Too Much Totality Time for Reflection

 Is Too Much Totality a Bad Thing?

Well several of our neighborhood folksier standing out in the yard modeling those cool glasses or standing with their head in a cardboard box and it wasn’t even a party where we had free flowing spirits or anything.  It was, of course, the eclipse.  Now, like many fishing stories this eclipse  will have been the most awesome event ever in a few years with people claiming that they were in the path of the “totality” even if it was a cloudy day and let’s say the moon blocked about 80% of the sun and the clouds came in to handle the rest.

People will swear birds were flying backwards, crickets were chirping out FreeBird”, and several Catholic nuns were found to be with child.  Now, we might dispute these “facts”, however, folks will. Tell these stories because let’s fact it how often do we get to use the word “totality?”  Oh, and these stories will. Be told because most humans have a healthy sense of and need for belonging.  

Belonging is important, however some people. Would like to claim they don’t need anybody else.   Well… every now and then there are some individuals who seem to know everything and know how to do everything for themselves or at least they think so.  It seems that we might ask such folks if they’d like to do some do-it-yourself dentistry or a prostate exam or open heart surgery or maybe a circumcision?

So perhaps we can settle on the idea that most of us need some belonging.   Yet, it seems like a lot of our social discourse  including seeking jobs and sharing  governing ideas is set up  to divide and exclude.  In seeking peace and joy there will be moments of solitude and reflection, however maybe. The first step could be inquiry about similar goals, similar paths, and maybe differences could be not a reason for reflection, but a chance to recognize other people may hold the ideas and skills needed to bring a team’s effort to a better place on the journey to meeting goals. Maybe we can help each other seek some peace and spread and share some joy?  

Well this post is separating you from some time you could use to connect with others so let’s wrap it up with  a couple of Poetic  or pathetic  efforts about  belonging and connection.

First the  limerick

I know your opinions are strong

But maybe just one may be wrong?

And if they’re about

Keeping most others out

I just might not want to belong!

…and here’s an eight-liner to wrap thing up.

Who needs one more rejection?

To reach goals it means selection

Have to meet the right connection

Hope to pass the first inspection

Perhaps have the right injection

Prove you don’t have some infection

Sign a form for tax collection

Then be judge against perfection?

One final ECLIPSE note

So…

Every story has been spun

Cars and busses on the run 

Lodging options cost a ton

In places where there’s next to none

Parking lots won’t be much fun

So get there early everyone

Enjoy the astrophysics fun

Salute the Moon  it’s Good-bye Sun???? 

 

Something’s Got To Change..Right?

 

Fears abound there is a heap

We have heard the cliff is steep

We’re often told to fail’s not cheap

Dreams are only for your sleep

Just to the edge so many creep

Some however sprint and leap

And learn they hold some magic deep

That opens moments hearts will keep

I Think Therefore I am - Not Sure Where the Easter Bunny Lives?

 Where Does the Easter Bunny Go?

Today is the birthday of Rene Descartes the famous  philosopher who invented the need for graph paper so that we could  draw an x and a y axis and then plot some points which conveniently  are called Cartesian coordinates.  We then draw a line between these points, do a little subtraction and division, and come up with a slope and then like magic we could use a hybrid of geometry and algebra to figure out where some other points may wind up.  So thanks dude for giving us the math to send people to the moon and also for. Adding countless chapters to our books in high school if not a whole extra year.

This math mess was a big contribution to science and tech, however this deep thinker is better known for coming up with the great idea for a t-shirt with that sculpture of “the thinker” on it.. the shirt reads.. “I think therefore I am”.   There are of course a lot of modifications from this root.  One well known example is “I drink therefore I am—drunk”  

This proclamation was born from asking one of the basic questions that humans seem to wrestle with.  

How do we know we exist?  Good question.  Until we get that answer what’s the point in wondering what we are supposed to do now that we know we exist?

Well this blog would say.. that’s simple Seek Peace and Joy in all things and to do this you can read about 700 more entries.  Or… you can follow the golden rule.. or you can serve somebody and understand that the universe is larger than you and there are all kinds of things that can be done to fill all sorts of purposes and as long as you are seeking with the idea that it isn’t all about you..life will be okay most the time.  

However, we don’t have to tackle all of that stuff today.  There are other pondering that float across the sky that might be a little easier.  Let’s explore shall we?

In the world of fables and lore, it is well-known and clearly established that Santa Claus lives at the North Pole.  He lives there with Mrs. Claus and some unknown population of elves, deer, and probably some big workshops, warehouses, and a big closet full of red suits.  Oh and in this day in age there is a big bank of servers where he tracks address data, what people want for Christmas, and age, gender, other behaviors  etc.. Oh wait he just hacks into Facebook, Google, and amazon for that.  

So we know about Santa, however yesterday was Easter right?  Where does the Easter Bunny live?  Does he just hang out in Santa’s basement most the year playing video games and watching “Tik- Tok” and YouTube and then subcontracting elves to convert left over Valentine’s Day Chocolate into eggs?   

Or perhaps does he share a condo in Mexico City with The Tooth Fairy and a few leprechauns  using those pots of gold nobody can ever find to fund wild ballroom dances?

Oh… wait a minute maybe the whole rabbit thing isn’t such an easy question after all?   So perhaps it is okay to spend some time contemplating  the whole why do I exist thing and exploring answers with each other remembering that the world is bigger than us and using a couple of basic notions like.

No matter how life goes forth —

I can start. Where I am.

I can use what  I have and

Just do what I can.

Having come to this point it is time to hand this off to you.  Life goes forth  and often does so in strange rhythms and these rhythms often spawn  poetry of sorts.. so here is an 8-line rhyme and a limerick for you to enjoy while we go off to search for the Easter Bunny or our pot of gold.

Idle thoughts by Jim Whalen

Questions. Whirl and swirl then slam

Is this real or a scam?

Sweet potato or a yam? 

Do you swear if you say damn?

Are you lion? Are you lamb?

do you like green eggs and ham?

Into my head these thoughts I jam

Because I think therefore I am!

And a “Lovely Little Limerick”

Clear your mind out with a broom

You’re going to need some thinking room

Your brain and mind are not apart

Was stated plainly by Descartes

Of course, “cogito ergo sum”

Is Legal Weed Okay? This is just for Laughs

 The day after Easter was sunny

Had three eggs and a white chocolate bunny

Then the basket we’d pass 

Someone rolled up the grass

All the sudden everybody  was funny

Shining some light on the restart of the year

E

 Shining a Little Light 

Well.. here we are a quarter of the way through 2024.  It usually seems a little. Odd to think the year has zipped right along this far, yet a lot of folks here in the U.S. are not taking stock in what has happened.  No we are looking forward to Spring and Summer. Really getting here again even if we are among those who love the Winter.  Today is Easter marking what seems to be the end of the “Holiday Blitz portion of the year starting with halloween ramping up into Thanksgiving and Black Friday.. then sliding into Christmas  and NewYear’s Day.  We. Take a half-breath and. Bam! Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day  and then the Bunny with the Basket.    Now with only a quick skip on Memorial Day marking the beginning of Summer, the next big holiday bash isn’t till July.  Well let’s not get ahead of ourselves shall we.  

Guilty (I often am)  is often the plea at the quarter  pole of the year when we are asked  did you lose track of those New Year’s pledges?  So this is your “Seeking Peace and Joy Permission Slip” to say “Okay.. that didn’t happen like we’ve planned—let’s start over today.”   Well if you need to—really  really need to—you can go way back into the past like to yesterday and acknowledge that you didn’t fully celebrate the anniversary  of the purchase of Alaska and if you really feel bad about that you could schedule a road trip from the southern most point in the states to let’s say the city of Anchorage—it’s not the capital, but we’ll see enough politicians  this year without running into some there.  The trip by car—after all you want this to be a real adventure would mean about 8 days at 10 hours a day if you didn’t add in a stop in Kentucky for bourbon,  Iowa for some real pork and Sterzing”s potato chips etc.  Why didn’t we mention other places to stop?   Well we would  get really bored in Western Nebraska. And have to pay too much attention to lingering winter storms in the high plains to journal about our adventures.  

So.. honor what happened in the year so far  and set this is day one.  It’s Easter if your soul celebrates that … celebrate it well.  If your soul celebrates progress and technology  then sing a tune to Wabash Indiana  for on this date in 1880 electric lights became the way the city square was. Brought  to enlightenment? Oh and of course if we are really shining the light on today we cannot ignore “the City of Lights”  Las Vegas…no.. Paris france and on this day in 1889 the Eiffel Tower was opened to the public.  Now that begs the question—before bhey opened the tower -what did people think was going on?  Did Pier  look to Jean Paul  and say “There goes that madman Eiffel compensating  for the fact his poppa  didn’t buy him an erector set.” 

Anyway as the day goes by today.. yes the year is one quarter of the way done.  Yes, sometimes life seems to get flying by in a blur.  However, as evidenced by  Wabash and Paris something that can light up life for. A lot of folks can happen each and every day.  Maybe today is the day you start an epic journey to the Great White North or maybe you just acknowledge you just ate one wonderful chocolate bunny ear…Either way time starts again now.. and maybe time is always now?  

Speaking of time.. if you have read this far we’ve spent about enough time together  today so let’s wrap this up with a “lovely Little Limerick”

Eiffel says open my tower

Wabash has lights with new power

The year’s whizzing by

No reason to cry

Do the best that you can with this hour

Stop throwing away phrases one step at a time?

 One Step At A Time

This is. a phrase  many people will throw at us when we seem impatient Orr get frustrated.  Well unfortunately while it may or may not be valid, insetting peace and. Joy it could be a solid approach to have an emotional response sort of ready when you hear this “throw away notion.  There are a whole stack of throw away phrases we. Tie to situations that seem to be either difficult or represent sticky places.  We won’t deal with these right now…just because you know we have to take “one step at a time?”   For instance. Another throw away gem  that is almost always thrown at folks is (I’m don’t care enough to help you  reframe  your contexts and develop new ideas”. Oh wait  nobody hardly ever says that—they say… it is what it is.  That’s is true, however  it may not be what it was or what it might be or it is what it seems to us, however let’s find a microscope. Or a telescope and get some other lenses on this bad boy—but for now it is what it is.. because  we are going back to the “one step” path.  

If you offer  “one step” advice how helpful is it?  Let’s say there is a gap between where we are and where we want to go to solve something and we have the capacity to “leap”..is. one step really the way to think?  Wiley Coyote often took a one step approach and then when he realized that he had underestimated  the gap and the required steps —and unfortunately was holding an anvil or some sort of cannonball .. well off the cliff and down.   What if you are in an emotional minefield?  One step full of fear might have put you there and one step might get the whole darn thing  into a rapid unscheduled disassembly situation.  You might not need one step you may need a helicopter or two coming with rescue lines and. A basket?  Just because it might be. Difficult and frustrating doesn’t. Mean one step is going to get you there.  What if you take a step in the wrong direction?  What if the hangman’s platform doesn’t have  a release to drop the damned soul?  What if you are walking the plank?  There will come a time when that whole  one step. Thing won’t really help your fear and misfortune.  

Oh and there 

are many goals where it is. Going to take a lot of steps. And going only one just won’t get you there.  So like there’s this climbing challenge in Colorado known as the “Incline” it is a two mile hike up a mountain.  Now the view from the top is incredible,  however if your plan was one step. At a time the 2740 steps taken one at a time 30 seconds apart stopping to think about one step at a time would take 1,370 minutes just about 23 hours.. a little less but close.  Mount Niesen is a little bigger and known as the biggest available stair climb .. We are talking 11,000 steps.  That’s almost 4 times the steps at a time so this whole one step thing well you’d better learn to sleep and find a bathroom  somewhere and the people on the steps below you had better be your closest friends or the nicest people on the planet.  So you don’t want to do that but you would like to go the distance  in the Empire State Building?  You have about 1660 steps many of which probably have chewing gum stuck to them so factor in time for shoe cleaning.  

You can look up how many steps it takes to get to the top of lots of things, however be warned that AI is often inaccurate.  How do we know?  Two AI engines give the exact same information for the Eiffel Tower and the building that was once the “Sears Tower”.  They both have a crap load (technical term) of steps yet they are not the same.  The statue of liberty  is a challenge  many people take and the journey is divided into levels so even if you are taking one step at a time you might say you can conquer this if you think in terms of levels if that helps you break. The frozen fear that keeps you taking only one step to bust down frustration.  

It’s okay to take a one step approach if you understand that the steps may not be equal which is sort of assumed by people who say that whole one step thing.  Oh and sometimes it is good to inform folks that it’s one step but three. Steps from here in any direction gives an entirely different outcome. Of perspective.   Once again the Wiley Coyote deal comes into focus.  

Maybe we could all benefit from the one-step thing being set by the wayside in favor of saying any movement  or change could be worth a shot.  Or maybe we could say big changes are possible  but there will be little steps, leaps, summer salts  cartwheels, and a few trampoline  activities  followed by planes, trains, and automobiles.  Will there be one step involved?—sure but let’s not just throw that in.. you may need a parachute and that’s just one step at a time off a perfectly good airplane  so let’s not just throw that phrase around ok?  

There are Many Paths Into Heaven.. I hope

The spirit of the  rule is understood  however as a human we are  Not Quite Walking On Water

Please pardon my sins as I vent

I detest eating fish during lent

Can I kill like a mobster

Dine on swordfish and lobster

And still into heaven be sent?

 

Why Political Compromise Might Be A Good Plan

In an era where here in the u.S. and around the world this might be worth a moment of our time 

 a Note on Empathy 

You asked  “are your ducks in a row?”

I replied that I really don’t know

I said look around 

Then you sort of just frowned

And Asked  me  “Where’d  MY ducks go?” 

The Pending Eclipse What it Could Really Mean—a Very Brief Report

True facts for the pending eclipse

Widespread panic? Or stock market Dips?

No, that’s not in store

This has happened before

So relax-have a drink and some chips! True facts for the pending eclipse

Widespread panic? Or stock market Dips?

No, that’s not in store

This has happened before

So relax-have a drink and some chips! True facts for the pending eclipse

Widespread panic? Or stock market Dips?

No, that’s not in store

This has happened before

So relax-have a drink and some chips! True facts for the pending eclipse

Widespread panic? Or stock market Dips?

No, that’s not in store

This has happened before

So relax-have a drink and some chips!