I woke up this Saturday morning — not completely in the pink — but knowing that “Pink” was my title for today’s post.
In case you don’t know what “In the Pink” means, here’s the definition:
in the pink
in very good health and spirits.
synonyms: in good health, very healthy, very well, hale and hearty.
I think that definition comes from Google, but I’m not sure.
I feel more in the pink when I include facts in my posts I’m certain about, and I’m sure the following images of “pink” are from a Google search:
(This pink and Marilyn-y image lives here, supposedly)
(This pink and beard-y image lives here, for some reason)
When I look for images with Google, I am sometimes tickled pink, and I am also often having other feelings that do NOT have colors assigned to them. For example, I am now confused (insert any color, here, you think would fit) about:
- how Google decides which images to show me (like, for instance, most of the images that came up for “pink,” just now, were of the singer Pink, or P!nk, which might be representative of the culture’s focus on celebrity),
- why a man with a pink beard would appear on a web page that seems, to me, to be about Australia and cars,
- how every time I use Google to search for images these days, it seems a little different and slightly more difficult (but that might just be me), and
- where the pink ribbons are, which I expected to see early on, in this Google Image search.
Let’s see if I can find any pink ribbons, in those returns of my Google Image Search.
As I’m searching, for that expected pink ribbon, I’m finding many, many more images of P!nk, plus
(this pink and Starbucks-y image lives here)
(this pink and Jennifer Lopez-y image lives here)
(This image lives here on YouTube)
(This image lives here)
(This image lives here)
That last image is close to what I was expecting to find, but not exactly.
I’m now feeling a little pink or blue or green or red or white or whatever color we might assign to impatience, since I thought this part of my post would be very quick to write.
Okay, I’m going to dive back into that sea of pink images again, to see if I can find that pink ribbon.
(this image lives here)
(this image lives here)
I think this search might be endless, actually. I know I could find the pink-ribbon image I’m looking for, by doing a Google Search on “pink ribbon,” but color me stubborn, as I try one more time (even though, at this point, it feels like looking for a needle in a pink haystack).
(that image lives here, on YouTube) (and by the way, if you’re looking for a music video in my post today, click on that link, and you’ll find it)
Okay. I give up. You’ll just have to imagine or search for a pink ribbon, on your own.
If you read this blog on a regular basis, you might notice I don’t often give up. However, today, all these pink digressions have distracted me from what I thought I was going to write about
Which was ….? (And what color might we assign to the state of distraction?)
In order to pick up the pink thread I started here this morning, here’s my first sentence, which I wrote about an hour ago:
I woke up this Saturday morning — not completely in the pink — but knowing that “Pink” was my title for today’s post.
Why am I not completely in the pink, this morning?
I’m not entirely sure, dear readers. I mean, there are a lot of things in my life I feel tickled pink about these days, including:
- the growing success of my therapy groups at work,
- how much help it is, for me, to write these daily blog posts,
- how many friends I have — in the blog-o-sphere and in the life-o-sphere — including (1) Louise Gallagher who confused Black Sabbath with Pink Sabbath in her comment about my post yesterday and (2) Mark, my co-worker, who has appeared here and here and also in this photo I haven’t posted yet:
Mark pink-papers Ann.
That was the caption Mark and I came up with for that photo, which I took when I was making copies for my sold-out presentation about The Koplow Method of Group Therapy, two weekends ago.
But NOW I have to explain what “Pink Paper” means, in that caption.
Actually, a photo I took yesterday, in my office, might help make this crystal (is that a color?) clear.
Arrrghh! I haven’t up-loaded my photos from yesterday yet, and now color me hungry. I wonder if there’s any pink food around for me, to eat?
Close enough. I also have some pink grapefruit juice, but I am not stopping to take a photo of that.
Where was I?
Oh, yes! Looking for that pink-paper photo, from yesterday. Here it is (mixed in with some other colors):
We really need to come up with a color for confusion, because I’m assuming all my readers are that color, right now.
Let’s see if I can help with that, even just a little. Here’s the definition of “pink paper” which is, apparently, a local, Massachusetts expression:
House Bill 4681, an Act to Improve Emergency Access to Mental Health Services (Section 12 Law) was passed by the legislature and signed into law by Governor Patrick. As of November 8, 2010, LICSWs in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts will be authorized to sign a Section 12(a), known as a “pink paper.” A pink paper is the mechanism by which a LICSW moves to hospitalize an individual believed to meet the criteria for civil commitment. A LICSW may order that a mentally ill individual be restrained and taken to a hospital in the belief that failure to hospitalize would create a likelihood of serious harm by reason of mental illness.Examples of situations where a Section 12 might be appropriate include:
- Suicidality
- Homicidality
- Markedly impaired judgment due to mental illness to such an extent that a person is unable to protect himself/herself.
— The National Association of Social Workers (Massachusetts chapter) web site
Thank goodness, I have had to “pink paper” very few people, in my years practicing as a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker in Massachusetts. And when I have, these were situations where I truly believed people would be much safer, because of my action.
I’m wondering, again, what colors might be in your face as you read this portion of my post. If you have thoughts or feelings about any of this, I hope you know you can comment, freely.
I’m also aware that I still haven’t told you why I’m not completely in the pink today.
Well, I had a phone conversation with my cardiologist, Dr. Salem, yesterday.
Doesn’t Dr. Salem (who last appeared in this blog post) look pink and friendly in that photo?
These days, I am seeing Dr. Salem once every three months, so we can pay more attention to my very unusual heart (which might have some pink in it, but is probably mostly red, although, I can’t really say, not having seen my own heart, but believe me, some surgeons saw the color of it, up close and personal, when I was a little kid, when I had two heart surgeries, for pacemaker implants, which needed to be sewn directly onto the heart, back in the 1960’s).
Somewhere in that long and winding parentheses, above, lies a pink thread to why I am not completely in the pink today. In my phone conversation with Dr. Salem yesterday, we spoke about the distinct-as-pink possibility of my needing heart surgery again, for a valve replacement.
How distinct-as-pink IS that possibility?
Honestly, I think Dr. Salem and I really have no idea, because of my oh-so-unusual heart. All we really know is that:
- climbing stairs is increasingly difficult for me (which could mean lots of things and not necessarily that I’ll need heart surgery) and
- every three months, we shall track the colors, size, and other important attributes of my heart.
I’ll end with some good news, I think …
All my toes and my fingers are pink!
Thanks to all who made it through this pink and many-other-colored post, today. I think you deserve … a ribbon!
(pink ribbon, but not the kind of pink ribbon I was looking for before, found here)
Lovely post! I’m pink in the cheeks with happiness from reading this post! Happy Saturday!
You always make me happy when you appear here. Thank you!
🙂 Thank you !
You are kind of stubborn, aren’t you Ann? “I know I could search pink ribbon but” … Here’s another little tip. Start with one word and find all the other neat things you love. Go to two words. Three … four … five. Get more specific in the seach until Google shapes up. Oh, you know all of this.
Your post today my friend, great photos, Boston paper law, healthy toes and fingers(!), leaves me tickled pink.
Your comment today, my friend: markedly understanding, funny, appreciative, and so much more. Pinks all around!
I hope you don’t need to have any surgery, Ann. You and I both know that won’t be any fun!
Yes, we do, Elyse. It puts more pink and life in me, to feel so understood by you.
We call “pink paper” Form 10 in this red neck part of the world – see I knew I could get a colour in!
Pink sabbath is the feminine form of the band. 😀
I wonder who would be in that band, Louise. Should we start it together?
may the day be beautiful, in all it’s color!
by the way, which one is pink 🙂
The first and the last
is pink
and so are you
(and every other
beautiful color)
too.
I like that you Think Pink
I like that you Think Alex!
Widest smile of the day Anna ha
I hope that you don’t need surgery, Ann, and I hope that going up stairs becomes easier — as easy as you need it to be.
This was an interesting and unusual post. You draw so many unrelated things together in your blog; reading it is an exercise in creativity.
Hi MLM! Your comments, as always, are interesting (which is not unusual, for you).
By the way, my comment is awaiting moderation probably because I’ve changed my user name, gravatar and primary blog address (although not my blog’s primary email address). It’s just me — Sitting On My Own Sofa. I stopped sitting on my sofa and started doing stuff.
I thought that was you. I am so happy to see you standing there … and I love that color on you!
Ha ha, thanks. I guess I could have made it pink, so I’d be in the pink, too. But yellow is almost pink, if you think about it.
I had not heard of the expression ‘in the pink’ before and thank you for this informative post.
Elizabeth! I am pink with happiness that you read and commented today.
You are so creative! I am thinking of your heart.
Thank you for your heart, Julie.
Hoping you don’t have to have the surgery, but if you do, you’ll be back in the pink in no time. We shall all send pink roses to help you along.
Ahhh. Adding pink to my future this way, no matter what is in store for me, is great. Thanks, Emilie!
fun post – and as i type this I am wearing a pink jacket – which is unusually for me because I usually wear navy or black – lol – and thanks for telling us what the “in the pink” means – how cool
I love you commenting in pink, blue, or any other color!
So fun to read your posts Ann! I hope you don’t need surgery but I’m sure with your tenacity and positive outlook you will be fine in no time (sorry, couldn’t think of any other ‘pink’ statements to add here). Pink slip was going through my mind but that doesn’t help!
Everything you write helps, Kellie!
Can we have Pink Flamingo next time please?
Hi Andrew! I am tickled pink AND in the pink to see you here today. I’m not sure which Pink Flamingo you are requesting, so
I think Lesser is more, Ann. Thank you.
So glad it’s a pink day and not a blue one 😉
hugs
Val x
How can I be blue when you’re around, Val?
You make me go pink 😉
Did I just see a photo of ‘mini pumpkin cheesecakes…’ 🙂 I am now off in another beautiful world, and have you to thank.
Wish so much that you have a pink day (listening to Pink or Pink Floyd can do it for me), and great health. You are surrounded by such great people (and doctors) so I think you’ll be very taken care of. Keep them toes pink and the heart strong! Take care.
My world is always pinker when you’re around, Randall!
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