I have this habit of reacting as soon as I hear something. You know it always merits a second look.
It takes me time to shoulder a new habit, policy, or anything involving change.
I find when I stop and look at something from all angles, I usually come away with a different perspective…especially in dealing with people.
Most people are good when you finally see them. Atticus Finch; To Kill a Mockingbird
Scout told me that he can’t shake the feeling that he has homework to do. One of his friends agreed. Even though school is out, there is a black cloud following them that picks at them as they relax into summer. It’ s the feeling that they have homework waiting for them.
I smiled. Welcome to the adult world where there’s always grass that needs to be cut, laundry that needs to be washed, and people that need to be called.
But they don’t have any homework, just the nagging sensation that they should, so when I heard the phrase, “Cut the cord” today, it made me think of all the situations that we need to sever and let fly away.
Okay…as you can see…I’m making great progress toward the nutcase end of the spectrum.
I like the image of cutting the cord and letting those worries float away. As the Bible points out…I don’t accomplish a thing by gnawing on those thoughts and roping them around me.
So I think, this week, I’ll find something to let go of each day. Today it will be anger.
I’ll let go of the anger at the neighbor who keeps coming over and peering through my window to see if I’m home. I know she’s just lonely and wants to visit.
I’ll let go of the anger about people who stand in the middle of grocery aisles or doorways to visit. They’re probably so involved in their conversation, they don’t realize where they are.
I’ll let go of my ire about the neighbor’s dog who uses my yard as his latrine. (It’s not the dog’s fault, is it?)
Ahhhh. I like this cutting the cord stuff. I feel lighter already.
Photo by CarbonNYC
Caps, gowns, and sitting in bleachers until one special person walks across the stage is a popular activity at this time of year.
I have several graduation announcements all begging for perfect gifts. But what are they?
But I would like something more enduring. Something that would inspire hope in a dark period of life, because when you’re first starting out on the adult trail, you can expect that around one of the bends is a shadowy passage.
It made me think about what I received for graduation a million years ago. I could have really used luggage, but I didn’t get any. I did get pens and money. And I remember a thin, golden book called Apples of Gold. It was full of quotes and words of wisdom.
I didn’t read it until I was in graduate school. I probably didn’t think I needed it until I hit one of those dark nights of adult life.
Lisa of Tao of Webfoot says she still remembers a version of Rudyard Kipling’s poem, “If,” that had been adapted and given to her.
So maybe when we’re in grade school “Sticks and Stones may break our bones….
But when graduating into life…..
The gift of words have the power to inspire, heal, and give hope for a very long time.
What do you remember about your graduation gifts?
Great news. I’m still remembering to haul those dratted reusable bags into the grocery store since my experiment with brain/memory a couple of weeks ago. So I thought I’d do some tested ancient exercises (instead of the ones I made up) and see if I can recover even more brain cells and improve sleep.
I ran across an article about using Chinese Health Balls to recharge. The benefits are:
HooRAY!! Count me in. So I dug out the set that Scout bought when we were in San Francisco’s China town. They emit a soft chime as I rotate them in one hand. Their purpose is to fire the acupuncture points and nerve endings, while loosening musles. This is supposed to enliven the cerebrum and nervous system leaving me refreshed and relaxed.
Personally, I think it’s the chiming sound that’s relaxing, more than the muscle twisting. And maybe the real secret behind the restorative powers of Chinese Boading balls is that you can’t cook, garden, write, or crochet when you’re twirling them in your hand.
I’m sure my memory will improve because I’m making time to sit and think about the things I’m forgetting.
Sleep?….we’ll see.
Photo by ToniVC
We’ve had our first full days of real sunshine here in the Northwest. The thermometer actually pegged 85 today.
I disregarded my Daddy’s old advice to wait until the oak leaves were as big as a squirrel’s ears and I planted corn. Actually, I planted everything. I put in a big garden as a hedge against the economy.
While I’m writing this in the thin hours of the morning, a familiar whisper makes me pause and listen.
Rain.
My friend from the Osage Nation would call this steady patter a “female” rain. It’s comforting in its scent and sound. I can recall many nights outdoors and drifting to sleep with the rhythm of raindrops tapping my tent.
I’m sure I can hear the seeds I just planted, awakening and stretching roots into the earth.
There’s something about a gentle rain.
It’s what hope sounds like.
Photo by Thomas Hawk
Sorry, I didn’t wear strappy heels to the Salsa experiment. I’m not sure they would have helped my appearance. There was a mirror across one side of the room. I was thinking Penelope Cruz, but I looked like Tom Cruise jumping around.
I’m not sure how the instructor was able to disconnect her spine from her lower body and move her hips like one of those wooden, jointed snakes you win at a carnival booth.
It was great fun, and like a square dance, I had to listen to the instructor’s calls and try to respond with the right moves. It wasn’t pretty, but it was a lot of exercise.
So, this week I discovered that stepping outside of my routine made a small but significant change in my brain. I experienced new sensory abilities which have become part of my brain’s vocabulary.
This experiment was started to alleviate brain drain in the hopes of sleeping better. Perhaps, if the brain isn’t bored during the day, it doesn’t try to entertain itself at night. I have been sleeping better,but my dreams are still strange…maybe even weirder (probably all those new synapses firing.)
I’ll continue to try to add new routines and different motor skill each day because I have empirical evidence that it gives results.
How?
I remembered to tote my reusable bags into the store today.
I know I promised you all the adventure of driving somewhere unfamiliar and shopping in a store that had labels in another language. It still sounds like a good exercise to fight Brain Drain and help me sleep. (By the way, I’m not having those work-all-night dreams anymore, but I still wake long before sunrise.)
I began my groggy day by building a stupendous Powerpoint presentation using only my left hand on the mouse (like I promised). Well….maybe it’s not so fantastic-looking because I’m convinced there is no connection between my brain and the fingers on my left hand. It was taking ten to twenty minutes to custom build each slide when it should have only taken 3-5 minutes. I believe those new synapses must have been trying to drill through cement in in my gray matter.
So you can understand that when Scout stuck his head in the door and shouted, “We need your help hauling poles!” I ran away from the computer like a woman escaping a diet farm.
That’s how I ended up learning how to build a 30 foot flag pole this afternoon. I learned clove hitches and how lash a tripod. I’m a bit insulted that Scout declared my frapping too loose. (Think of rows of rope woven and coiled around the tops of 3 logs. I was supposed to haul on each wrap with my full body weight–but I was a slacker). Scout made me take it apart and do it again along with the Tenderfoots.
I grumbled. The rope had already abraded my fingertips until they were smooth and grooveless. I threw my body into the next attempt. Feet against the poles, I heaved until the wood screamed. They tested my couplings by having a Chuck-Norris-type-guy thump, kick and hang off my tripod. I passed.
I’m not sure if learning to frap and lash stimulated my brain as much as the wicked left-handed mouse, but I figure that if I’m ever a cast away with Tom Hanks on an island, I’ll be able to do my share. And if the mast on your sailing vessel breaks…give me a call; I can lash it, if you can hold it together.
The guys proclaimed my skills were sufficient enough to work on their trebuchet next, but I can’t…I’ve got a free Salsa class tomorrow.
Photo by Crashcandy
I’ve had several surprises since I began this quest to stop brain drain and gain better sleep.
Yesterday, I didn’t use my right hand. I agree with digipicsphotography’s comment that a person learns clever work-arounds employing the rest of the body. Today, I was surprised to find that I still used toes and elbows to turn on lights and open doors, even though I could use my hand. Wow. I engaged or renewed some brain pathways and actually allowed my brain to start producing some new growth molecules. WhooHoo.
Today’s experiment was to try not to speak . I expected to become a better listener since I was taking myself out of the equation. I discovered nothing about my brain, but a lot about other’s actions.
A number of people didn’t communicate with me. They weren’t rude, but if they couldn’t use the spoken word, they really didn’t try much beyond, “Hello” or “Are you sick.”
For the two who did engage me in a bit of conversation, they had a great deal of patience, waiting while I scribbled out a note, then waiting again because they couldn’t read it and I had to do a rewrite.
I found I scribbled very few notes. It was tedious to write; therefore I was more selective about what I wanted to express.
It was frustrating at times. But it made me realize how often I’ve avoided engaging folks that had speech impediments, heavy accents, or (I’m embarrassed to say…) stories that I’ve heard too many times.
I knew the kernel of truth in this experiment, but I guess I had to be on the receiving end to make it blossom in my conscious. I realized that when folks genuinely tried to understand me—whether through notes, mime, or signing, it felt like a gift. A gift of their time and affirmation.
Wouldn’t that be a sweet gift to give to every friend, relative and new acquaintance? I hope I keep the residual effects from this experiment.
Tomorrow: I’m driving somewhere I’ve never been before and buying groceries in a strange store. I hope they have chili beans for Friday’s surprise experiment. And…
I’ll use my non-dominant hand to operate the computer mouse, tomorrow. According to “Neurobics” (exercises for the brain), If it’s uncomfortable and awkward, then practicing will help develop new neural pathways.
Join me.
Thanks to the Medem Medical Library
For the last two nights, I’ve fallen asleep quickly, but then I find I’m working in my sleep. I’m aware of this in my dreams and tell myself to stop. I’ve even gotten up, had a bowl of cereal, hoping the intermission will change my thought pathways. But when I went back to bed and fell into a light snooze, I wrote a Powerpoint presentation on the history of Scouting.
Good grief. (It’s not due for another 3 weeks.) I organized slides and wrote script, and let me tell you, it was BRILLIANT!
Of course, I can’t remember a bit of it in my waking hours. I’m tired, and feeling as though I’ve worked all night.
Brain experts tell us that 2 things are guaranteed to vacuum the brain of creativity and spark:
AAAwk! Like Pigpen in the “Peanuts” comic strip, chaos fumes around me in funky clouds. That’s why I strive for routine. I look for “uncrowded”, “unnoticed” paths for every project. Repetitive and routine would be wonderful, if only I could achieve it. CowboyFan says it’s because my definition of “Routine” is not the same as a sane person’s definition.
Well….who can accept the word of a man who thinks black-walnut ice cream is a huge anomaly?
So this week (much to CowboyFan’s horror), I’m adding one new experience to each day.
Why not join me for at least a day? We’ll see if creating a new snyapse truly does help our sleep.
Do something different. It can be easy: (eat with your left hand; wear your watch on your opposite arm; wear you shirt inside out {which I’ve done by accident, then tried to convince folks that I meant to do it…ego is a sad thing, yes?])
Or Challenge yourself: learn a new skill: sharpen a mower blade; interview for a job; dye your hair pink.
I’ll report on my progress through the week. Let me know what new activity you’re doing for your brain.
Today…I’m going to make soup— blindfolded.
P.S. If I don’t post on the blog tomorrow, it’s because I’m in the hospital.
See…one new experience leads to another.
