When you’re flying at 35,000 feet with various and sundry distractions, people walking by your seat and bumping your elbow because you forgot you’re on an airplane, children crying because they’re not used to the air pressure in the cabin, the person in the seat next to you is watching a movie on their device that looks very interesting, or your blood sugar is low because you haven’t eaten since you left the airport three hours ago, literary excellence is not guaranteed. However, because you’re a writer and you like writing you reach down into your knapsack that is under the seat and retrieve the spiral-bound notebook and a ballpoint pen that you bought in Portland, Oregon for your trip and start writing. The following is what I wrote on that flight on May 28, 2023.
I always have a reason for my blog titles, which will become clear soon.
Soylent Green is Made Out of People
Peer Gynt (“Morning Mood” and “Åse’s Death”)
There was this scene in a movie with Edward G. Robinson and Charlton Heston. The soundtrack was a classical piece, very nice but the details of which evade me at the moment I write this in flight. As you watch this scene in the movie you see a large projection screen and hear the wonderful music. When I was researching Soylent Green after my flight I read comments from people who developed a love of classical music after hearing the soundtrack in that scene. Ironically, this movie was released in 1973 about the time I too was developing a liking of classical music. As it happened, I needed an elective for my Journalism degree requirements and thought, how hard can it be, a music course. It turned out to be a very challenging course with tests that required the students to listen to different pieces of music in an auditorium and identify details (the composer, the title of the piece, the period, and the specific movement being played). I think I got a B in the course and was happy with it.
Here are the details from Wikipedia (a direct quote):
“The “going home” score in Sol Roth’s death scene was conducted by Gerald Fried and consists of the main themes from Symphony No. 6 (“Pathétique”) by Tchaikovsky, Symphony No. 6 (“Pastoral”) by Beethoven, and Peer Gynt (“Morning Mood” and “Åse’s Death”) by Edvard Grieg.” I included the Tchaikovsky piece.
Anyway, I was going to describe the death scene, but the movie is available and plenty of commentaries about its societal significance in 1973. Back on track now.
Bear with me in my stream of consciousness at altitude. A shirt worn by someone wobbling and working his way down to the rear lavatories on the Boeing 737 read “Shitake Happens”. It bugged me because I read shirts, and I didn’t know exactly what it meant, so on his way back from the restroom I asked him about it. He obligingly stopped long enough to explain that it was a shirt he got at a food festival in California. What fun, eh!
Slot canyon, Zion National Park
What’s the Point?
Or, asked differently, why “People are People”? Because it’s true, and the only way to live your live is to try to accept people the way they are. Having lived part of my life as a judgmental person, this is a surprising statement coming from me. I used to automatically judge a person before I took the time to get to know them. Not a good thing to do.
How about this, I’m at the gym swimming laps, which I love to do, and I see the person swimming in the lane next to mine, not too well I think. That’s when I try to press the “override” button – no, Bernie, you are not going to get out of the pool later and try to give them swimming tips. It’s their life, let them swim anyway they want to. Also, regarding first impressions, hold off on that first negative thought about someone until you spend more time with them. Maybe they’re just having a bad day.
Do a Good Deed!
Tchaikovsky, “Pathetique”
Going beyond that idea a bit, in your daily encounters you may realize that what the mainstream media reports in the news, about people, misrepresents one important concept. The concept is that most people, a vast majority, are solid, genuine, caring, and sympathetic individuals who are always willing to lend a helping hand. Give it a chance, you’ll see what I mean.
I wrote about a scene in the movie “City Slickers”. Use the link and scroll down to “City Slickers”. This is my favorite scene in that movie and is thought-provoking. The quote from James Taylor also makes you think.
“The secret of life is enjoying time to the fullest.”
James Taylor
Obviously if you follow my blog, you know that I took a sabbatical from this blog for nearly 10 months. I have no excuses to offer except that I was focusing on another writing project. I’m including a link to a post I wrote about “serendipity” in 2015. It should help you understand my mindset about the subject.
It’s not complicated, which is the beauty of serendipity, it just happens, no forethought or logging in to a device is necessary. For example, maybe something like this happens. You’re on your front porch having your morning coffee, and you’re standing next to a hummingbird feeder. Still waking up, you hear a sound hardly audible, but it is a sound. It’s the sound of a hummingbird’s wings as the bird flies past your ear to hover over the feeder. You think, that is amazing, I’m so glad I feed these wonderful creatures. OK, one more thing, and I’ll move on. Think of the words from James Taylor that I mentioned (his music is cool too), “The secret of life is the passage of time.” That’s the essence of what I’m saying, life just happens, and we have no control over it, so why try to force it.
Books that I’ve Been Reading
For the rest of this belated blog post, I’ll just mention some books that I’ve read in the past months that might be of interest to you. A lot of what I read is fiction, C. J. Box is one of my favorite authors. He has a new book out, published in March, which I found out about thanks to one of my gym friends. The title is Shadows Reel. I read audiobooks a lot. If you like a good adventure yarn, check out C. J. Box.
Some other books, in the non-fiction category:
Matt Haig, The Comfort Book and Reasons to Stay Alive. When I first started reading his books, I almost didn’t finish the first one. He was talking about people struggling with depression and suicide. But then in later chapters he talked about “reasons to stay alive” and listed 40 reasons, under the subheading “How to Live”. When he wrote about how running could be therapeutic, he had me, since I’m a runner. Bottom line, Haig offers warmth and reassurance, reminding us to slow down and appreciate the beauty and unpredictability of existence.
Haruki Murakami, What I Talk about When I Talk about Running. Again, the running subject caught my attention. The book was published in 2008. Actually, Haig mentions Murakami in one of his books, which is how I found about his works. Murakami is a best-selling author, especially in Japan. I could say a lot more about his books, but you can check him out.
Short and sweet, I’ll end here. I promise I won’t wait as long for my next Rufous post. Thanks for reading.
I recently listened to two of Arthur C. Clarke’s books, 2061: Odyssey Three and 3001: The Final Odyssey, which was published posthumously in 2012. Clarke died in 2008. What an amazing intellect Clarke had. I remember going to see 2001: A Space Odyssey in my hippie days. Wow! I saw the movie in a Cinerama theatre, huge screen with surround sound. What a sensory experience Clarke and Stanley Kubrick created using what was then new technology. The part of the movie where they were entering Jupiter’s atmosphere with all the colors streaming by and the amazing soundtrack was mind-boggling.
Did Clarke have all the answers? It’s interesting that he did have at least some of the answers. Many of the “fictional” concepts he wrote about, such as interstellar space travel, turned out later to be scientifically achievable.
Bottom Line
I really don’t have all the answers, at least not on the same scale as Arthur C. Clarke. If I did, I could have passed the Calculus course in college, many years ago when I was a Chemical Engineering major (ironically I loved Chemistry). As a result of having to take Calculus, I decided to change majors to a much less technical field, Journalism. It was a good choice for me. Notice I said “for me”. Reminds me of that scene in City Slickers, another good movie, where Mitch (Billy Crystal) and Curly (Jack Palance) were having a deep conversation. Check it out.
So, no matter what advice I give you, no matter how astute, genius-level, or just plain old practical advice, it’s up to you to decide what to do with the advice. Personally, I like it when people give me good advice.
Proverbs 18:2: A fool finds no pleasure in understanding, but delights in airing his own opinions.
A Few of My Own Answers
You may want to try some of these.
Don’t Worry, Be Happy – From a previous blog, a picture of one of my hats.
Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending. (Maria Robinson)
Respond, Don’t React (from a book by Dan Harris, 10% Happier)
Stay healthy – exercise, eat sensibly, especially now during Covid.
Read good books regularly, not just non-fiction for information, but fiction for entertainment. Some of my favorites (audio books) are C.J. Box, William Kent Krueger (currently listening to Mercy Falls), and Craig Johnson (Longmire series).
Meditate – It’s surprisingly easy to integrate it into your regular routine, and it has many benefits. I’m planning to do a new blog on practical applications of meditation, admittedly inspired by Dan Harris’s book and other good books on the subject.
Politics – I hesitate to even bring up the topic and won’t be giving you advice, no way, Jose, on political issues and events. You’re on your own.
This is a tribute to those who served and died in the wars.
America!
Bruce Springsteen: Summer of 69
I wasn’t in favor of war in my youth, but the draft still existed, and, guess who got drafted. Vietnam was pretty hot then (late sixties), so to avoid that I managed to crash my younger brother’s motorcycle and subsequently failed my induction physical. They gave me a temporary deferment so that I could heal. Being the genius that I am, I joined the Navy Reserves thinking that surely that would keep me out of Vietnam. Sitting in San Diego after my basic training, waiting for my orders, I heard my name called.
“Naval Support Activity – Saigon” was not on my list of preferred duty stations. There’s a reason why servicemen refer to that duty station list as a “dream sheet”. After my pre-Vietnam indoctrination at Coronado Island, my Dad (God bless you, Dad) said goodbye to me at Travis Air Force Base. His words were, “Keep your head down, son”, very good advice. It was going to be a long flight to Tan Son Nhut airport in Saigon, so I bought a paperback in the airport bookstore, The First Circle by Alexander Solzhenitsyn. Not the best choice of a book when you’re going off to war. I didn’t read beyond the first chapter.
Who Should We Honor Today?
According to Google (who else), Memorial Day originally honored those who died in the Civil War but now honors those who have died in any war.
Feel free to look at my December 3, 2017 blog about Vietnam. I included a brief Vietnam movie in that blog that illustrates what it was like in THAT war zone, what a Swift Boat looks like, etc. The wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other wars had their casualties, and those service people deserve to be honored today.
I served on a barracks ship that supported Swift Boats (“brown-water Navy”). My role was as a noncombatant, but the people we supported were combatants. They came and went; literally, i.e we frequently lost boat crews. A boat would go out on a mission and become a casualty. I never became close friends with the “Swifties” because the opportunity wasn’t there – maybe as a familiar face, someone standing in a chow line, or gearing up to go out on another mission. They were only acquaintances, but some of them paid the ultimate price. OK, we could digress into whether or not the Vietnam War was worth it. Considering all the lives lost, on both sides, it wasn’t. And, some of the casualties were draftees, not enlisted soldiers and sailors. They didn’t volunteer, but they still served. Good or bad, wars happen.
I’m going to end with a quote, actually it’s a bumper sticker that I saw on a neighbor’s car.
“Except For Ending Slavery, Fascism, Nazism, And Communism, WAR Has Never Solved Anything.”
None of us would be here if it weren’t for moms. Those of us whose moms are gone miss them dearly. Just browse the social media postings for May 10, 2020, and you’ll see what I mean. One Facebook friend posted today that she kept a voicemail of her mom’s last message for years just so she could listen to her voice and wouldn’t forget what she sounded like.
A Sentimental Deja Vu
About six years ago I went to my hometown in Texas for a high school class reunion. It was a memorable trip for several reasons. First, I got to see my classmates who I hadn’t seen in a long, long time. Also, I made a special trip to the cemetery where my mom was buried. A bit of information before I reveal the last reason.
Before I left Portland I googled my hometown to see if my old house was still there. Technology always amazes me. Just saying, this had been over half a century since I lived in the house. I looked at an aerial view of the neighborhood, zoomed in, and there it was, my old house. After all the parties and reminiscing with my classmates, I went on my “memory” tour. There was a for sale sign in the yard of my old house, and I contacted the real estate agent to see if I could visit the house, explaining that I had lived there. The house was occupied. I knocked on the door, introduced myself, and asked if I could come in. As it turned out, I found out later that the woman who lived there knew my younger sister from their school days. I should interject, if it weren’t for Texas overwhelming friendliness, this might not have worked. Don’t try it in New York City.
Think of one of those movies where the protagonist, say Benjamin (Dustin Hoffman) in The Graduate, is attending his graduation party, a pool party. He makes his grand entrance dressed in his scuba gear (presumably a graduation present), the sound of his breathing amplified by the face mask. Not sure why that scene compares to my hometown experience, but think about how you might react in my situation. I hadn’t been in this house for over 50 years. The fact that it was still standing amazed me. Except for different furnishings, it was the same house. I walked through the living room into the kitchen. This was the kitchen where my mom fixed meals for the family. Slight changes, cabinets had been updated and some new appliances, but otherwise the exact spot where mom fixed all those Sunday dinners (usually roast beef, mashed potatoes, and green beans), tapioca pudding, which I loved, and peanut butter cookies, also a favorite. In the next room was the dining room. In those days, families sat at a table and had their meals. Truthfully, I don’t remember conversation topics.
Continuing, we headed up the stairs. Indelibly imprinted in my mind is the cat on the stairway as we ascended, looking up with a puzzled expression (who is this unknown person in my house?). At the top was a bedroom two of my sisters shared and down a long hallway past a walk-in attic was the bedroom my brother and I shared. The whole time I was taking pictures, having gotten permission from the owners. I know, as I’ve implied, kind of surreal. My old bedroom was more or less the same – this was the same bedroom with the repainted ceiling, repainted because the lab experiment with my chemistry set (Christmas present) was literally a bust. Anyway, after the tour I thanked the owner and made my exit.
This was the most important reason for my visit – my mom’s presence was felt in that old house, and I’m so glad I returned. I don’t know what else to say, but here’s an exact quote from one of my mom’s letters, obviously a very personal thing to share, but it seemed important to say it. The letter was addressed to my aunt whose husband had just died.
Dearest (Aunt’s name),
How are you? I’m so ashamed of myself for not writing or calling. I think of you many times a day and pray that you are adjusting to your aloneness. No one can know what you are going through until they have experienced the loss of their loved one. I do feel that you and (uncle’s name) had something within your own lives that few, few married people ever find. It seems ironical that mortals cannot express themselves naturally and freely. I have never learned to show or let others know how I feel.
The Who: Tommy’s Holiday Camp (from Tommy, the rock opera)
If you follow my blog and have been patiently waiting for “Part IV – Spiritual”, here it is. I should know better than to attempt multi-part blogs, which seem to take forever to finish. The one I did on Crystal City, inspired by a gym friend who grew up there, took four months to complete. I hope you read Crystal City, it’s an interesting example of humanity gone amuck.
Be sure to read to the end of this post.
The Creative Process Can Be Painful
Starting with a blank page, it’s a challenging process – normally, I have my draft notes (in my green notebook), other sources of information at my fingertips, including blog notes in my daily journal. Sometimes I imagine myself as Michael Keaton in “The Paper” typing away on his keyboard or in a much older classic film about writing a novel or a news story using a manual typewriter, and the writer is frustrated because he’s been sitting for an hour and has only a part of a sentence on the page and a wastebasket full of crumpled paper. Anyway, let’s get back on track.
“Spiritual” Means What?
Looking at its history and literal meaning, according to Merriam-Webster, as an adjective “spiritual” means:
Of, relating to, consisting of, or affecting the spirit
Of or relating to sacred matters
Ecclesiastical rather than lay or temporal
Concerned with religious values
Related or joined in spirit
Historically, first used in the 14th century – source Middle English, from Anglo-French and Late Latin; Anglo-French espirital, spiritual, from Late Latin spiritue alis, from Latin, of breathing, of wind, from spiritus
I like the “breathing” connotation, as in “inspiration” or “respiration”, i.e. spiritual as in an active state.
As befits this series, how does spiritual fit into the scheme of things? I ask myself, “Am I spiritual”? I think we all are spiritual to some degree, but not necessarily in a religious sense.
OK, I’ve decided this piece won’t progress beyond the “draft” stage, something I realized many weeks ago, that “Spiritual” was going to be a real challenge. I’m going to conclude with a story or two, pictures of course and probably some music.
Inspiration
One of the stories I really liked is about a woman who overcame a serious physical ailment and moved on with her life in a very positive way. The article was in the March-April 2020 Daily Word, a Unity publication.
Odds & Ends: about Relaxing
I wanted to include a link to another article with some ideas about relaxing, especially important during the Covid-19 situation. This article was also in the March-April 2020 Daily Word, a Unity publication.
OK, this segment is a bit divergent from the main topic, but in my opinion it speaks of our need for spirituality in our lives, whether it be religious or another form.
“Great spirit, grant that I might not criticize my neighbor until I’ve walked a mile in his moccasins.” (traditional American Indian prayer)
The quote reminds me of my time in scouting when I was growing up (in my first childhood) in Texas. I belonged to a boy scout troop in my hometown. One part of our regular troop meeting, for some of us, was the Caddo Lodge. We had our own special meeting room, members of the lodge had to go through a rigorous all-night initiation, and on special occasions we would perform traditional Indian dance ceremonies. The quote above was similar to the ending prayer for our meetings. Kind of makes you think doesn’t it, at least it reminds me of my New Year’s resolution to “not be so judgemental”.
The Caddo Lodge was not a unique organization, given the existence of well-established groups like the Order of the Arrow, which is still in existence. I belonged to the OA too when I was in scouting. If you’re interested, check out the link for more background.
Canned Heat: Let’s Work Together (Let’s Sick Together)
Coldplay: God Put a Smile on Your Face (Album: A Rush of Blood to the Head)
Crosby, Still, Nash & Young: Helplessly Hoping
Eagles: Love Will Keep Us Alive (Album: Hell Freezes Over)
Chicago: Wake Up Sunshine (Album: Chicago II)
Bottom Line
For me, as a Bible-reading believer and as a person who finds his own inspiration and guidance in the word of God, I wanted to end with these verses and underscore what I’ve been saying in this blog.
Galatians 5:22-24 (NIV Bible): But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness,, and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.
What are Type A and Type B personalities according to Wikipedia?
I think in my last post in this series, Mental, I got into some really heady stuff (sorry, “heady” wasn’t intended to be a pun) about memory, about the long-term effects of marijuana, etc. Obviously mental and emotional are very closely connected and interactive, but think of mental as the engine and emotional as the resulting output – keep the “engine” tuned up and the “output” will be efficient and reliable.
I would label myself as a Type A person – hard for me to relax, always working on something. The Wikipedia definition fits me very well, especially “impatient” and “more competitive”.
Two days ago my morning Daily Word reading (affirmation) was:
“I give my mind and body permission to rest and relax”.
The accompanying Bible verse for that day was:
Psalm 23:2-3: “He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul.”
Wow, even if you don’t read the Bible you have to admit the Psalm verses are powerful and calming.
A Brief Flashback
Looking at my 2019 New Year’s post if you want to check it out. You might want to take the time to think about “what is the meaning of life” or “what is my purpose in life”. David Allan’s Reader’s Digest article provides ideas on how to figure it out.
Don’t Overthink It
Some of the solutions to keeping your emotions in working order are very simple and attainable – try relaxing, practice breath control, do yoga, exercise, hang out with your friends (or if you don’t have a lot of friends, make new friends).
Wrapping It Up
Just quotes . . .
For a creative writer possession of the ‘truth’ is less important than emotional sincerity. (George Orwell)
In the pool area of my gym, the quote below is in huge letters superimposed over the picture of a swimmer looking directly at you with a knowing look in her eyes and saying:
“Before you can accomplish something, you must expect it of yourself.”
Maybe that’s the ticket for making New Year’s resolutions and actually keeping them. As I noticed a couple of days ago, the gym where I work out was very busy. As they say, the traffic will subside when people lose the motivation that prompted their “resolution list” and they stop coming to the gym on a regular basis.
If you read this blog, you know that I’m a big believer in fitness – all kinds, physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. It’s challenging, but really worth it in the long run. My goal this time is to throw some ideas your way, just to plant some good thoughts about what to expect of yourself this year.
After you see Woody’s list, you might want to check out the Open Culture web site offerings.
A Humorous Sidebar: Humorous Words
Not to distract you from our main goal, pondering our 2020 resolutions, this humorous Reader’s Digest item was too good not to share. Ignore the ads and enjoy!
A More Serious Item
I watched a program on public TV about N. Scott Momaday, the other night and found his ideas very thought-provoking. Here’s a quote from the program “The Man Made of Words”:
“Most of us have developed an attitude of indifference towards the land. We Americans must come to the moral comprehension of the earth and air. We must live according to the principle of a land ethic. The alternative is that we shall not live at all.”
By the way, he won a Pulitzer Prize for his book, House Made of Dawn. I haven’t read it, but I plan to.
I can’t say that I’m an environmentalist, but I try to be aware of the small role I can play. The part of the country where I live just outlawed the use of plastic grocery bags. If you forget to bring your tote bags, you can buy paper bags for a nickel when you check out. At my house we recycle. Maybe it’s too little too late to undo the damage and save the earth, but you have to try. OK, so you can add that resolution to your list, “don’t forget your tote bag”.
One More “Preachy” Item
A parting shot before I wrap this up. I was watching a program about Tuscany the other night – why is it that public TV seems to be the only thing worth my time these days? Anyway, it was interesting, partly because it looks so beautiful, and I would like to go there.
By the way, the TV program is “Rick Steves Europe”, really well-produced show that provides travel information and history. In this segment they talked about the local history and culture and how it affects the citizens (or vice versa). They were in Siena, Italy, where they practice something called “passiegata”. This is a daily evening ritual where the locals walk around in the streets, visiting with friends, eating, and just relaxing. Notice I said walking, that’s right, no cars. One more comment in the Tuscany piece:
“A community ruled by a just government enjoys peace, prosperity, and is great place to raise your kids.”
FYI: Imprimis
I haven’t read all of these Imprimis publications, but I’ve read enough of them to raise my awareness level of important issues in our society and to make me want to learn more. This is the main link to the web site, you can pick and choose the specific publications of interest to you.
More Music and Pictures
The bridge pictures are NOT metaphorical, nah, of course not, too obvious. The clouds, well, you can draw your own conclusions. Bottom line is, I just like taking pictures, and sometimes they are symbolic. The music, yeah, kind of obvious, but I really like the movie.
If you’re a follower of this blog, hopefully a faithful follower, you probably understand the Rufous angle, my blog theme so to speak. Deja vu, six years back, here’s the link if you care to refresh your memory.
Regarding the Rufous transition, as I look out the window at the bird feeders in my backyard – watching the Juncos, Goldfinches, Sparrows, and other birds, lo and behold the unmistakable shape and colors of the Rufous-sided Towhee as he flits around feeding on the ground (never perching on the feeder). Today being December 21st, he’s supposed to be in the south-lands this time of year. I’m not complaining, I hope he and his mates hang around as long as they want.
I think humans transition too, personally not being a winter person, my first music selection is Four Seasons (Spring), obviously thinking ahead to warmer temperatures and flowers blooming.
Vivaldi’s Four Seasons (Spring)
Introduction to Part II – Mental
What’s in this installment? This is a continuation of my blog series, following Part I, Physical.
I am providing links to my past blogs that are related to this topic, like Mindfulness and any other relevant links as we go.
Speaking of mindfulness, check out these Jon Kabat-Zinn quotes.
Blogger’s disclaimer:
It’s important to me that people enjoy my blog AND learn from it. My most straightforward advice is on my well-worn (note the dirty bill) hat. However, I’m providing other, more intense options for re-oiling your mental machine if you so choose – self-help books, Jon-Kabot-Zinn training, etc. You can pick your own level of engagement but above all:
One of my favorite hats
Setting the Tone for Mental Balance
I’ve included Daily Word quotes in this blog. As part of my daily routine, early in the day I sit down with my journal, my Bible, and my pocket-sized Daily Word booklet and flip to the page for that day. The Daily Word affirmation and the brief text for that day only take maybe 10 minutes or so to read and think about. It makes for a good start for that day. I’m including some of my favorites here. It’s a very inexpensive publication.
Daily Word Readings
June 21, 2019: “Mind, Body, and Spirit: My mind, body, and spirit work together in harmony.”
June 14, 2019: “Clarity: Through Spirit within, my mind is clear.”
June 3, 2019: “Healing Meditation: I am an infinite expression of life. I am whole and well.”
May 10, 2019: “Focus: I focus on the good, bringing out the best in every situation.”
January 9, 2019: “Relax: I am relaxed and rejuvenated. For mental restoration, I practice mindfulness.”
May 18, 2019: “Relax: I relax into a time of prayer.”
The following is a five-step prayer process developed by Unity, the publishers of Daily Word. Please note, as always, I never try to force my religious beliefs on anyone, although my God is spelled with a capital G. Think of this five-step process as a restorative exercise, a counter to our 21st century lifestyles where we constantly experience video images and sound bites, TV commercials, sports on TV, and cell phones always in our right or left hands.
Step 1: Relax – Breathe deeply and let go of outer concerns.
Step 2: Concentrate – Focus my thoughts on the Spirit of God within.
Step 3: Meditate – With an open mind and a receptive heart, feel the peace of God’s presence.
Step 4: Embrace the Silence – Rest in a consciousness of oneness. (Psalm 46:10)
Step 5: Give thanks – Leaving yourself open to receive good.
Deep Diving
I was reading a book by Caroline Leaf titled “Switch on Your Brain”. This book is well-written, by a woman who is highly educated and an expert in her field. I found bits and pieces of it very informative and useful, but when she delved into quantum physics – did you know there is a particle even smaller than a quark (the name of the particle escapes me at the moment) – I realized I should move on to my next book. She uses a lot of biblical references to illustrate her ideas.
Dr. Leaf talks about things like this — did you know that memories never go away? Every single memory in our lives is stored in that amazing organ, our brains. For example, when I started on this section, out of the blue I remembered a play I went to in Houston many many years ago, “The Persecution and Assassination of Jean-Paul Marat as Performed by the inmates of the Asylum at Charenton Under the direction of the Marquis de Sade”, surely one of the longer titles ever for a play. Go ahead and Google it.
I remember it was performed in a theater in the round. The audience encircled the stage, which obviously is challenging for the production crew when making scene changes, etc. OK, that’s just an example of a non-volatile memory that somehow miraculously stays in our heads and then all of a sudden – pop, the thought materializes. Of course, sometimes, especially for older people (like me) when you’re trying to remember something it doesn’t materialize at all.
Quote: “If you want to accomplish something, you must expect it of yourself.” (Anonymous)
Just a suggestion for a “lighter” read, this one might work for you:
The Art of Clear Thinking by Wallace Ermes, available as an audiobook, lots of good reviews.
Something Else Mental – Overthinking
In my opinion, sometimes in a situation the plain truth or solution is right in front of us ready to be acted upon. How about this example of trying to get along with your neighbors. Let’s say, they’re leaving for work in the morning or just getting home from work, ask how they’re doing. Or, you get your neighbors mail by mistake, just walk over, knock on the door, and hand it to them. You’d be amazed at how simple courtesies like that can improve our relationships, even the casual ones.
Driving courtesy – you’re in a long line of traffic and someone is trying to merge into the line. You stay back, honk or motion to them, and let them merge. A by-product of that act is that it makes both of you feel good, kind of like when you pet your dog. Stopping to let people cross the street, same thing, a mutual benefit.
More Serious Examples of Overthinking
Voting – study the candidates and pick one. If you don’t have a lot of time, find an unbiased voter’s guide. If you didn’t vote, don’t complain about who was elected.
Religion – don’t be judgemental, let people choose (notice that “mental” is part of judgemental). Personally, I think there is a God (capital “G”) who loves me, but that’s just me.
Relationships – spouses, friends, getting along, cue Beatles music, “All You Need is Love”.
Moving on to Milepost 99
If you read Part I in this series, you know that I place a high value on physical fitness. Let’s put “mental” in perspective. Logic would tell us that mental well-being is on a par with physical. I’ve run 10 marathons, and I think the mental part of that effort is very important, perhaps 60% or more.
The rhetorical question is, “is it important for us to be mentally healthy, both individually and as a society?” What are we as a society doing to be mentally healthy? A cursory assessment of that question might conclude, not very much. Just look at the TV commercials advertising drugs to “get us back on track”. And, check out the number of self-help books that are constantly published. Not to say those books aren’t well-written and helpful, but are there better ways to get back on track? I’m not the expert, but perhaps something in this blog will set you on the track that is best for you.
Merriam-Webster’s definition of mindfulness: “The practice of maintaining a nonjudgmental state of heightened or complete awareness of one’s thoughts, emotions, or experiences on a moment-to-moment basis.”
Sidebar: Imprimis Article
I decided to include Alex Berenson’s thought-provoking piece about marijuana because there are so many things going on in our society that surely must make us wonder about what’s really going on. I only mention the article because I think it’s related to my “mental” subject, and I could do a whole blog on the possible root causes of things like mass shootings, drug dependence (including alcoholism), the #metoo movement, information overload and preoccupation with information (and misinformation). Hey, I’m guilty too – my granddaughter called me a “phone head” the other day. How often do we panic when we realize we forgot our cell phones?
I read Berenson’s article and thought, my word, I didn’t know that about marijuana. Having traversed decades in my later life with NO exposure to that magical weed that we so frequently indulged in back when we were “hippies”, I hadn’t really worried about marijuana. I do live in a state that legalized it, and I do have friends with medical issues that praise its beneficial effects and who use it as medicine. However, when I read Alex Berenson’s Imprimis piece, it gave me a broader perspective on marijuana and how it affects people. Rather than try to summarize the publication, I’ll let you form your own conclusions.
A Parting Quote (non-political)
This quote is from a Criminal Minds episode this year:
“Everyone is entitled to his own opinion but not to his own facts.” Daniel Patrick Moynihan
In my last blog posted at the end of 2018 I suggested that you might want to figure out your purpose in life, “What is the Meaning of Life”. Given that it’s already February, maybe it will give you a leg up if I reveal my “purpose”. If you need an inspiration for your own, go back and read my previous blog. In that post I also included a link to David Allan’s article in Reader’s Digest, some good ideas there.
Plant a Garden of Positive Thoughts
That’s it, that’s my purpose. Okay, I’m a goody two shoes (I should Google the origin of that label), but here are two reasons why I chose that as my purpose. First, it was something I read, another is that I’m looking forward to spring (do not like winter), and another reason (I guess that makes three) is that my significant other is a master gardener. I get involved in plenty of planting projects. If you think about it, the act of planting in itself is a positive thing, a cause of growth, either a vegetable from a seed or (metaphorically) growth that occurs when someone you helped reaps the benefits – kind of a “you too” benefit instead of a “me too” benefit.
Here’s a quick Bible quote: “No foul language should come from your mouth but only what is good for building up someone in need”. (Ephesians 4:29, paraphrased)
Huey Lewis and the News: The Power of Love
My Mission Statement
Several years ago I lost my job as a contract technical writer for the U.S. Forest Service. I’d been there over three years, but the federal government was cutting back on agency budgets. I think Obama was president. I don’t blame him, things happen.
Anyway, I went back into the job market. At some point I decided, given the lack of technical writer jobs being offered to me, I should try a career change. I went back to school and earned a certificate in non-profit development at a university in Portland. In one of the courses I learned the importance of a mission statement for any organization that was serious about achieving its goals. The following is my mission statement:
“My mission as a blogger is to educate and enlighten as many people as possible with a positive spin on the factual information that I provide for my readers.”
I know, given all the negative information that’s available in our world – fake news, incomplete news, inaccurate news, and politically biased news – it’s a challenge to ferret out the “real stuff” that is happening all around us.
Think Good Thoughts
I remember (from my hippie days in Houston) meeting a “gypsy” who lived in a very cool, highly-tricked out 1950s vintage Chevy pickup truck. I wish I had a picture of it. The body was bright red with a cab-over balcony big enough for one, an amazing living space with “rooms” partitioned with artsy curtains, including a small kitchen. He parked the truck in a vacant lot. If you walked up the steps at the rear of the truck, you could see a sign over the doorway that read “Think Good Thoughts”. Obviously that message stuck with me all these 40 plus years.
What’s Next?
I’ve been thinking about immigration issues a lot in the last year, and I want to present some things for you to think about. I’ll do that next time, now I must get my beauty rest so I can watch the “stupor bowl” tomorrow – actually I’m only interested in the beer commercials for a few laughs.
However, to whet your interest in my upcoming immigration topic, here’s a link to a piece written by Brett P. Reistad, National Commander of the American Legion.
blazinbernie
Looking for a Rufous 