Thursday, May 17, 2007

Imagine

Imagine you are reading something profound right here, right now. Imagine it delights you, charms you, inspires you, challenges you. Now, keep on imagining, because that ain't what's comin'.

Thought #1: Postage just increased on Monday. I didn't know about it until last Friday. Why? Because I mail exactly 2 items each month: my credit card bill and my water/sewage bill. Absolutely everything else is handled electronically. One would think I still would have known about this increase, which leads to...

Thought #2: I don't read newspapers, I don't listen to talk radio, and I don't watch tv. Why? I detest the feel of newspaper. It is dirty, inky, and I just hate the texture. I don't listen to talk radio for the same reason I dislike arguments or debates: if two people are arguing or debating, then they are already at the point where there is nothing that one can say to change the mind of the other, so it is pointless. Additionally, talk radio tends to focus on professional sports, politics, religion, and world affairs, none of which interest me. And I don't watch tv because I haven't yet decided on cable versus satellite, or even if I need the added onthly expense and time expendature, which leads me to...

Thought #3: Money. Being a single gal, I feel I must take care of myself now financially, because it's looking like I won't have any kids to help out when I am older. One of my bestest friends is now 59. She never married and has no children. Her mother died of breast cancer in her 40s, and her father died of Alzheimer's in his late 60s, I think. Both illnesses require a great deal of care at quite an expense, and who is going to do that for her? I have no such history of any major diseases, illnesses, or conditions in my family, but still I want to live as full and productive a life as possible...which leads me to...

Thought #4: Do I place too much importance on myself as a person? Someone in my life used to tell me, "You think you're better and smarter than the rest of us." Well, looking back, of course I did, and I still do to some extent. This is probably why I identify with a particular character on this one particular tv series I have been enjoying lately. Except that unlike him, I do possess a large array of social skills, some of which I actually use from time to time. I have found that throughout my life I've had to downplay all my accomplishments and abilities, because lying and pretending to be modest is more acceptable than sitting up and saying, "Yes, I am great at what I do. I am talented in this or that, and I'm proud of it." And so logically, this leads me to...

Thought #5: The Challenge of Life. I remember when I was a kid, being scared of growing up, because the 'real world' was unforgiving, relentless, and could crush you in an instant. My how perception changes things. I love almost everything about my life, and those things that I don't already love, I am working on changing, adding, or deleting. We each of us own our own destiny. The decisions we make along the way move us along the cosmic flowchart of life. We influence and are influenced by others. When I visualize a life, that is how I see it. And I didn't really have a point when I started writing this, but I think now that I might possibly have one. And so finally, that leads me to...

Final Thought: Isn't that why we each blog, comment, and read blogs in return? To allow ourselves to influence and be influenced by others? Possibly. At least it's worth thinking about.

7 comments:

CatBoy said...

I'll comment on this in the morning- anything I say now would be rushed.

CatBoy said...

You opinion of yourself is a double-edged sword. If you do not think you are smart, talented, or whatever your gift may be, then the odds are pretty good that you won't be.

On the other hand, while a healthy ego is important to getting things done, you can go to the other extreme and become someone who with a sense of entitlement, which is not a vibe I ever got from you.

If we are being completely honest, there have been times that you have said things in such a matter-of-fact way, it might be easy for some to think you are throwing your intelligence, or satisfaction with your own life, in their face. (You probably know to what I refer.)

I think that so many people are unhappy--or at the very least, unsatisfied--with certain elements of their lives, when they see other people who are quite content, they resent it.

I have known people who have used their intelligence to make people they think are lesser than they are, feel lesser. I don't think you do that; I think you try to share what you like about your life with others, in a way that might benefit them.

And you are right about blogging- aside from airing things that I feel the need to, my intention is that someone will get something out of it.

Anonymous said...

CatBoy should put his blog in the bookshelf blogroll.

CatBoy said...

I don't read enough to be involved with anything that has 'book' in the title, besides that is Res' place away from me.

Anonymous said...

That was a brilliant post!

UrbanStarGazer said...

I hear ya on many counts here. I've done the same thing, many times -- pretend that I don't know something that I know inside out or that I'm less informed on something, etc., because people are often threatened.

And yet, I still get told that I'm arrogant (at times), think that because people aren't as smart as me that they're stupid, etc., and I often wonder . . . wow, if I were my real self and didn't have to hide, half the time, my brain . . . what would people think of me then?

Jenny Robin said...

I am really grateful and quite relieved that I haven't caught hell for this post. I really had to consider posting it, but now I'm glad I did.

Thanks for the comments and feedback, everyone. I really appreciate it.