Day 2351: Long story, short

Because I’m hosting a retreat for group therapists at our home today, I need to make a long story, short.

Yesterday, I had a long day in which I

• visited the hospital’s gift shop,
• facilitated a Coping and Healing therapy group,
• did individual therapy,
• responded on short notice to people in crisis,
• said “au revoir” — feeling sad AND happy — to graduating social work intern (and my co-writer and co-performer of the song “Nobody’s Perfect”), wonderful Nat Shirley,
• exchanged short horn-honks with another yellow Honda Fit like mine,
• had a short conversation with the two lovely people riding in that Honda Fit, and
• sang one short original song near the end of a long Open Mic night, all the while being my short self wearing a long skirt and long earrings.

Since pictures are worth a thousand words, sharing photos might be the best way to make a long story short.

Amelia and Percy, my new Honda-Fit friends, told me a short story about how she thinks our cars are yellow and he thinks they’re lime green.

Here‘s me telling the long story, short, about how I left the house before I felt ready:

 

Please leave your long or short comments, below.

Long gratitude, short:

Day 2350: The best _______ of your life

Yesterday at work, I went to a meeting that aspired to be the best meeting of my life.

However, it was NOT the best meeting of my life.  It was not even the best meeting of my DAY, because there were two meetings of my Coping and Healing therapy groups after that work meeting.

Because I am lucky enough to facilitate five therapy group meetings every week, the meetings of my life keep getting better and better.

I don’t think these are the best photographs of my life, but I’m sharing them anyway:

 

Are those the best photos of Harley’s life?  There have been so many great ones …

… it’s difficult to say.

Tonight, I may have the best Open Mic of my life.  Time will tell.

Here are American Authors with “The Best Day of My Life.”

 

Are you going to make the best comment of your life?

One of the best things in my life is looking for ways to express gratitude, so thanks to all who helped me create today’s post and — of course! — to YOU.

 

Day 2331: ASK FOR HELP!

Last week, somebody who was joining my Coping and Healing groups said to me, “I have trouble asking for help.” I hope it helped when I replied, “You’re not alone.  Many other people in the groups also struggle with asking for help.”

Yesterday morning, when I was writing my second Letter from the President for the Northeastern Society for Group Psychotherapy (NSGP) newsletter, my boyfriend Michael started talking in his sleep.  Michael sometimes talks in his sleep in the mornings, but I can never hear what he’s saying. It doesn’t help that he mumbles while sleep-talking.  Yesterday, he said

Don’t (…unintelligible mumbling…)    ASK FOR HELP!!

“ASK FOR HELP!” was so loud and clear that it startled me and the cats. Inspired by that message from the sleeping Michael, I immediately sent my latest version of my Letter from the President to a helpful friend and NSGP board member, and asked for her help in reviewing what I’d written.  It really helped that I asked for help that way, because (1) she was very positive and helpful in her feedback and (2) this morning I restarted my computer and would have completely lost all my latest work if I hadn’t sent her that draft.

As Michael said, ASK FOR HELP!

I heard “ASK FOR HELP!” in my head yesterday  as I looked for helpful images to capture and share. You don’t have to ask me to include them here and now.

Right before I took that last photo, I heard many cat noises coming from inside our house, so I asked for Michael’s help in identifying them.  Since I asked for help, he showed me this video:

Those hungry cats were asking for help, and they got it.

After our long walk near the seashore yesterday, I received an email about Open Mic’s around Boston.  Because it helps to practice my original songs, I asked for help in signing up for a slot tomorrow night.

Last night, Michael and I had dinner with my friend and co-worker Alice and her husband  (not pictured).  I said, “I think Alice and I have the female equivalent of a bromance.  I wonder what that’s called?” Later, I asked for help in identifying that term.  Would you like to ask for help in discovering what that word is?

It’s “womance.”

If you have trouble sharing your thoughts and feelings in a comment below, ASK FOR HELP!

Every day, I ask for help in expressing my gratitude to all those who help me create these posts and — of course! — to YOU.

 

Day 2275: Petty

When I’m petty, I feel guilty.  When I observe other people being petty, I get scared, because I’ve observed pettiness wreaking havoc with relationships.

Here’s a definition of petty:

pet·ty
/ˈpedē/
adjective
1. of little importance; trivial.
“the petty divisions of party politics”
synonyms: trivial, trifling, minor, small, slight, unimportant, insignificant, inessential, inconsequential, inconsiderable, negligible, paltry, footling, fiddling, niggling, pettifogging, nugatory, of little account
2. of secondary or lesser importance, rank, or scale; minor.
“a petty official”

My personal goal for today is to make other people being petty of little importance, trivial, minor, small, slight, insignificant, inconsequential, and negligible to me.

Here are some “petty” quotes:

I fly because it releases my mind from petty things. — Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Our thoughts are broadcasts of the soul, not secrets of the brain. Kind ones bring us happiness; petty ones, untold pain. –– Ritu Ghatourey

Party loyalty lowers the greatest men to the petty level of the masses. — Jean de la Bruyère

Guilt is petty; I am above guilt. — Susan Cheever

Reproof should not exhaust its power on petty failings. — Samuel Johnson

More than jealousy or  possessiveness pettiness kills love. — Marty Rubin

Don’t be afraid of failure; be afraid of petty success. — Maude Adams

Be master of your petty annoyances and conserve your energies for the big, worthwhile things. It isn’t the mountain ahead that wears you out — it’s the grain of sand in your shoe. — Robert Service

The art of giving orders is not to try to rectify the minor blunders and not to be swayed by petty doubts. — Sun Tzu

The constant petty behests of life permit few opportunities for major satisfactions, and when one is offered it should be seized.  — Rex Stout

Petty things don’t bother me as much as they used to  — Rebecca Lobo

Mankind accepts good fortune as his due, but when bad occurs, he thinks it was aimed at him, done to him, a hex, a curse, a punishment by his deity for some transgression, as though his god were a petty storekeeper, counting up the day’s receipts. — Sheri S. Tepper

Great necessity elevates man.  Petty necessity casts him down. — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

It is better to lose everything you have to keep the balance of justice level, than to live a life of petty privilege devoid of true freedom. — Bryant H. McGill

Beware of those who attribute petty instructions to God. — Abdul Sattar Edhi

Petty laws breed great crimes. — Ouida

Never fear being a petty fool it means you ain’t dying.  — Timothy Spall

Don’t sweat the petty things and don’t pet the sweaty things. — George Carlin

In the Wikipedia entry about Ouida, it says she “dressed expensively but not tastefully.”  That seems rather petty, doesn’t it?

Do you see anything petty in my photos from yesterday?

 

That puppy at Pet Express was very pet-ty and here’s a quote from me:

Petty is the enemy of friendship. — Ann Koplow

Here‘s a Petty Song:

 

Here‘s  the Petty Song I was looking for:

 

It’s not petty for me express my gratitude to all who helped me create todays “Petty” post and — of course! — to YOU.

 

 

 

Day 1814: Recalculating

Since I’ve gotten up this morning, I’ve been recalculating

• what to name this post,
• what to write about,
• how often to check the news today,
• how many photos to include,
• ways to facilitate a Yankee Swap at work,
• what to wear to the work holiday party, and
• how to introduce this picture:

Sometimes, when I assume there’s a right thing to do (even when I’m not sure what it is) and especially when I hear other people adamantly disagreeing about what that right thing is, I look like Santa and his reindeer on that greeting card. Then, I pick myself up and try again.

Now I’m recalculating how to order the rest of my photos from yesterday.

 

 

 

 

As usual, I recalculated the order of those photos several times.

Now I’ll recalculate what YouTube video to include.

 

It don’t mater if you’ve  lost your way.

It don’t matter, just recalculate.

In a little while you’ll find your way.

It may take a while, you’ll find your way.

— Paul Colman

 

What are you recalculating, here and now?

At the end, I’m recalculating how to express thanks to all who help me create these posts and — of course! — to you.

 

Day 1667: Almost

I almost chose another title for this post, but I am most inspired by this image I almost missed yesterday:

Is that almost funny? Or just funny?  Is it funny to almost everybody? Or is it almost something else?

I almost wore slippers like those today, but I can’t find them.

As I’m almost half-way through this post, I’m almost

• settled in to our new home,
• unpacked,
• certain this was a great move for us,
• totally sleep-deprived,
• completely recovered from my open heart surgery,
• prepared for our annual trip in August to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and
• ready to go to work.

Are you almost ready for other photos from yesterday?

I was almost home last night when I took that last picture.

Here’s “Almost Home” by Moby.

I’m almost tempted to take a photo of a stuffed animal here and share it, but it’s almost time for me to finish this post.

I almost always end my posts with thanks to everybody who help me create them and — of course! —  to you, most of all.

Day 1162: I’d be lost without ___

Yesterday, as I was lost in an enormous local supermarket, I saw this:

During many lost and found times, I’ve thought I’d be lost without:

• my parents,
• my sister,
• God,
• my extended family,
• friends,
• books,
• music,
• my cardiac pacemaker,
• writing,
• my cat(s),
• home,
• school,
• love,
• a significant other,
• a job,
• my integrity,
• financial security,
• my son,
• a sense of purpose,
• a fulfilling career,
• authenticity,
• honesty,
• my doctors,
• support,
• the kindness of strangers,
• sleep,
• nourishing food,
• therapists,
• good health,
• group work,
• travel,
• the past,
• the future,
• the present moment,
• this blog,
• my readers, and
• Geographical Positioning Systems.*

I’d be lost without my iPhone to take photos, including these:

Lost?

I’d be lost without my curiosity and I’m curious if you can guess what might be inside this greeting card:

or this one:

or this one:

If you’d be lost without some music, here‘s Sting singing lyrics that include “I’m lost without you.”

I’m lost without gratitude, so

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* I’d be lost without Google to check that “GPS” actually stands for Global Positioning System.

Day 1106: Jaw Dropping Rare Photos of Amazing Things in Real Life

The jaw dropping rare title of this post mimics “click-bait” language I saw yesterday, online.  For me, language like that might invite a click in real life, but here’s the amazing thing: I immediately forget about it.

Let’s see if all the photos I took yesterday are “jaw dropping rare photos of amazing things in real life.”

Which of those best fits today’s title, for you?

Jaw dropping gratitude for everything I experienced yesterday and for another day of amazing real life, here and now.

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Here’s one more photo I’m adding now, from the internet, in honor of a jaw dropping rare amazing person from real life:

Mandatory Credit: Photo by Richard Young/REX (100574d) David Bowie DAVID BOWIE AT THE CANNES FILM FESTIVAL – 1983