amazed every day.

And thank YOU for reading this. You give me more reason to write, and to share transformations, goals, understands, questions, and dreams. You help me process events and changes in my life by giving me the opportunity to take the mass of thoughts floating around in my head and turn them into something coherent and then share it.

What are you thankful for?