Day 3466: Recognition

My blog posts — which get a satisfying amount of recognition — often start with a definition, so here’s a definition of recognition.

Because of my work as a group therapist, I often think about the importance of recognition. Everyone needs some recognition, especially recognition of one’s authentic self. Also, in order for us to survive, there are injustices that need recognition.

Do you recognize recognition in my images for today?

Do chocolate with almonds, collector cars, and freezer pops need more recognition?

Here’s “Santé” by Stromae, deserving of much more recognition.

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In recognition of all who help me create this blog every day, thank you!

Day 3463: A good cry

These days, it seems like it’s always a good time for a good cry.

When there’s yet another mass shooting of innocents in the USA by a young man with a weapon of destruction, I don’t know if a good cry does any good.

Yesterday, before I asked that question about a good cry on Twitter, I attended my neighborhood July 4th parade in the USA, unaware that a similar event near Chicago was about to be transformed into a scene of cries and carnage.

That’s Francis and Etta, two wonderful children who watched the whole July 4th parade with me. I’m having a good cry right now thinking about all the wonderful children who’ve been traumatized over the years by gun violence.

While I’m having a good cry, I’ll share the rest of the images I captured yesterday with my good readers.

I’m not a workaholic, but I’m glad I can work today as a therapist and witness other people’s good cries.

Here’s what I find on YouTube when I search for “a good cry.”

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Thanks to all who helped me create a good cry post, including YOU.

Day 3435: Patterns

Human beings tend to see patterns. For example, I see the repeating pattern in today’s blog post number.

Our proclivity for patterns might explain people’s inclinations for conspiracy theories and other misguided cause-and-effect thinking (“gas prices and inflation are higher since Joe Biden took office, it’s his fault!”) Because there are pros and cons to everything (a pattern I see in the world), the tendency to see patterns can give us a sense of connection and it definitely serves artists well.

Do you see patterns in the many images in today’s post?

Here’s what I find on YouTube when I search for “patterns.”

I also find this.

I have a pattern of noticing and expressing gratitude, so thanks to all who help me create these daily posts, including YOU.

Day 3257: Relationships

As I look at my photos and the news for today, I am thinking about relationships.

It occurs to me, here and now, that people can have relationships with

• other people,
• animals,
• themselves,
• food,
• machines, including their cars, and
• guns.

This article about the latest deadly school shooting in the USA includes this quote from Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer: “This is a uniquely American problem that we need to address.”

The late, great Stephen Sondheim, who wrote profound lyrics and music about so many types of relationships, created this masterpiece, from Assassins, about relationships with guns:

I depend on my healthy relationships to help me make meaning of the disturbing relationships in the world. What are your thoughts and feelings about the relationships described in today’s blog?

Every day, I am grateful for all my sustaining relationships with others, including YOU.

Day 3031: Discover What’s Possible

Yesterday, when I discovered it’s possible to return to a place like Home Depot without having a panic attack, I saw this:

As advertised at Home Depot, Michael and I discovered what’s possible, including:

• buying a power washer so he can redo our decks,
• getting keys copied (because I still can’t find the keys I lost when I was getting COVID in NYC over a year ago),
• picking up mulch, and
• misspelling “mulch.”

Earlier in the day, I discovered what’s possible if I venture some place new: down some stairs to a different stretch of rocky beach near where we’ve lived for three years.

And last night, I discovered it’s possible to dream and think about a patient who doesn’t exist, trying to figure out a way to help them heal.

It seems like I’m constantly discovering what’s possible, every day.

Let’s discover what’s possible in my other images from yesterday.

Yesterday, I didn’t think it was possible to sit at an impossible height for 2 hours for $2 million, but who knows about the future?

Let’s discover what’s possible in “The Last Ship” by Sting.

Let’s discover what’s possible when you express your thoughts and feelings in a comment, below.

I discover what’s possible every day when I express gratitude, so thanks to all who help me create this blog, including YOU.

Day 3004: Learning the hard way

Do you see examples of learning the hard way in today’s images?

We seem to be learning the hard way about gun violence and common sense gun laws in the USA.

There is some learning the hard way in “The Gun Song” from Stephen Sondheim’s Assassins.

Thanks to all who helped me create this “Learning the Hard Way” post, as we all keep learning the hard way together.

Day 2408: How many lives do we have?

How many lives do we have?

I assume each of us has only one life.  So what do we each want to do with our one, precious life?  What do we want to do to preserve the precious, one life of others?

This past weekend in the USA too too many people lost their one lives because of gun violence. I am going to spend the rest of my one life doing whatever I can to stop the madness of such easy access to assault weapons — weapons designed to end as many lives as possible as quickly as possible.

This weekend, when so many lives were lost,  I spent my one life with those I love doing what I love — the priority for every single day of my one precious life.

How many photos do we have?

Because I don’t have nine lives,  I don’t smoke and I try to live healthy.   I owe it to myself and to those who love me.

When I search YouTube for “How Many Lives Do We Have?” I find this:

How many thoughts and feelings do you have, here and now?  I look forward to reading every one of my readers’ comments.

How much gratitude do I have for those who helped me create this post and for you?

 

Day 1901: March Madness

While “March Madness” usually refers to the U.S. National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament, I’m going to write about different kinds of March Madness.

Yesterday, I spoke with people about how many losses and deaths we had experienced in the month of March. It seemed like madness when we listed the beloved relatives and friends who had passed away during this one month.

Is it madness that I had this conversation with my dear friend, Megan?

Me:  My father died in March,  but I can’t believe how many people you’ve lost in March.

Megan: It’s crazy!

Me:  It’s traumatizing! I’ll tell you what. In the future, if it looks like I’m going to die in the month of March, I’ll make sure they keep me on life support until I make it to April.

Megan (laughing):  Thank you!

Me: Then maybe I’ll die on April 1st.  I think that’s a good day to die.

Is it madness to talk about our own deaths and to laugh about loss? For me, it helps dispel the madness.

How are you dealing with this year’s madnesses in March?  Personally, I’m glad U.S. students and their families are marching for their lives in March. It’s madness that there’s so much gun violence in the United States.

Was it madness for me to take any of these March photos?

 

 

Here‘s the March madness of Metallica playing “Hero of the Day” with the San Francisco Symphonic Orchestra:

Thanks to all the heroes of the day who helped me create this March Madness blog post and — of course! — to YOU.

Day 1873: Two words

Another post!

Fantastic joke:

A man wanted to become a monk so he went to the monastery and talked to the head monk.

The head monk said, “You must take a vow of silence and can only say two words every three years.”

The man agreed and after the first 3 years, the head monk came to him and said, “What are your two words?”

“Food cold!” the man replied.

Three more years went by and the head monk came to him and said “What are your two words?”

“Robe dirty!” the man exclaimed.

Three more years went by and the head monk came to him and said, “What are your two words?”

“I quit!” said the man.

“Well,” the head monk replied, “I am not surprised. You have done nothing but complain ever since you got here!”

Don Lemon:

Don Lemon has two words for people who say it’s not the time to talk about gun violence in America: “Shut up.”

After Wednesday’s mass shooting at a South Florida high school, the “CNN Tonight” host said that compared to other countries, America was “off the charts” when it came to this kind of violence. And that meant we have to talk about guns.

“You can save it. People who are saying, ‘Oh, y’know, it’s not the time to talk about guns’ or whatever,” Lemon said in a clip posted online by Raw Story. “Yes, it is. Shut up. I don’t want to hear it. It absolutely is.”

Lemon said the one thing that sets America apart was its easy access to guns, including people who shouldn’t be allowed to have firearms:

“So don’t tell me that it’s not time to talk about it. You talk to those people down in Florida who lost their loved ones. They’ll tell you it’s time to talk about it. ‘My loved one would be here if this shooter did not have access to an assault-style rifle.’”

New photos!

One shoe.

Lost scarf.

More bananas.

Yogi Tea.

Great book.

Hope quote.

Emily Dickinson!

“Hope” is the thing with feathers – (314)

BY EMILY DICKINSON

“Hope” is the thing with feathers –
That perches in the soul –
And sings the tune without the words –
And never stops – at all –

And sweetest – in the Gale – is heard –
And sore must be the storm –
That could abash the little Bird
That kept so many warm –

I’ve heard it in the chillest land –
And on the strangest Sea –
Yet – never – in Extremity,
It asked a crumb – of me.

Two songs.

 

Any comments?

Thank you!