Ode to Clever Writing – or – Committing Random Acts of Silliness

July 12, 2010

Enjoy the pleasure of quirky, clever and silly writing and create some of your own silly stories or poems.

The other day I received an email from a man who found an error on the website. Apparently I didn’t run the page through the spell-checker as I usually do or the word would have been flagged as wrong. Of course, sometimes even when the checker thinks something is right, it’s wrong, as in there and their.

This reminded me of a poem I received several years ago and that gave me the idea of having a couple Summer Take-a-Breaks on silly and quirky topics. So I will begin with this one:

Ode to the Spell Checker!

Eye halve a spelling chequer
It came with my pea sea
It plainly marques four my revue
Miss steaks eye kin knot sea.
Eye strike a key and type a word
And weight four it two say
Weather eye am wrong oar write
It shows me strait a weigh.
As soon as a mist ache is maid
It nose bee fore two long
And eye can put the error rite
Its rare lea ever wrong.
Eye have run this poem threw it
I am shore your pleased two no
Its letter perfect awl the weigh
My chequer tolled me sew.
— Anonymous

Next is a poem by my daughter, who wrote the “po’m” a number of years ago by using random words (I think they were from a Los Angeles Times crossword puzzle, which she works in ink!) just for the sheer fun of it. After you read it, see the instructions below for your own random act of silly writing.

CROSSWORDS PO’M

The Druids came in rebel form
Their armes an ocher hue
But fast they found the ancient land
Had lost its joyous tune

So cautiously they left behind
That dreadful land of yore
With nosy spaniels soon they fled
The bogies of before

At soonest date they set their sails
To see what they might find
With hardy looks and rapier wit
And mouthwash on their minds

For weeks on Isar down they went
With teems of shes and hims
Then Uncle Roger blew his horn
With very grateful limbs

A bright new land with much to offer
Was all that they could see
Anon they anointed the shiny world
With lager and barrels of tea

A soothful crone met them on board
Her hood a lovely puce
To welcome in the newcome folks
And set them out footloose

“Seek the land,” she asserted loud
But do not legislate.
For if you do you’ll only find
Great pain and much heartache.”

So cautiously they went ashore
Through lanes the natives set
Seeking lucre from the land
To pay their foreign debts

But more than wealth, they quickly found
A life of greater giving
Free of hate, and death, and war
No tsar to roast their living

They lived in tipis in the wild
And kissed their lovely wives
And cried in glee and merriment
While playing CDs of Burl Ives

QED (the end)

By Rebecca Harder

For today’s take-a-break, tell those brain cells that are determined to take life more seriously than necessary that it’s time they made room for some creative play by making up a story, of any length, using totally unrelated words.

You can begin with a crossword puzzle (if you have one available) and see what kind of a story you could spin with the words. Of course, it doesn’t have to be in the form of a poem and you don’t even have to work the puzzle. It’s not cheating if you use the answers from the previous puzzle.

Of course, an alternative approach would be to open any newspaper, book, or magazine and, with your eyes closed, use a pencil to point to a word. Write that word down and repeat the process until you have at least ten words. The more the merrier. And a telephone directory could create a further variation. You could create a story with whatever names, addresses, and phone numbers your blinded pencil happens to choose.

If you need a little encouragement to step back from the difficulties of today and take this Take-a-Break, just go to the nearest mirror and, with a very serious face, say, “I will return to worries and solving the great problems of life just as soon as I get this nonsense out of the way.” And you will return, of course, because it’s hard to be silly all the time. But it’s also not a good idea to be serious all the time.

Introducing Take-a-Break Stress-Busters

July 5, 2010

If ever there was a time to take a break from the pressure you put on yourself, summer is it. Discover dozens of ways to release stress that has built up in the earlier months of the year — and will only get worse if you don’t do something about it.

There are several reasons why taking a break in summer is particularly good for your body, mind, relationships, and spirit.

1. Your body is under a lot of pressure to perform all the tasks you ask it do in a busy life. It needs rest.
2. Your mind has only so much capacity for solving problems and it needs time to integrate what it has learned so that it’s ready to learn more later.
3. Your relationships may need a new perspective, especially if you are trying to extricate yourself from difficult relationships in which memories of your past get mixed up with your current situation and worry for the future.
4. Your spirit can lose its capacity to guide your life when you are on automatic pilot, which is the modus operandi of many of us.

Our bodies, minds, relationships, and spirit are intertwined, controlled by the brain’s neurons that run down the same pathways over and over. Fortunately, when you take a break from doing things the way you’ve always done them, you disconnect the wires in the brain and open the possibility for new ideas and new energy to come through.

That is why I’ve decided to use Take-a-Break Stress Busters for some of the posts this summer. If you have visited that special feature of Support4Change, you will know that these activities are designed to untie (at least temporarily) your nervous neurons from their stress-producing pathways. Since I know that not all of you have seen all of them (and most of you may not have seen any of them), I’ve decided this summer is a good time to share them with blog readers.

Here now is the first take-a-break of the summer of 2010:

Capturing Moments for Memories

In this Take-a-Break I tell how paying attention while hiking to the Vetter Mountain Lookout Tower helped me enjoy the memory of it that evening as I started to work on a difficult, long-term project.

Now, as I read that piece again, I am saddened by the realization that I will never again visit that place because it was destroyed in the large and deadly Station Fire last year. Nevertheless, the experience of consciously remembering what I saw as we hiked to the top — where I received a certificate stating I am “a recognized member of the ANCIENT AND HONORABLE ORDER OF SQUIRRELS,” signed by the volunteer lookout man — has stayed with me.

That day is an example of how becoming consciously aware of whatever you are doing with as many of your senses as possible — seeing, smelling, touching, hearing, tasting, and noticing the sensations in your body — creates pleasant images to be retrieved later when you need them. Do this frequently as you experience the relaxation and enjoyment of whatever you do this summer and you’ll have a pile of pleasant memories to warm you when winter arrives.

The only requirement for capturing a moment is to consciously become aware of what you are experiencing as you experience  it. Try it right now:

1. Look around and see something that brings you pleasure.

It could be a greeting card from a dear friend that you have open and standing on a nearby table, a trophy you received for winning a high school debate, an abstract painting you bought at a seaside resort simply because the bright colors struck your fancy, or any of a hundred things in the room that ordinarily melt into the background. Notice how it feels to consciously experience these things.

2. Later today, retrieve this memory.

Notice how easy it is to add a little pleasure and relaxation to your day.

3. Continue using this technique in the days ahead.

Consciously take advantage of small moments to notice lots of little things you usually take for granted — like the delightful way your grandson bites his tongue when he’s concentrating on a task, the feel of your partner’s hand on your arm as he or she gives it a loving squeeze, the dew on the grass when you go out to get the paper.

Even on days when most things aren’t going well, there are small moments that are, at least by comparison, worth recalling.

Incidentally, the illustration for this post is a picture of a street in Pompeii I took a couple years ago. When I see it, I am taken back to that marvelous experience of walking where people lived so many years ago. Yet even without the picture, I can feel my body back there in that vacation.

Gather memories while you can. Life doesn’t last forever.

Do You Need Advice on Relieving Stress?

June 13, 2010

How much do you need to know about reducing stress before you take the advice you already know is right?

Yesterday I wrote about my sense of feeling pressured to do more than I had time to do. Of course, I know that I am not alone in this do-more-than-you-have-to-do mode.

I know this because I’ve just read an email from Marci Shimoff, author of the best-selling book Happiness for No Reason. The subject line of the email says, “Overworked? Overwhelmed? Over it? Let’s talk.” In the email she told about a free 75 minutes tele-call for “21st century super women who are all so tired of working so hard and never feeling like it’s enough.” The call is being created by her and two other successful women and will be tomorrow.

They decided to start a “modern-day revolution” called the Summer of Self Love and ask, “Why are we all so overwhelmed and overworked and what can you do about it?” If you don’t know the answer to that question, I suggest you listen to the live call, or the recording.

However, I already know the answer and I feel as though listening to one more person tell me what to do (even if it’s in the name of stress-reduction) only adds to everything I already have on my plate. Feeling we don’t know enough, and that there is an expert “out there” who does, is one of the contributing factors in the drive for success.

In fact, the point of my second book, Ask Yourself Questions and Change Your Life, is that if we quietly listen to what our own hearts are saying, and put the advice we hear into action, we will be the best we can be and know that that is enough.

So I know that when I feel overwhelmed and overworked, what I can do about it is to listen to what I preach — and then follow my advice.

Now, please be aware that I’m not denying the need of those who feel unsure of themselves and want advice; after all, I’m in the advice business. However, Part of what feeds our need for someone else to tell us what to do  is the idea that we aren’t good enough by ourselves.

So if you wish, listen to Marci Shimoff’s tele-call on Saturday, which will probably be great and even if you know a lot, you will likely learn more. Or you may just decide not to listen to it. My advice on the matter is to do what your heart is telling you and that will make all the difference in the world in creating a summer that is less-stressful, and filled with more self-care.

What my heart is telling me right now is that I need to stop writing and go to dinner with my husband. He is taking me out for my 75th birthday. I wouldn’t mention that except that I am glad to have made it this far and hope life will only get better in the future.

Putting Too Much Pressure on Our Bodies

June 10, 2010

Here is an example of how, in the stress of over-burdened lives, even if self-imposed, our bodies need a break.

During the middle of the night on Tuesday, as I lay there for several hours watching a stream of consciousness that passed for a disjointed conversation with some kind of semi-intelligent being, I flashed back on a bout with a strange disorder I had almost ten years ago. It is called Guillain–Barré Syndrome (GBS) and is rare, affecting only 1 or 2 out of 100,000 people. Definitely a step above the common flu or cold.

If you look it up in Wikipedia, you’ll see that it is an autoimmune disorder affecting the peripheral nervous system. What happens is that initially the body works to get rid of foreign antigens caused by an infection somewhere in the body. So far, so good. That’s what the immune system is designed to do.

Unfortunately, instead of shutting down when the infection is over, the body goes into autopilot and starts attacking something else — you. Bummer. Specifically, it goes after myelin, an important part of nerve tissue. The result is weakness, generally beginning in the lower limbs and . . . well, if you really want to know the gory details, you can read all about it in Wikipedia.

I only mention it here because I thought I was having a relapse, though not nearly as bad as I had in 2000. And I’m writing this to tell you that in the middle of Tuesday night I remembered something about the dreams I had when I was in the hospital with GBS. Every night I had disturbing dreams, the closest to nightmares I had had in a long time. Climb a mountain with no end. Discover all my relatives were coming to dinner in fifteen minutes. Take care of a client who wouldn’t leave the office. Watch a huge wave rushing toward my house.

Analyzing this later, I realized the dreams pointed to how I was living my life; always feeling I had to do more. I had to reach for that 110% that perfectionists insist is average. Couldn’t stop with good enough. Couldn’t take time off.

Then, during the middle of my stream-of-consciousness routine, I realized that I still feel pressure to do more than is required. I may call myself a “recovering perfectionist” and write posts about perfectionism, but I still tend to put more on my plate than I can chew.

Consequently, when I got out of bed yesterday morning, wanting to go right back, I thought about self-imposed pressure. What did I feel I had to do that didn’t need to be done and could be eliminated? For crying out loud, I will be 75 years old on Friday. What in the world is wrong with taking two days off a week? If I can’t give myself permission to do it now, when will I?

So I began by thinking about writing this post. Did I really have to do this? No. I haven’t made any promises to do it, and besides, I imagine the sun will rise and set, and your life will continue if you come here on Wednesday, June 9, and don’t find a new post.

Now is is Thursday. Didn’t get more than the part above done yesterday. And I think a bottle of pick-me-up pills would go down well right about now. But the best medicine is probably just letting up the pressure on me so my body can heal itself.

By the way, that picture is of my husband lying in a poppy field this spring while I was busy taking pictures. Now he knows how to relax!

Dealing With Stumbling Blocks in Life

March 8, 2010

In the path of every person there are barriers large and small that we come upon unexpectedly. How do you handle your stumbling blocks? Learn how I approached my possible cancer diagnosis.

Visual Viewpoint: Where is My Ship Taking Me?

In this picture of the paddle-steamer HSS Earnslaw on Lake Wakatipu at Queenstown, New Zealand, I knew where I was heading; to a sheep ranch across the lake. Now I’m on a boat, metaphorically speaking, and my landing point is unknown. In fact, as far as my body is concerned, it will be at least a few days before I’ll know in what direction I am sailing.

I was very much aware of such uncertainty for people who are in the process of getting a diagnosis for cancer when, about twenty-five years ago, I co-founded The Wellness Community—Foothills in Pasadena, California, which is part of an international support program for cancer patients and their families. During my approximately fifteen years with the organization, I served on the board and gave many workshops. Later I co-founded the nonprofit CancerOnline website (no longer active) where I wrote thousands of words offering encouragement and information.

What I said time and again was that it is important to have hope and to participate in treatment decisions. I gave lots of advice that seemed, to an observer of the experience of others, to make sense. People seemed to like what I said.

However, if you’ve been following the blog, you will know that now I get to see whether all that advice applies to me as well. A couple weeks ago I said that life is what happens when you’re making other plans. I made the comment when I was called back for a diagnostic mammogram because I had had an “anomoly” in my first exam. So last Thursday I went in truly expecting it would be a false positive.

For those who don’t know what that means, it’s when a test looks as though the results aren’t good, but they are. I’d told hundreds of women that there are many false positives. I had only had an “anomoly.” That sounded much more favorable than if the original mammogram had indicated a large mass, or if I could actually feel a lump. So I went into the exam last week taking my advice that it was probably just fine. Only an anomoly.

Now, because of that exam, I have learned that I have a suspicious mass in my breast. That sounds so ominous, doesn’t it, a “suspicious mass”? I watched as they did a sonogram and it didn’t look terribly big to me. It’s strangely shaped and less than an inch. But that’s still awfully big if it’s malignant and I’d rather not have it hanging around if it’s going to keep growing, even if it’s caught early. So I expect, if it is cancer, that in the end I will be fine. However, I’ve been around the cancer scene too long not to be aware of the potential for uncomfortable treatment, hair falling out, and all that stuff that no one wants to have to go through.

Now I have scheduled a biopsy for this Thursday and I will get the results this Friday. The answer will help determine what direction my ship is sailing this year.

When friends ask how I’m doing, I report that it’s an interesting experience to notice whether all those thousands of words I’ve written for others might now apply to me. I’ve discovered that they do. Not only do I know that diagnosing cancer early means a far greater chance of cure and survival, but there is always the possibility that the biopsy will show that it won’t be malignant. I’ll just have to wait.

However, there is an additional thing I want to share. If you have seen the video called “Heal Your Relationships by Strengthening Your True Self,” on the homepage of Support4Change, you will know that the true self is able to observe what happens to the body without being attached to it. It doesn’t identify itself based on whether the body feels well or looks good.

I can honestly say that I am reacting to this intrusion in my life with greater acceptance than I would have been able to pull off twenty years ago. Guess that means I’ve made progress, though I admit that my ego still has greater control over me than I’d like. In fact, the more I recognize my ego in operation, the more I become aware of how it wants to run my life, like claiming that I should be immune to the vicissitudes of life — such as needing to deal with the bother of cancer. However, the first step in getting rid of the ego is recognizing when it’s active so that the true self can make decisions and take actions the ego may not like.

This evening I was talking with a colleague of mine who has had cancer and who became blind a few years ago. She has a much harder time accepting the blindness than she did accepting the cancer diagnosis. Our discussion led to the observation that we all have stumbling blocks along whatever path our journeys take us. Some are there because of challenges placed in our paths by illness and loss. Others we place there ourselves when our ego says, such things may happen to others, but they shouldn’t happen to us. Our true self accepts them as the reality of what lies in our path, and then proceeds to deal with them to the best of our ability.

I’d love to hear from you about how you have dealt with stumbling blocks in your own life.