Pause

Under trees, the urban dweller might restore his troubled soul and find the blessings of a creative pause.

~ Walter Gropius

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As I look back over my blog (which I've been working on for more than a decade now), I find that there are occasional gaps where I did not post. Most of these align with a loss of some kind in my life - usually the death of a family member.

I fin that sometimes I'm not in the mood to pay attention to the interesting things or to share the kindnesses. Sometimes I need to pause. I need to think about the past and the get ready to re-engage with the world. 

It's important that we all pause on occasion. 

Of course, there are other times when I don't post on my blog. And those times it's because of something you have done. You know what I'm talking about. Don't deny it. 

Home

People don't leave home because things are going well.

~ Vanessa Vaselka

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I think sometimes people do leave home when things are going well. The difference maybe if they are running away from home or leaving home to pursue something else. 

Like an acting career or ice cream or to get a different home more suited to their evolving needs.
 

Olympics

The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not winning, but taking part; the essential thing in life is not conquering but fighting well.

~ Pierre de Coubertin

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I hope one day that Ezra gets to light the Olympic torch. This isn't a torch he is running with, it's a kaleidoscope. That's not my point. My point is how awesome it would be to show photos of him lighting the Olympic torch next to these photos of him running with something that sort of looks like a torch. And even more exciting than that is how much money I might get for this photos if that happens.

Ghosts

Ghosts are all around us. Look for them and you will find them.

~ Ruskin Bond

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This photo is evidence that there is a ghost in our house.

And that, apparently, ghosts can still burn their fingers.

Nose

No matter how little money and how few possessions you own, having a dog makes you rich

~ Louis Sabin

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And when you are sad, a dog can lift your spirit. And a dog always nose when you are sad.

Kids

All kids need a little help, a little hope, and someone who believes in them.

~ Magic Johnson

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Even though the the psychotherapist was quite old, he maintained the outlook and enthusiasm of a kid. You see, he was Jung at heart.

Cat

A cat has absolute emotional honesty: human beings, for one reason or another, may hide their feelings, but a cat does not.

~ Ernest Hemingway

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Leslie: You know. That cat. From Cats. Angelica Morellica.

Now, Leslie doesn't love cats (the animal or the musical). What I'm not sure about is if she, in the comment above, is referencing Jellicle Cats as related to the Jellicle Ball or maybe McCavity, the mystery cat. Or even Skimbleshanks or Grizzabella.

It's not that I care that much, but it's like she isn't even trying. 

Life

Build yourself a life you don't need a vacation from.

~ Some Guy on House Hunters

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We can spend our lives wishing for things. We can spend our lives doing things. We can spend our lives celebrating things. The thing to remember is that life is a limited treasure, so choose carefully how you spend it. 

You can live for a lot of years and not get as big a return on your investment as someone who spends their time wisely even with fewer years to invest. 

Life is a lot like banking. And, like banking, it's good to have a lot of lollipops on hand in life. You can give them away or keep them for yourself, but remember if you keep them too long they get kind of gummy.

This concludes my advice for today.

Unknown

The challenge of the unknown future is so much more exciting than the stories of the accomplished past.

~ Simon Sinek

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I wonder what would happen if you didn't sit on the front porch and yell at those kids to get out of your yard.

 

Pickleslie

 Hunger is the best pickle.

~ Benjamin Franklin

- - - - -

Leslie: OH. MY. GOD. You have no idea what Picklesburg is like! You know how much I love pickles, and if I'm going to avoid it, you know it's a nightmare!!!

Head

Being angry and resentful of someone is like letting them live rent-free in your head.

~ George Foreman

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I see a lot of people posting things like, "This video lives rent-free in my head," or "What song stays rent-free in your head?"

My question is, "How do we get those things to actually PAY rent?"

Child

When I approach a child, he inspires in me two sentiments - tenderness for what he is and respect for what he may become.

~ Louis Pasteur

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Zak: I'm sorry for growling at you.

Kirk: I didn't even hear you growling at me. I was upset because you were talking back to me.

Zak: Okay, I'm sorry about that, then.

 

Bears

Creativity itself doesn't care at all about the results - the only thing it craves is the process. Learn to love the process and let whatever happens next happen, without fussing too much about it.

~ Elizabeth Gilbert

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I'm working on a screenplay for a movie about two bears. They are both trying to catch the same salmon in Oregon. When one of them finally catches it, the other starts to fight for it, but the salmon is so big that they share it. Then the bears become romantically involved and live happily ever after. The title is going to be "Eat, Prey, Love."

(pause)

I anticipate having a very difficult time securing funding for this film.

 

Dreams

At the end of the day, I have to please myself.

~ Jeff Lynne

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If Lily ever starts a band, I hope she names it The Traveling Lilburys. And I hope I get to manage her wealth. And I hope they make a "Behind the Music" episode about her. I imagine it will be mostly blurry footage of her running around and then flopping down to get belly rubs.

Lost

Some beautiful paths can't be discovered without getting lost.

~ Erol Ozan

- - - - -

People talk about losing themselves sometimes. I think those people are wack jobs.

 

Trees

A short story is what you see when you look out of the window.

~ Mavis Gallant

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I think there have to be trees that look at their own reflections. Occasionally, one of them probably says to the others "Cedar tree?" But no one laughs. Is it because trees don't think that is funny? No. It's because trees don't have diaphragms.

Children

If there is anything that we wish to change in the child, we should first examine it and see whether it is not something that could better be changed in ourselves.

~ Carl Jung

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I think if there is something to be changed in a very small child - something about them we think stinks or that makes us want to tell the child that they stink - we should first examine it's diaper.

Reflection

Your words reveal your personality, for what you criticize in others is often a reflection of your own flaws and insecurities.

~ Shabira Banu

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Boy is this ever true! When people say to me, "I hate how mean you are and the mean things you say to me all the time," I know they are struggling with themselves and their own flaws and insecurities. I pause and then tell them, "Be nicer to yourself, jackass!"

Tree

No tree, it is said, can grow to heaven unless it's roots reach down to hell.

~ Carl Gustav Jung

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Really, Carl? Really?? Who said that? I bet not an arborist.

 

Community

What is a community? It is the sum total of our choices.

~ Fredrik Backman

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We are not who we say we are. We are who we do we are.

(pause)

What are not who we say. We are who we do.

(pause)

We are not how we speak of ourselves. We are how we do for ourselves.

(pause)

You know what I mean. 

 

Doubt

Understand: people will constantly attack you in life. One of their main weapons will be to instill in you doubts about yourself - your worth, your abilities, your potential. They will often disguise this as their objective opinion, but invariably it has a political purpose - they want to keep you down.

~ Robert Greene

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I wish I had a voice in my head that argued with the voice in my head that is already there. I'd cheer for that other voice because the current voice isn't very nice.

Of course after a while I'd just wish they would stop arguing. Mainly, I'd like the mean voice to agree with the voice that says how awesome I am. 

Because... have you MET me? That second voice is definitely right.

 

56

The secret of change is to focus all of your energy not on fighting the old, but on building the new.

~ Socrates

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I read that the number 56 is a number of change and transformation. This is especially true if you are 55 and about to turn 56. Your age is going to change. And you are going to be transformed into a 56-year-old.

(pause)

When you think about it, pretty much all numbers are symbols of change and transformation. At least around birthday time. 

Democracy

This is your democracy. Make it. Protect it. Pass it on.

~ Thurgood Marshall

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Maybe democracy is kind of like a group project. If you don't do your part it either won't get done or someone else will do it, but it won't be the way you wanted it done. You still have to share the grade and you have to remember that there are some people who might not be worried about getting a passing grade.

Swing

The end of childhood is when things cease to astonish us. When the world seems familiar, when one has gotten used to existence, one has become an adult.

~ Eugene Ionesco

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I think the reason kids like swings so much is because it makes you feel out of control a little bit. You get that funny feeling in your stomach. And then, sometimes, the branch the swing is on breaks and you get a different feeling in your tailbone. At least that happened at my Uncle Paul and Aunt Miriam's house one time. 

 

Families

I come from a family where the only emotion respectable to show is irritation. In some, this tendency produces hives, in others literature, in me both.

~ Flannery O'Connor

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Families can get on your nerves. Deal with it.

If it's way worse than just getting on your nerves, you don't have to deal with it.

You can famileave if you need to.

Ultimately I hope your next of kin are next of kind.

Hot

Then came July, like three o'clock in the afternoon, hot and listless and miserable.

~ Allie Ray

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I heard a news story over the summer about the earth. The reporter said, "The earth has had its hottest day ever reported by humans."

Um. Who else is reporting how hot our days are?