Everything. Yes as we get older the body doesn’t perform as it once did but the mind should be sharper.
The most important thing is we learn from experience. Yes there are those who don’t and never will but they are the exception to the rule.
Ageism is a real thing in the USA.
As a young man, I always found myself enjoying the time with older people. I would gravitate toward them. They would talk so much about their lives and experiences. You never walked away not implementing some of what they spoke out into your life. Even if it was, what not to do.
As we get older, we truly stop caring about what others think of us and the way we live our life. It doesn’t matter.
As we see older members of our family and friends pass, we start to take hold of time. Time becomes more precious.
As we get older, we start to take hold of the little joys in life over the material propaganda. We have eaten enough strawberries to really savor the sweet ones.
The future is a second from now. Guaranteed to none, nonetheless I am excited to breathe another breathe, to blink another blink, to walk another step.
To enjoy my children and their laughter. To be able to continue to watch them grow into respectable and responsible people with integrity, humility and a sense of humor.
To see another sunrise and sunset. To ride my motorcycle once again on the pacific coast highway, observing all the beautiful scenery around me on a beautiful day.
To awaken and see my American Akita coming over to my bed to say good morning and whimper in happiness as I acknowledge him with a scratch.
To hear my parents voices on the phone another time and make them laugh with life’s bizarre narrative and they tell me how proud they are of me.
To pick up my musical instruments, play music and sing, transporting myself to another dimension.
To be able to continue to communicate and laugh and try to make the world around me a better place.
To taste, smell and experience all the different ingredients that life has to offer. Everything else is gravy
You may feel the temporary benefit of a distraction from a particular task or situation, however this temporary relief or break, can have negative effects on one’s mental well-being.
Taking a break is required. Distraction is a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
A distraction is an interfering ding on a phone leading one down a rabbit hole that may cause a mind fog inadvertently, and then one might draw a blank and mentally wrestle about what they were doing before the ding occurred.
A distraction is social media scrolling, to keep us hooked.
Adding to the conversation or posting for a dopamine boost of instant gratification.
These social media design choices were created not to encourage critical thinking but to make it challenging for us to resist the distractions of delusional thinking, rather than maintaining focus on a realistic reality and objectives.
A distraction is one more episode of binge watching a series on any number of streaming services when one could be cleaning the living space, getting tasks completed, taking in nature or exercising for the betterment of health.
A distraction is an excuse to procrastinate that can create a cycle of confusion and anxiety.
Falling behind tasks as it gets harder and harder to pull away and get back on track.
Some may even find themselves looking for distractions from life if they realize this reality of idiosyncratic distraction.
Managing distractions requires an acknowledgement of this behavior, a digital detox, then a conscious action in self awareness and self discipline to control it.
It’s an ongoing process of will power over the diversion, as the tools of distraction are linked to us and our daily lives by our choosing, so we think.
My life. I love the ever changing journey with its ups and downs, highs and lows all consuming. Never the same. Raising my children and guiding them to be independent thinkers.
One can read other’s writings and write on the experiences and findings of the writers. Does that make them an authority on the subject or an interpreter? People lie. Does it make the liar an authority on lying?
When one calls themselves an authority does it make them better? Life is about learning and it never stops. it all comes back to the ego.
I feel romantic is not only about the emotional connection between individuals, but also about the context in which it occurs. It can encompass a sentimental longing or affectionate remembrance of past experiences or moments.
Romantic is mainly associated with love and relationship in society. A romantic evening, a romantic relationship but you can have a romantic time by yourself. Sitting on a beachfront, perfect weather while the music of waves crash and birds speaking are in perfect harmony. Either in the daylight or by the light of the moon.
Romantic is having the perfect steak with a friend on a balcony while the sun begins to sink into the night. The perfect drink with a cigar while looking out at the vastness of lights hanging from the sky.
A romantic time of walking alone in a park, surrounded by autumn leaves and raindrops. The smell is like no other.
Romantic is a song, a smell, a light breeze or sound that transports us back to a certain place and time.
Romantic is also a feeling of nostalgia. A time when memories overflow with the people that have passed on who brought so much joy in the past. The warmth cascades throughout the mind and body.
Romantic is so much more than the nuance of romance between two people in love which is a significant aspect, however romantic can extend beyond the emotional richness in various aspects of life.
A person with knowledge who can read a person or room. A teacher is observant, perceptive and can easily pick up cues in the room and tailor their style and adapt.
They can acquire information, dissect it, decipher it and encourage people to appreciate knowledge. They motivate.
A teacher makes a subject interesting and has a sense of awareness and humor. A teacher makes one hungry for information and ideas. They’re prepared for all probabilities.
A teacher is always learning and understands it’s a life long process. They’re open to new ideas and are able to weave and connect with modern times.
A teacher produces a lasting impression and makes the comprehension of knowledge fun while creating a positive atmosphere of learning. An innovator.
A teacher is a mother, father, sister, brother, aunt, uncle, doctor, nurse, politician, work associate, student or friend. The list can go on.
And there are some not so great teachers that don’t realize they’re teaching you when they are.
To bite into a piece of fruit and find it dried out, will shape your expectations of the fruit depending on your experience with the fruit.
However, if you have bitten into that piece of fruit before and it was juicy and delicious, you will have an openness to consuming it again.
But, if it’s the first time you experience this fruit and it was very bitter and dry, you might never want to eat it again and it could make one avoid the fruit altogether. But should it?
Would the willingness to try it again be based on one’s consciousness at the time of eating the fruit or one’s percipience of fruit.
A shade tree in the summer is great, when the sun is shining bright and the temperature is above eighty degrees. The shade alleviates one from the heat of the sun.
That same shade tree is avoided in the winter when the sun is shining just as bright and the temperature is below fifty degrees. The sun’s warmth is welcomed and needed.
It’s the same sun.
Who you are should never be taken lightly, by you. It takes decades of adulthood to become who you are, and even then you’re not done. Every day is a new opportunity to learn and experience life.
Right and wrong has never changed unless it’s being pushed through a lense of hypocrisy or a groupthink narrative. Then the line becomes blurred through propaganda. There is good and bad in every situation. You must be able to understand it as it all comes down to one’s perception and perspective.
Being open-minded and recognizing the influence of context can lead to a more nuanced understanding of the world. It’s optimal for personal growth and understanding.
However, one needs to strike a balance between striving for personal growth and putting oneself in personal peril. The answer is using common sense in your life’s journey.
Common sense allows for exploration and learning without compromising safety or well-being. Common sense acts as a practical guide, helping individuals navigate their life’s journey with a sensible and balanced approach away from harm’s way.
To open one’s mind means to be receptive to new ideas, perspectives, and experiences, allowing for a broader understanding of the world. It involves a willingness to consider alternative viewpoints, question assumptions, and embrace diversity in thought.
What it doesn’t mean is to accept what is popular just because it is the trendy narrative push of what the fashionable group collective holds to be true.
Truth doesn’t need to be popular. It’s independent. It represents an accurate and honest reflection of a situation. No emotion fantasies or chaotic illusions. To stray away from truth eventually leads to dismality.
Be wary of dubious claims from the Snake Oil Peddlers, that don’t make sense or seem too good to be true.
Trust your own intuition by following your common sense.
My spirituality is an individual spirituality and has become very important and powerful in my life.
We live in very passionate times of ignorance, division and insanity. Having a positive mindset on a road of spirituality is essential. One of my mantra’s when things get crazy is, “everything is gonna be alright” from the song, No Woman No Cry by Bob Marley and the Wailers.
My spirituality also teaches me to live in a minimalist way and that the door will open when it needs to. These three meditations help elevate stress in my life and to be happy and grateful for my health and for what I have.
Spirituality helps me to have a deeper understanding of the fundamentals of me. Greater meaning of self, introspection, self-reflection, and the cultivation of inner peace and harmony.
The expression, “everyone will get their 15 minutes of fame” is attributed to the American artist Andy Warhol. He made this statement in the late 1960s, expressing the idea that in the age of mass media and celebrity culture, almost anyone could have a brief moment of public recognition or attention.
The phrase has since become a popular cultural expression, often used to refer to the notion that fame or notoriety can be temporary and fleeting for individuals in today’s social media-saturated society.
This was over fifty years ago. Did he even really know the profoundness of that comment and what was to come from it?
Enter, the Smartphone.
People can’t go anywhere without consistently looking at their device. People in their vehicles, walking, at the park, restaurants, clubs, gym, sporting events and even in front of their smart tv, face glued to the smartphone.
The television and computer were tests. The problem was those products stayed in one place for the most part. As the consumer we were out of reach when we left our humble abode. With the smartphone that is always by our side, doing almost everything for you, they have consumed us.
Today, it seems that almost everyone is on the social media train. Most people become voyeurs while other are the performers, looking to cash in on their fifteen minutes.
The influence of social media can sometimes lead to excessive device use which is never good and certain patterns of attention-seeking behaviors. The shock that once was prevalent on social media has dissipated tremendously as the performance need to get more psychotic to shock the viewers interest to get likes.
It is getting more difficult to stand out as attention seekers push the boundaries further and deeper into craziness by engaging in provocative, dangerous or controversial behavior, or adopting extreme political stances to gain that attention, grabbing content and fire their flames of propaganda.
The phenomenon of individuals, particularly women, seeking attention by posting suggestive or revealing content on social media by just shaking their booty for a time or being almost naked to get attention is astounding. Is it because it’s all they want/have to offer? Get it while it’s hot.
The amount of people I encounter daily taking cellphone glamour shots or videos of themselves is ridiculous. Some even bring a change of clothing for the shoot. Maybe it’s because I work on “look at me, look at me” Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. What are they trying to accomplish? It’s ridiculous.
I see all types, dressed to the nines, posing, then running to the phone to examine the photos and then having more pictures taken with different poses and outfits. They are glued to their social media devices and ignoring the world around them unless they see it in their glamour shots.
The, my life is better than yours scenario continues it’s loop over and over on these social media sites.
I’m not writing about the people on vacation just taking pictures for old time sake. The proof is not in the pudding, it’s right in front of us.
People sitting across from each other at a restaurant, head down staring at the screen while waiting for their food. No talking unless they need to share what is on their screen with the other person. Then the food arrives and they take individual pictures with their food.
School events are now people watching their children through the screen of their tablets, iPods and cellphones causing obstruction and blocking those behind them from seeing their child around the barriers.
And the worst of these are the daredevils, videoing themselves doing crazy, dangerous stunts to get that most anticipated viral video to launch their fifteen minutes. Putting themselves in harms way, yet for another click.
Is it all just a desire for validation or is it because of that profound question we all wonder about, “why am I here?” Or could it be that, “what will my legacy be?”
Have these devices made us more narcissistic and ego driven or is it a magnifying glass over the behavior that was always here?
It started with television. The television was created to sell soap. They weren’t sure people would stare at a little screen with all the world was around them. But it worked.
RCA 630 TS Television. One of the first models.
It was to be used to sell products to the masses, however they had to create programming in-between the commercials to get people to watch.
Programming…
programming…
programming…. It’s all a conundrum as we go deeper into the abyss.
Which food, when you eat it, instantly transports you to childhood?
Nothing taste the same from when I was a kid. The food in the United States of America has changed so much due to the greed of the food industry with the help of Monsanto. Also the additives of GMO’s, high fructose corn syrup and many others that aren’t very good for the human body.
I try to make my own food from organic sources and eat healthy.
Chu The Cud 