Tag Archives: mental-health

Laugh Everyday – Ode to C. W. Metcalf

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Today was an insane Monday in our little slice of city employment dominion. We had sooooo much mail that it took us over 2 hours to process it. Then, we had to enter everything into the computer. My co-worker and I got through it with her funny life stories and talking trash about some of the folks who sent the information in to us. We laughed, we cried, and all the while we felt so alive.

We all know the cliché—“laughter is the best medicine.”  According to the Heart Foundation, “…studies have shown how laughing through life is beneficial for your health. Laughing lowers stress, reduces anger, and forces us to breathe. But there is a specific science to laughter and why it is so good for your heart. Here are the top 5 reasons you should laugh every single day:

  • Increases blood flow.
  • It counts as cardio.
  • Strengthens your immune system.
  • Reduces stress. 
  • The benefits last.
5 Reasons You Should Laugh Everyday

And here are some more interesting fun facts on the Everyday Health website:
“Laughter is the physical manifestation of finding something funny, and it can help to reduce inflammation and stress hormones, improve circulation, and enhance the immune system.”
“Laughing changes brain activity.”
“Just a moment of laughter can allow us to think more clearly and creatively and strengthen a sense of connection with others.”

  • Don’t Worry About Being ‘Funny.’
  • Curate Your Comedy Collection.
  • Take a Laugh Break
  • Tap Laughter to Learn More
  • Don’t Be Afraid to Lighten Up

https://www.everydayhealth.com/self-care/how-to-laugh-more-every-single-day-why-its-so-good-for-you/

In 1992, C.W. Metcalf and Roma Felible authored a book called Lighten Up. I read this book to lighten up stressful situations when we were all under pressure. Being in law enforcement I understand the dark humor we all would use to relieve that pressure valve. Metcalf told us it was ok to laugh about horrible situations to “…release endorphins [that] diminish physical and psychological pain.” He also suggested that “…we quit focusing on the idiocy of others and the cruel circumstances of a universe that seems, at times, to be conspiring against us.” Finally, he talked about the three basic skills he hoped people would come away with after reading the book:

  • The First Humor Skill: The ability to see the absurdity in difficult situations.
  • The Second Humor Skill: The ability to take yourself lightly while taking your work seriously.
  • The Third Humor Skill: A disciplined sense of joy in being alive.

Like me, he was a boomer but grew up in the wild 1960’s. He identified with what it felt like turning 40 as an age where we were becoming our parents. We never thought we would and were disheartened. However, we saw the humor in it and moved on and tried to get along with everyone, even those grumpy folks! This book is one I would highly recommend to old and young readers to work through his process. He was a great writer and even more wonderful human being.

Here is an obituary of sorts created on a Facebook page to show how he impacted others.

“C.W. Metcalf was a highly respected teacher, performer, and author on the use of humor in stress management. His message was based on research with crisis and trauma survivors who remained healthy, resilient, and creative under pressure. Eventually, C.W.’s own life-and-death battles inspired him the most, as he recovered from two brain cancer surgeries and battled adult leukemia. In one of my all-time favorite MASTERS interviews, C.W. shared his cancer survivor’s joy in being alive. Sadly, C.W. lost his battle in 2007, but his powerful message is a wonderful legacy for all of us.”
https://www.facebook.com/groups/mastersbywinnclaybaugh

So, wind down from the day, see the humor in all of it. Pat yourself on the back for getting through everything and enjoy the evening of mindless TV. And sing and laugh a little bit tonight. I love you all!

We’ll Sing in the Sunshine

Blame Game – Continued

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“If you give a man an answer, all he gains is a little fact. But give him a question and he’ll look for his own answers.”—Patrick Rothfuss

“You are responsible for your life. You can’t keep blaming somebody else for your dysfunction. Life is really about moving on.”—Oprah Winfrey

“All blame is a waste of time. No matter how much fault you find with another, and regardless of how much you blame him, it will not change you. The only thing blame does is to keep the focus off you when you are looking for external reasons to explain your unhappiness or frustration. You may succeed in making another feel guilty about something by blaming him, but you won’t succeed in changing whatever it is about you that is making you unhappy.”—Wayne Dyer

“Some people love being victims because they love being able to blame someone else. Accountability [emphasis mine] is too much for them. They don’t like being responsible [emphasis mine] for who they have become or where they are in life.”—Anonymous

So I had to stop and take a breath last night but I’m back. Sometimes I just overwhelm myself with my dreadful thoughts. This will be my 135th post today.

But you all know I’m not wrong. I want to continue down this pathway for a little longer and promise to say something nicer tomorrow.

Author Finn Robinson states that some people have had past encounters where failure led to punishment of some kind, therefore they are ruled by fear. Thus, they feel that they are justified in thinking that others should be punished for their actions. He also stated that these same people aren’t good with taking criticism, even if it is perceived criticism. They have a hard time learning from their past mistakes and feel it is just someone else’s fault. They live in denial, or in the case of seniors, in their version of the past. Unfortunately, the past isn’t always a better time. It’s better to learn from our mistakes and move on to a new way of doing things. For further information see his article:
People who blame everyone else instead of taking responsibility for things share 12 common traits

Arash Emamzadeh authored an interesting article in Psychology Today. He stated that “…blaming others is a defense mechanism [or] an unconscious process that protects the finger-pointer and blame-shifter from experiencing unpleasant feelings, such as guilt or shame.” He further stated that “Blaming is usually considered part of the defense mechanism called projection, which involves denying one’s own anxiety-provoking or negative characteristics and seeing them instead in others.” Finally, he asked: “Are certain individuals more likely to shift blame onto others? Yes, according to a recent series of investigations by Kaufmann and colleagues: Blamers tend to have difficulties with emotion regulation. For further information go to:
Why Some People Will Always Blame Others | Psychology Today

Accountability and responsibility. Author Lachlan Brown takes a step regarding how you can reclaim your life and be who you need to be. You don’t need to blame others if you step up and admit you are accountable for your own behavior. He lists 11 tips to accomplish this. Here are a few:  

  • Stop blaming other people. The most important step to taking responsibility for your life is to stop blaming others.
  • Stop making excuses.
  • Ask yourself how other people impact you if you think you are a victim.
  • Love yourself.
  • Stop complaining – this takes more energy than just accomplishing what you need to do.

The rest of his tips can be found at: https://hackspirit.com/taking-responsibility/

So, sometimes we get it that you may feel isolated and lonely, and want to have human interaction. However, there are so many places that you can visit to talk to others and resolve what is going on with you. Volunteer to help others so you understand there are bigger issues in the world. And maybe take a breath and count to five the next time you call wanting heads to roll at a government office for something that you could have easily fixed yourself. Enough said….

Love and hugs to those in need tonight! Enjoy the flowers popping up. Enjoy the weather before the storm in your lovely little part of Colorado.

BE KIND

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It doesn’t take a huge effort to be kind to others. A smile, a thank you, a hug, that’s it. Kindness doesn’t always include dramatic gestures. We can bring meaning and joy to our lives if we just learn to communicate better. Compassion is intoxicating and we all need to take a moment to soak it in and then squeeze it right back out to others.

Hateful people had something break inside them when they were young and may need a little more help in creating a better life for themselves and, as a result, the people they torture. If we can take a moment with those folks who are regurgitating nonsense, perhaps we can change their attitudes. Or, at least, stop being angry with them. After all, they simply cannot help themselves without some type of therapy.

This type of person can be a very loud bully, and their resistance is huge because they are terrified. But you and I know bullies had something happen to them at a young age and had to go into full-time survival mode. And yes, sometimes they just like the power they have been given right now in this era. It is a hard road to help them get back to a state where they care about something other than themselves. It is extremely hard for me to understand the very loud bully who is running our country right now, and I have had my say about all of these people who love him.

But I have to go back to my college days and revisit my psychology classes. I have to try and re-think the anger in myself. I want others to be like me, to always have a positive spin on life, and yet I am saddened that there is so much discord out there right now, and that I get sucked into it at times. I know I contribute to this negative energy and I am trying to break the cycle. I feel for the people who have been hurt by the ridiculous decisions that have been made. I am trying not to become that person who gives up. I have to believe in a new hope for a united nation once again. I have to believe that those in power will see what is happening and keep fighting the good cause. So until I can solve all of the world’s ills (yes, I know how that sounds…) I have to continue to believe that kindness will overcome madness.

So what I am asking of each and every one of you is to try and take a breath before you speak and that weird downward spiral loop nests in your head. Think about helping yourself and others by doing the following:

  • Stop yelling at people who cut you off or act crazy on the road. Give them that small victory. (You can still mutter under your breath: “You’re an idiot” -thank you Tom Hanks!)
  • Make eye contact, smile, and say thank you to a coworker or someone you are helping.
  • Bring laughter to others to break up the day.
  • Smile and acknowledge people. It is a great mood booster.
  • Be grateful no matter the challenge.
  • Don’t be grumpy if possible because you are having a bad day.
  • Listen and connect.
  • Be kind to yourself.

There are many more ways to be kind and accept kindness. I recommend you check out this website and just learn to go with the flow.
https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/how-to-be-a-kind-person

And my final ask of you (and myself) tonight is to show a little kindness to someone in need every day. And take a moment to listen to these great songs and feel the groove:

23 Best Songs About Kindness & Empathy

I love you all tonight.

Mental Processing

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“The gears of the mind turn in mysterious ways, propelling us through the complexities of thought and emotion – a captivating dance that forms the very essence of our human experience.”—Neurolaunch, 2024

Today was an overload day. We went to the Xfinity store and got our new phones. We went from Samsung Galaxy S8s to Galaxy S25+. What a dramatic change! Everything looks a little different! The initial purchase was a whirlwind as everything is up in that giant nebulous satellite world, even the Sim cards! And we got a huge discount because it was before March 18th. Most of the information downloaded okay in the store, albeit it took a very long time on the Bluetooth connection. We had to come home and fix a few things, but now we are slowly getting used to them. There were sooooo many apps that I had forgotten about! And we had to login to everything once again. My brain is in overload mode right now.

So after making dinner and cleaning up, I looked up mental processing. I found some interesting facts. A website called Neurolaunch speaks of our thoughts as an “…intricate ballet of neural activity, hidden beneath the surface of our consciousness….”
The study is a “…journey to unravel the enigmatic workings of the human mind, exploring the very core of what makes us who we are.”
https://neurolaunch.com/mental-processes-definition-psychology/

The 8 mental processes can be “…broadly categorized into eight types: Sensation, Perception, Attention, Learning, Memory, Language, Motivation, and Emotion.” These categories shape human cognition. https://psychemaster.com/mental-processes-definition-in-psychology

“These cognitive mechanisms shape our perceptions, guide our decisions, and influence our behaviors in ways both subtle and profound. By peering into the inner workings of the mind, we gain invaluable insights into the human condition, opening doors to improved mental health, enhanced learning techniques, and a deeper appreciation for the richness of human cognition.”
It is important for us to understand that mental processes are:
1. Internal and often not directly observable.
2. Involve the manipulation of information within the mind.
3. Conscious or unconscious.
4. Dynamic and can change over time.
5. Influenced by both internal and external factors.

Mental Processes in Psychology: Defining the Core of Human Cognition

Further information can be found at:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/theory-knowledge/202006/what-are-mental-processes

So I believe that our brains are enormous and process so much information so very fast. It’s when we get overwhelmed that we have to just sit a minute and breathe. Yes, we can learn lots of new things at a time, but sometimes our plates are so full that we get a little stressed out. I am the worst person to be telling this to everyone else because I probably am one of those stressors. I want to know it very fast and forget to close my mouth before the next thought comes forward. (And I usually say it out loud!) I have to realize that we all process at different rates (Bluetooth transfers to home connections comparisons in this case). So, take a breath, count to 10 and then ask the next question. We’ll all figure out those life lessons (and new phones) more quickly if we take a break between thoughts. Thanks for listening tonight.

I love you all! Stay safe out there!

Living the Dream and Feeling Complete

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I started the day with a wonderful visit to the VNA footcare at the Rec Center. They helped me tremendously with trimming nails and checking out what is going on with my poor aching feet! I learned something new and the visit was paid for by my insurance! I encourage you to talk to those lovely nurses employed by the state and working with your local counties. They really fill a need and help us old folks! And prices are very reasonable if your insurance doesn’t cover it. I’m going back in 3 months! Take care of your feet and they will take care of you!

Today was also a day of researching, writing, and planning my finale in the book. The words flowed. I researched old gaming books of my husband’s (Shadowrun rocks!). And I found some excellent books on history, particularly amazing battle scenes. What a wonderful world at your fingertips! It’s finally coming together. Over the hump and excited to finish the storyline. There may be one more, but who knows? It depends on where I’m at after this!

So my swirling brain is getting it all together, but I just want to say one thing to someone I helped downtown this week: She came in with her check to pay her water bill and was complaining about the process. She gave me a check and I entered the information and that was that. While that process still works for now, it will eventually change. Checks are slowly becoming obsolete with Venmo and other apps to pay someone electronically. It’s inevitable that things will change.

So…I told her she could pay it online and I would help her walk through it if she would like me to help her set it up. She got a little snarky and said she didn’t trust computers. She also proudly stated that she didn’t even have a computer! I was sad that elders don’t understand or want to learn a different process. I have been paying online for over 27 years now and I have never had a problem with it. I have never been breached by the system. I was also sad that so many of us my age and older don’t want to be uncomfortable, which is what you feel when you learn new things. I just told her I have a computer, smart phone, and TV and it was easy to do once you learn it! But, alas, she didn’t want to hear my opinion (I have many, don’t you know?)

There are many things that I don’t always understand when it comes to new programs or software, or even the new publishing methods on my computer. I have to read instructions a few times, or go to a different site with a better explanation in order to work on something new. And sometimes I have to ask the family who are smarter than me on these things to help me out. But to dismiss a new way of learning and reading is a bit sad, don’t you think? Besides, the backlighting is terrific for reading! And there are infinite resources, better than the library (and I loved, loved, loved the library when I was young).

So, I urge all of you to expand your horizons and learn new things every day. Read, read, and read some more. Learn something new every day that you are on this planet. That’s how your brain will stay healthy. Enough said.

I love you all and hope you will keep up with your children and grandchildren!

Live and Let Live

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“The phrase “live and let live” has been used for centuries to express a philosophy of tolerance, acceptance, and peaceful coexistence. Its origins can be traced back to various cultures throughout history, where it was often used as a guiding principle in social interactions.”
https://crossidiomas.com/live-and-let-live/

I used to believe that we were getting somewhere with respecting each other, allowing each other to make their own choices and not imposing our beliefs on others. I used to believe that good people could make good choices on their own and not be judged by some hierarchical fanatic. I used to believe that we were working on the philosophy: “And it harm none, do what thou will.” I used to believe that supporting diversity, inclusiveness, and respect for all was something that should have been the logical process for treating everyone equally, not something that needed to be legislated.

And, then came the s#*! storm. So what was the precise moment where a majority of the nation decided that this idiom should become “Live and Let Die?” Was it the election, or had we grown so weary beforehand that we just gave up and let things happen?

Perhaps now there is a growing majority of those irrational believers waking up and realizing what they have done. I hope they are remorseful and are trying to fix things after the fact. Alas, I think they are also still scared. They have given into their fears and prejudices and are holding on to something that was enforced in them by their ancestors. They also still think that the make-believe nonsense about trickle down economy of the Reagan years was real. People, this never worked! Talk to economists and get an understanding of what this means so you can be more informed in the upcoming elections. Your educated votes make a difference in our world.

I thought that we were slowly rising up out of our past and recognizing that things had to change. And yet things have changed for the worse. I can’t give up on trying to educate and encourage others to do a deep dive into history, politics, and economics, and stretch ones’ brains to understand the differences between democracy, autocracy, and blatant fascism. (Look it up!) We are part of a greater world and should own it. We have to help nations in trouble and rise up out of this pettiness. We have to stop being afraid and break our individual bubbles, or at least absorb our bubble into the next person’s bubble and on and on until we are under one big bubble. I am reading and researching and writing more than I ever used to and I encourage young and old alike to do the same. We have to move on to the next step folks. We have to bring back a nation of love and understanding for all humans who live on this planet. Only then can we become harmonious and full of love for one another. We cannot give up!

I send out love and peace to everyone tonight. Hug the person next to you and engage in a productive conversation. Learn something new every day that you are alive!

Going Back to Work

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Today I was offered a job to go back to work part-time. Three days a week and they work around my schedule and pay me well. Not bad. So, since my brain has been in overload, I decided to do it for the next few months. It’s nice to get a call from the HR people who know me. I can fill in until they get a new person. And I’ve worked in all of their computer systems, and I know how to deal with telephone calls and people, so I should still be able to do it. Sometimes you just have to get out of your daily routine comfort and take the plunge. We can save the money for expenses that are coming up and maybe even go out and have a nice dinner once in a while. I love my little city and the people in it. Thank you all for allowing me to continue doing what I do best.

Remember that being a senior doesn’t mean you have to just sit and quit. You can stay active and learn new things every day. Learn from the young people working around you, bake them cookies, and knit them scarves!

And if you hurt a little more, try and take a little break in between assignments so you can take a walk. Our downtown is wonderful, and walking to the park and back is both good for the head and the body.

Listen to some good music like Tom Jones, The Animals, Buffalo Springfield, The Foundations, Four Tops, and even 3 Doors Down.

Sing oldies but goodies, with your wonderful choir, to the ones in Memory Care.

Tomorrow will be another day in towards our future. We have to release the negative for a little while and do what we can when we can. And if we get a little money for it, that’s okay, too! Save a little, pass on what you can to help others, and smile. So, For Once in My Life, Build Me Up Buttercup, and Help [Your]self, Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch!

I love you all tonight and hope we can all just breathe it out.

How We Communicate as We Age

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Welllll…yesterday I was in music La La Land, wrapped up in tunes from long ago and far away for our next concert. So, I didn’t get around to posting, and I broke my writing streak! But “I’m back, baby!” Day 107, and counting up again! Frank Costanza-Seinfeld

Recently, I have been hanging out with a bunch of seniors and I have been pondering how we communicate, because we all seem to be talking at the same time and none of us are listening to what each of us are saying.

For example, I explain something or try and state what needs to be done, and the other person bounces back and said, “So you want me to do this (some task at hand that we’ve agreed to)?” And, I said, “No, I want you to do this.” And it goes back and forth like this verbally until I think they finally hear me. Or so I thought. Then, I get a text and they say, “You want me to do this?” And I text back, and say, “Noooo. I want you to do this.” And, then I get an email saying, “So I’m doing this, right?” At that point I get a little exasperated and say it one more time, hoping for the best outcome, or I say, “Never mind, I’ll do it.” So here’s the thing. Am I communicating the task clearly? Or is the other person communicating what’s in their head and not listening? Or do they just not want to listen or do the task at hand, even though they volunteered?

There have been several studies conducted on our aging brains over the last 20 years, and here are some brief summaries of what I have discovered that might be the cause of our communication dilemmas:

-Hearing Loss: Sometimes we just don’t literally hear what the other person is saying whether it is a physical manifestation, or background noise inhibiting what is being said. Closing the door to noises and speaking one on one to relay the message you intended is helpful.
-Elderspeak: We are so used to people feeding us (seniors) information in small bits, almost as if they were speaking to babies, and over-explaining topics, that we tend to stop listening when others use long sentences. While explaining things in a slower speech, not using complex sentences and repeating the facts may work for those who are really impaired. However, sometimes this method backfires on those who are still cognitively with us. We need to explain things thoroughly, but we need to continue to speak to adults like adults in hopes that they become better listeners, and thus better doers.
-Word Retrieval Failures: Sometimes we call these senior moments. We are receiving the information as a transmission, but we don’t know how to retrieve the response from our brain because the connections have weakened over time. For example, this is particularly common when we are trying to think of the name of a famous person or actor. I continue to blank on Elijah Wood for some reason. I have to look him up every time I am trying to relate a story or a movie he’s in (Frodo in Lord of the Rings, duh…) And I love his works, so why do I forget that?

These are only a few items that have been discussed in the National Institute of Health’s publication. Check it out and read this interesting paper on some of the earliest discoveries of our aging brains: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK97337/

Back in the early 2000s, there was much discussion about using technology to help others understand what we are saying. For example, there have been great strides in the speech to text capabilities and use of computers and phones to translate what is being said. This is a wonderful tool, and folks like Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania is a great advocate of this. He has a brain injury and uses technology to help him understand speech and the language of others. Sometimes I think groups that I am currently involved in could use this technique to relay messages. They would also benefit the use of this technology as a learning tool to actively listen.

In a Psychology Today article Language, Comprehension and the Aging Brain, the author discusses the concepts of working memory and  verbal fluency. “Working memory is our ability to remember and manipulate a small chunk of information in an immediate context, as opposed to committing something to our longer-term memory (e.g., to remember that information at some later point) or even just holding information while we jot it down but don’t alter it…” (commonly known as short-term memory).

Verbal fluency is being able to communicate information from any category and relay it to another person. “For instance, when asked to come up with as many names as they [seniors] can for a given category (e.g., plants or animals), [is] a task requiring them to search through word meanings that have been cognitively stored, older adults generate fewer terms overall and have less range in terms of the terms they come up with.”

This article suggests that “…print exposure, i.e., reading experience, not only helps by providing another source of information to draw upon when making semantic or syntactic decisions but also might even compensate for declines in those with poor working memory. For more information on this article see: Working Memory-Aging Brain

Some people have a hard time with my fast-paced talking and desire to always learn new things. They get brain headaches when listening to me. I try and slow down my process for them the best I can, but there is always so much to be learned out in the world, and I want to share that knowledge. I don’t want my brain to atrophy as I age. I hope I am in the classification called the Cognitive Super Ager, but who knows? I haven’t taken the tests. I implore you to read up on this phenomena found on the web. It’s fascinating!

https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/brain-health/how-aging-brain-affects-thinking
https://www.nia.nih.gov/news/cognitive-super-agers-defy-typical-age-related-decline-brainpower

I hope you all take a moment to appreciate this information and pass it on to your loved ones and friends who might be struggling. I know I will continue to read and learn as long as I am able, and I hope when my eyesight (and possibly brain) starts to fail, someone will read to me about new and exciting adventures and discoveries!

I love you all and hope you are enjoying every moment with your friends and families!

Overcoming Frustration and Riding the Peace Train

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Frustration: a deep chronic state of insecurity and dissatisfaction arising from unresolved problems or unfulfilled needs; the feeling of being upset or annoyed, especially because of inability to change or achieve something.

People like me are task masters and goal seekers. We always have lists, spreadsheets, lots of articles and books to read when we set out to learn something or try to solve a problem at hand. The frustration comes in when we cannot achieve a multitude of tasks that we give ourselves or have been given by someone else. We become frustrated because there are others involved in the equation and we are stymied into inaction. We can’t do anything about it because others are doing something completely different or nothing at all about it. We have to wait and see what’s next. We feel helpless because we don’t seem to be heard, or people aren’t doing the things we think they should do. We sometimes get angry at the person who we are trying to help or the person who is trying to help us.

In an article published in 2023 by Harvard Macy Institute at Harvard Medical School, the author talked about what to do if you have “…too much on your plate.” It stated that we begin to feel like victims and that “…we feel like there are so many things we have to do or are forced to do. The first step is to remember that you are the one driving. Anything on your schedule or to-do list is there by your choice, which means you get to choose whether to keep it on there in the long term, or whether to phase it off.”

The article stated that the first step is to assess just what you really need to do to get through the day or week. Second, it is important to see what is causing the overwhelming feelings. Assess what is the 20% that is causing 80% of the stress (the 80:20 rule). “If you can identify the main sources of the stress, then you can home in on ways to de-stress, minimize, complete, or step away from them. If it is not something you want to cancel, think about how you could delegate parts of it.”

The third step is to find ways to get through the next week, and the weeks after that. Maybe it’s just taking a day to get out of the house, thus out of your head. For more information go to their website:
https://harvardmacy.org/blog/too-much-on-my-plate

In my case, it was literally removing items from my work desk to focus on one task at a time. I moved the 20% stacks to the back desk so I could focus on finishing the book. Everything else could wait. And, the second thing was to stick to the morning cleanup, then writing until I went to work out. The first of my week was a bit of a clusterf*^$k, but the rest of the week went better. I refuse to let that feeling of helplessness overcome my thinking. My levels of stress will continue to be high, as the lists will always be there, whether written or just in my head, but I’m going back to the one thing at a time rule. I can only do the things I can do for now, and put off bigger life-changing decisions until later. I can’t let the anger of the world invade the space I need to solve daily problems.

There will always be some things that I can’t change right now, and I can’t quite let it go, but I can wait until I get some help on larger matters. I feel that we, as human beings, right now, on this planet need to take a collective breath, and turn off all the noise for now. We can only support each other and justify that our actions will bring about change in the world. Hope for the good things to come and try and ride the peace train for now. Love to all on this cold night.

Excerpt from PEACE TRAIN, Cat Stevens

Something good has begun
I’ve been smiling lately
Dreaming about the world as one
And I believe it could be
Something good’s bound to come…

I’ve been crying lately
Thinking about the world as it is
Why must we go on hating?
Why can’t we live in bliss?…

For out on the edge of darkness
There rides the peace train
Peace train take this country
Come take me home again….
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9cJRqsKZKo

Interconnectedness

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Today’s reflection is about how we are connected in the world and how we communicate through the airwaves. The dictionary describes connectedness as the state of being connected and having a close relationship with other things or people. I believe that each person is their own distinct, physical being, but they can be connected to each other and nature in many ways. Connectedness is not necessarily bound by physical touch or language. Sometimes we just know something is going on, for example in a dream, or a stray thought. Years ago, I knew when each parent died. They came in my dreams to say goodbye. There are many examples that we have where we just knew something, the feeling that something was wrong, or got something in the mail that we knew was coming, and we called to check on the people that we loved.

We feel the emotions amplifying in a crowd, especially fear and anger. Perhaps that’s why we are feeling despair and discontent over decisions that are being made in the highest offices. We feel what over fifty percent of people are collectively feeling. Our interconnectedness is physical, emotional, and cognitive. Our global shared consciousness reaches out into all of our mental spaces. We are not individual islands and must become part of a bigger world, the ocean of mental waves.

If we share this despair, perhaps we can determine at a higher level that we are not alone in our thoughts and reach out to each other in our mental states. We should be free to keep the memories of the past, but make new memories and friends who share a common goal – protecting democracy and the people of all nations and races. Billionaires should learn from their families’ histories and be better human beings. They should learn how to connect with all those who are in need. Fascism cannot reign and must not be ignored in our society. It happened once before, and we wholeheartedly fought it. We must fight the good fight right now and restore a fair and balanced world. We have buried our forefathers and now we are the elders. We must act like the good and kind ones, and make progress towards fixing what has been broken, one little act of kindness at a time.

In Alice Hoffman’s latest book, The Bookstore Keepers, she stated, “Some things [will] always be remembered because they [are] handed down, things like love and memories and stories.”

For the rest of our lives, let’s remember the love and the beautiful stories handed down to us by telling our children about our past, both good and bad things that happened and what we learned as a result of our actions or in-actions. Let’s ask them not to repeat the bad parts of history and strive to make the world a better, and more peaceful place to live out their lives.

I love you all and wish only the best each day. Hugs tonight for those who need it.