Day 2420: Expect the unexpected

Yesterday, I got this unexpected email:

Dear Ann Koplow

We have been looking at the database of shows who still want something, either runs or infills.

We would like to offer you the slot(s) below:

Show number 306 provisional title Group “Therapy” with Ann

Mo 19 13:00-14:00 Natural Food Kafe Basement Room

If you accept, please email this address immediately.

If these are extra performances, you will already have sent a picture and blurb. If you have not sent a picture and blurb, please immediately send one via the form. Full instructions are attached.

If you don’t want what’s offered but want something else, please email back saying what. Be as precise as you can.

If you don’t want this at all, please email back and say so. Make things as clear as possible. For example, if you’ve asked for extras but now don’t want extras, but want to keep your main run, say that. We don’t want any mistakes.

All offers are immediately void if you have breached the Ethos and Rules by applying to any other free-admission promoter, including pay-what-you-want and pay-for-priority-admission-otherwise-free. Or breached them in any other way.

Please reply as soon as you can so that we can fill the spaces as well as we can, and get your show in the Wee Blue Book.

Thank you

Free Fringe Team

I didn’t expect that!  I expect that email means that I will have a show at the Free Fringe in Edinburgh on August 19 at 1 PM, unless my responding back six hours later wasn’t immediately enough.  I expect it was, but I never seem to expect anything for sure.

With my life (see as many posts in this blog as possible), I’ve learned to expect the unexpected. I expect good things will come my way and they often do! I also expect I’ll have trouble sleeping trying to anticipate and plan for the unexpected.

I expect I’ll have to market the hell out of this Edinburgh Fringe Festival opportunity, especially because of the time and location of my show.  Expect to read more about this, here, in the month ahead.

I just posted this unexpected news on my Facebook page:

I GOT A SHOW AT THE EDINBURGH FRINGE! August 19th, 1 PM, The Natural Food Kafe. Consider making this part of your vacation plans.

Unexpectedly, somebody already has replied that they’ll be going.

Expect the unexpected photos.

 

Expect an explanation of at least one unexpected photo.  That little fishing dude, directly above, reminds me of the old saying “Give someone a fish and you feed them for a day. Teach someone to fish and you feed them for a lifetime.”  I expect you’ve heard that one before.

Expect the unexpected video:

I expect that no one will watch or listen to that whole thing.

I expect the unexpected comment, below.

Expect gratitude here, every day, for all who help me live each unexpected day, including YOU!

 

 

Day 2413: Fear Free

It’s difficult to be fear free in this time of fear mongering, but I believe that being fear free will set us free.

I was fear free, yesterday, as I took all these photos:

 

 

While we were waiting for the Boston fireworks last night, a fear-free father sent that fire-filled balloon up into the sky.

As I am creating this post I am fear free, even though WordPress keeps telling me:

! Saving of draft failed.

You can’t scare me, WordPress!

I am fear free as I ask this question: Which of the photos in this post best represents “fear free” to you?

I am fear free as I choose this one:

Playing a kazoo as you’re buried up to your neck in sand is about as fear free as you can be.

Here‘s HouseSmarts PetSmarts “Fear Free” Episode 98.

To keep my readers fear free, I will share that both our cats are okay.

My fear free friend Deb (who gave me the art-from-the-heart cat pin) (which my fear free boyfriend thought looked exactly like our fear-filled cat Harley) and I saw “Echo in the Canyon” at the Coolidge Corner Cinema yesterday. Here’s a favorite song featured in that fear free  film:

I look forward to your fear free comments, below.

Fear free thanks to all who helped me create today’s post and — of course! — to YOU.

 

Day 2400: Leaving town

Sometimes, leaving town is a great way to

• get perspective,
• find unity with new people,
• unify the different parts of yourself,
• replenish & refresh,
• put down some baggage,
• practice saying “hello” and “goodbye,”
• leave worries behind,
• change your mood,
• explore your feelings,
• get smarter,
• notice what’s there, waiting for you,
• get recharged,
• put a new spin on things,
• become more social,
• find your voice,
• take the next step towards change, and
• get new ideas.

Yesterday, as I was in the process of leaving my home town of Boston and traveling to the great town of Chicago, I took these photos:

Ah ha!  There I am in Chicago.

Here and here are today’s songs about leaving town:

Last night, I was feeling kind of shy  in Chi-town when I was having dinner with some people I didn’t know,, but when the group organizer asked me to sing, I stood up, found my voice, and  sang my latest song  — “Everybody’s Somebody’s Asshole.”

People seemed to like my new song but even if they didn’t, I’ll be leaving town tomorrow.

No matter what town I’m in, I see gratitude everywhere.  Thanks to all who helped me create this out-of-town post and — of course! — to YOU.

Day 2393: First-Aid for Desperate Moments

When I was having some desperate moments yesterday because of sleep deprivation (among other stressors), I found “First-Aid for Desperate Moments” online at Sundown Healing Arts, with these helpful phrases from Sonia Connolly, LMT, Reiki Master:

“I give thanks for help unknown already on the way.”

“It ended.”

“This problem is already solved.”

“I am doing the right thing.”

“What if this isn’t mine?”

“Don’t go to the hardware store for milk.”

“Don’t compare your insides to someone else’s outsides.”

“I am already good enough.”

“I don’t need fixing.”

“It’s okay to be where I am right now.”

It was more than okay to be at Sonia Connolly’s helpful website.

I would like to believe that, as a group and individual therapist, I provide first-aid for desperate moments, too.

Here are some moments from yesterday:

 

 

Dining out near the ocean is definitely first-aid for desperate moments and so is music I love. Here’s “First Circle” from the Pat Metheny Group:

 

What is your first-aid for desperate moments?

Gratitude is an aid for any moment, so thanks to all who helped me create today’s post and — of course! — to YOU.

 

 

 

Day 2390: What love looks like in public

When you read today’s title — “What love looks like in public” — what springs to your mind?

What loves looks like in public could be

• PDA’s (Public Displays of Affection),
• heart-warming kindness,
• people wearing their hearts on their sleeves,
• natural beauty,
• a public library,
• any welcoming, safe, accessible, and open space,
• a house of worship,
• this blog, or

• JUSTICE.

Here and now, I  publicly and lovingly wish there was more justice in the world.

Do you see any love in public in today’s other public photos?

I have public love for my son, Aaron, pictured there in public.

Here’s Carlton Jumel Smith with “This is What Love Looks Like.”

I’m publicly looking forward, with love, to your comments, below.

Public thanks and love to all who helped me create today’s blog and — of course! — to YOU.

Day 2362: Things, Life, and People

When I was doing a lot of things yesterday with one of the people I love, I noticed this sign at an exhibit about the art and life of Frida Kahlo at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts:

I really love that quote from Frida Kahlo:

I really love things, life, and people, and I don’t want people to die.  I’m not afraid of death, but want to live.”

I also love that today’s blog post title allows me to easily include any things or people I choose from my life, including this list a person made three nights ago when she couldn’t sleep:

Messages from the Internal Critic

That’s boring.

You’re repeating yourself.

Nobody cares.

You’re being foolish.

That doesn’t make sense.

You’re making people uncomfortable.

If you bother people, they’ll go away.

You don’t know how to take care of yourself.

You don’t know how to take care of other people.

You’re too selfish.

You’re not thinking enough about other people’s feelings.

You’re stupid.

That’s a stupid thing to say.

That was a thoughtless thing to say.

You should have known better.

You’re confusing people.

You’re taking too long.

You’re rushing.

You’re making things worse.

You’re wasting money.

You’re being cheap.

You’re doing harm.

You’re attracting harm.

You’re showing off.

You’re bragging.

You’re not being careful enough.

You make bad decisions.

You choose the wrong people.

You’re a pushover.

You’re too aggressive.

You’re too trusting.

You’re too paranoid.

You’ll get into trouble.

You’ll get somebody else into trouble.

If you do that, you’ll make somebody mad.

You’re making too much noise.

You’re taking up too much space.

I think all the things  internal critics say are taking up too much space in people’s life.  What do you think, people?

Here are some recent photos of things, life, and people:

Here’s some thing I hope people know: you can click on any of those photos to enlarge the life in them.

Because I’m silencing my internal critic, I don’t mind repeating the photo of these people,  whom I’ve been visiting at Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts for most of my life:

Here are things about the lives of those two people:

Here are two photos that my friend Deb took of things, life, and people:

There are many things posted by many people about the life of Frida Kahlo on YouTube, but I choose  to share this video:

and this one:

People can share their thoughts and feelings about things, life and people, below.

One of my favorite things in life is expressing gratitude for the people who help me create this daily blog, including YOU.

Day 2357: Messages

One thousand, four hundred, and thirty-six days ago (but who’s counting?), I wrote another blog post titled “Messages.”  During my first year of blogging, I wrote three posts about messages: Day 317: Challenging Negative Messages, Day 178: Feeling discouraged, what helps, and voicemail messages, and Day 144: “Emergency” messages.

My messages for today include the following:

• Some messages bear repeating,
• Sometimes people don’t want to hear messages,
• Messages can be direct, implied, or unexpressed,
• The medium is the message,
• I enjoy exchanging messages with my son through the medium of our phones,
• People talked about messages in a Coping and Healing group recently,
• Mixed messages are everywhere,
• Some messages are hard to read,
• Clarity is important for getting your messages through,
• Many of us have internalized harsh, critical messages from the past,
• This week, two people shared the message that attending my groups has been “life changing,”
• Some people prefer messages in words and other people prefer messages in pictures.

Which one of those visual messages pops for you?

Here’s “Message in a Bottle” by the Police:

If you want the messages of those lyrics more clearly, here‘s this video:

Please accept my messages of gratitude at the end of every post.

Day 2348: Struck

I’m struck by how I’ve never used the word “struck” in a blog post title before.

I’m struck by how I’ve used the word “struck” in 13 previous blog posts, including Day 1966: Memorable lines,  Day 1875: Tipping Point, Day 1292: Seeing patients, Day 981: Righteous Numbers, Day 956: Never Give Up, Day 717: Interrupting, Day 463: Surprises, Day 367: Screen Shots, Day 364: What day is it?, Day 284: We never know how we affect people (The Ta-Da Pose),  Day 100: I Confess, Day 75: Things that make me go _____, and Day 58: Accelerated learning.

I’m struck by how …

• long it takes me to do one of these “linking to old posts” openings,
•  much my blog has changed over the years,
• relevant some of those old post titles seem to me today,
• many challenges I’ve been struck by (but not struck down by) over the years, and
• many of my photos from yesterday connect with today’s title.

 

 

I’m struck by how

• long it takes me to make photo montages look right,
• much I love being a group therapist,
• many gates there are around Fenway Park, and
• wonderful it is to live near the water.

Here’s the award-winning short film Struck:

 

What are you struck by, here and now?

As usual, I’m struck by gratitude for all who help me create these daily posts and — of course! — for YOU.

Day 2266: Who do you miss?

Who do you miss in your life, here and now?

Sometimes, I am more aware of who I am missing than I am of who’s here. Then, I redirect my awareness and attention to those who are showing up.

That helps.

Who do you miss in my recent photos?

 

I miss the person who is singing “Miss Otis Regrets.”

 

Would you miss me if I didn’t express my thanks, for being here,  at the end of each blog post?

 

Day 2255: Trust your crazy ideas

Yesterday, I trusted my crazy ideas to

• go back to the Seaport District of Boston,
• look for a free parking space there,
• leave my phone in the car,
• use the movie pass I got when I’d had the crazy idea to see the latest Spiderman movie on New Year’s Day, and the house lights wouldn’t go down for most of the movie ,
• decide to see the new A Star is Born instead of Green Book,  Bohemian Rhapsody, or On the Basis of Sex,
• walk all the way back to my car to get my phone,
• visit Boston’s Institute of Contemporary Art,
• never make it past the ICA gift shop to the art exhibits,
• buy something at the gift shop,
• eat ramen at a Seaport restaurant before going to a group therapy conference committee meeting,
• watch the not-so-live version of Rent,
• admit that I cried at Rent but not at A Star is Born, and
• take all these photos:

I will now trust my crazy ideas to share some of those photos at full size:

If you want to look at other full-sized versions of my photos, trust your crazy ideas and click on the photos, above.

Today, I’m going to trust my crazy ideas and meet the new cardiologist replacing my long-time cardiologist  Dr. Estes, who trusted his crazy ideas to leave Boston and move back to Pennsylvania with his family. If you want to read more about my encounters with Dr. Estes over the years, trust your crazy ideas and visit my previous blog posts here, here, here,  here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.  (I trusted my crazy ideas to find and list about half of my blog posts that featured Dr. Estes.)

Now I’m going to trust my crazy ideas to look for some trust-your-crazy-ideas music and finish this post, so I won’t be late for my first visit with Dr. Munther Homoud, who my primary cardiologist Dr. Deeb Salem trusts and has some crazy ideas about (including “he is the most compassionate doctor I have ever met”).

Here are characters from a production of Rent trusting their crazy ideas to move from NYC to Santa Fe:

If you have any crazy ideas, please trust them and make a comment, below.

Now I’m going to trust my crazy ideas to alway end these blog posts with gratitude.