When I’m depressed, nothing interests me. At other times I enjoy many things, as I reminded myself in a 1985 Journal Entry:

Image by katiemiafrederick.com
Among these are drawing, doodling. cutting and pasting (collaging), writing, browsing in the library or second hand book stores, singing, looking for Indian artifacts in a plowed field after it rains, brainstorming or discussing ideas with a friend, smelling the earth after it rains, looking at rainbows, feeling the warmth of a purring cat, exchanging soul gazes with my pet dog, sharing food with friends, lying out under the stars, reading aloud with an intimate, snuggling under the covers while the rain patters on the roof, singing Christmas carols, the lit Christmas tree, walking along the beach collecting gifts from the sea, attending a Quaker meeting, viewing a sunset, picking and enjoying flowers, speculating on strange encounters, watching a heart-warming movie… Now I would add reading on evolution and consciousness.

I also think of the things I’m grateful for…Family; friends; curiosity; creativity; sleep; the ability to faint when physical pain gets too great; the lessening of fear of death with age; prolonged infancy developing into love; the “cooperative” gene; the “religious” gene serving to draw people together beyond family lines; mathematics, which leads us to believe that this is a rational world; the aesthetic experience associated with this world and its characteristics; the cherishing of nostalgic memories; the sense of peace associated with clinical near or after death experiences; the survival instinct which permits life on this planet to evolve; “emergence” –which unfolds what is and affects what is to be; the ability to read and write; consciousness–so that we can reflectively experience; and humor–the saving grace…
A surprising way to lessen depression–for me at least–is to go to Google and look at all the different species of birds. I accidentally discovered this method.
I also want to announce that I don’t intend to post any more until my helper arrives so I know how to control the site. Hats off to those still sufficiently nimble of wit to understand it.
Sorry, I Couldn’t Look
I got all teary reading the New York Times’ opinion piece today about how the tech layoffs went and then turned to more on the unspeakable Tyre murder, but couldn’t bring myself to experience that. (My boundaries are a little permeable). Doesn’t mean I don’t care. Just the opposite. So no news is sometimes better…
Seriously…
Keith Wilson of Musings of an Old Fart shares with us: A nonpartisan and knowledgeable voice on US debt and deficit concern From the desk of Maya MacGuineas of the nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. I will offer no additional comment as it speaks for itself. “Today, the Treasury Department announced that it…
A COMMON SENSE APPROACH TO GUN DEATHS
An opinion piece in the New York Times by Nicholas Kristof yesterday titled “A Smarter Way to Reduce Gun Deaths” is worth an entire read. In it Kristof faults both liberals and conservatives for focussing more on divisive approaches than common sense expeditious methods, and his suggestions are backed by (shudder) statistics. Kristof responds to…