Anxiety? Troubled Waters? Build a Bridge

aking the Bridge Too far?

Last week some dams gave way and caused millions of dollars in property losses in Mid-Michigan.  Having grown up along the  Big Muddy—the father of Waters—the Mighty  Mississippi, I learned at a tender age no to believe  folks when they  said they were going to change the courses of the river so that  there would be ways to control flooding.  You see one cubic yard of water moving at 1 mile an hour has 1000 pounds of force and well most bodies of water contain a bit more than that I thinking.  So how might we deal with the impact of water?  If we haven’t been chatting up a burning bush lately, I would suggest one of two methods.  First. You could build a boat.  You could Google “Noah’s  Nook” on YouTube and start with the “How to Build an Arc” in Your Backyard” series.  The first episode is devoted to gender  identification of  very small animals and “The cubit: how to use the divine  ruler.    If  ship building isn’t your thing, then the best way to deal with w2ater is to  figure out how to  avoid  the water and building a  bridge  is a wise choice.   Speaking of  bridges...the Golden Gate (as of this week) has been open83 years and this distinctive cable  suspension  bridge has 80,000 miles of cable in it.  This is the most recognized bridge in the United States, but I’m not sure it’s the most impressive.  The George Washington Bridge in New York carries more traffic and the Mighty Mac bridge  to the UP  in Michigan spans a “Great Lake and endures frigid winter conditions.   there is London  Bridge which kept falling  down in London  so someone bought it and  built it  here across the pond and you rarely hear kids singing that song anymore.  there are lots of famous bridges around the world.  China claims the oldest  bridge  still in use—a stone arch  bridge—but if you’ve read  this blog much you know my stance on “oldest”  and China or Egypt.  An Amazon tribe could be replacing the. Log over the river every 20 years and may have done so for 22,300 years but they didn’t go on facebook or twitter to tell us  so it didn’t happen.   finally, whenever I hear whistling  for any length of time, my audio neuron clusters start firing up that little them that dominated the Bridge of the river Kwai.  

I also someilmes think of. A favorite saying of my dearly departed friend Bob  “Build a Bridge and Get Over it!”  

So  Peacxe and Joy  and Bridge?   It seems a  some times we spend  so much time defining  who belongs. On either side of the river that we forget  there can be many ways to build bridges instead.  Bridges allow people to share talent and gifts of social joy. To people  in nearby states, across the border, or maybe just across town.  The solution to something that needs to happen may be just on the other side of the  river  and if we have the courage to build and maintain the b ridge who knows what might be created?  Bridges respect the  water that  holds us apart, but presents opportunities to select the times when our divisions may be set aside to explore mutually  beneficial  connections.   

In short bridges are worth building because they. Create choice and chances.  As we are isolated a bit, we can  take some time to build social bridges and strengthen  some  that have been falling down a bit.  We. Can build a good bridge  so that  the Red Hot Chili Peppers can be “under” it or so that  it becomes Simon and Garfunkel’s Bridge Over Troubled Waters.   

So in seeking peace and joy take a minute to cover bridges—pun intended—and know that they are a valuable  building block to finding peace and joy... 

I am writing this on a “Thank You. Thursday because I  have used the bridges built by others and hope to commit some times to building  some myself.    

Put a new spin on a new day

NEW DAYS AHEAD

Wait a minute....this is Michigan...and only a couple miles  south of Canada.  It’s 5:47. AM  and it’s  nearly 80 degrees?  Now there are only a few days  in the year when the red streak in the thermometer sniffs the 9 (or in Canada 33 Celsius.   since the border largely remains closed the Celsius  conversion is not needed.  

So I’m getting some walking “laps in early—just before  sun up.  Now  I could call this  “Ilumination Moment  or Earth SPin to Light and be more accurate because the saun doesn’t rise nor does the Earth  fall.  Why  am I wasting words on this distinction and what does that have. To do with. Peace and joy?  

we have known for. Quite some time the sun doesn’t. Rise or set and yet we  still talk, think, and act like it does.  Moist folks. Watch the sun cross the sky at believe it is moving when  relatively we here on the big blue marble are the ones doing the moving.  It’s a matter of mindset.

You see... sometimes we find ourselves in situations where we don’t see  much peace and  joy possible.  The sun isn’t going to rise. For a while so to speak.... I’m wondering  if we then. Might not have more success  if we spin ourselves a little slower or faster or wobble a little in one direction or another to  make  the sun appear to  rise for us?  It seems  if we could alter our frame of reference just a bit the sun could shine far more often.   

so today is a good day to sweat and sweating is a good way to. Make your body  healthier in most cases.  Although it shouldn’t. Be this warm this early in the morning we should always remember that it’s five o’clock somewher—:) 

Well it’s lap 7–Oh goodness!!! What’s that  ball of fire and light doing in my eyes must  be “sky Lighting Earth Spin for  MaY 26TH—

HAVE A GREAT RIDE.

A new path to Peace And Joy?

A NEW PATH TO PEACE AND JOY

Well it’s a holiday weekend and  so far it’s off to a good start as I recently. Finished my  morning  walk.  Until  just a few days ago I restricted my morning stroll to  the outline of my corner yard which is about 120 yards per “lap.”  On the last few days, however, I have decided  to turn right at the corner and head  up Oak street.  I bet your town has an “oak” street or some town you spend a lot of time in does.  I’m not sure why we name streets after trees.  You know if you are new. To a town it doesn’t help you  at all to come across  “oak” street.  You don’t know if Elm St.  or Pine Grove or Maple Street will be next.  If you are on 3rd Street you can make a wild guess that. 4th or 2nd  will be next.  Why trees?  Why not  clothing?  You could start with  hat street and work your way right. Down to Nike Boulevard.  

Anyway I’m walking up  or out Oak  and passing  15th, 16th, etc all the way to 27th.  Now just after 27th the sidewalk ends at a somewhat empty lot and to date the grass is high and there is no path to the next  street whatever that may be.  On the first day I simply turned around and  walked back home.  Then I started wondering why no one had worn a path along the road?  About  three blocks from home I had a thought.  Why is it there is no path?  Well because. I didn’t start one of course.  Well, I’m not foolish enough to think that one person can build a great path in  one day, however, one person can start a path, so for the past. Two days I’ve been walking  about 20 feet into the grass and back a couple  times mashingdown the grass.  Am I going to. The next street?  Not yet, but I might.  for. Now I’m just suggesting  a path and I’ll keep working on it.  Others may  follow and add to it or it may stay my own  path which  I suspect  in life is pretty much okay as long as I’m focused on a purpose even if that purpose is only to explore the limits of my path making skills.  Tomorrow  I’m going to take a picture of the  beginning of a path just to keep track because.humans keep track of things—I mean how many of your  parents marked your growth on a wall or door frame as you grew up?   

Seeking Peace and joy seems to  be related to  starting a new path or. Joining. Some folks on. One that is sometimes less traveled.  

Now speaking of paths, I need to mow a path through  my side yard so I’m  heading out of this entry soon.  I do have one final thought.  

If I ever get on a streets committee I’ll have some suggestions.  For example, all streets that have. Some sort of  economic  related terms in them will be dead ends.  Any street. That has the name “court” in it will actually haveto have a courthouse on it or  have a basketball or tennis court open to the public.  All schools should  be placed at the cornier of  “Ignorance Avenue and Inspiration Trail or Wisdome Way.  Street names in general should be positive.  How about if you. We’re in a new city and  you saw. Names in this order.  Hope Street—charity Circle—Kindness Court—and of course PEACE AND JOY PARKWAY?

And with that I’ve got to hit the road Jack 

Do you know what I mean some lyrics and some comments smile

The Choice is Ours (and Mine)—The Pandemic Building Blocks

Well the world spins in a wobbly spiral

COVID -19  well it’s gone viral

So we can’t haunt the same old places

See all the familiar faces

Some valued  routines? Many they have failed

the normal ship well it has sailed

Some will thrive some will be frozen

As light shines on the paths we’ve chosen 

Chorus

As we explore new social distance

Will we accept acceptance and resist resistance? seek  acceptance  find some  resistance

Will we smile more or shall we swear?

Will your neighbors know that you still care?are

You’ll find some strength and yet. Feel strange

Become  aware of. How you’ll change

Let the past just pass  let today begin 

Get to know the glow each  holds within

Chorus

We have some time we can’t refuse it

We have a choice how will we use it?

Will  we choose to stay asleep  or come awake

Learn to give or take and take

The Choice is ours

The choice is ours

The choice is ours

The Choice it’s ours

These are more or less the lyrics to the song that was yesterday’s post.  I have had an occasional complaint that. My lyrics don’t. Exactly match  the words I sing—well I’d like to say that the music moves. Me to create on the fly or I’m changing the pace of the  song so the words  need to fit differently, however, truth be told.my minds drifts as I list3en rot the astounds xcoming from the guitar and sometimes I just plain forget.  

Also as long as I’m going there....

 A few people in the past have graciously pointed out I have a lot of spelling and grammar  issues in  this blog.  well I write as the spirit moves me and help to convey.thoughts and invite ideas.  I’ve never been one to criticize anyone’s English as along as  the idea comes crying through.  Why do I take this view?

I’ve read parts of a dictionary.  I’ll invite you to start at the top of any page and read. it out loud to your  kids or friends or in a romantic  way to your sweetheart.  How do you think that’s going to. Bo?  None of ther words on those pages are spelled wrong and the punctuation is perfect.  Yet there’s no plot, no message, it doesn’t even have a beat and you can’t dance to it.  It provides some meanings that fall outsider the confines of a narrative.  However, let’s take the word computer.  Nearly all of us know what a computer is... and yet in 1952, the entry in the dictionary.defines the term as “one who computes.” 

So you say... it’s not the individual words that bring meaning—Bingo!  And so it is with seeking peace and joy...it’s. Not the individual quest that matters.  As we move out of pandemic mode, look to how your connections to others may need modified, rekindled, or allowed to fall away.  Be willing to stay awake.  

And at the risk of putting you to sleep I’ll wrap this up

Peace and Joy   

Pandemic choices the musical

Just click the link below the picture lyrics will come tomorrow :-)g

https://youtu.be/MWB1fnxzyj0 

Back to normal on a Crumby Day

A “Crumby” Morning

Well it’s Monday and I woke up with. A toothache that  has lingered on from. The weekend.  Given the current status of our health situation, the dentist’s.offices are not  generally open so it’s going to be a bad deal for a while.  It has been raining for  a couple days straight and  will be doing  so all day.  When the rain stops I’ll need to mow the grass again, however , my new mower is not  working properly so it will likely need  repaired, and it’s likely the bureaucracy needed to get the thing fixed under warranty would take till such time as small children and snow white’s dwarfs could easily  get swallowed up by  my lawn.  

On the news (I rarely watch it anymore) there is a great  cry too what is needed to get  us “back to normal.”  That tells me other people arenm’t having the best morning  either.  Yet,  I did smile internally knowing my tooth will be fixed and my mower will cut grass long before  we ever. Get “back to normal.”  How do I know?  That’s simple—we aren’t going “back” to normal or anything else.  It’s seems  many people would like to try the Hansel  and Gretel play of following bread “crumbs” back to more familiar. Places.  Life however moves. Only in one direction—forward and Normal?  Normal changes. Over time and depends on some  strange combination of ritual and power.  Normal is something declared by those who.fear change or actively fight.against it.  I have heard  people talk. About how things used to be and how some folks. Want that again.  Well go ahead tear out. Your indoor plumbing, disconnect your electricity, give your microwave, computer, and HD Tv to Goodwill because if you wangle to go back—well  go for it.  DOh and while you are at it be prepared to walk mud streets covered in horse droppings and an occasional dead horse.  

Oh and not to beat a dead horse....so to speak... is I normal the same for everyone?  How  can we go back to a place that isn’t ther same for. Everyone?  Can you use the same  trail of bread crumbs to  find your way to hundreds and thousands of destinations?  

Maybe people would feel better. If they could use some familiar routines.  That’s not getting back to normal—it’s getting back to an illusion of controlHuman beings often mistake “normal” for control.  What if we didn’t need sat much control?  Seeking peace and joy requires some experiements and outcomes  are not to be controlled.  Giving up control does not mean giving up resaponsibility it simply means accepting  things as they evolve verses working hard to jam every.round peg into a square.hole.  If we weren’t so  invested in  normal/control then maybe we wouldn’t  need so many crumbs—however and Carlin used to remind us ‘crumbs are. Remarkable things—when you break. One in two you don’t have two half crumbs you have two crumbs”.  

Normal is also about  fear.  We want to  do the familiar becausae we aren’t afraid of the mountains we’ve already  traversed.  However, I see dong new things as  creating new. Knowledge and I SUSPECT ALL WISAE PEOPLE HAVE SOME  KNOWLEDGE OF FEAR—BUT  IT IS WEORTH WORKING. NOT TO HAVE A FEAR  OF KNOWLEDGE.  

In short, today may not be perfect.  Yet, I will not  hope for  getting “back to normal,” when discovery is to be had.

Ready set Go

New scientific facts about reincarnation reveal

Reincarnation For The 21st Century

In my previous post I mentioned that  generally I do not  believe in reincarnation.  I did point out.  At least one  exception.  Today I’ll bring in a few more and  perhaps bring in a way I can  reframe the concept so I not only believe in it, I might just promote it!

Let’s start with the known exceptions.  

exception 1–The socks. That go missing in the laundry

Since the debut of mechanical washing and drying  equipment socks seem to have taken on the mystical ability to disappear without a trace.  At first millions of world.citizens checked. All around their equipment, sternly examined the lint filter, used  native trackers to follow the path from foot to  Maytag and back and have to this day not been able to discover how the disappearnaces take place  or where the other purple sock with the orange trim went.  After reviewing  the laws of nature, most notably  the laws linked to the conservation of matter it was time to accept that these socks had, in fact, been transformed into  another substance.  Now given there were no obvious nuclear reactions involved, I determined that the transformation was taking place at a relatively low spot on the universal spectrum—or. Said more simply a sock wasn’t turning into  a 64-bit processor or a solid state mother board.  So what seemed to be appearing without  a great deal of energy and without adding much of material value to the household?  the dust bunnies under the couch were the first possibility,however the same were mostly composed of dog hair, bits of tissue and some undetermined  materials, none of which  appeared to  be substantial enough to account for a sock’s worth of matter.  In the past we have had empty milk containers show up as if they were just  being produced by the fridge, however, it was determined that  people were simply too lazy to throw  the silly things out after using the last drop.  finally, one day there was some left over chili that would make a great. Coney dog the next day and I searched the cupboard for a small Tupperware container.  I found the container and  reached in for the lid.  Well this turned into a Goldilocks on steroids endeavor.  This lid was too big.  This lids was too small.  this lid was square.  This lid  was cracked etc...but NO LID WAS JUST RIGHT!  so I looked for a  diffferent. Container.  I quickly realized that most of the lids fir absolutely no container we had in the house and perhaps no container still available in the United States or Canada.  The conclusion was evident.  ALL LOST SOCKS ARE BEING REINCARNATED INTO  THE TUPPERWARE LIDS THAT DON’T FIT ANYTHING.

Exception Two

All former Disco albums  are being reincarnated. Into the Oil Spots found in parking lots and on driveways

Applying the same principles of discovery. Highlighted above, I observed that while millions of  Donna Summers” Hot Stguff and Macho Man from the Village People  made there way into. The world, they have vanished.  Now Nanak records  which were once petroleum  that came from  dying Dino’s and such, they eventually were scant aside  by their  owners with  leisure suits and the like.  a good number of the same things were eventually recycled into  motor oil that was needed to keep our cars running.  However,  these oil products still had some rhythm in them so when the car stopped the just “let the beat go on” and eventually found the microscopic  cracks in  your crank case or another  small flaw in your  auto mobile and then they hit the  ground.  

Exception Three—

Reincarnation  of Old Exercise Equipment

If you still doubt that some forms of  reincarnation do not  exist visit nearly Every home in middle suburbia. And you will find that delicate sweater  draped across the slightly dusty treadmill or exercise bike close to the wall in the basement.  Obviously this equipment will become a washer or dryer when the materials from it are eventually  melted down to make  the new household items.  They are practicing self-reincarnation before our very eyes.  Some will be washers—some dryers—and some will Go straight to the Nirvana. Of being a clothesa line pole.  

Well these are the exceptions found in nature so far.  Yet, are these the only  members of the species?  Slightly  reframing the concept leads me to think otherwise.  

What if  reincarnation  is not a process that is determined by some universal religious translator code where Uncle George winds up. As a sacred cow and your friend  Mary becomes a gold fish at the carnival?  What if  instead someone. Is inspired  by poetry enough times that they attempt some and  change from an underwriter  into a songwriter?  What if Someone falls ill and decides that their life is too valuable to  waltz through expecting a purpose to come along and instead becomes a model of thinking and exploring social change?  Are the same people reborn?  do they  change the situations of all they. Encounter moving forward?  What if an observer. Of knowledge and wisdom (a consumer) decideas to. Become a teacher or a sharer of wisdom or decides that there  is a need to ask the right questions that equals or exceeds the need to give the right answers?  You see I know some of these people—-and they have led to a radical  and valuable  change in my spirit and I try to share this  search for peace and joy as my contribution of the pile. Of gifts that.these people somehow brought to my doorstep or to the barstool  next to me.  

DIf this is reincarnation—then  I think it’s worth a whirl...let’s pay attention to see what opportunities  for it exists and can be  promoted.  

In short they’re are. My thoughts and since I want you to come back tomorrow as a reader of this..I’d better  not push Karma 

Peace.

Thank you Thursday thank you for my trip

Thank You Thursday takes a Trip

Last week I took a trip from. Michigan to Iowa.  Where in Michigan?  Well if you know that Michigan  below the UP is basically the shape of a hand, then  when I say I left from the base of the thumb you’ll have a pretty good idea.  There in Iowa/. To the first capitol  city of Iowa, the home of the first public library  west of the Mississippi, and most importantly the place where they have removed transfats from  potato chips a and  revamped the formula enough to that they. Still  taste like they are a disgustingly tasty  food  product—Sterzing’s  potato chips.  Need  more clues?  It’s a River City known for Steamboat Days, (shameless plugs coming .. (being the former  locality of Sutter Drug where Sutter soda Satisfies and if you haven’t. Figured it out yet “BURLINGTON by the BOOK.”

Most the trip was. A train ride where Amtrack did a wonderful  job.  Social distancing and cleaning policies were great, t.  The staff was  well trained and even though some routes continue to experience COVID- 19 woes, my travel was on time and  pleasant.  However, I didn’t write this to  talk about riding the rails or the endpoints of my journey.   The thanks I want to give is for the experiences  I had and didn’t have.  

I want to focus on three  types of things I experienced.  The first is the aging process.  I am grateful that both my parents. Still walk the planet.  Logic would suggest that  this truth  has a limited clock at this point.  I don’t believe  much in reincarnation EXCEPT I AM 100% CERTAIN THAT  THE SOCKS YOU LOSE IN THE LAUNDRY COME BACK AS TUPPERWARE LIDS THAT DON’T FIT ANY CONTAINERS IN YOUR CUPBOARD—-therefore my chances to see them in  this world are getting limited.  They shared some good stories and opinions—it’s not hard to  get the  opinions—go figure.  I saw some of my extended family and  people  I knew in high school.  A couple of these people have  grown into  spectacular  human beings and a few...well let’s just say if their lives a were. A building their elevator doesn’t  quite reach the  top.  

In short I am thankful to be able to  connect with and observe familiar places and people.  

Second I am thankful I had time to reflect briefly on my current purposes as the pandemic has delayed progress of many towards theirs.  It was a bit difficult watching some folks struggle with  being forced to be more flexible and accepting of change.  Don’t get me  wrong, I’m no slot machine  when it comes to taking change over and over again.  It is, however, much  simpler if. You look at  change as an opportunity to become aware, stay aware, and experiment with new behaviors a and beliefs.   I am thankful. To have come across  wise people who have shown the value in change and  the people i was in  contact. With last.week reminded me. About that.

Finally, I had the best set of conversations over the course of the week.  I am wondering if this is “pandemic” related. For some of the people I was in contact them as they  really couldn’t talk about the surface things like. Work, the weather, and the latest inch sports of chain restaurant dining?  anyway I am thankful to all who sahared their thoughts in a genuine way.  The experience of these. Talks always  leads me in a state of promise  in the journey to seek peace and joy.  

All of these things has. Helped me to  wonder how to develop some of this attitude “post-pandemic”.and how to remain  openly appreciative of those who share  of their time and curiosity?

Well while I don’t. Buy the reincarnation. Thing..I am going away and I hope I come back as a better person tomorrow... where I’m. Going to continue  on the topic of reincarnation...just for the fun of it.

Till then it’s time for me to. Get moving again... peace and joy. 

Plant a Lot of Seeds

PLANT A LOT OF SEEDS AND PEACE ANd JOY WILL GROW

It’s  the beginning of May—not 2020—more like 1790 and twig pops through the top soil.  Now that twig  was a seed last year and fell from  a tree where the branches and leaves finally matured enough to produce it just a couple years after we had a shiny new constitution.  Well the little twig made it’s way to the status of “sapling” but I don’t think oak trees are saplings because. There is no oak syrup that I know of except for the whiskey that gets aged in. Oak barrels.  That’s a topic for a different  entry or at least  whiskey isn’t needed for this part of the story.  Years pass and the little oak tree—let’s call him Jack.  Why Jack?  Well Herbert or Eugene don’t seem like good names for pioneer. Oak trees.  Now let’s  say that Jack the seed wanted to find a good home someday and be a useful  part of the world.  Jack kept growing every year adding a  leaf here and a branch there and having one more  layer grow on that  marked another year of experiences.  Jack really didn’t feel like he had too much control over things.  He couldn’t control the weather  or the forest where he grew up and he really couldn’t dictate his neighbors the elms and the walnut trees.  Yet he held on to the idea of being useful.  He kept adding. Layers and leaves for years and years —-about  80 and then two big animals with a very nasty metal thing started hurting him way down low and since Jack was all rooted into the ground and  his branches were so far away from the ground Jack just had to sit there until the  men finished  there handy work.  Next Jack knew he was floating down a river with a bunch of other  trees that had met a similar fate.  The next few days wwere a nightmare that Jack has long tried to forget because it involved sharp metal and pieces getting twisted and moved here and there.  finally  jack laid on a dusty floor where pieces were picked up and shaped  and smoothed.  And six months after Jack had been so rudely  uprooted. One of those human animals was making him into a circle and also forming a. Trunk-like thing he thought someone had called a pedi stool .  

Well... these  pieces  got fashioned together  into something  called a “round oak  table and this table thing made it’s way to a little  house on the very edge of West  Burlington and stayed there for years and  years and Jack was happy to have become a useful thing after all these years.  Now some 160 years later I’m sitting  here with my iPad telling you about Jack because the iPad is sitting on Jack and  helping me think about peace and joy and the experiences. That one might seek.  Jack needed to be patient to become  such a valued part of the lives of many.  Jack had to sacrifice quite a bit.  However, on the other hand Jack has become part of the memories of  folks and  will keep. On being the part of these stories now for as long as the  internet keeps this blog.  When  you consider  how the planting or accidental sprouting of one seed has changed the lives of so many for so long, I can’t help but feel like planting seeds is always a good way to  ensure  peace and joy.  Jack didn’t kn ow he was going to be a semi formal dining table.  He could have been a  buggy bench for a horse-drawn carriage and  by now would have probably  been dragged out of the barn and thrown on a bon fire celebrating the  end of harvest or maybe in the cold winter of 31 Jack may have  been broken up for firewood because times were tough.   The point is not that Jack became something better.  The point is Jack didn’t  focus on anything but being helpful and useful to others.  My Mom just pointed out that Jack  is a little cracked after all these years.  To this I answered—Aren’t we all?”  

To summarize plant a lot of seeds in the form of ideas and actions and know that some will  happen  and grow in ways you couldn’t imagine.  With  each seed you plant, know that you are giving the world more choices and both you and the person or project you planted the seed for  will grow.  

So think peaceful thoughts and make these thoughts known to people so that  we all can enjoy the benefits next year...or 10 years or 100 years from now.   

Someone may take your seed and make a table...or a baseball bat that cuts through the air and rips a game-winning hit into the ivy.  

It is incredibly important. That you plant seeds in the right types of soil and you will have to expect that from time to time there will be a spot of rock salt altered  ground in the most unexpected of places.  Of course you will have to be  aware and patient because a seed like Jack can take up to 1000 years to grow in some places and  will in return  leave 10 million  more seeds (acorns) out there.  (Remember that your puppies  shouldn’t eat them as they are toxic to  dogs.) 

Well ... speaking of growing...I’m growing hungry and tired so it’s a nap and then off to lunch... That. Begin the case it’s time for me to make like a  tree and leave.  

The beautiful truth about writers block

Writer’s  Block through Different Lenses

 The “blank screen” provided  a fruitful topic for the previous entry.  One of my. Friends  mentioned that I had unique take on “writer’s block.”  Well for the sake of truth, I could have just accepted the  compliment and moved on, however no—no—no—not me.  I don’t believe in writier’s bl;oak.  Now this pause in writing  is not about writing it’s about thinking so let’s start calling it what it is—-thinker’s  block.  So let’s start there... 

If you simply need to get unstuck maybe one of these two  or three methods might help.  Even if they give you nothing to write they might. Create a little. Calm peaceful spot where you have some3 relaxed simplified attention and so that’s a winner automatically.

First reframe—-Writer’s block is not about writing. And it is about thinking.  Now  if you are looking at the blank page and thinking you have writier’s block I’ll invite you to take one or two alternate  views of your situation.  The first is  this.... are you ready to write what you expect you should be writing?  You see writer’s block is not about what you are writing, it is you thinking about what you should  be writing or should have been writing.  If we think about eating all afternoon but dopn’tactually eat till dinner time we don’t get all upset about having “snacker’s block,” or if we think about going to the mall while we are watching. Television and don’t leave till  the show is over, we don’t have  ‘shoppers block.”  So there’s one way to  redefine things.  

a second way is  to just start writing—however don’t just freelance away to get the juices flowing.  That may or may not  give you words toward goal so to speak.  Instead, if you are. Wanting to write about  a character such as a cook start by getting out your microscope or telescope.  Let’s start with the telescope.  Let’s say. The cook is baking bread start by saying something like.  Tom (the Baker can’t seem to put the finishing touches on the 14th. Loaf of bread he’s. Made today.  He is using the finest wheat from the flat golden wheat fields of Kansas, a wheat gfield that has been there since  the days when places west of Missouri was  the great frontier, a place where the dust bowl nearly  crushed a third of our country.  Have Tom stinking about given how far this bread has come already over time and space he only has to carry it a little further.  Or you could start from the perspective of a grain of wheat that made it’s way  through the harvest process to the mill and became the flour that is now  on the edge of  the table waiting to be folded into  this loaf of bread that will be. Served at the Weinstein birthday party.  You have then looked at  the task. In two distinct ways giving two very different ways of bringing you to the point in time and space and thus presale ting alternate  contexts for what is happening and what happens.  

Yet another option is reversing time so start with the Weinstein’s dog  sitting in  the yard eating the crust of. The 14th loaf of bread from last night’s party and following it back to  the baker using the last of this special flour, baking the loaf precisely and wrapping it in clear plastic.  In short  manipulate the. Scene so that you are writing from the perspective of. The bread and giving it a past that connects with the purpose of what the baker is doing.  You can deliver a powerful message as  the baker did not bake this bread for a dog but many things in the baker’s life might be turning out to. That end these days.  Or the party might have been a big waste of  glitz...who knows, however the number of perspectives you can  create by shifting the time slightly and temporarily is a beautiful thing and it mirrors how we often  come upon memories in our minds.  

Finally you can turn your block into a twist in the story by creating a block character.  What is that?  W2ell it’s a character that experiences in the story what you are experiencing while trying to. Write about the event (real or fictional.). If you can’t  come up with a full character use the angel on one shoulder and the devil on the other  metaphor.  In short bring the block into the public eye because being  stuck loves to hammer away on the person who is feeling alone with the struggle.  Shine some light on the issue and make it a sign of progress.  

Oh what does this have to do with seeking peace and joy?   

Well some of our hardest.times come when we  feel stuck without a clear sense of options.  If we microscope or telescope  our situation we. Often find a starting. Placer two  change our response and restart actions and sometimes even shifting our purpose for action.   If we temporarily leap in time we sometimes  see thenext step or choices of steps forward or we realize that we are not stuck because we don’t  know our choices, we are stuck because we believe  we control all the results and we don’t like  what we imagine  we controll. When we recognize it as a control thing  sometimes we recognize we don’t want the responsibility linked with our choices,however  not acting holds it’s own responsibilities.  Finally seeking  peace and joy almost always means respecting. The various  values  and lenses through which we  look at any one  situation.  If we admit that we  are stuck because we can’t choose the set of lenses we are going to use for some part of life, from time to time we will also realize there are good points to either way we go with a decision.  It’s like having a job to do and  only being able to take a limited number of tools to the job site.  Most the time you will be just fine and you can use your  other possible  choices not as something that  gnaws  on you. But a free back up plan and if back up plans is something you  like then your stuck ness has served you well and hasn’t defined you as  not able to move ahead successfully.   

In short use the block as a chance to change lenses and then it becomes  part of the progress needed to  approach your purpose.  In short  writer’s blocks become building blocks.  You can let them stand in front of. You or  you can climb them and take a look around in life, experiment, explore and exercise curiousity.  

When you can honor curiosity  then seeking peace and joy can grow in your life space.  

Okay it se3ems I’ve had  personal grooming block for a day or two and  it’s time for me to.  Stop writing and start that....TMI yes... have a thankful Thursday  

Does your mind go blank well that’s OK

BLANK SCREEN

Well i was  going to write out this hilarious conversation between my favorite hats.  You see like many folks Iwear a lot of hats (have a lot of roles) and some of them are quite unique.  For example, there is my purple top hat it was worn at my friend’s celebration of life and my two  St. Patrick’s Day top hats and my Cheesehead Tophat  There is my  plastic crown with one missing jewel, my ship’s captain’s  hat, two Christmas hats-one of which is 21 years old.  I have. A great variety of  other hats and I was going to k publish the debate about which one is the favorite given we are in a time when. People. Have traded in some of their hats or are not using some of them in the same way they did a few months back.  

Unfortunately I sat down and saw this blank screen and my thoughts went elsewhere.  instead of getting upset I decided to follow the blank screen to see where it may lead.  

It seems that in seeking peace and joy sometimes you have to let your screen go blank.  Sometimes you have to lay down all the past and your expectations and just  live for what is going on right now.  Anticipating  rough times sets you up for them and creates a defensive posture instead of a curious one.  Looking at today through the cracked lenses of yesterday isn’t particularly accurate or helpful.  So coming across a blank screen and holding there a moment may not be such a bad thing.  Blank screens will come along without working too hard to  create them, however, sometimes meditation or prayer or singing a song and not holding  your voice back will prompt the blank screen.  The key it seems is embracing the blank screen  and not doing  something/anything immediately to fill it up.  

Today the blank screen helped me define just how motivated I needed to be to. Write this blog and how hard it was. To put down the mediocre. Entry I promised to admit that I wasn’t feeling it—I didn’t have my “hat” Hat on today so to speak.  Instead I took a breath and adopted the Wabi-Sabi stance that the hat piece wasn’t set in stone and. That I needed to accept that my plan for it to be that was was not. Perfect.  As quickly as I. Let that go, peace and joy snuck in and the inspiration for this  commentary about the need to encounter and embrace  the blank screen was emerging clearly.  So for me it is important to honor the blank  screen as a plus as long as I know I wil move. From it.  

Well the next time you encounter a question that has you baffled completely or a situation that seems  impossible let it be the blank screen.  Dismiss the history that brought you there and free the anticipation and expectations long enough  so that you can create atruckload of unjudged options.  

So did I abandon my hats altogether?  

No, and here’s  a poem about hats inspired by my brother...you know if you say inspired you don’t have to say I stole. Some of this LoL

you see I have some real fine hair

So I often place. A hat up  there

To keep the sunshine off my head But I’m not a lady who wears the red

I have top. Hats that were made to please 

One purple and one looks like cheese

I have Christmas. Hats worn most by elves and

Too many caps for. All my shelves

Which  is the best?  I can only grin IFor they keep. Rain out and my brain in

To judge them Ijust don’t  know  how

So the favorite one is  what I wear right now.  

May you always. Have the  fortune to choose the hats you wear and. When to let some  go...

More  in a day or two....

The next voice you hear may be your own

SOMETHING TO WRAP YOUR HEAD AROUND—OR WRAP AROUND YOUR HEAD

One day last week I sat down and did this funky little  exercise.  At 1Pm I wrote down the thought I had  30 seconds  before or at least the last whole thought I remember which was “I’m  disgusted that someone thinks they impress people by  going as fast as they. Can for the 6 blocks  between stop lights on Oak Street .  Then I set an alarm  for 20 minutes and went about my business.  When  the alarm went off I wrote down. Every thought I could remember having in that 20 minutes and then sort of identified  what the message those thoughts was either.screaming at me or what belief they were  emerging from.  A list of all the thoughts here would  be rather boring—maybe—-let’s  just summarize for efficiency’s sake.  I was listening to a couple of podcasts.  The first was about  baseball and the three thoughts that emerged were how much I missed the daily story of each game that is usually  in full swing by this time in the year.  Then I thought that a shorter season would probably help  my Chicago Cubs and their old pitching ace.  Then I thought well maybe a whole year without baseball  would make this whole. Social event called  COVID 19 really stick with me for the rest of my life.  So then I wondered how long that would be.  I don’t think about that very often...I mean I do think about  how special life is and I do know that. It is finite in length, but I don’t try to calculate  how much time I have left.  So that was about 10 seconds worth of thoughts.  I also thought that  tomorrow I shouldn’t eat hot dogs so early in the day even if  that did constitute lunch and they were  inexpensive.  Then it was. Time  for “Webster’s Word of the day”. There’s that stupid car again. Oh I missed the word but I’m not going to rewind today... there will be a new word tomorrow.  I couldn’t hear the word because I only had one ear piece of my headphones (Apple wired earbuds) in So I started to think about  that and that’s what prompted today.

You see I own all kinds of things that make noise and all kinds of things to listen to those things.  Right now I have a pair of. Traditional sony (cheap but  fairly rich sounding over the ear headphones, two “music man little Bluetooth  minispeakers. They are cute little  Plastic/rubber robotic looking. Men that have a surprisingly good sound and  also function  as a microphone if you hold down a little button on it’s back.  Conceivably you can answer your phone  with one but I think I’d feel really strange talking to one of the riser little  dudes.  I have a pair of wired Bluetooth ear buds that only one ear functions on, but I wear them on walks sometimes because I can hear traffic better.  I have a barrel shaped Bluetooth speaker that is about  two inches tall and round and it really kicks butt for it’s size.  The charge doesn’t last as long as it once did, however it’s good for  an hour or so if it’s not plugged in.  There is my Bud Light  Cooler/blue tooth speakers combo that sounds really good and  the speaker time is probably over an hourk when fully charged You can also plus the cooler directly into a sound  source so  with a chord or two it could go all day.   Finally, most recently I bought a new pair of noise cancelling Bluetooth over the ear headphones.  They are really nice.  The charge lasts up to 30 hours of playing time and I have pushed them past 24 a couple of times. I din’t think noise cancelling  features on headphones were that. Big of a deal until I had these.  When  the audio signal coming in is only what the headphones are  linked to then there are only  two sources of input to my thinking processes—the music and my thoughts.  In the past week I have listened pretty regularly to  those thoughts  and here are the ones that  sing the loudest when it comes to peace. And joy.  

First, for about  six months I have listened to podcasts about. History and writing and some sports first thing in the morning.  However the other day I listened to music for the first. Few minutes of my day and found. That I felt way  more peaceful.  After meditation and stretching it’s music from now on.  second, when wearing my headphones I tend to be far more selective about. Where I focus my attention.  This leads me to wonder if I let my attention drift the rest of the time until something catches it, and if so, is that okay or do I nee3d to be more intentional with my listening.  Lord knows every time I hear  about the economic. Impact of the pandemic I get a little angry and probably. Need to shift my attention to seeking creative ways to bring meaning to life  for myself and others. That is not tied to the pocket book.  third, except when I’m wearing the noise cancelling  phones people around here know I  am aware of being talked to and except when the volume is very loud they kare welcome to interrupt my listening.... I think it is important for people. To know that you are willing to listen and learn at all times.  I wonder if wearing. Headphones sometimes  prevents people from  sharing with me so I’m going to. Be more aware of the public symbol that some of my choices project.  

These are thoughts  that came to mind while thinking about  headphones and other listening devices.  Somehow I can’t  help but thinking about hearing  from a first grade nun that students had two ears and only one mouth for a reason.  Next I  can’t help. But think I can control the  first and last things  my headphones bring reach day and I can also probably  do the same for the last  things I say and. The last things  I may think and maybe seeking peace and joy would be a different journey if I paid a little. More attention to these edge of the day experiences.  I mean prayer and meditation are great, but if Ifocus more. When Ihave my headphones plugged in could I build on these experiences?

To sum up....choose  wisely when figuring out  where the external and the internal  sounds that roll through your mind come from.  Rest assured that. All of your thoughts will never stay focused for too long and that  tracking the stream can sometimes provide insights.  Be amazed at how diverse and quick the thoughts flow if you don’t judge. Them.  Be thankful for the variety of sounds and thoughts your mind and soul are capable of hearing if you listen.  Also  if the messages you hear sound the same day after day after day maybe you need to change your  headphones and sometimes noise cancelling  is a good choice.  —-Quick.what was the last thought you had before reading this?