Do birds and other animals have desires past the primal needs of food, shelter and procreation, or is the idea of “want” – and therefore, excess – purely a human thing?
Month: May 2024
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List the people you admire and look to for advice…
These two things are not necessarily the same. I can admire someone and still have reasons not to look to them for advice on certain topics. I can also appreciate someone’s knowledge of a particular subject, seek them out for advice on that topic, but not necessarily admire them in a general sense. That said, here is my list of those I both admire and seek advice from:
My father
My grandmother
My husband
My dear friends, whom I will call T and M.
My mentor
As a side note, I feel compelled to speak specifically to the admiration portion of this, as I believe it carries more weight. I admire any person who struggles with and/or wades through piles of shit and does not allow that shit to contaminate their spirit. I admire anyone who has wrestled with their own darkness and come out shining brighter than before. I admire those who can start with nothing and build their dreams from a foundation of tenacity and grit.
And that, my darlings, is that.
Have a great night!
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Some people just give awesome hugs. Is that a teachable skill? If so, people should take classes and strive to be a world class hug-giver.
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This song was playing in my head when I woke up this morning….
You Are All That I Need (youtube.com)
but on that note, who else in the world wakes up with songs playing in their mind? or is it just me?
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Why is 42 the answer?
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Music is not actually a uniquely human thing. Sure, complex music composition is, maybe, but lots of other animals make music as well. I wonder how much of it incorporates the golden ratio….? Is that even something that anyone has looked into?
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Response to Weekly Prompts Wednesday Challenge.
I want to die having lived a life with no regrets, but sadly, I can’t say that will be the case. The number of regrets I have are small, I suppose, but the weight on my heart and soul can be immense at times.
Regret 1 – I let my best friend suffer when I had the power to stop that from happening. I will not explain the details, as I think it would come off as justification, and that’s not the goal here. The fact is, I regret the decision I made, and given the chance, I would go back and make a different choice.
Regret 2 – I chose to let my dog die alone. The vet asked if we wanted to be there when it happened, and I could not fathom being there for that. I couldn’t bring myself to watch her life end. But thinking about it now, I should have been there to comfort her so she could see my face in her last moments and know that I loved her, even if she didn’t recognize me. I will never let that happen again.
Regret 3 – Perhaps this should be number 1, but 3 works, because that is a powerful number. I have spent the majority of my life taking last place in my own list of priorities. I realize that this is not healthy, not sustainable, and part of the reason that I have dealt with so many issues over the years. I have also been actively making efforts to change that, but it’s harder than I imagined it would be, not only because of my own reaction, but the reaction of other people to the changes in my behavior. It is often difficult to know how to navigate that dynamic.
I suppose regrets about the past are just as useless as worries about the future if you really think about it. The past is done, there is no way to go back and change it, and even if you could, would you be prepared to accept the consequences? All you really have from the past are memories. The future isn’t here yet, we have no idea what it will hold, and technically speaking, it will never actually arrive. All you have in this situation is either hope or worry. The only thing that we can do is to learn from the past and try not to repeat the things that we regret once the future becomes the present moment.
I guess what it boils down to is that regret is a tool, and worry is a trap. The present moment is the only thing that we reliably have control over, and even then, that control is only over ourselves. Do with that what you will.
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I love dogs, but I am also jealous of them. They can take a leak pretty much wherever and whenever the need strikes. No need to partially disrobe or rush to a bathroom, not to mention not having to wait in line. Their bathroom is literally the ground outside, and they don’t give a damn.
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To start, some lyrics…
People are people
People are strange
But most of all, people – speaking en masse here – are ignorant, selfish beings that literally drain life from everything. I can’t stand “people”, this is a fact. “People” are why things like war or poverty or violent intolerance or any number of horrible things exist in the first place. “People” suck, plain and simple.
Individuals, however, I can appreciate. Individuals can be kind, compassionate, helpful, willing to at least try to understand opposing views. Individuals can also have bad days where maybe they’re not as kind or forgiving as they truly are. Shit happens, I get that, I’ve done that.
I just had an interesting interaction with the dude at the convenience store. He said, “when someone is ‘people-ing’, I try to just let it go because I don’t know their story or what they’re dealing with with”. I like that. It’s similar to a good person having an “asshole-esque” moment. Sometimes, individuals have “people-esque” moments.
That said, don’t be an asshole. And don’t be a people.
I hope you have a beautiful day!
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I think I was about 12… I had dropped a thermometer, and it broke. I tried to wipe up the little bit of mercury with a paper towel. At the time, it was maddening, but thinking about it now, it’s hilarious.
A Peculiar Cerebral Tangle 