Wednesday, December 27, 2023

Go On A Journey With me









 Get comfortable, laying on your floor or bed.
Close your eyes, breathing deep to the count of in 1- 2 - 3 - 4
Hold it, 1 - 2 -3 - 4
Slowly breathe out 1 - 2 - 3 - 4
Repeat four times.
Now, you have packed your needed belongings.
In your mind or if possible, whisper.
I am not in my body; my body is in me.
Feel it, repeat the breathing exercise.
You are getting ready.
More breath, exercise your diaphragm.
Say, whispered or in your mind, I am not in this room, this room is in me. 
Imagine you are expanding to contain the room.
Feel it as you expand.
Do more breathing exercises in between.
Say, I am not in this house, this house is in me.
Pause to feel it.
Say, I am not in this town, this town is in me.
Next.
I am not in this state, this state is in me.
You're on your way.
Feel yourself expanding to hold what is in you as you expand.
You're expanding.
Say to yourself, I am not in this country, this country is in me.
Feel yourself expanding to hold all that you have, all that is in you.
Expand.
Say to yourself I am not in this planet; this planet is in me.
Let yourself feel the expansion.
Say, I am not in this solar system, this solar system is in me.
Feel yourself expand to care for, to contain what is in you.
More breaths in & out for 20 breathing cycles.
Let yourself feel it as you return to feeling your body in you.

*************************************************

To do this, breath as well as breath control is very important. The first time I heard of this, it seemed very intriguing along with impossible. I had bought a boxed set of philosophical CDs by Deepak Chopra. Although hearing an East Indian accent is less than appealing to me, Dr Chopra's voice had such pleasant inflections. It was so smoothe like soft butter. Very smoothe while still retaining a masculine quality to it that I love. As a polyglot, a linguist by profession; vocal inflections, vocal quality, cadence of speech, all matter a lot to me.
Several years ago, I had an employer who was smokin' hot to me until I heard him speak. UGH. As attractive as he was, his voice, the inflections when he said certain words turned me off!
I guess that's a good thing.




When I lived in Europe, it was such a rich treat to hear the different people speaking different languages all around me. I had a neighbor just one floor above me in a stairwell apartment building. To anyone else he seemed to be native to Deutschland, he spoke the language. German is one of the languages I speak.
As I was conversing with him, one day, I heard some inflections that were atypical of the German language. Not wanting to offend him or seem like I was getting too personal, I listened intently, trying to figure out what the inflection was. 
He was a very kindly man, a good neighbor, it was best to bide my time instead of risking that courteous relationship. Although I got my mail at the military APO, he received his mail at his apartment occasionally. One day, several envelopes along with a small parcel were mistakenly left at my door. The mail was addressed to my upstairs neighbor. 
I wanted to make sure that going upstairs to his apartment could be viewed as innocent. I took 2 of my children with me. When he came to the door, he seemed surprised. He appeared to be single & living alone as far as I could tell. He asked us to come in. He went to a cupboard, brought out some cookies for my children.
Such a kind man.
He and I spoke German to each other as he thanked me profusely for delivering his mail to him. It was then that I noticed a large flag that was not German, displayed proudly on his living room wall. I told him that his flag looked good on his wall. That's when I he told me that he had been born & lived his childhood in Malta!
BINGO



Having never known or spoken with or even heard someone speaking Maltese, that was the inflection I heard. 
Shortly after that, military housing had an opening, so, I moved there.
I sure missed my kindly neighbor.

Saturday, December 23, 2023

Ugly Truths About Being an Adult in 2023




As if this were so far from common knowledge, lol, here it is in black & white text. Ask any child who is new enough to the world, just barely aware of what goes on in the world, questions about life, they will usually be more positive than most people over the age of 21.
By age 21, many people have had a small taste of some of the hard knocks in life.




By the time a person is 21 they are of adult age though some are at different levels of experiencing different levels of maturity. People will age into being of adult age. It happens naturally.
Being a mature, self-supporting adult by age 21 is by far, different from simply being of adult age. 
By age 21 a person can serve in the military, vote in elections, be charged as an adult for crimes they are involved in. They can legally buy liquor, tobacco products, get married without parental consent. 

In most states in the USA, a person can legally buy a house, a car, make many legal decisions on their own by age 18. In Alabama & Nebraska the age of majority is 19. In Mississippi the age of majority is 21.

You knew this already, right?

If you were unaware, Google knows just about everything. You may get bombarded with information & ads you could live without. 
Live dangerously. Ask Google. Do an online search. Pick your poison, lol, start your search engines.

As I have moved through time, flowing like a river sometimes, paddling hard under the surface at other times. There are also the occasional white-water rapids of life, which try the soul. Navigating the rapids can be tricky. When a hypothetical crash & burn happens, it's oh so heavy.
At first moving through it all can be so much fun. The world is wide opened with age-appropriate opportunities in abundance.
The opportunities are there, just stay alive, grab each one.
In a world which worships youth, more people will want to help you in your younger years than in your older years.
Moving through time because getting older is optional, people will give you more chances. They will also be more forgiving when/if you make a mistake.
Everyone wants well trained employees, few people will take the time, the patience to train a new employee. Firing them is easier.

Little by little the realization hits that those opportunities become scarcer with longer gaps in between. This is the onset of the realization that you will have to start creating your own opportunities. Push yourself, take doo-doo from those who dish it out. It's exhausting, frustrating, discouraging, very trying.
This is the birth of the phrase:

When the going gets tough, the tough get going.

The same peeps also get scars & meds. They get access to prescription anti-depressants, antianxiety. The fire of learning is real!
It burns. 
To succeed at adulting, you must walk through the fire.




Once you have walked through the fire, navigated a world of predatory people, gotten your share or more lumps. That is when the fun stuff starts. Along with shouldering the responsibility, the freedom of doing as you wish, within reason, is such a rush!

Some people get knocked so hard they have difficulty coping.
The pitfalls of addictions can seriously damage & delay just about anyone. I could list the many pitfalls, most of us know of them personally, or from witnessing them, all too well.
Additionally, the risks of coupling up with another person whether romantically or otherwise can damage even the most intelligent people. Female people are more susceptible to damage from other people, particularly from guys.
This is not sexist or feminazi bla bla. The statistics say it all. Only women can become preggo which is a huge impact on them for the rest of their lives.
Firmly, I believe that if every guy had to biologically become preggo, before he could ever have sexual intercourse, there would be far fewer teen pregnancies. If they had to carry the child to full term, give birth & be responsible for that child for the rest of the child's life, oh my!

Yeppers, the population might decrease. If guys had to experience the multiple changes, discomfort. Feeling the pain & life altering for themselves, knowing how much it affects women, they might, just might refrain from seed spreading. 

If you are of adult age, a fully self-supporting adult who has navigated the pitfalls with minimal damage ~ 



You can proceed to get down wit your bad thelf!

Shake, rattle, roll, be like a pineapple! Google it.

Wrapping up, I can tell you that the rewards are so sweet, so fun, so satisfying, so worth it. VICTORY LAP.

Sunday, December 10, 2023

Sleeping





Remembering a hand I was holding
Tender thoughts I had
Of a new life unfolding
Memories that comfort me
Of the days ahead
All the possibility
Letting my soul release
Pain filled regrets
All of these
Strength has a way
To heal a broken heart
Making it all okay




I'll let myself drift into sleep
Dropping down
So soft so deep
If I dream of sad things
Munching on my soul
The sadness it brings
Lucid dreaming saves
Such a vulnerable one
Gives happiness in waves




Letting myself have dreams
Asleep or awake
Nothing is as it seems
Maybe I'll live through my slumber
To fight another day
Ones strong in number
It's how I can live
This double life
With so much to give




Sleep is like dying
Without the commitment
Refreshing to keep trying
My car is in the shop
Time to get busy
Make use of a new mop
My prayer is if I pass on
I'll be found in a clean house
In clean white sheets of cotton




According to Coldplay
We are skies full of stars
Shining night & day
I think I saw you
In a blanket of blue
I want to die in your arms
Bathe naked in bliss
Drink in all your charms
I gave you all of my heart
Though it's broken
You only played your part
Though you're near
Still so far away
Kiss my face like a tear
I know you feel
The loss of me
It seemed so real



Put your dam phone
In a grave
Just leave it alone
A hundred years or more
Loving people using things
Is what life is really for
Using people is done more
Than most admit
Selfish to the core
If people in their graves
Could tell us a truth
It's kindness that saves




Christmas is fast approaching, give someone this gift. Your kindness will ripple through time, touch so many lives. Get to it!






 

PJ & Me

Animals are such wonders; most are truly gifts from God.  I mean that.   Loving animals as I do, being able to communicate with them during ...