My background includes technical writing, marketing communications, and psychotherapy.
In the background, I’ve been looking up the definition of “background.”
Definition of background
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a : the scenery or ground behind something – a picture of her son with mountains in the background – background scenery for the play
b art : the part of a painting representing what lies behind objects in the foreground – dark shadows in the background of the painting
c : an image that displays on a computer screen underneath the various available icons and windows – As they participate, they earn “Kinetic City Points,” which they can spend on downloadable prizes, such as screensavers and computer backgrounds. — Science
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an inconspicuous position – shy people who try to stay in the background
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a. the conditions that form the setting within which something is experienced… set in a background of tropical luxuriance. — Tom Marvel
b (1) : the circumstances or events antecedent to a phenomenon or development – the economic background of the American Civil War took place against a background of increasing tension
(2) : information essential to understanding of a problem or situation – background information
c : the total of a person’s experience, knowledge, and education – comparing the candidates’ backgrounds – ran a background check to make sure she had no criminal record
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a. intrusive sound or radiation that interferes with received or recorded electronic signals – a recording with a lot of background noise
b physics : a more or less steady level of noise above which the effect being measured by an apparatus is detected; especially : a somewhat steady level of radiation in the natural environment (as from cosmic rays)
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a level of computer processing at which the processor uses time not required for a primary task to work on an additional task — compare foreground.
In the background, I’ve been inconspicuously trying to correct the inevitable formatting errors and complications that occur whenever I try to bring a definition into the foreground of my blog.
Here’s the background of how I chose the title of today’s post: Yesterday morning I was changing backgrounds while I was self-soothing with a game of on-line solitaire.
Congratulations to me for winning at solitaire and congratulations to worldofsolitaire.com for offering so many backgrounds. I usually use the first background shown above; perhaps from now on I’ll use different backgrounds, depending on my mood.
After I solitarily photographed all those backgrounds, I noticed other backgrounds throughout my day.
That last photo, with the artwork and books in the background, shows my EMDR therapist, George Sawin, moving some EMDR equipment at the end of our session. George’s background includes psychotherapy, law enforcement, flower shops, and business management. When we were discussing the importance of backgrounds, I mentioned this poem to him:
THE INVITATIONIt doesn’t interest mewhat you do for a living.I want to knowwhat you ache forand if you dare to dreamof meeting your heart’s longing.It doesn’t interest mehow old you are.I want to knowif you will risklooking like a foolfor lovefor your dreamfor the adventure of being alive.It doesn’t interest mewhat planets aresquaring your moon…I want to knowif you have touchedthe centre of your own sorrowif you have been openedby life’s betrayalsor have become shrivelled and closedfrom fear of further pain.I want to knowif you can sit with painmine or your ownwithout moving to hide itor fade itor fix it.I want to knowif you can be with joymine or your ownif you can dance with wildnessand let the ecstasy fill youto the tips of your fingers and toeswithout cautioning usto be carefulto be realisticto remember the limitationsof being human.It doesn’t interest meif the story you are telling meis true.I want to know if you candisappoint anotherto be true to yourself.If you can bearthe accusation of betrayaland not betray your own soul.If you can be faithlessand therefore trustworthy.I want to know if you can see Beautyeven when it is not prettyevery day.And if you can source your own lifefrom its presence.I want to knowif you can live with failureyours and mineand still stand at the edge of the lakeand shout to the silver of the full moon,“Yes.”It doesn’t interest meto know where you liveor how much money you have.I want to know if you can get upafter the night of grief and despairweary and bruised to the boneand do what needs to be doneto feed the children.It doesn’t interest mewho you knowor how you came to be here.I want to know if you will standin the centre of the firewith meand not shrink back.It doesn’t interest mewhere or what or with whomyou have studied.I want to knowwhat sustains youfrom the insidewhen all else falls away.I want to knowif you can be alonewith yourselfand if you truly likethe company you keepin the empty moments.
