Day 3023: An invitation from the universe

Yesterday, while dealing with the loss of a warm, funny, and talented therapist from my group therapy organization, I tweeted this:

Here’s an invitation to explore the many other recent images of my universe.

I’m glad so many people in the Twitter universe answered my invitation for ideas about what to say to a mansplainer.

Here is what I find when I search YouTube for “An Invitation from the Universe.”

Consider this an invitation from the universe to leave a comment, below, and many thanks for inviting me into your universe today.

Day 2996: Who is taking up too much space in your brain?

I don’t know about you, but annoying, obnoxious, miserable, angry, and unsafe people take up too much space in my brain.

My brain tells me that it needs to focus on these people, because they are threats to our well being.

I am telling my brain that we also need to focus on more pleasant, restful, and helpful things, in order to take care of ourselves and to conserve our energy.

I hope my latest images don’t take up too much space in your brain.

Here’s what I find when I search you tube for “Who is taking up too much space in your brain?”

Please make space in your brain for that important message: we can’t control thoughts and feelings, but we can control our actions.

Who will be taking up space in the comments section, below?

Thanks to all who have helped me take up blog space for almost 3000 days in a row, including YOU.

Day 2982: What are you craving these days?

Yesterday, when I was craving connection with others, I posted this on Twitter:

Looks like I am not alone in craving certain types of foods and also connection with others.

What are you craving these days? Do you see anything you crave in my other images from yesterday?

I figured people might be craving today’s Daily Bitch Calendar, with a helpful reminder that it’s the beginning of a new month — the second March we’ve spent together in this worldwide pandemic.

In case you are craving Mark Ruffalo’s speech from last night’s Golden Globe awards, here it is:

And in case you are craving “Seasons of Love,” here it is, performed at another awards show in 2018:

As usual, I am craving comments, so please leave one, below.

Because you may be craving appreciation and gratitude, thanks to all who help me create these daily posts, including YOU!

Day 2974: Neighborhoods

I inhabit several neighborhoods — real, virtual, and imaginary, as you can see.

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Even though I’m ambiviralent, I hope my new lyrics to “Fascinating Rhythm” help me go viral in the social media neighborhoods.

Vaccinated Women

by Ann Koplow

Vaccinated women, we’re shopping at stores.

Vaccinated women, we’re all a-quiver.

We are celebrating, the neighbors want to know

How we managed rating when they’re chopped liver.

Each morning we get up with the sun

And have no cares getting all our chores done.

Vaccinated women, you see us on the go

Vaccinated women, you might be asking.

How can you be certain which ones of us are

Vaccinated women, since we’re still masking.

Just look closely into our eyes and then you’ll see

Vaccinated women, happy and safe like me!

Vaccinated women, we don’t want to boast

Lord it over others, or make them jealous.

Vaccinated women, what would please us most

Is vaccine distribution to all gals and fellas.

We hope that everyone over the world will join us soon

Vaccinated people, out, safe, and over the moon!

© Ann Koplow, 2021

In my imaginary neighborhood, Jacob Collier lives nearby, so here‘s Jacob’s arrangement and performance of the Gershwins’ “Fascinating Rhythm.”

I’m grateful to my neighbors in all my neighborhoods, including YOU!

Day 2940: Complaining

For the last four years, I’ve been complaining about the U.S. President and the enablers of his outrageous behaviors.

I’m looking forward to not complaining about our President, very soon.

Do you see any complaining in my latest images?

I actually did a little complaining to Michael about last night’s dinner, because (1) it was the second sandwich in a row and (2) it wasn’t pasta. As I said in my tweet above, I’m looking forward to more of that kind of complaining.

I’m not complaining about finding this video about complaining on YouTube:

I am complaining about my sleep pattern lately: I wake up way too early and have trouble falling back asleep. I’m hoping I’ll be doing less complaining about my sleep after the inauguration on Wednesday.

James Taylor is complaining in “Angry Blues.”

I won’t be complaining if you share some complaining in the comments section, below.

I’m so grateful for all who tolerate my complaining, including YOU!

Day 2932: What’s the scariest animal?

Yesterday, I watched Stephen Colbert ask Tom Hanks, Meryl Streep, and George Clooney the same set of interesting questions including “What’s the scariest animal?”

At first, I was thinking that the scariest animal would be a crocodile or a bear. Later that night, I realized that, to me, the scariest animal was something else.

Man.

What’s the scariest animal in my images for today?

Yep. For me, the scariest animal is man.

When I search YouTube for “What’s the scariest animal?” I find “10 Terrifying Animals That Are Actually Friendly.”

What’s the scariest animal to you?

Thanks to all the animals who helped me create today’s blog post and thanks to all the animals who are reading it, including YOU.

Day 2912: When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time

When someone showed me this quote from Maya Angelou, I believed them the first time.

When someone shows me who they are and they are scary, scared, disturbed, angry, hurt, or unkind, I believe them the first time. I also want to believe they can get better. I believe that is because I am a psychotherapist.

I also believe people have to be themselves and some people are more capable of change than others.

Do I show you who I am when I show you the images I capture for this blog?

When The Daily Bitch showed me who she was years ago, I believed her the first time (and every time since).

When someone showed up on a truck in my neighborhood yesterday …

… I believed it was Santa.

Here are Maya Angelou and Oprah Winfrey showing you who they are as they talk about this important life lesson.

When you show me who you are in a comment, I’ll believe you.

I’ve been showing you who I am — a grateful person — since I first started this blog, and I hope you believe me!

Day 2862: All damn day

All damn day, for four years, I’ve been waiting for all damn U.S. leaders to stop damning our future.

All damn day feels like a long time when the world seems damned, especially when there’s an extra hour, like today.

All damn day I

• obsessively check the news,
• walk around,
• stress eat,
• think about people in pain,
• wonder what my fellow Americans are thinking, and
• prepare for my next blog post.

All damn day I’ve known what today’s blog title would be.

All damn day I capture images of what I see.

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All damn day I look for moments of beauty, synchronicity, hope, and love.

All damn day I’ve been thinking about this beautiful song by Beautiful Chorus I heard during a No Impact Aerobics (NIA) class on Zoom.

All damn day I’ll be looking for inner peace and your comments.

All damn day I look for ways to express my gratitude to all who help me get through all damn days, including YOU!

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Day 2806: Stay calm

I’m trying to stay calm as I

• deal with new problems creating these posts because of changes on WordPress,
• blog on my phone this morning,
• get ready to resume working from home as a group and individual psychotherapist,
• attend a challenging Zoom meeting,
• set healthy boundaries,
• respect myself and others,
• balance preparation with spontaneity,
• deal with technological glitches,
• deal with human glitches,
• recover and learn from mistakes,
• accept my natural impatience and sensitivities,
• encounter disappointment,
• feel helpless,
• rush to respond to people as quickly as possible,
• plan my 50th high school reunion on Zoom, and
• face the uncertainties we are all encountering, here and now.

What helps you stay calm? For me, it’s sharing photos like these:

Music like this helps me stay calm, even while reminding me of how fragile we are:

I also stay calm by noticing and expressing gratitude, so thanks to all who help me create these daily posts, including YOU.

Day 2792: Achievable next steps

In therapy, I often ask people to think about achievable next steps, especially if they feel overwhelmed, powerless, and uncertain about the future.  (Sound familiar, anybody?)  Identifying an achievable next step can promote a sense of control and hope.

Here and now, my achievable next steps include

• asking for more help in planning a high school reunion on Zoom,
• going for a socially distanced walk on Day 2 of my 17-day staycation, and
• writing my next blog post.

Do you see any achievable next steps in my photos from yesterday?

Those last four photos show my son Aaron taking some initial steps to explain category theory to me.  He took some prior steps of describing category theory while we were stepping out on a neighborhood walk (pictured above).

My comprehending category theory

1. will take many next steps over my staycation and
2. is definitely achievable, because my son is an excellent teacher.

An achievable next step is to choose a YouTube video for today’s post. Here‘s one explaining John Coltrane‘s Giant Steps, “the most feared song in jazz history.”

Here‘s Giant Steps with somebody taking steps to add animated sheet music (but not for the piano solo):

People took the achievable steps of posting these comments on that YouTube video:

luis Bazan
5 years ago
It looks like I was watching a Tom and Jerry chase sequence, I like it

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Skippy the Magnificent
1 year ago
“What key is this in?”
“Yes.”

Does leaving a comment here feel like a giant step or an achievable next step to you?

Expressing gratitude is always an achievable next step, so thanks to all (including YOU!) who helped me take achievable next steps to complete this achievable next blog post.