Saturday, February 20, 2016 12:07 PM
Okay, so maybe I’ve been a little crabby in my recent posts—maybe humanity is not the ‘lost cause of the damned’ that I tend to describe it as being. Maybe I’m just in a bad mood. And maybe there’s a lesson in that:
Don’t be like me. Get outside; get some fresh air; get a little exercise. Don’t talk about things—do things. Make things; create things; imagine things. Or go surprise somebody—do them a favor; lend them a hand; buy them a present; offer to babysit. Or surprise yourself—do something you never do; do something you’re afraid to do; do that thing you always say you’re gonna do, but never get around to.
One thing to avoid, though—don’t wait for ‘enough time’ to pass, and then let go of your anger at someone who has mistreated you, and just wait around for them to do it again. That’s not forgiveness—that’s being a rug—take it from a past master of the art. Don’t accept manipulation just because you don’t want the inconvenience of having to face down the people who think they can use you. Trash your bad relationships—yes, it makes a mess at first, but you come out the other side much better off.
And one thing you shouldn’t avoid—unpleasant facts—look’em in the eye—let them stab you in the heart—but don’t leave blind-spots in your life just because it’s easier than facing the truth. Don’t make it easier for other people to know how you react to things than you know yourself—you just make a fool of yourself, and everyone else can see it plain as day. And don’t worry about overdoing being honest with yourself—no matter how far you go, your ego will always be whispering lovely lies in your ear. You’ll always be tempted to excuse your own failings—you’ll never stop looking to put the blame on someone else.
You see—even when I’m trying to be positive, I turn to the dark side. I’m just not a pleasant person—I’m a pain in the ass. But don’t be too hard on me—I’m much more critical of myself than I could ever be of someone else. I’ll never stop finding fault with myself—so I’ve saved you that trouble. You can use that time for something more positive.
Oh, and here’s an improv I overlooked until now:
hope you liked it.
Oh, dear, what to do with you, a person I so admire for doing so much more than I do. I tell you what I am going to do; I am gong to a street party later this afternoon. I was looking at jewelry tv in he comfort of my chair when a gal called to remind me of the gathering. Part of me doesn’t want to go. I had a great night doing my physical/medical program and was amazed at the new feeling I had in my legs and the lack of pain I had in areas that have hurt for decades. I felt i don’t want to “mess it up” so I would stay in my chair. Well, that is how I got in this mess. Fear of function=no function=pain/atrophy. So Jessi, (an event participant) called to remind me, I read your blog and if I don’t go out, I will be a wimp. the worst that could happen is I can’t park close enough and I come home, or I hurt. What is new about hurting, nothing. What is new is going out, well a lot. One crafter is making jewelry with animal stuff . Jessi described one piece as a snake vertebra with a magnifying glass over it. That is for me. So, my friend, thanks for being a grump; I will take your advice and do something that frightens me. I will just do it.
So my odds are fifty-fifty–huh? I’ll either be the clever guy who suggested you push yourself–or the idiot who encouraged you to push yourself too far. (just kidding–I hope you have a great time, easy parking, and continued increase in feeling in your legs and such.) Happy to be a grump–day or night–it’s what I was born to be….
I take your grump as what it is. If it doesn’t bother you, all is well. I did go out, found a perfect spot to park. Had fun. Jessi and her beau are a two-person “band”. He plays guitar and she plays something for which I have no name. There is a metal wash bucket turned upside down with a wooden stick and a string attached some where. She plucked it like a pro and the vibes it produced pleased my body immensely. I was out for about 2 hrs. I bought the snake vertebrae necklace. It’s so tiny, but beautiful. I suggest you are the clever guy who helped me push myself. Wished u were there my cyber friend, old grump.