Late Night Ramblings

My profile says "photo not available". That's not entirely accurate. I have photos of myself I could share, I just choose not to. It reminds me of an old friend who told her doctor "couldn't you write that I prefer not to" when she saw her doctor write "refuses to get on the scale."

Earlier, I witnessed how utterly inept our local journalists are. An infant, riding in a stroller, was recently hit by a police car. A horrific thing to even think about for any amount of time. Thank god, he's still alive. One station reported there were no indications the officer was traveling at excessive speed, according to witnesses. They also said the names of the child and his mother (who was pushing the stroller) had not yet been released. Well, a couple of clicks of the remote showed two other stations interviewing a witness who said the officer was traveling very fast. And guess what else? We were told the names of the mother and the baby.

This particular station is said to receive journalistic awards every year... Uh huh.

You know, I re-read that sentence and couldn't help but feel this huge urge to giggle.

In other news, I read a report on happiness. A certified life coach gave his synopsis on what truly makes us happy. He starts off saying it isn't money, but then he quickly goes on to say those with the most money DO report higher levels of personal happiness and satisfaction with their lives.

Huh? Then this "coach" goes on to say WHY this is so. His analysis was brilliant. I can see why he wears the "life coach" title. You see, those who live in suburbia in those ticky tacky little boxes that look all the same with the heads of household all dressed the same every morning in their neckties threatening to cut off bloodflow to their brains looking so pretty as they head off to work in their cardboard cut-outs of SUVs and Prius' (anyone know the name of the cable tv show that inspired this line??) and the like are SURROUNDED by financial prosperity and thus, are reminded of their success throughout the day. And guess what this brilliant coach had in terms of advice for those who live in the lower income brackets? Live in poverty-stricken neighborhoods surrounded by people who are at, or preferably, below your standard of living. You see, that way, you won't feel so "bad" about your situation. You are also to stay away from buying a home in an exclusive, wealthier neighborhood because that will make you feel "worse" about your own situation. (And pppllllease tell me I am not the only one who is thinking the following: Ok, how is it possible for someone in poverty to buy a home in a more exclusive neighborhood?) And guess what? If none of these things work, you can always compare yourself to say, your "deadbeat" brother.

Yep. I'm not making this up. If you're poor, stay away from the wealthier, more successful neighborhoods and people and instead, surround yourself by people who are just a little below your personal financial situation. And remember, MONEY HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH HAPPINESS. So says he. And if all else fails, hey, remember your loser of a brother to help cheer you up and remind you that hey, life ain't so bad afterall.

I wonder how much this guy charges for his services...

I don't know about this guy, but when I see others who, according to my perception, are suffering or struggling more than I am--this doesn't make me feel better about myself or my life. The main emotion I feel is empathy and concern. And a sense of injustice. And sadness.

But that's just me. I actually give a crap, where it counts, about the human condition and the welfare of others.

The next time someone says "oh, it isn't my money that makes me happy" (and usually those with the most money spout that crap), I will simply say "trade lives with me for a few months and we'll see how you feel at the end of that time."

Now of course, I believe happiness is a package of many things. The most important being love of oneself (and all that this entails), then closely following, intimate, close bonds with others. A sense of purpose along with passion. Having people who believe in you. Help from others to help you fulfill your purpose/goals/dreams. Rewarding work. And to add some delicious icing to that cake, income/money to ensure a comfortable lifestyle.

There ya go. No need to compare yourself to others. No need to dismiss money as one of the ingredients. Just some god damn reality being thrown your way. I'm not a life coach. I'm just one person on this huge planet who prefers to tell it like it is.

To end on a rather odd note, I had a wild experience today, a first of sorts. Now I have all sorts of "intuitive" experiences, "psychic" experiences, "other wordly" experiences. Fill in the blanks. For example, the day before 9/11, I suddenly had this strong impression/knowing something awful was going to happen the next day and there was nothing I could do about it. It had all been planned out. When the Challenger crashed, I was having a dream about something that had crashed in this open field and people were running around, frantic while others were in a daze. Laci Peterson--I dreamt how she died and where her body was (which all later proved to be completely accurate). I often know who is on the other end of the phone when it's ringing. The latest experience.... when someone in our life (who had not been talking with us) was recently arrested, I woke up that morning knowing this was the day something big was gonna go down for them.

Anyway, this wild thing that happened to me today.......... I was in the bathroom late this morning, trying to wake up. I stood in there, in a daze, my mind blank, looking at the clock, watching the second hand tick tick tick away. Suddenly, my "mind" went elsewhere--and the second hand stopped. Or perhaps the more accurate way to describe it is that I went someplace where the need for a moving second hand was not a reality. Once I became aware of this, who knows how long, a few moments likely, the second hand started to move again. Wherever I went, to the dimension without time or wherever it was, well it was a really nice feeling. A brief moment where everything just is. Where time doesn't exist. A concept that my brain cannot wrap itself around, at all, but in that moment, I questioned nothing, even as I saw the second hand freeze.

I wish I could bring a little bit of that feeling into the world at large, and actually, into my own little life as well.