Fall Break & and Unwind: Remember Who You Are in My New Life

My first three off-days from work at the beginning of fall break were tough but restful. I may have caught the common cold since I am vax’d for the flu and covid. (Not to dwell on’t, but the nightmare co-worker was the first I noticed with a hoarse voice sounding congested. The atrocities never seem to come to an end with that one). I rested and spent entirely too much on fresh food as well as healthy dry goods like oats and canned black beans: my healthy-poor-man’s backup stash. And that is not to mention herbal teas, vitamins and various other health food supplements.

Lo- my cold
......was slightly frightening as I am biking - bold
through a (mild) winter
......And I am getting old.

I bundle up tight well prepared for a snowy winter (though, we rarely ever get snow). In my anxiety I spent entirely too much but, I digress, I have learned to trust my gut instincts on such issues. My Attorney-Gone-Guru (my friend) came to visit for the second weekend in a row. He let me borrow his car to get a large load of groceries. I would otherwise have had to bike home four or so bags at a time from Publix when some items are thriftier at Walmart. As any relationship goes there are ups and downs, yet as I take inventory of my hundreds of friendships actions always speak the loudest. It’s the folks who swerve out of their own way into your life maybe on a whim, unconsciously, or maybe even awkwardly without any hope of personal gain other than the intangible experience of being with you. Or being there for you. Those are real friends. Those are genuine.

The first few days of renewed energy I meditated on what I would be doing with my time if I were out of school and decided to break into paint supplies my youngest brother gifted me last Christmas. I had a youtube video of Chopin’s Nocturnes playing with a backdrop similar to Van Gogh’s Starry Night if it was not Van Gogh himself. It looked similar to a French Villa with mountains in the landscape. I began mixing colours and painting. It’s relaxing for me and I decided to paint for fun and therapy rather than work, and to paint what I like with the colours that made me feel good. I let my mind go and this is what came out. It is unfinished, but I have the finishing touches all planned out. Since I am back at work and there is Covid in my ward, I find myself exceptionally exhausted and conserving my energy.

https://i.imgur.com/1iE8kHw.jpg

Today, at work, (for I am finishing this entry on a day later than I began it) the Anus Bird* gave holiday cards to my other two co-workers (my friends, and companions) in my ward and at least one card contained a $100 bill. Obviously, I did not receive a card which is all fine by me. I have a rule not to accept charity or gifts when at all possible from folks outside of my inner-circles. In those circles it all comes around and we really can’t keep a tally of what each person contributes. The co-worker had given a gift to me before of ink pens and a $5 gift card to Taco Bell when I first met her and I distinctly felt strings attached afterwards. I only accepted it as not to seem rude, and a “When In Rome ‘’ sort of ideology. I don’t eat Taco Bell and I ended up just giving the card to a Barista as a tip, because I didn’t have much cash on me. He accepted thankfully. I do not care to be in someone’s pocket and it is really a Zen practice for me to be self-sufficient; there were scenes from Ip Man that really made an impression on me when I was younger on his unwillingness to accept charity or gifts. But, just from the overall feeling the cards brought to my ward, I could tell it was some sort of power-play or a means to divide us Three Amigos. (The superiors have sort of kicked her out of that particular ward inadvertently.) Or, maybe to “buy” them from me. (Which is an exceptionally small minded way to look at the situation).

*For any late readers, The Anus Bird is a fictitious species I invented relaying a lecture to my friend in Dallas via texts. The lecture was a co-taught Environmental Studies course by our beloved Philosophy Professor and a Biology Professor (both with PhDs and the Philosophy Prof. mastered in English as well.) The topic was on how it is easier to convince people to save “cuter” or “fluffier” endangered species rather than a species like the…uh…(I forgot the example so I made up a rather disgusting sounding species that one would rather not have on a t-shirt). Baby seals and whales and polar bears are more attractive to wear on your chest: cachet and psychology.

Last updated November 26, 2023