Year Two, Day 203: Pleasantconversationville

Another wonderful day! The sun actually emerged for a bit, and I did not encounter any rain.

My mother surprised me this morning by calling and asking to meet for lunch. We went to our favorite restuarant, Tom's on SE Division and Cesar Chavez. I had the baked chicken and rice special. And Earl Grey tea. We had a pleasant visit before she took off to pick up my niece from school.

I ran into my friend "C" yesterday on my walk home. C is not from a dating site. He is a very pleasant, friendly man that I have been running into on my walks home since I moved into the neighborhood nearly two years ago.

I enjoy our random connections. Last night he mentioned that he was worried because he had not seen me walk by in several weeks. So I told him about my back injury, my physical therapist, and her recommendations for exercise. It turns out he has been lifting weights since his teens. We are about the same age. He also gave me some good advice. Then we started talking food. He suggested looking at my fat intake.

Good advice. I have been so focused on reducing processed carbs, that I have been having a meat free for all. So the baked chicken and rice for lunch was a good choice!

Today after lunch, I headed to the gym. I did some light cardio and the stretches my PT recommended. I felt good! On the walk home, before I headed out to teach, "C" drove by and honked. I waved.

I like the casual friendliness we have. I have been practicing the casual friendliness with everyone I meet. Including the men on the dating site. I smile. I wave. I say nice things. I give people the benefit of the doubt.

I feel like the old, carefree, bubbly, friendly me has reawakened. I read in a book years ago that we all put on masks that we show the world. A good mask to present is the mask of "harmlessness". And perhaps not a mask at all. But a way of being.

I have another "C" friend. He popped up randomly for a text chat today. He kind of pushes my comfort zones with his texting. I have had to put him in his place several times. He is a professional bodybuilder. A casual friend of mine from back in the day, when I was a single mother of teens.

But today, I was my old self. Bubbly, friendly, carefree. And we also had a very pleasant conversation.

I believe I am in Pleasantconversationville today.

I like it!

Happy Tuesday!

Peace and pleasantness,

Zita :)

Comments

Year Four, Day 328: Success at Last!! This is What I Do

Hello My Long Lost Friends! Or, perhaps it was I who was lost? And now I think I am beginning to find myself! Under layers of fat, and self loathing! How's that for an opening line! Or perhaps the title of a novel: Layers of Fat and Self-Loathing! Today I stepped on the scale. I am weighing myself every morning these days. I was shocked! I told my partner the scale must be broken! Yesterday I weight 186. Today 185! I have been on a strict intermittent fast for the past 10 weeks. I have officially lost 12 pounds! And the best news is I think I not only can stick to this way of eating, I am actually beginning to really enjoy it! And look how far I've come! I've been writing since May 12, 2015. Over 8 years now! I know this blog post says Year Four, Day 328, but there have been many pauses in blogging. For instance, when I am not pleased with progress or simply have no words! I was 53 when I first began blogging. I am now 61. I honestly feel better than I did 8 years

Year Four, Day 335: "Crisis Fatigue"

Hello Friends! I have missed you! I have been so utterly exhausted and downright depressed, that I couldn't summon enough energy to even lift my fingers to this computer keyboard to write. Apparently there is a mental disorder for people going through crises. Crises such as pandemics, systemic racism, political division, unemployment, police brutality, civil unrest.... It's called "crisis fatigue". When humans are presented with a threat, adrenaline is released to give us quick energy. This is called the "fight or flight syndrome". But when threats are overwhelming, and perceivably continuous, like this year, it overwhelms the system. People can feel numb, depressed, anxious and irritable. Yup. That's me. I guess I'm quite normal after all! I found an interesting article that describes crisis fatigue, especially in relation to current events. But it doesn't really address how to take care of ourselves during these unsettling times!

Year Two, Day 313: Most Excited Am I!

I almost started today's blog with my standard, "Most tired am I" And I am. So tired. And ready for spring. But tonight when I got home, my wonderful housemate told me that I had a package waiting for me on the counter. So I ran in and found the book I had been waiting for: Open Mind, Open Heart , by Thomas Keating. Most excited am I! I put a bag of popcorn in the microwave, filled my water and was heading downstairs to open my new book - but I had to detour around the cat who had just killed and attempted to eat a spider. Good kitty! :) I ordered this book the day that I was inspired to turn my introversion into a positive. To use it as a stepping stone to a deeper relationship with God. To go up to the next level in my spiritual path. Thomas Keating is known as "The leader within the Catholic world in the task of recovering our Christian contemplative heritage" Ewert H. Cousins, General Editor, "World Spirituality, An Encyclopedic Hist

Soul Runnings

Search This Blog