Day 3720: For the first time

For the first time yesterday, I

• was vulnerable in a two-day process group at a yearly group therapy conference without subsequently feeling any shame at all,
• told people in the group that it was National Be Nasty Day as an invitation to people (especially the women) to accept all our feelings, including anger,
• went to Sarge’s Deli,
• talked to somebody at Sarge’s about the fabulous Dr. Irwin Corey, who was a regular customer there,
• saw the musical Six, and
• posted this question about doing things for the first time on Twitter.

For the first time, I’m going to be nasty and post an annoying response to one of my Twitter questions:

For the first time, I’m going to say that I really don’t appreciate the characterization of “tiresome question” and the claim of posing “a better question” despite the reality that we really don’t know if we’re doing something for the last time. For the first time, I’m going to admit my petty glee that not one person has responded to that tweet.

I am posting all these other images for the first time.

For the first time, I know what Bang-Clang Day means, which commemorates something being done for the first time.

For the first time, I’m sharing this video:

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Thanks to everyone who helps me have the courage to do things for the first time, including YOU.

Day 3097: Role models

In therapy, when I ask people, “Who is a good role model for expressing anger?” the answer is usually “I can’t think of anybody.”

Yesterday, people had some answers on Twitter.

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Here are some quotes from GoodReads about role models:

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Do you see any role models in my other images for today?

Who are your role models?

When I search YouTube for “role models,” I find this:

If you want to role-model a reader who leaves comments, you know what to do.

Thanks to role models everywhere, including you!

Day 3088: What emotion do you have the most trouble expressing?

Most people have trouble expressing at least one emotion, so I had no trouble asking today’s title question on Twitter.

Other people expressed trouble expressing affection, vulnerability, joy, disappointment, and other emotions. I had no trouble expressing that they were not alone.

I have no trouble expressing my belief that it is healing to own all your emotions and to learn effective ways to express them. I also have no trouble expressing my happiness about my son Aaron’s return from Scotland to Boston today!

Can you see the emotions expressed in the rest of today’s images?

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What emotion do you have the most trouble expressing?

Here’s what I find when I search YouTube for “what emotion do you have the most trouble expressing”:

I have no trouble expressing my hope that you’ll watch “Emotional Mastery: The Gifted Wisdom of Unpleasant Emotions,” the TED talk by Dr. Joan Rosenberg.

Finally, I have no trouble expressing this emotion: my gratitude for all who help me express my emotions in these daily posts, including YOU!

Day 2740: Such a sweet ____

Oscar is such a sweet cat …

… that during his last days on earth, all he wants to do is be close to his family.

My husband Michael is such a sweet guy that he is closely watching Oscar and also making delicious meals.

Living near the ocean is such a sweet respite from worry, fear, and sadness.

 

As discussed in my Coping and Healing group yesterday, throwing a pillow on the floor  …

…  is such a sweet way to let out anger .

Today’s Daily Bitch Calendar has such a sweet description of feeling like a complete train wreck.

Here‘s such a sweet rendition by Wynton Marsalis & The Young Stars of Jazz of Duke Ellington‘s “Such Sweet Thunder” (which is such a sweet suite based on the works of William Shakespeare).

That is such a sweet tap dance and such sweet playing!

Asking for feedback is such a sweet way to let people know you care about their thoughts and feelings.

Gratitude is such a sweet way to end any encounter, including a blog post like this one!

Day 2106: I’m Mad About You

Yesterday, when I was mad/angry/furious, I wrote a new song entitled “I’m Mad About You.”

I’m mad/crazy/nuts about jazz standards and I hope I have the mad/superior/unexpected skills to evoke that musical sound in my latest original tune.

Are you mad about my opening and ending lyrics?

I’m mad about you.

You make me feel blue.

You make me so angry.

And that isn’t new.

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I’m wish I could disappear you.

Never hear or be near you.

Oy, oh boy, the joy to be rid of you.

Because I’m mad, not glad, not sad, just mad about you.

© Ann Koplow 2018

 

Are you mad about any of my many photos from yesterday, when my madly loved Michael and I visited the Adams National Historical Park and downtown Quincy, Massachusetts, USA?

If you were particularly mad about any of those smaller photos, please click to enlarge.

Did you notice any of the mad connections among those photos, like this one?

 

I’m mad about the music and singer of this jazz standard and I’m madly thinking about the lyrics.

 

I’m mad about my readers and hope to get some mad comments on this post.

Mad gratitude to all who helped me create today’s post and — of course! — to YOU.

Day 1770: What are you afraid of?

What are you afraid of?

Within the last week, I’ve heard about people who are afraid of

• the dark,
• heights,
•  war,
• people who abuse positions of power,
• the media,
• molesters,
• being seen as a molester,
• the police,
• world leaders,
• science,
• ignorance,
• doctors,
• dentists,
• infections,
• sickness,
• aging
• death,
• taxes,
• failure,
• success,
• school,
• working too much,
• working too little,
• making mistakes,
• driving,
• bicyclists,
• loss,
• certain thoughts,
• certain feelings,
• feeling too good,
• going outside,
• staying inside,
• action,
• inaction,
• the weather,
• being alone,
• crowds,
• social events,
• marriage,
• divorce,
• becoming less attractive,
• becoming an adult,
• men,
• women,
• cats,
• dogs,
• mice,
• bugs,
• snakes,
• phones,
• cotton balls, and
• peaches.

Is anyone afraid of any of these photos?

I’m afraid that one major emotion is missing from that Time special edition cover.   Are they afraid of anger?

Here‘s how to let go of pain/fear/anger in 60 seconds.

 

Are you afraid of leaving a comment?  I hope not.

What am I afraid of?  Heights, the dark, the cold,  and forgetting to express gratitude to all who help me create these posts and — of course! — to YOU.

 

 

Day 1739: Facial Expressions

One thousand, two hundred and forty-five days ago, I wrote another blog post titled “Facial Expressions.”  My facial expression would be happy if you read that blog post.  Heck, my facial expression would be happy if you read any of my blog posts.

Yesterday, I drew this  facial expression:

Pointing to the bottom face, I asked my boyfriend Michael if he knew who that was.   His first tentative guess was “Me?”  My facial expression, in response to that, was probably disbelief, because I have never seen that expression on Michael’s face. His second guess, which was correct,  was somebody we both know.

How would you describe that facial expression?  It’s the  expression I most dread seeing on other people’s faces.

I wonder what expressions were  on my face, just now, when I realized that most of my other photos from yesterday show facial expressions.

 

To improve my facial expressions recently, I’ve been listening to the score of “Merrily We Roll Along” by Stephen Sondheim (whose facial expression can be found here).  Here‘s a “Merrily We Roll Along” YouTube video that shows many facial expressions.

Those were the facial expressions I saw TWICE on the stage of the Huntington Theater in Boston.  Now you know.

I hope you know that all expressions are welcomed, below.

My facial expression, here and now, is gratitude for all who helped me create this post and — of course! — for YOU.

Day 1637: I’ll buy that

Writing yesterday’s blog post inspired me to buy that ticket to see James Taylor and Bonnie Raitt perform at Boston’s Fenway Park in August. Even though I’ve said, “I’ll buy that!” about lots of concert tickets and many Bonnie Raitt albums and James Taylor CDs, I’ve never seen either of them in person. 

I can’t wait to see them.  Do you buy that?

Do you buy that my boyfriend Michael said, “I’ll buy that!” about one of the items  shown in these pictures?

What do you think Michael bought? Buy the way, I took something away from the yard sale, too.   If you buy into guessing what Michael bought and what I chose,  I’ll provide the answers, by and buy.

Because we recently said, “I’ll buy that!” to a home by the ocean,  we’ll be moving those two things and other things we’ve bought, very soon.

Do you buy that my ex-husband said this to me yesterday?

You’re scary when you’re angry.

I found that difficult to buy, because I never see myself as scary, even when I’m angry. Maybe that’s because I’m a 5’3″ 64-year-old woman without weapons. Do you buy that I LIKED being seen as scary by my ex, who is very big and strong? Do you buy that we both shook hands soon after he said that?

Do you buy that searching YouTube for “I’ll buy that” gets you some “Ocean Front Property” by George Strait?

Do you buy this Fenway Park performance by James Taylor and Bonnie Raitt from two years ago?

I’m now ready for the thing called  comments.

Are you ready to buy my gratitude? Thanks to all who helped me create today’s post and to you — of course! — for buying it.

Day 1635: Whatever it is, love it.

Whatever my daily blogging topic is, I love it.

Whatever my emotion is, I love it.

Whatever the day brings, I love it.

Whatever people say to me, I love it.

Whatever I see, I love it.

 

 

Whatever irony there is, I love it.

Whatever I hear, I’m perfectly free to love it.

Whatever you think about this post, I love it.

Whatever gratitude I express to those who help me blog daily and — of course! — to you, my readers, I hope you love it.

 

Day 1633: Tantrums

Rather than have a tantrum, let’s just define it:

tan·trum
noun
an uncontrolled outburst of anger and frustration, typically in a young child.
“he has temper tantrums if he can’t get his own way”
synonyms: fit of temper, fit of rage, fit, outburst, pet, paroxysm, frenzy, bad mood, mood, huff, scene; (informal) hissy fit
“how can you tolerate his tantrums?”

How can you tolerate his tantrums? Good question.  How can we tolerate anybody’s tantrums, including our own?

For example, I sometimes have tantrums when somebody uses the word “pet”  (as in the definition above) for anything other than this:

I’ve also been having  tantrums because Oscar stepped on my computer this weekend and changed the way photos are displayed, making it harder for me to blog every morning.

Can anybody tell when I’m having tantrums? I’m not sure, but I told people at work yesterday that I woke up mad, mad, mad.  Was I having a tantrum when I did that? Actually, I think sharing my feelings prevented me from having a tantrum.

Was I having tantrums when I took these photos?

Okay, now I’m having a tantrum because AS USUAL, I FORGOT TO RESTART MY COMPUTER BEFORE WRITING THIS POST AND THAT’S THE ONLY WAY I CAN ACCESS MY FRIGGIN’ PHOTOS FROM YESTERDAY! AND WORDPRESS ISN’T SAVING MY POSTS AS I’M WRITING THEM THESE DAYS SO THIS IS SUCH A !!&$##!!??!#^&!! PAIN!!!!

Excuse me.  I’ll be right back.

Any tantrums here?

My boyfriend Michael (whose meals are good antidotes for tantrums) has lots of stories about tantrums he’s witnessed in restaurant and hotel kitchens.

Are James Taylor and his son Ben having tantrums in “Angry Blues”?

Feel free to have tantrums in a comment below.

Outbursts of gratitude and fits of frenzied thanks to all who helped me create today’s post and — of course! —  to you.  Without my readers, I’d be having tantrums every day.