Jot down the first thing that comes to your mind.
Where does the word “jot” even come from, and how did it come to mean anything having to do with writing?
Category: Random
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Wow. I just saw a random thing on FB, and I seriously wonder. It was a black background, and the text was simply, “Imagine someone listening to a song and thinking of you.”
Seriously, mind blown.
I never even considered that. I mean, I have songs that remind me of lots of people, in so many different ways. But I never really thought that I might have had the same type of impact on anyone else. That they would associate something so personal and intimate as a song with me, good or bad. I just. I never considered that as a possibility.
I’m not sure what to do with this…
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If I am in the passing lane on the highway, actively passing someone (or, in the case today, several someones) while doing 10-15mph over the speed limit, getting right up on my ass so I can’t even see your headlights in my rear-view mirror will *not* make me go faster. In fact, if I can do so safely, I will slow down a little until I get past the other cars and immediately speed up to block you from passing me on the right, or at least make it more difficult for you. Because… yeah, that’s how I treat rude fuckers.
And yes, I realize that it could have been an emergency or something, but if so, flash your high beams, beep, do something to indicate that there is honestly something urgent, and not just you being an impatient fucker with a speeding problem. Don’t be a dickhead.
Rant over. Thank you for your time.
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I have a post on my about me page about how I define being an asshole. I realized today that like anything else, this definition is relative, and I would like to provide some clarity on that.
If I refer to you as an asshole with a straight face and either an ice cold or a heated gaze – you’re an asshole in my book, and essentially, a shit human being. If, however, I call you an asshole with a smile on my face that reaches my eyes, and/or am laughing, that may be a different situation.
For example, earlier today, I had a banter filled conversation with a friend of mine. At one point, he says to me, “Hey, don’t fuck this up!” and I responded with, “Yeah, I try to make a habit of not fucking things up, but thanks for the advice, asshole!”
This guy is anything but an asshole, but the good-natured back and forth digs made us both smile and alleviated some stress from the day. Again, everything is relative.
Just wanted to clarify that sometimes I call someone an asshole, and I love them dearly and am just fucking with them. Other times, I truly mean that the person in question is no better than the dog shit that I avoid in the back yard. Context matters.
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I have discovered a destination – within about 3.5 hours of where I am – that will allow me to see… really see…. the night sky in all its glory, which is something I have been wanting to do for years, and something that is on my bucket list.
Late last night, I got a message from my campfire conversation friend. In it was a light pollution info map that showed the area where he goes hunting. Apparently, there is something called the Bortle Scale that measures the darkness of the sky, and hence, the visibility of the stars. This area is a 2 on this scale, putting it one step above the darkest skies on earth. He had told me previously that the night sky was beautiful in this area, but I hadn’t thought to actually go there, because I’m not a hunter. It seems that there are little motels and such in this area. I need to go. I am going to go.
I’m thinking a weekend trip. I have to research the motels and such in the area, but yeah, spend a couple of days in the middle of freaking nowhere, no cell service, no wifi, nothing. Write, draw, sit in utter silence?? Can you imagine disconnecting that much from modern life? How amazing would that be? To just exist with the rest of nature and none of the distractions? I’m giddy just thinking about it.
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Letting go of things that are not yours – a struggle, a responsibility, a priority; and letting go of things that no longer serve you – guilt, fear, a need for acceptance or attention, a drive to be perfect or productive – is certainly liberating. It creates a measure of freedom that some people have flat out never experienced.
It is also difficult as all hell.
We become, unwittingly, locked into certain patterns of behavior, some of which may have been absolutely necessary at some point to survive. And in that, they do serve a purpose. But, when that is no longer the case, being cognizant and mindful of those behaviors and being willing to allow them (and even encourage them) to fade, even though they do feel comfortable, is so important.
The difficulty comes, first and foremost, in stepping out of your comfort zone. This sucks. Your heart will race, the feelings that you anticipate coming from this situation will be amplified, and you will be completely uncomfortable in your own skin. But, if you power through, deal with the discomfort, and then evaluate the actual results of your new actions, it is quite possible (perhaps even likely) that you will be pleasantly surprised, not only by the outcome, but by how you feel and the energy that you possess at that point. It truly can be an empowering experience. And once you feel that, and decide that it is a good thing, that creates momentum to propel you forward into a new set of behavior that is more appropriate and beneficial for you. And if you decide that you do not like the results, you can go back to the drawing board and figure out a new set of actions that may give you results that you like. And let’s face it, if you are considering any of this, the old patterns don’t work for you.
The second part of the difficulty is being honest with yourself in evaluating the outcome of your new actions. Did this work the way you wanted it to? If not, what needs to change? Was the outcome better than it would have been with old behaviors? And by better, I mean better for you and your overall wellbeing. People may be upset with your new behavior. But is that worth it to you — to the you that you are trying to become? And any negative outcomes – are they truly negative outcomes, or something based on your assumption of someone else’s perception? The thing with this is that you have to be honest, but not let yourself slip into old mindsets during the evaluation process. To do so would only serve to fool yourself into maintaining self-destructive methodologies.
The fact of the matter is that change is possible, even if you have decades of patterns built up. It’s a matter of how much effort you are willing to put in to achieve that change.
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Three dogs walk into bar….
Yeah, no. That’s not what we’re doing right now…
The infamous “they” say that a dog is a reflection of its owner. I agree wholeheartedly. But it seems that, at this point, I need three dogs to make an adequate reflection.
Sandy is the first. She is the oldest of the three. She has anxiety, she loves to clean booboos, and she is loud as all hell when she thinks someone is threatening those that she loves. She loves to play, but only when she’s in the mood. The only things that she wants is to make her family happy and make sure they are safe. Some of her nicknames include “mama”, “mama-pants” and “nurse Sandy”.
The boys are brothers. Two parts of the same birth.
First, there is Frik. He is handsome, kind…. and completely oblivious. Not the brightest bulb in the box. Think of the hot jock in high school. He just wants to do the things he enjoys and will simply walk away if he can’t. But he is also patient. If he has to wait for his turn for love or ear scratches or belly rubs or whatever, he will do so quietly, to the side. However, when he really needs or wants something, you will know. That dog has a bark that can wake the dead.
Finally, there is Frak. He is intelligent, but also emotional. He has figured out how to open certain doors, but not how to deal with the fact that someone yelled at him. If he is upset, he will remove himself to go pout. He is also extremely empathetic. He sees himself as a tough guy, and usually can’t be bothered with anyone who isn’t his person, but if you’re upset, he is there to comfort you in his own slightly awkward way. And, he is the one who taught the other two how to howl in order to help the passing fire truck or police car. lol
Each of these dogs reflects a portion of my own personality. I see that, and I adore that about them, but also love each of them for who they are without that reflection.
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If you could be a character from a book or film, who would you be? Why?
I would be Morgaine (Morgan le Fay) from The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley. I read this book for the first time one summer when I was 13 or 14, and I fell in love with that character. She was immensely strong, followed her own path, and was able to accept things for what they were. She recognized her flaws and vulnerabilities and worked to conquer them, or at the very least, not allow them to defeat her. I wanted to be that strong and that disciplined and that dedicated to myself.
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Are you the person you are when you lose your temper?
Are you the person you are when you’re ecstatic about a recent event?
Are you the person you are when you get news that someone you love has passed from this life?
Are you the person you are when you feel that everything is against you, and you just want to give up?
Are you the person you are when you’re struck by the lust, infatuation and novelty of a new relationship?
Are you the person you are when driven by vengeance?
I would argue that no, you are not solely or completely any of these people. But I would also argue that there is at least a splinter of your true self in each of them.
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What Olympic sports do you enjoy watching the most?
As an adult? None, really. Sports have never really been my thing.
As a kid? I loved watching figure skating with my mom. She got really into it. I thought she was amazing because she could ice skate backwards and I could barely stay standing. We watched Scott Hamilton, Brian something or other and the whole Tanya Harding/Nancy Kerrigan thing. My mom loved the couples skating too. That’s really the only Olympic sport I ever really watched/followed.
A Peculiar Cerebral Tangle 