Day 2756: Worrying about everything

Four hundred and twenty-eight days ago (don’t worry, I’m counting), I wrote a post titled “A Year of No Worry.” Recently, I reminded Michael about our shared pledge to not worry for a year, starting on April 10, 2019.  We laughed and noted how we had gone from worrying about nothing to worrying about everything.

Last night, Michael noticed that I was worrying about everything even harder than usual. So he told me he was making my favorite childhood comfort food, tuna noodle casserole, to help get me through the next few difficult days. (In case you’re worrying about tuna noodle casserole, I shall remind you that Michael is an accomplished chef.) Michael didn’t seem worried when I responded to his news by crying — he knows that kindness can make me cry (as well as cruelty).

Yes, I’m worrying about everything, including these recent photos.

I can NOT go from worrying about everything to not caring about anything in a matter of seconds, but I’m actually not worrying about that.

Hmmmm. I guess I am not worrying about EVERYTHING.

Here’s Why We Worry All the Time and How to Cope, from The School of Life.

Once I heard that video quote Donald Winnicott, I stopped worrying about sharing that here. Here’s the quote:

The catastrophe you fear will happen has in fact already happened.

I’m worrying about how to share quotes from Marcus Aurelius, who governed during a terrible pandemic. Here‘s a good enough solution:

I’m worrying about how many quotes use “man” when they mean “human,” but I know they apply to women too.

I hope you’re not worrying about leaving a comment and I am NOT worrying about expressing my gratitude, here and now.

 

 

Day 2726: Masks

Four years ago and six months ago (but who’s counting, especially these days?), I wrote two other blog posts with the title “Masks.”  I shall not mask my wish that you check out those two posts by clicking on the links in that previous sentence.

Why am I writing about “masks” today?

Are you kidding?  If you don’t know why, you must have been masked and ear-plugged in a locked room for a  dozen weeks (but who’s counting?).

Let’s see if there are any masks in my photos from yesterday.

There are MANY videos on YouTube about masks, and here’s one of them:

 

Masks

Wearing masks,

Is just one of those tasks,

We need to do for now.

 

If you wear glasses,

Are one of the masses,

Are one of the asses,

Or simply don’t know how.

 

Please find and wear a mask.

I really hate to ask,

Or take you to task.

(And now I take a bow.)

© Ann Koplow, 2020

I can’t mask my need to write blog posts, poems, songs, whatever, because THAT is what keeps me going in masked times like these. If you can write a different final line to my new poem “Masks,” please unmask that in a comment, below.

Here is the “Masks” section from Prokofiev‘s Romeo and Juliet:

I hope my gratitude for all  shines through, even when I’m wearing masks.

Day 2678: This Day

This day will be unlike any day we’ve seen before.

This day will bring:

• new routines,
• old routines,
• fear,
• hope,
• local news,
• global news,
• food,
• animals,
• communication,
• loneliness,
• connection,
• games,
• humor,
• tea,
• fortune telling,
• all the feelings,
• different thoughts,
• online therapy groups, and
• these shared photos.

This day will bring the coronavirus crisis and human behavior at its best and worst.

This day will bring this music:

This day, all your thoughts and feelings are welcome, as always.

This day, I have so much gratitude for all I have, including YOU.

Day 2670: Yesterday’s news

“Yesterday’s news” is a phrase that was defined this way, yesterday:

yesterday’s news
PHRASE

something that everyone already knows about and is no longer interested in.
“People who think the environment is yesterday’s news are wrong.”

Does COVID-19 meet the criteria for yesterday’s news?  Most people already know about it but interest remains high.

COVID-19 is yesterday’s news, today’s news, AND tomorrow’s news. I think we’re all looking forward to the time when COVID-19 will truly be yesterday’s news.

That time will come; we just don’t know when.

Around here, yesterday’s news included all this:

• I most likely have COVID-19, because I attended a group therapy conference in NYC where several people have tested positive,
• I’m continuing to run low-grade fevers,
• Michael is exhibiting no symptoms at all,
• Michael and I continue to self-quarantine (OF COURSE!),
• I am NOT short of breath, and
• people seem to have different opinions on whether we should get tested, at this point.

Do you see yesterday’s news in yesterday’s photos?

That rubber duck is yesterday’s news, because it first appeared in this blog post from the 2013 Edinburgh Fringe Festival, which was A LOT of yesterdays ago. I’m glad we’re all still here, not much the worse for wear.

Here‘s “Yesterday” by the Beatles, who are definitely not yesterday’s news.

Any comment you leave, below, will be news to me.

My daily gratitude may be something everyone here already knows about, but I’m hoping you’re still interested in it, here and now.

 

Day 2607: Battles

This has been an interesting week here at The Year(s) of Living Non-Judgmentally, with titles including Day 2605: I’m so done, Day 2606: Antisocial, and now Day 2607: Battles.

Is this blog turning into The Year(s) of Living Combatively?

I don’t think so, but I have noticed a lot of battles around me lately.  Do you see evidence of that in these photos?

 

I fell asleep on the couch last night and missed the anticipated battle between Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders at the latest debate of Democrat Presidential hopefuls.

Here‘s “Cabinet Battle #1” from Hamilton:

What are your thoughts and feelings about battles?

I need to battle traffic to get to work on time, so thanks to all who help me create this daily blog, including YOU.

 

 

Day 2508: Celebrating mistakes

Yesterday, rather than hiding and denying mistakes (like others seem to do), I celebrated my mistakes by owning them, sharing them with others, and learning from them. One of my co-workers — who feels some worry and shame about their mistakes because of inexperience — texted me “You are a gift that keeps giving!” when I shared another mistake I had made.

Unless I am mistaken, I believe you might find some mistakes in some of my photos from yesterday.

Personally, I think it is a mistake to play hide and seek alone.

Let’s celebrate the late Ginger Baker with this video on YouTube (which may include mistakes):

Because I’m creating this post on my iPhone it may include my mistakes fusion mom. Ooops! Let me try that again. Because I’m creating this post on my iPhone, it may include more mistakes than usual.

Ending with gratitude is never a mistake, so thanks to all who helped me create today’s blog and — of course! — thanks to you.

Day 2495: Above all

Above all my other photos from yesterday, this one stood out to me:

Above all, we need to respect each other.

Above all, a good enough sense of safety allows us to trust other people and ourselves.

Above all of us is the sky.

Above all, I need to get to work on time today so I can do individual and group therapy for my patients, so here are all my other photos from yesterday:

 

Above all , which is your favorite photo from that batch?

Above all, I’m focusing on this one …

… because I used that image yesterday to reduce the power of a critical person, whom I used to call a “dragon.”  I figured if I could imagine them as a little yappy dog (instead of a dragon who can wreak lots of destruction and fiery havoc),  they would have less power over me. Above all, this technique worked!

Above all, what music should I choose for today’s post?

Above all, I assume my readers might choose Imagine by John Lennon.

 

Above all, I can’t resist also sharing this:

Above all, if you don’t like that, you can always turn it off.

Above all, please accept my gratitude, here and now.

 

 

Day 2488: Being here, being there

“Being here, being there” is something I wrote on the white-board wall while human beings were being here and there during a Coping and Healing group yesterday.

Being human beings, their thoughts went here and there to regrets, the past, the present, the future, work, other people’s reactions, progress, tears, fears, emotions, death, showing up, reservations, reasons, sleeping, bravery, speaking, not speaking, triggers, early, late, and choices, among other here-and-there meanderings.

Being that triggers were affecting all the human beings in the room, “triggers” ended up being the topic of choice, including what helps dealing with them:

Being there, I couldn’t help but notice that “YouTube” made it to the list of what helped those human beings deal with triggers (along with breathing, acceptance, self care, sleep, safe spaces, kindness, music, and other helpful choices).

Being here, I’ll search  for “being here, being there” on YouTube.

Here‘s “I Love Being Here With You” by singer/songwriter Peggy Lee.

I love being here with you, and I loved being there when I took all these other photos:

Being that you’re here, why not leave a comment?

Whether I’m being here or being there, I’m being thankful for all who help me create these posts and — of course! — for YOU, here and now.

 

Day 2341: Life is a beautiful ride

Life is a beautiful ride, even in April 2019.

Life is a beautiful ride, as I’m reading all that’s around me.

Life is a beautiful ride, especially if

• I avoid the news and
• we rise up and tip the scale toward justice.

What makes life a beautiful ride for you?

Here’s “Beautiful Ride” performed by John C. Reilly as Dewey Cox from Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story.

Life is an even more beautiful ride with participation and with gratitude, so please comment below AND accept my thanks (to all who helped me create today’s post and — of course! — to YOU).

Day 2278: Stress balls

What are stress balls?  Are they squishy balls that you can squeeze when you’re stressed?

Are they creatures who are feeling lots of stress?

Harley does not look like a stress ball in that photo, but usually he stresses and runs away when I try to take a picture of him.

Even stress balls, like Harley, can relax at times.

I’m a stress ball today because I have to do many things (including giving a presentation about my therapy groups, singing songs in meetings,  running a board meeting, preparing for a trip to L.A., planning a dinner in L.A., and more) all while dealing with a bout of insomnia and some ambivalence about possible choices.

What helps when you’re a stress ball, besides squeezing a stress ball? My niece Julie, of The Joy Source, suggests changing the words “have to” (see previous paragraph) to “get to.” So, it’s not that I have to do many thing (including giving a presentation, etc.) , it’s that I get to do many things (including giving a presentation, etc.).  That shifts me from being a stress ball about too many obligations to being grateful about having the opportunity to do all those things, connecting me with confidence in my skills to get things done adequately enough.

I don’t have to share my other photos from yesterday, but I’m glad I get to share them with you.

Here‘s what YouTube gives me for “stress ball song”:

 

Somehow, I’m not a stress ball any more.

What helps you be less of a stress ball?

Thanks to all who helped me stress less by stressing all the things I stressed in this “stress balls” post and — of course! — YOU.