Much of today was spent grading midterms. I did spend a bit of time pushing the 2-4 inches of light fluffy snow -- it was COLD so it wasn't as heavy as usual. I didn't move the slush left by the plow at the end of the driveway. I'll likely be sorry tomorrow when it is frozen solid. Hindsight. <sigh>. Tonight is the coldest night of the season being about -20C with windchills closer to -30C. They tell us it will be a bit warmer during the day tomorrow -- about -8C but with cold feeling widnchill. There should be some sun, which will be pleasant for a change.
I was pondering many things today, including the blessing of family and friends and how we become part of each other. In the Sesotho language (of Lesotho) a statement of goodbye roughly translates to "As you leave, I will be wearing you." This metaphorical statement encompasses the thoughts I had very eloquently. What we say and do with others can't just be owned by us, since others have been part of that exchange. This thought was said much better by Michael Nesmith -- "It cannot be a part of me, for now its part of you." (from Tapioca Tundra lyrics).
Today's song choice reflects these same thoughts in a very moving production. It is from a musical and mixes English and Zulu lyrics that ask us to listen and to have faith. It seemed to fit today well. Enjoy!
Another Saturday almost over. The day was filled with household chores, grading exams, and cooking. I walked out for milk in the early afternoon. While chilly, it hadn't begun to snow yet. I'll have a wee bit to push around tomorrow, but that will be my break between laundry and grading tasks.
The past week resulted in a lack of sleep or at least, restful sleep. I had an odd dream last night about working with people I didn't know to become prepared for some event that was likely to lead to some chaos. The group of people and I were working to shore up one abode so we could all 'go to ground' so to speak. It seemed odd, yet on reflection, it was also metaphorical. Interesting how we work through such things while sleeping. The weariness had me moving more slowly than usual and thus not being as productive as many other days. Not a total wasted day, but a day filled with reflection that took time from other activities -- also not a bad thing, but just the way things need to be.
The song that came to mind is one that would work well as a lullaby <smile>. The lyrics also illustrate the importance of supporting each other during stressful times -- being brave enough to let others know what you need is a key part of the early verses. The song has been covered by many artists over the decades and I've chosen one of the many. I enjoy the clarity in this voice and that power was always moving. Enjoy!
Today marked the end of the week and the beginning of the winter Reading Week. While this is more commonly known as Spring Break, it is fully intended not to be a vacation time -- rather a time to regroup, catch up and prepare to tackle the second half of the term. That said, taking some time away from work is a good idea to help with productivity and mental approach to the work yet to come. I have a huge bag of exams to grade along with many other smaller assignments to catch up with, and will take some non-work time along the way. More snow is expected in the next couple of days, hopefully bringing much less than each of the past three storms. I'm so tired of it all.
Walking around today even in the colder temperatures, felt like walking through fog. Anxiety mixed with fatigue and nausea have taken a toll. Sometimes it feels like being wrapped in something that gives only glimpses of the world around me. More of the view is focused inward it seems. Perhaps the fuzzy wrapping is protective in nature. All the winter outerwear can impede movement, so maybe that is part of the odd exterior feelings of disconnection. The thicker scarf today made looking up difficult, so my eyes were trained on the icy patches at my feet. Besides, if I moved my head around a lot, the earbuds moved out of the ears under my hat -- taking mitts off to readjust these would not be delightful with the wind chills present today (about -17C).
I was reminded of a song later today that could address my feelings of fuzzy, haziness. It is from the '60s and contains one of the most misheard lyrics of all time. Enjoy!
Have you ever encountered someone in the midst of a personal trauma and then hear someone say that the person will be ok since they are strong? There are many sides to this type of statement. Does it mean that one can absolve themselves of assistance because the person is inherently strong? Does it mean the one making such a statement doesn't feel equipped to help? Or, is this a compliment, a way to give hope to someone? How do the 'strong' people feel? Are they just needing someone to hear the story -- not have someone fix the situation but to be able to share the burden? Perhaps they simply need to say something out loud for another person to hear -- that way of facing some nastiness and making it real, without which forward movement is impeded. The truth likely lies in the midst of emotions felt by all parties concerned. No one wants to add to the pain of another -- at least I like to believe this is the case <smile>. Being able to share the facts of a situation with someone else can be a true gift of friendship -- and works in Real Life and cyber life, it seems.
Strength should not mean someone can't or doesn't need to speak to others, for speaking the scary thoughts takes huge strength. Strength should also mean being able to hear what others have to say. Everyone can be strong in their own way. Strength involves finding appropriate coping strategies, which often involves talking with others. It involves resilience -- bouncing back from adversity over time. It holds aspects of bravery -- pushing forward and facing the scary bits. It is not self-indulgent, but strives to help oneself without burdening others. Going back to the original question then -- it likely is a compliment and a statement of hope. Since understanding the pain of others also takes great strength, perhaps we may all have a superhero locked away inside that needs to be released every once in a while. <smile>
The selection for today mirrors many of these thoughts. The singer/songwriter and mega-guitarist featured in the song is an icon of rock coloured with blues. Enjoy!
Today, the sun shine, a sliver of positive news and a new song entered my surround. A warmer temperature right around freezing, made walking outdoors more pleasant. Sunshine and warmth even for part of the day can improve a mood -- or at least give someone a few moments of pleasure in a day -- those moments of gratitude that are sprinkled through a day if we are open to seeing them.
The new music I heard today is from an album (Honest Man) that is to be released in two weeks. The singer-songwriter is a Juno nominated artist and had played the East Coast Music Awards before and will again this coming April. He is from New Brunswick and claims his blues style began with Clapton and moved on to BB King, and into the Delta Blues. I enjoyed the lyrics of the song I heard this morning. They speak to recognizing when we get off course and that it may not be impossible to get back on track. Love this strong voice and the arrangement is amazing. Enjoy!
Feeling overwhelmed -- this became clear when the first thought that went through my mind when I woke this morning was a title of a song. There was another heap of snow outside and the campus closed for the full day to facilitate clean up. I shoveled for 3-4 hours in 3 bouts to get the walkways, porches and steps and most of the car dug out. A backhoe did the end of the drive way which saved another 2+ hours which I refuse to do since it is so heavy and wet from the street and sidewalk plows. Shoveling a path seemed like it should be something that could help sort out a way through all the thoughts clashing around in my head. It really didn't. There is more heavy lifting to get through those.
The song for today is the one whose title came to me this morning. It is one that I heard as a kid from LPs of my parents. Enjoy!
Here we sit in the midst of yet another major nor'easter and there are many midterm exams to be held this week. I have one tomorrow and one Wednesday. It will depend on how much snow and how quickly clearing can occur on campus, whether the one will go forward tomorrow. Wednesday is likely to be a go, but there are no guarantees. That is much like life in general, isn't it? No promises, no guarantees, no clearly laid out plan. We as humans carry on by making plans for later today, tomorrow, next week, two months from today or even a year or more from now. We do this knowing that unexpected events might intervene forcing us to move our plans to a later time or cancel them altogether. While I do know this, I still find it unsettling the way life throws you a curve ball. It looks like it is heading straight for you and everything is moving along well and at the last nanosecond it veers off course -- that's when you can find yourself wondering what the heck happened. Sadly, we often choose to take the blame or lay the blame for such changed plans when no guilt is present no matter how hard we look. This is when we can realize how tenuous life can be and that there are no controls within our grasp. The world around us can change in an instant. How we choose to cope with altered plans and situations is what can define us as successful in this life.
A line from a song came to mind today. The lyrics are from a parent to a child, trying to impart the wisdom of living this life we are given. I've always loved this song and the singer-songwriter is one of my all time favourites -- a poet, philosopher, & advocate -- and one whose life changed in an instant one cold December day. Enjoy!
