Day 2620: New York Attitude

Do you see a New York attitude in my photos from yesterday?

At West Side Story last night, the guy sitting next to me told me his wife wouldn’t go to the theater for fear of catching the coronavirus. I’m not sure what my attitude is about that.

What’s your attitude, here and now?

My attitude, as always, is gratitude.

Day 2244: Are we having fun yet?

“Are we having fun yet?” was something I expressed several times yesterday, as I

• started packing for my trip to L.A.,
• grappled with money issues,
• added a new verse to a song,
• dealt with hurt feelings,
• talked to people about hope and hopelessness,
• had the self control to have the soup instead of the very fun-looking and highly caloric  pasta dish in the hospital cafeteria,
• couldn’t find my folder filled with group therapy worksheets and exercises,
• glanced at the news, and
• facilitated two groups, one of which focused on fun.

Are we having fun yet in today’s blog post?

Are we having fun yet as we try to read my handwriting in today’s photos?

Are we having fun yet as I share this story about when I decided to have fun earlier this week?

Wednesday morning, after my second night in a row of insomnia, I looked at the weather app on my iPhone to decide how to dress for the day.  I saw that the day was going to start out cold but become considerably warmer, so I decided to wear a very light coat.  When I was driving to work, I looked at the app again and noticed that I had been looking at the weather for Cupertino, California, instead of the weather for Boston, Massachusetts, which was going to start cold and stay that way.  I decided to have fun with it, so I laughed instead of complaining whenever I felt the cold.

Are we having fun yet trying to guess what music I’m going to share in today’s post?

YouTube suggests that I share this one:

 

Are you having fun yet?  If not, how might you have more fun today?  Would it help to leave a fun comment?

Have I expressed my gratitude yet for all those who helped me create this are-we-having-fun-yet post and — of course — for YOU?

 

Day 1245: What we choose to see

Yesterday, I chose to see two performances of student-directed one-act plays at my son Aaron’s high school.

I chose to see both those performances because they included Aaron’s latest play (co-written with his  friend Cameron, whom he chooses to see a lot).

Before the performances, I chose to see this:

What do you choose to see in that photo?

I choose to see

• the new notebook my son had just chosen to write down any comic idea or inspiration he chooses,
• the  choice yellow Honda Fit I chose last year around this time, and
• the beauty of those two yellows together.

Soon after I chose to see the beauty there, I chose to see the humor here:

That’s the toy that my downstairs neighbor’s dog chooses to leave around our property.  The first few times I saw that toy I chose to see it as a dead animal. Now that I’m familiar with it, I choose to see it for what it is.

After I chose to see the humor there, I chose to walk to my son’s high school to see the 4 PM and 7 PM performances of the student-directed one-acts.   On the path I chose to walk to the high school,  I chose to see this:

and

I choose to see things I like.

Here’s more I chose to see yesterday:

I choose, here and now,  to see my amazing son Aaron (with the tie), his creative friend Cameron (in the green), the other talented student directors who chose one-acts by George  Bernard Shaw and other published playwrights, and the wonderful cast of Aaron and Cameron’s original play, “The Great Spa Fire.”

If Aaron chooses to allow it, I’ll post a video of Aaron and Cameron’s play soon.  Then, you can choose whether to see it.

Here’s the last photo I chose to take yesterday, which helped me choose today’s topic.

Somebody  who chose to sit in front of me last night chose to wear a shirt from Cape Ann, a location near where I grew up on the North Shore of Boston.

Soon after I chose to see my name in that guy’s t-shirt,  I heard my name called as the winner in a raffle for two tickets to a play at the Huntington Theater in Boston, which I’ll probably choose to see with my friend Barbara, if she chooses to accompany me.

What we choose to see affects us in so may ways.  For the next few months, I choose to focus in on me …

… as I prepare myself for major new challenges ahead, including

1. Aaron starting college far from home and
2. my  having heart surgery —  also  far from home — very soon after I say goodbye to him.

Even though I might not have chosen the timing of those two things, I choose to see hope and opportunity in both of them.

Now, I choose to present this beautiful music, which you can choose to see and hear here on YouTube.

 

What do you choose to see in today’s post?

I choose to see gratitude towards all those who helped me create this and to you — of course! — no matter what you’re choosing to see today.