Day 3371: Stop thinking altogether

Thinking hasn’t really been helping me lately, so I’m identifying with today’s Daily Bitch Calendar.

I’m going to stop thinking altogether that

• my worst fears are going to come true,
• my fondest wishes are going to come true,
• I have any way of accurately predicting the future,
• I have any way of accurately knowing what anyone else is thinking, and
• thinking will bring me peace.

I’ve stopped thinking altogether anxiously about the future by filling in the blanks of this:

Don’t go to _____ until you’re going to _____.

Examples: “Don’t go to work until you’re going to work.” “Don’t go to the vet until you’re going to the vet.” “Don’t go to the open mic until you’re going to the open mic.”

This altogether stops me from thinking about possible outcomes, which never match what actually happens.

Stop thinking altogether as you enjoy my images for today.

I’ve stopped thinking altogether about Lobster Newburg by remembering this song I wrote a few years ago — “What Are Other People Thinking About You?”

If you’re thinking I need to get my act all together and create better recordings of my songs, my son Aaron (who is now my manager) altogether agrees.

I’m stopping this post by expressing my gratitude to all who have stopped by my blog today, including YOU.

Day 2224: Cute

Happy groundhog day!  Isn’t this a cute photo of a groundhog?

That’s my cute Facebook profile photo today, because Groundhog Day is my birthday!

Yesterday, I heard the word “cute” several times — when I listened to this recording of my latest open mic performance …

 

… and when I showed my boyfriend Michael Malone the birthday card with original art created by my newest good friend Alice Malone (no relation between those two cute Malones).

I think Alice Malone’s drawing of a tiger looking at ties is much more than cute.  Don’t you?

I don’t think it’s cute how there’s a delay between my taking photos on my iPhone and my ability to post them in my blog, especially when I deliberately take pictures of things  I think are cute.  However, I will share all my other new photos from yesterday and share those other cute photos when they turn up (probably tomorrow).

 

If you decide you want  a closer look at the cuteness in those photos, give a cute click on the photo of your choice.

While I am creating this blog post, a lot of cute people are distracting me (as I was distracted during my “cute” performance last night by a cute kid dancing in front of the audience)  by wishing me a happy birthday.

I’m going to make another cute try and see if I can access those other cute photos.

Here they are!

 

Here’s a cuter and closer look at Alice Malone’s website:

Don’t let the perfect get in the way of the good!  That’s a cute and helpful saying.

I look forward to many cute comments, below.

Thanks to those who helped me create this cute post and to all who helped me make it to age 66!

 

 

 

Day 2221: Dirty looks

The other day, I thought somebody gave me a dirty look.  When I perceive somebody giving me a dirty look, I can feel dirty.  That’s why I wrote these lyrics for my latest original song, What are Other People Thinking About You?

Was that person’s dirty look about you?

Was that person annoyed by something you did?

Could it be he’s thinking instead of his family,

Like his most distressing and stressing kid?

© Ann Koplow, 2019

I hope that I don’t get a lot of dirty looks from the audience when I debut that song in two days at an Open Mic.

Do you see any dirty looks in my photos from yesterday?

Do you see any dirty looks in these other recent photos?

While dirty looks can feel like laser beams, we can protect ourselves with mindfulness mantras like “It’s safer than it feels” and playfulness, as explained on this mindfulness card:

 

I playfully gave a look at this sign  on my way home from work last night:

I looked for the 1965 UK TV debut of the Who on YouTube. I couldn’t find it, but look at what is there!

 

Look at this Peter Gabriel song with the lyric “if looks could kill they probably will.”

What are your thoughts about dirty looks and the other looks in this pos?  I will give a non-dirty look at all your comments, later.

I look at the world with gratitude, every day, so thanks to all who helped me create this “dirty looks” post and — of course! — to YOU, for looking at it.

Day 2218: What’s not inside

What’s not inside our home is this sign, which I saw inside a supermarket last night:

Have you seen what’s not inside?  How we can we something that’s not there?

What’s not inside my heart and mind, here and now, seen or unseen, includes

• hate,
• resentment,
• fear about the future,
• regret about the past,
• expectations about my birthday on Groundhog Day,
• concern about what other people are thinking about me,  and
• all the words I wrote, earlier this month, for my latest original song, which I’ll be debuting at an Open Mic in five days.

What IS inside this post are the lyrics for that song, because typing them here might help place them more firmly inside my mind.

What are Other People Thinking About You?

by Ann Koplow

What are other people thinking about you?

Is it something good or something bad?

Who’s to say if you’re somebody they’ve noticed

And what they would be thinking if they had.

Was the person’s dirty look about you?

Was that guy annoyed by something you did?

Could it be he’s thinking instead of his family

Like his most distressing and stressing kid.

People’s thoughts go everywhere,

Of you they’re often not aware,

And even if their thoughts end up on you,

Thoughts can’t hurt you anyway,

Their thoughts will move and go away

Unless you let them stick to you like glue.

What are other people thinking about you?

I think we spend too much time thinking that.

Other people’s thoughts can’t really touch us,

Even judgments, like we’re stupid, old, or fat.

People’s thoughts go everywhere,

Of you they’re often not aware

And even if their thoughts end up on you,

Thoughts can’t hurt you anyway,

Those thoughts will change and go away,

Unless you let them stick to you like glue.

What are other people thinking about you?

Face it, you will never know for sure,

Then why not think they’re thinking that you’re gorgeous,

Talented and smart and secure.

© Ann Koplow, 2019

What’s not inside this post is the second ending to that song, which I wrote in response to what my son, Aaron, was thinking about those lyrics.

What is inside this post, as usual, are my recent and previously unshared photos.

 

What’s not inside that photo montage is a picture of my son’s keyboard, which I plan to put inside my car on Friday and bring with me to the Open Mic.

What’s not inside YouTube are  videos about what’s not inside things. Instead, searching on “What’s not Inside” at YouTube yields videos about what IS inside all the following:

• elf on a shelf,
• iPhone X,
• a rattlesnake rattle,
• Kevin Durant’s basketball shoe,
• a Furby Connect,
• the original Teddy Ruxpin,
• a secret frozen tunnel,
• a stop light,
• a pimple,
• an Etch A Sketch,
• a black box,
• a black hole,
• a fidget spinner,
• a giant Magic 8 ball,
• a cat coin bank, and
• a handgun, which reminds me that what’s inside my Facebook page is a birthday fund-raiser for Everytown for Gun Safety.

What’s not inside this post, so far, is music. Here is “The Calm Inside the Storm” by Cindi Lauper:

What’s not inside this blog, yet, are comments on this post.

What’s always inside my posts are thanks to all who help me create them and — of course! — to YOU.

 

 

Day 2205: Hello, beautiful

Hello, beautiful.

How does that affect you, for somebody to call you beautiful?  What would happen if you called yourself beautiful?

Let’s try that again.

Hello, beautiful. On our beautiful flight to Disney World last week, I wrote a new song called “What Are Other People Thinking About You?” which included this lyric:

What are other people thinking about you?

That is something you will never know.

Then why not assume they’re thinking you’re gorgeous,

Smart, and someone they would want to know.

When I looked at those lyrics yesterday in the harsh, cold light of Boston, I realized I could make them more beautiful if I didn’t rhyme “know” with “know.”

Hello, beautiful. Here are my other beautiful photographs from yesterday:

My beautiful boyfriend Michael, who made that beautiful Portobello Burger last night, often says these beautiful words:

It’s not where you are, it’s who you’re with.

And since you’re always with yourself, why not enjoy the  beautiful company?

Searching YouTube for “Hello beautiful Minnie Mouse” found this beautiful match for today’s post about song lyrics and other beautiful topics:

Hello, beautiful.  Thanks for reading today’s post and if you leave a comment, that would be beautiful.