A Mental Health Agenda, Part Three

I stepped away from watching/or listening to the news.  I read it instead.  When I see something, my reaction is more visceral, so there you are.

In fact, I've stepped away from TV in general except for games--mostly baseball, some football.
The thing about baseball is that it's leisurely and steady with occasional bursts of excitement.  That's why a lot of people think it's boring.  I, on the other hand, find it soothing.

Ken Cannon is a huge baseball fan, but he's not particularly interested in a game unless the Cubs are playing.  I, on the other hand, have the MLB channel on all day long.  I call it my Baseball Muzak channel.  Following what happens isn't really even the point for me.  I just like the soundtrack of summer in my house.

A Mental Health Agenda, Part Two

Here's another part of the plan.  I'm trying to sit under my lamp in the morning.  I've told this story before, but when I mentioned to my friend Becky many years ago that I was sitting under the lamp in the morning to trick my brain into thinking the days were longer and lighter, she responded, "If that works, then the brain must be a very stupid organ."

The older I get, the more I think she's right.  The brain can be a very stupid organ, indeed.

Meanwhile I call this activity "going to Arizona" where I knit or read for twenty minutes as dawn breaks.

A Mental Health Agenda, Part One

Because fall can be a bad time for me--and because this fall seems fraught with the potential for slipping down the rabbit hole--I made up a mental health agenda for me to follow.

So one of the things I've decided to do is to periodically visit the yoga studio where my former teacher runs an hour long meditation session.  I went last night and it did occur to me as we were doing the walking meditation that we all looked like extras on the set of "The Walking Dead."

But.

I did feel peaceful when I walked out of the door and into the evening where I was alive to the sounds of everything.

Only One Thought

Here it is:  I wish our president was a grownup.

Hearing what you want to hear

So my neighbor Kathy has me going to Jazzercise with her now, which is a good thing.  It's kind of like drill team for seniors, although not everybody there is over the age of 60.  And the ones who are over 60 are excellent at busting out sexy dance moves, so I'm happy to be in their company.

But here's what happened to me today.  Every time our instructor said "lunge," I thought she was shouting "lunch!"  Which made me hungry even though it was only 6:30 in the morning.  Apparently I like hearing about food.  Lunch in particular.

I am looking forward to lunch today.  I think TRQ is coming up from Provo so yes.  Eating will be involved.

A tiny rant

Yesterday I read a post by a blogger who laments the fact that all the kids her children know are white and Mormon in Salt Lake City.  It's such a bubble we live in here, don't you know.  The blogger is white and liberal and fond of taking people to task for their white privilege.

OK.  I'm not sure everybody who lives on the east bench of Salt Lake is a Mormon, although I could be wrong.  What do I know?  But yes.  If you live on the east bench in Salt Lake, you're bound to know primarily white people.

That's why if you want some diversity, it's an excellent idea to drive west of Third West every now and then and spend some time watching your boys play baseball in Glendale and football in Rose Park.  That's why it's an excellent idea to send your kids to the neighborhood schools like Bryant and West where Pacific Islanders and Hispanics make up the majority of the student populations.

Gah.  I so resent lazy caricatures of this city.

Surprises and the first day of school

Here's the first surprise:  you are a parent forever.

Here's the second surprise:  you are a frontline parent for just a very short period of your life.

I thought about this as I watched kids and their parents show up for the first day of school at Wasatch Elementary.  Those proud parents were taking pictures of those clean, shiny kids like crazy, and I asked myself if I miss those moments.

No, not really.  I had five kids, so I got my fill of Big Moments that way.  But now from this vantage point (old person),  I realize that even though I did have five kids, those years came and went like a short summer season.  When you're in the middle of it all, you feel like it will last forever.  But it doesn't.

Which is why you need to define yourself as a Whole Person--and not simply as a Parent.  This is a PSA for young mothers and fathers:  Embrace this time of your life fully.  But nurture those other parts of yourself, as well, so they will be green and growing and ready to go when the time comes.