Category Archives: Psychology

Art, Dogs, Exercise, Psychology, Run Rabbit Run

MUSINGS FOR SUNDAY 9th, SEPTEMBER 2018

Leave a comment

“Once you realize that the road is the goal and the that you are always on the road, not to reach a goal, but to enjoy its beauty and its wisdom, life ceases to be a task and becomes natural and simple, in itself an ecstasy.”     By Nisargadatta

 “The goal is the road and the road is the goal.” – My understanding of Nisargadatta!

 “The pessimist is not guaranteed a tomorrow.  And, if tomorrow does come, the pessimist does not expect to feel better at the same point in the race…. indeed, it might feel even worse.  So, the pessimist plugs on and accomplishes their goals today.  And today is the only day that counts.” – Gary Cantrell

 

Well this week has been a better week.  Compared to last week things are much better.  Losing a furry family member was hard.  Especially one like “dog-girl.”  It is hard to put into words what she meant to Janet and I.  I tried last week to do that with the blog post.  Rereading that post this week, still does not seem like I did her justice.  But not wanting to dwell on this issue in this weeks post I will move on.  Of course, I cannot guarantee that it will not come up from time to time.  Coming to grips with change (loss), any kind of change is hard.

Meeker and Longs from the West Side of Fort Collins

Tall Aspens off of Highway 14 in the Poudre Canyon

It has been nice running this week.  Good to get out and clear my head after last week.  The smoke from the wildfires in West has cleared somewhat and the running has been good.   I am trying to get in as much trail running as I can before the Run Rabbit Run.  Still shooting for that 100-mile distance.  Not sure if I can do it but I plan to try.

I know the old Yoda Saying… “Do or do not, there is not try”.  But I am still not that confident that I can do it.  I really believe that I can get in a 50 miler this year but how much further can I get – can I do the whole 100?  That is the thing that I want to see if I can do.  I am anxious just thinking about it.  Sooooo, to get myself to the starting line, I have told myself to look at it as “let’s just see how far you can get”, “run at your pace”, “enjoy the experience”, and “see where it will take you.”

Resident Deer on the Poudre River Trail in Fort Collins

I never thought of being “pessimistic” as a good thing.  But when you see it in the light of the quote above by Gary Cantrell, it takes on a little different meaning.  A little touch of “Pessimism” is really helpful in getting motivated to do things.  Especially hard things.  How many days have I just wanted to stay in bed because the day had something that might be consider tough to do?  Way too many.  The old saying “put it off tomorrow.”  Just let it go.  But the next day things actually might be worse.  So, the idea is to buck it up and do it.  Just like the Nike slogan of “Just Do It.”  Get it done.  I am still not very good at this but I hope that I am getting better.

Blooming Creosote Bushes in Fort Collins

On a different note, towards the end of August I finished a couple of new pieces of art work.  I started to draw anatomical hearts after my son in-law suggested that my oldest daughter liked them.  And he wanted me to do a few for her.  So, I did.  I might have to continue along this line for a while and see where it takes me.  If you do a quick google search you will find all kinds of anatomical heart drawings and paintings.

Pen and ink – size is 11 x 14 inches

Pen and ink – size is 11 x 14 inches

Pen and ink – size is 7 x 10 inches

Well I think that is about it for me this week.  I will let you know how the Run Rabbit Run goes in the next post.  Take care my friends, maybe I will see you out on the trails.  Remember winter is coming and ski season is just around the corner!!  Adios amigos!!

 

Dogs, Grieving, Life and Meaning

MUSINGS FOR SATURDAY 1st, SEPTEMBER 2018

10 Comments
KNOWING
 If I had known that on that day our time was near the end
I would have done things differently, my forever friend.
I would have stayed right next to you deep into the night
but I thought I’d see you in the early morning light.
And so, I said “Good night” to you as I walked in through the door
never thinking of the time when I’d see you no more.
But if I had known that on that day our time was at the end
I would have done things so differently, my forever friend.
 Sally Evans (written for Shoo-Fly)

 

I usually start off a blog with this has been a good week.  After all we really don’t have much control whether the week is good or bad.  Just how we respond to it.  But this week has been especially bad.  We lost our best buddy for the last 12 years.  Our beloved white German Sheppard, Neige (French for snow) had to be put down on Tuesday.  And I am telling you, that was hard.  She had developed a condition known as Canine Degenerative Myelopathy.  I guess in some ways it is similar to MS or ALS in humans.  There is no cure for it.  Since her diagnosis in May she had become a “housebound dog.”  Prior to that point she had been taking her usual 5 to 6 mile walk several days each week.  So, we had a little bit of time to realize and to come to grips with, the fact that the inevitable was coming.

But your never ready for that moment.  Janet and I were not ready.  How do you accept and express overwhelming grief when it comes?  Neige was our forth Sheppard in the last 35 years.  She was our touchstone.  No mater what kind of day it had been, you could always depend on “dog-girl” being there to give unconditional love and affection.  To say that she had become a part of the family was an understatement.  Even when she became house bound, she was always there wagging her tail, happy to see you,  giving you the thumbs up in “dog speak” when you got home.

A true snuggle hound at times.

A hiking buddy.

A skiing companion.

The listener.

 

Her passing has left a large gap in our lives.  Right now, I am not sure if it will ever heal, and that is OK.  She will always be a part of us.

I have heard that the emotional wounds that are the deepest, are reminders that you need to take a moment to slow down.  To not be in a big hurry.  To be mindful of what is going on around you.  I find myself thinking back about all the “Neige Moments” that I would like to relive with a new appreciation.  But I can’t…  I can only go forward.

Good by Neigie, you were much, much more than a loyal and faithful companion.  If I had known that our last time together was near.  I would have done things so differently……

 

Damn this has been a tough week.  I know things will get better.  And I need to give myself time.  Maybe a little more running on the trails this next week well help to lessen the grief.  Take care my friends, slow down and savor the moments.  Until next time, adios.

 

 

 

Life and Meaning, Night Shift Work, Psychology

MUSING FOR FRIDAY 24TH, AUGUST 2018

Leave a comment
“The fear of letting go prevents you from letting go of the fear of letting go.” – John Burdett (Novelist)

 

Well it has been another good week!! Finished working a stretch of four-night shifts and I have come to the conclusion that they really mess with your system.  Not sure why it took me that long to get it through my head that it really does muddle with your body’s clock.

Yep, screw with the body’s clock or circadian rhythms and you really do mess with everything else.  I used to pick up a lot of extra night shifts.  In fact, there was a time that I would work as many night shifts as physically possible to make extra money. These were 12 hours shifts.  The most that I did in a row was nine.  Nine night shifts, each 12 hours long.  Now that was the maximum but not the usual.  The usual was worse in some respects.  It consisted of about 5 to 6 per week with a day off so I would not get in trouble by management and then another 5 to 6.  Now I look back at that and think what the hell was I thinking??  And was it worth it in the cost it did to my body?  Probably not.  Oh well it did pay the bills.  Nice to have that extra cash.

But you come to a point that the extra cash does not really mean that much when it comes to your health.  So now, I still work the night shift but I don’t pick up any extra.  The problem I run into a lot is: “If you don’t have the money then you can’t buy it.”  Lol.  That is something that I still have trouble remembering.  But I am getting better at doing it.

I keep coming back to the above quote about letting go.  And I have come to the realization that there is much, much more meaning to it than just the statement of letting go.  Think about how many times you feel that you have to do something.  And ask yourself do you really have to do it today or tonight or even at all?  There are so many things that we do in our lives because of misconceptions of what success means, misconceptions about how to reach a goal (sometimes less is more), misconceptions about what people will think, misconceptions about what is necessary today and what has become nothing more than routine ritual.  Now don’t get me wrong… There are some situations that the answer will always be YES you have to do that now.  But I bet if you are like me, there would be a lot of situations in which the answer is no.  You don’t have to do it.  You can let it go.  Let the stress go, let that need for control go, let go of your attachment to being right, let the fear of loss go, etc.…

Let go and:  “Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors where there were only walls.” – Joseph Campbell

Now I would like to say that I have mastered the art of letting go but that would be way, way, way far from the truth.  But I am working at it.  And that in the end is all that we can do.

Looking west towards the foothills in Fort Collins on Thursday, the readings were in the moderate range and climbing.

Well that is about all for me this week.  The only “fly in the ointment” so to speak has been the smoke layer here on the Front Range.  The last two weeks the air quality has been in the moderate range with a few days being in the really unhealthy range.  This does put a damper on outdoor activity that involves running, biking, etc…  I guess it could always be worse, at least our homes are not threatened directly by wildfire.  So, have a good weekend and maybe if the smoke clears I will see you somewhere out there on the trails.

 

Life and Meaning, Meditations, Psychology, Sociology, Truth and Perception

MUSING FOR FRIDAY 17TH, AUGUST 2018

Leave a comment
“Life has no meaning. Each of us has meaning and we bring it to life.  It is a waste to be asking the question when you are the answer.”   Joseph Campbell
“Once you realize that the road is the goal and that you are always on the road, not to reach a goal, but to enjoy its beauty and its wisdom, life ceases to be a task and becomes natural and simple, in itself an ecstasy.”   Nisargadatta
“The fear of letting go prevents you from letting go of the fear of letting go.”    John Burdett, Novelist

Damn it has been a good week.  I just have to say, “Life is good and I really cannot complain too much.”  Yep, I know, there is still death and destruction in the world, that is the nature of our species and our existence since time immortal but there is hope too.  Nothing stays the same, everything changes, and there is hope that as the human species evolves that we will change in a way for the better….  And for some that is really hard to accept.  THE IDEA THAT THINGS CHANGE?!  Religion changes, science changes, societal norms change, all of life changes.  To believe there are things written in stone.  Too funny.  Someone that believes that, I mean truly believes that…. Well I think that they do not know their history all that well.  The one constant through all of antiquity, is change.  Nothing is permanent.  Absolutely nothing except “change” itself.

RIVER BEND PONDS OPEN SPACE

RIVER BEND PONDS OPEN SPACE

Thinking about change and how it is always happening can leave you feeling rudderless.  Like a boat on the water going in circles, or at the whims of the current.  How do you steer, what’s the goal, what’s the reason for life?  And if you find a reason how do you get there?  Some find a rudder in religion, some find a rudder with a specific cause, some never find the rudder and are the happier for it.  Joseph Campbell said it best.

“Life has no meaning.  Each of us has meaning and we bring it to life.  It is a waste to be asking the question when you are the answer.”

POUDRE RIVER FROM LEMAY BRIDGE LOOKING EAST

NORTH END OF THE POWERLINE TRAIL LOOKING SOUTH, POSSIBLE JUVENILE OSPREY?

Or maybe it is something from the Indian Guru of nondualism, Nisargadatta.  Maybe he had the right idea about the meaning of life??

“Once you realize that the road is the goal and that you are always on the road, not to reach a goal, but to enjoy its beauty and its wisdom, life ceases to be a task and becomes natural and simple, in itself an ecstasy.”

 

I could just go on and on, quotes by Mooji, Osho, Buddha, Mohammad, Jesus, etc.…  They are all trying to tell you how to get to a metaphorical Disney Land.  The question I have, were they ever there themselves?  Did they actually make the trip so to speak or was it just pretending and made-up?  I don’t really believe that anyone has ever had a full explanation for how to get there AND what it actually means to be “there.”  What is that?  What works for one person and culture, may not work for another.  As soon as you think that you know “what is the “RIGHT” way – then you might as well be lost.  We each have to find our own way and defiantly not expect others to follow the same path.  What hubris.

TRAIL APPLES ON THE POWERLINE TRAIL – GETTING RIPE!!

My path took a turn for the better back in 2008.  I did not see it as such but looking back now I realize how important that year was because of what I started doing.  The only thing that I wish I could do differently is go back in time, way, way back in time and start what I call the “practice” much sooner.  In 2008 I started to do “meditation” and now looking back I cannot believe that it has been 10 years!  Unreal.   The practice started slowly but has gradually built over time to the point that I try and do meditation each and every day.  Some days it is only 5 minutes and some I get close to an hour.  I believe that I am a much more relaxed and focused because of the meditation.  It has opened me up to new thoughts and ideas, exposed some of my more hubris inspired ideas and I like to believe made me a much more caring and compassionate person.  I really like reading about Buddhism but I do not consider myself Buddhist.  I look at it as a philosophy that has lasted the test of time.  And it does not require you to believe in “magical beings.”  This has been my path for the last 10 years and for me it has been a good path.   But at the same time, I realize it is just a tool, like a boat, to get across a metaphorical river and once you are across, then you may not need it anymore.  And that is OK too.

SUNSET FROM THE POWERLINE TRAIL

I have just been rambling on and on and on.  But I guess that happens sometimes.  Oh well, one last thing before going.  I have learned and am still learning the benefit of “letting go” and how hard it can be to do this sort of thing.  Especially letting go of the control.  Letting go of the anger, letting go of fear, letting go of old hurts, letting go of anything that is not really a benefit anymore, mental or material.  So hard to do.  I came across a quote by the Novelist John Burdett that speaks to this very well.

“The fear of letting go prevents you from letting go of the fear of letting go.”

Let that sink in for a bit.  And if you are like me, it really hits home.  I started to laugh after pondering this quote for a while – so true of us all.  And in a roundabout way a good reminder that “Nothing is Permanent”, all things CHANGE.

Well until next time.  Have a great weekend and hopefully I will see you out there!!

 

 

 

Book Review, Life and Meaning, Psychology, Religion

MUSINGS FOR MONDAY, AUGUST 6TH, 2018

Leave a comment

“Practice at any stage is just being who we are at that moment.  It’s not a question of being good or bad, or better or worse.” – From the book of Everyday Zen by Charlotte Joko Beck

Wow!!  This is my 14th post this year and that is saying a lot for me.  I hope that I am getting better at this and not boring you dear reader too much.  I like writing a blog and I am trying to make it a habit.  Funny how “BAD” habits come much more easily than the ones  you want to incorporate as good habits….  Well…. They seem to come a lot harder!! What is that about??  LOL- I did find  a book this summer that helps with this.  A book by the author Stephen Guise.

Stephen gives us a strategy to help develop habits that we want for lasting change.  I think that we do some of these behaviors already but because we don’t have a systematic way of doing them we don’t get lasting or consistent results.  In writing the book Stephen tells his own story of how he came to this realization and helps you to see how it can work for you.  From the book:  “A mini habit is a very small positive behavior that you force yourself to do every day; a mini habit’s “too small to fail” nature makes it weightless, deceptively powerful, and a superior habit building strategy.”  He goes on to explain that the problem is not with you.  It is your strategy.  And this is where the trouble begins in trying to achieve a goal.  I first listened to this book as an audio book and was so impressed with its simplicity and message that I bought the paper back version so that I could read it again and to have for easy reference.  This is a down side of audio books – no easy reference.  You can find the book at Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/Mini-Habits-Smaller-Bigger-Results-ebook/dp/B00HGKNBDK/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1533228099&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=mini+habits&psc=1

On a different note.  I did see in the news that the Attorney General of the United States – Jeff Scession created what he calls a “Religious Liberty Task Force.” The idea I guess is to protect religious freedoms.  But I am wondering whose religious freedoms and if your flavor of religious mythology does not go with my flavor of religious mythology does that give you the right to discriminate against me?  I believe that the quote from Rachana Desai Martin hits it on the head.  And this will be “Interesting” to see how this plays out in the future.

“This is just another in a long line of thinly veiled attempts by this administration to sanction discrimination in health care, often to the detriment to the health and rights of women, the LGBTQ community and other communities,” said Rachana Desai Martin, a federal policy advisor for the Center for Reproductive Rights.

I have come to believe that all religion is mythology.  People try to say that there is a difference but I think Joseph Campbell was right – “They are one and the same.”

 

I remember watching a lecture by him and he was talking about the “biggest religion on earth” and that got my attention because it was not what you thought it was going to be.  He stated, if I remember right, by saying that all religion is mythology.  And the “one mythology” that all cultures on earth believe in, all cultures accept, and the only one that has ever come true??  Then he pauses and keeps you in suspense for a moment…  He finally states:  “It is Science Fiction.”  And I am thinking What??  He then goes on to explain how SF is all mythology – it is all made up in the minds of men and women, just like religion.  The only difference is that all cultures at some point have practiced it, still believe in it and most of all, it occasionally comes true.  Every thing that we take for granted in the world today, from the technological to the social,  was once just a thought in someone’s mind.  Again you might be thinking What??  It does take a little time to get your head around it.  The first thing is to come to the realization that SF covers everything in life.  From the Scientific to the Social, not just Robots and Spaceships, but all of the human condition.  SF is the world’s largest and greatest unrecognized religion.  Oh well, interesting idea when you start to think about it.

You can find lots and lots of books on Amazon that touch on this thought.

Well I think that this is going to be it for me.  It has been a good week running but still a lot of smoke in the area from California wildfires.  I guess it could always be worse. So, until next time.  Adios Amigos!!  And I hope to see you out there!!

Exercise, Family, Life and Meaning, Meditations, Prius Hybrid, Psychology, Thankfulness

MUSINGS FOR SUNDAY 29TH, JULY 2018

2 Comments
“When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive – to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.” – Marcus Aurelius

Well…. has this been another good week??  I guess they can’t all be good weeks…. Or can they??  That is a good question.  Everyday that I am able to get up and do the things that are important to me and others is a great day.  So, if that has occurred on a majority of the weekdays then I believe it has been a very good week.  Life is good and I cannot complain too much is something that I write in a journal each day and it never gets old.  I think that it is a good reminder in a way that things could be so much worse.  I believe that most of the limits, problems, boundaries that we find in our lives are self-created.  And it is in how we use our minds that helps us to navigate these self-created issues.  One of the first things that I do each day is to try and remind myself how great it is to just be alive.

Afternoon bike ride this week along the Poudre Trail.

I think that we all have the tendency to look beyond ourselves to try and find “something or someone” to help us to be happier or to blame, but reality is that you and only you have the power to make yourself free.  It is not “out there” it is within you and only you.  For me I am still learning this lesson, but the first step was the “realization” that it is only you.  And that starts with the mind….

“Only a Buddha can realize a Buddha” – From Mountain Record of Zen Talks by John Daido Loori.

 

 

On a different note, by the end of this week we are close to the 4-month mark of using the new car.  A Toyota Prius Prime, a gas / electric hybrid.  I think that we are at 5000 miles already.  And all I can say is WOW!!  The efficiency of the vehicle cannot be over stated.  In the last month Janet has been driving it to work, around town errands, AND we have put ZERO gas in it.  The last time we filled it up with gas was coming back from vacation June 26th.  I believe that was just West of Laramie, Wyoming on I-80.

Work for Janet is here in town as are the errands.  So, she charges the battery every second day or so and voilà – no gas needed!!  Cleaner air, decreased dependence on foreign oil, fewer issues with resource extraction, and a much cleaner environment.  In my humble opinion there is no reason to ROLL BACK any gas mileage requirements.  Every car coming out in the next few years should all be Hybrids or a the very least “Gas – Hybrids.”  Yes, the power grid would need to be upgraded, but that is all achievable with current technology and would provide thousands and thousands job.  Every new home should be required to have solar power installed to help in this endeavor.  And rebates on Solar for homeowners with existing homes.  If you can give millions to the oil and gas industry in subsidies then you can gradually shift that money to the homeowner to help install solar power.

The “CAT DOOR” charger!!  LOL

Running this week has been a little bit limited due to work on replacing a roof/deck over the garage.  But it still has been good.  I am lucky to live in an area in Fort Collins that has great trail access.  One of my most convenient and favorite running trails is the Powerline trail.  The trail is composted of a hard path surface but also a side by side soft path dirt surface.  Very nice for those of us that prefer to run on dirt trails.  The other great thing that I have come to enjoy about it are what I call trail apples.  Someone years ago, planted about 20 apple trees along a section of this trail.  They are small but very flavorful.  Everything from tart to sweet and this time of year they are really starting to ripen.  So, it is a kind of treat to run this trail,  pause and pick a handful to eat and continue running.

Deck and Roof replacement!  It will be nice when finally done.

Trail Apples!!  Lol

I did not get to run the Never Summer 100k this weekend due to unavoidable work issues.  (Could not get the time off) So I will concentrate all my effort on doing the Run Rabbit Run 100 in September.  I have never run 100 miles before and I am anxious and curious to see how that feels.

I hope that everyone had a great week and in saying this I want to send you all a little loving kindness for the week to come:   May you be free from danger.  May you be happy.  May you be healthy.  May you live with ease.

Until next weekend – Adios amigos!!

Friends, Life and Meaning, Thankfulness

MUSING FOR FRIDAY, JULY 20TH, 2018

Leave a comment

“Each moment in time we have it all, even when we think we don’t.”  Melody Beattie

 

Well it has been a good week again…  Dang what can I say this has not been just a good week but a good month so far.  I would like to say that the weather and air quality has been perfect but that would not  be the truth.  It has been a little too hot and the Ozone and Particulate matter from the fires and automobile exhaust has  made quite a mess of things if you like to be outdoors.  I think that would be the only fly in the ointment so to speak.  And I guess if that is all that it is then things really have not been too bad.   I have been putting in some running miles and it has been a little difficult because of the heat.  A little too hot for my taste.  But good “hot weather” training.  You never know what you will find in an Ultra, especially a mountain Ultra.  Could be cold, just right or sometimes blazing hot.  So, this “hot weather training” is a good idea.  But not a favorite one!!  LOL

In order to get away from the heat on the Front Range, I have been doing some running up in the Rawah Wilderness Area.  It is an area about 65 miles West of Fort Collins.  The total acreage is about 76,000 acres.  All siting at 8500 feet to well over 13,000 feet.  Lots of mountain lakes and about 80 to 90 miles of hiking or running trails.  This was the first Wilderness that I ever camped in when we moved to Colorado in 1987.  Almost 31 year ago.  When I look at the picture below of me and my friend Greg it just does not seem that long ago, but dang it will be 31 years this November?!  I was 25 years old in that picture.  Where did the time go?  Crazy!!

1987 and I had hair!!  We went on to do 4 more camping trips in the same area over the years.  With the last one being in 1992.  This was a trip that I looked forward to each year usually around October.  Fortunately, I kept a picture from each one.  Always in the Rawah’s with good friends.

1989 Pictured left to right – Herb, Chip, Myself and Greg

1990 Pictured left to right – Standing Chip, Greg and Herb. Kneeling – Myself.

1991 Pictured left to right – Standing Chip, Herb, Greg, Dan and Mitch.  Kneeling – Myself.

1992 Pictured left to right – standing Bill, Mel, Dan, Greg. Kneeling Herb, Myself, and Chip

Funny how things change, I do not remember the reasons why we quit doing them.  But we did.  I am not upset that we stopped doing them, I am just glad that they occurred, very thankful!!

A wise person once told me, situations like this are what you call “moments in time” and need to be viewed as such.   Fleeting, transitory, ephemeral, brief moments.  And that in and of themselves makes them special.   When I look back at these pictures, I realize that is what they were.  Just special moments in time. They happened so quick…..

Well that is about it for me this week.  Take care and have fun out there.  Go do a hike or run in the Rawah’s!!   Maybe I will see you on the trails!!

 

 

 

 

 

Life and Meaning, Psychology, Vacation

MUSINGS FOR TUESDAY 3RD, JULY 2018

Leave a comment
“Beware the barrenness of a busy life.”  –  Socrates
“Hope is the expectation that something outside of ourselves, or someone external, is going to come to our rescue and we will live happily ever after.”  –  Dr. Robert Anthony

Well it has been a good week.  Nice to be back from vacation.  Very nice indeed.  Northern Colorado is a great place to live, to call home.  And that is a very good thing to say.  I realize that I am lucky to be able to live in a place like this.  And after this last vacation, I have a new appreciation for it.  Things are not always “greener” on the other side as the old saying goes.

Before going on vacation, I came across this quote by Seth Godin and it really hit home.  When Janet and I were planning our road trip there was part of me that did not want to leave or to take the time away from what I was already doing.  So, this quote got me to thinking.  Have I created a life that I don’t need to escape from?  Is my life situation so good that it is like being on vacation?  Good questions!

So I asked and what did I find??  I came to the conclusion that my life is closer to this ideal of Seth’s than I realized.  It is not perfect by no means but it is close.  And I really don’t have a firm idea of how I got here?  That is the crazy part.  I feel like I am in the song from the Talking Heads: “Once in a Lifetime” asking myself “How did I get here.”  LOL.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IsSpAOD6K8

I can tell you that my life has not always felt this way.  There was a time that the feeling for the need to escape was very real.  Palpable  in fact.  It has only been in the last couple of years, in reflection, that this craving has subsided….  Maybe it was the keeping of a journal or the practice of meditation or a combination of both??  I don’t know.   But I have come to the realization that  we all should ask ourselves these questions.   What is the famous quote by Plato or Socrates:  “An unexamined life is not worth living.”

_______________________________________________________________________

Doing a “google” search of vacation images, it was not hard to come up with many that had to do with escaping your current life, even if it was only for a moment….  And until till I came across Seth’s quote I probably would not have thought anything about it.

Now don’t get me wrong, I believe that travel is great, even essential to personal growth and development.  To see and be with family.  To experience sounds and sensations that are new and foreign.   So, I encourage you to take that vacation.  To fully enjoy your time away.

But when you get back, ask yourself are you escaping from something?  What is it?  How could you change things so this might not be the case in the future?  It makes me wonder if we as employers and employees have created a work  environment, a culture, a way of life that is much more toxic than we realize.  That it became normal to “need” that escape?  And is it just part of the “Capitalistic – Consumeristic Society” that we live in.  Has it gotten totally out of control?  Always have to have something new?  Go someplace different?  Spend, spend, spend and more spending…To keep up with the proverbial “Jones” so to speak?

The above one by Budge Travel looks good on the surface but in a sneaky sort of way.  “Say, we are not escaping??  What are you talking about??  Just don’t let life escape you!!  You would not want to miss out!!!”  Wow…  Now that is some marketing!!

So, in this short blog I hope that I have spurred you to ask those questions and to look for the answers.  I am not really sure what they are for me.  But I am asking myself the questions.  And I think that will make all the difference.

Well that is about it for me this week.   Have a Happy and safe Forth of July and I will see you next week.

Exercise, Family, Longivity, Psychology, Religion, Sociology, Trail Running, Transhumanism

MUSINGS FOR FRIDAY 25TH, MAY 2018

Leave a comment

“The pessimist is not guaranteed a tomorrow. And, if tomorrow does come, the pessimist does not expect to feel better at the same point in the race…. indeed, it might feel even worse. So, the pessimist plugs on and accomplishes their goals today. And today is the only day that counts.”  Gary Cantrell

 

Well it has been a good week so far. Got to see some of the family this week and that was a really good thing. I have not seen my sister Cathy in a while and anytime they are up visiting their son in Denver (my nephew) I want to take the opportunity to see them. Even though the visit was brief it was good to see them all.

My wife Janet and Richard (my nephew).

 

My daughter Cathryn and my two great Nephews, Ford and Henry.

 

My sister Cathy and myself.

 

And of course, the proverbial group picture.

Not pictured is my nephew’s wife Laura and my brother in law Rick…somehow, they escaped all the pictures?  Thinking about the two great Nephews gives me pause and I wonder where has the time gone.  And that does make me feel a little old.  Older than I want to be.  And what is that about?  I want to live as long as I can and as healthy as I can.  To be able to truly enjoy life when I am 100 and older.  I don’t want to be confined to a Nursing Home.  I am a believer that there is some really smart guy or gal out there right now working on the longevity questions and how to extend life indefinitely.  But not just indefinitely but to be healthy and fully functioning at the same time.  My oh my how that would change things??!

If you are a true believer in one of the worlds mythologies (religions) then how would you wrap your head around this?  I mean really, how would you and still believe?  If it became possible in the future to not die of old age?  To stay alive as long as you want barring any kind of incurable disease or trauma of some kind.  I don’t think we as a species have thought much about this.   But with that said, some have, especially some of the wealthiest individuals in the world today.  They have put a significant amount of money into this research.  As an example of a few:  Larry Ellison (Cofounder of Oracle), Paul Glenn (Venture Capitalist), Dmitry Itskoy (Russian Multimillionaire), Peter Thiel (PayPal and Facebook fame), and Sergey Brin (Google Cofounder) to just name a few.  This give me the belief that in 20 to 30 years, or maybe sooner, we may have some real progress in longevity.  I have heard that the first kid to live over 150 years of age has already been born.  Can you imagine spending 30 to 40 years in one area of work and passion but then being able to switch to a different field entirely.  Spend the same amount of time and then switching again and again and again.  Wow!  Of course, with all that there would be some big adjustments in current life.  Retirement?  Religion?  Environmental? Family? Sociology? Psychology? etc.… To just name a few.  But maybe this would be the best motivation for humanity to move off world and maybe even to the distance stars?  Some might see a reason why this research needs to be curtailed but for me I don’t see these issues as problems, but challenges for humanity.  From the Trees, to the Plains, and then to the Stars….

The futurist and inventor Ray Kurzweil believes that we are approaching this point.  His belief is that the emergence of A.I. will usher in this Golden Age of Humanity.  That what seems impossible now will become common place.  That A.I. will create what he calls the Singularity.  A rapidly developing and accelerating technology growth, an explosion in technological progress that happens overnight.  Now before you start doubting this, you should check out a web site called:  https://phys.org  It is a “churn site.”  It does not publish its own data but short synopsis of research that is occurring around the world.  In almost every field.  And it shows when it was published.  And every day it changes, sometimes hour to hour.  It’s the sheer volume of information in different areas of research that is published each and every day that gives me chills just thinking about it.  I believe that Ray Kurzweil has it right when says we are fast approaching a time when a break through in technology will seem just like magic.

It is like we are on a mathematical curve that approaches an asymptote, the y value changes become larger and larger in relation to x.  Almost to the point that the line described is becoming vertical.  Kurzweil thinks this will be when we truly create AI or Artificial Intelligence and then, well then, all things become possible in short time frames we never thought imaginable.  Have a problem…. get an AI to work on it and bingo solutions appear where there seemed to be none.  Wow!  It would be truly amazing if things work out this way.  Just unreal and if you are still in your 50s or younger and reading this…well you might live to see it happen and more?!

Now some see the immortality question from a little different angle.  They see humanity becoming immortal by embracing Transhumanism.  And to some degree this has already happened in several areas of medicine.  This can be thought of the blending of human and machine so to speak.  If you have any of the following then you could be considered Transhumanist: cataract replacement with artificial lens, joint replacement with mechanical parts, an artificial heart valve, implantable penile prosthesis, pacemakers, even amputees from the last middle east conflict that use advanced prostheses.  All of these can be considered Transhumanism.  And as technology move forward, my guess is that we will see much more of this, no part of the body will be off limits.  My personal opinion is that it will be a blending of human and machine that will truly allow us to be immortal.

Well that is probably enough for this week.  In the word of Gary Cantrell, there is no guarantee for tomorrow.  Not yet anyways.  So, I need to get out and do some training for the next Ultra attempt.  It is June 2nd in Golden Gate State Park.  Called the Dirty Thirty.  Check out the website:  http://dirty30.org/  It is a 50k or about 32 miles.  Here’s hoping to no mud, but of course it is an Ultra and in the mountains.  So, you never know what you are going to get.  Take care my friends…  Have a great Holiday weekend.

Book Review, Exercise, Psychology, Quad Rock 50, Trail Running

Musing for Friday 11th, May 2018

Leave a comment

Well it’s has been a good week. Lots of resting and waiting and wondering what ifs!!?? The Quad Rock 50 is on Saturday. Did I do enough training, did I do enough specific training… hill work, long steady distance, Aerobic Threshold, Lactate Threshold, and Aerobic Capacity, etc.…. Did I do enough so that I can finish?? Again, I think back to the Ajahn Brahm quote:

“Doing a task is usually easy. Thinking about a task makes it hard.”

So true and add to this the weather change that could be an issue on Saturday AM. Colder and wet? 10 days ago, the forecast was going to be 75 degrees and dry, but now as the time approaches it looks like the best models show a low in the 40s with a high in the 50s and rain? Oh well at least it will be cool but I would prefer not to run in the rain. The muddy trails add some issues but I think this is something to get use to. The unpredictable nature of Ultra Running in the mountains. I do know that once I am doing it……then all this thinking, thinking, thinking and more thinking becomes academic… I am out there doing it.

One of the books that I have read this year is by Matt Fitzgerald called RUN – The Mind-Body Method of RUNNING BY FEEL. I liked the book a lot. For me there were some very useful sections. Chapter 10 was one those. It is titled Anger, Fear, and Speed. Specifically, it was the section that talked about the “Fear of Failure” and the anxiety that it induces. I used to think that the anxiety I experienced days before an event was a bad thing. I would spend countless hours in the days leading up to an event trying to find ways of lessening the anxiety. Not really facing it. And the anxiety would get worse, to the point that I would talk myself out of running. Even after spending countless hours training and planning.

Matt helped me to see the anxiety from an Existentialist view. It is just a symptom or sign that you are challenging yourself. The anxiety is about you pushing yourself into this situation. It is a call to work through the anxiety, fully embracing it, instead of taking the easy way out and just trying to make it go away. By facing the anxiety, the challenge of the race, the pain, you strengthen the core of who you are. It is a chance to step up to what sounds impossible, run 50 miles in my case, and make it possible. The opportunity to move beyond where you are now and become who you see yourself as being. To become more authentic so to speak. And you do this by facing the anxiety, struggling with the anxiety, wrestling with it, and in the end make your decision to race. Success or failure, win or lose, does not really matter, it is that you went to the “abyss” and returned a different person.

You can find the book at Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/RUN-Mind-Body-Method-Running-Feel/dp/1934030570

On another note I have been working on getting the garden planted. Always a little iffy at this time of year. Colorado weather this time of year can be a little schizophrenic. Warm and dry one day and cold and snow the next. Last year we had a late spring snow. That caused me to have to replant a lot of things. Usually if the forecast is good through Mother’s Day then you are good to go. Last year I believe it was after Mother’s Day that it snowed. I am risking it again this year but except for the rain and cold on Saturday it seems that the temps will stay above freezing.

Tomatoes and peppers

 

Strawberries

Blueberries

Raspberries

Blackberries – hard to see them with all the other vegetation.

I moved all of the garden plants to the front yard this year. Not enough sun in the backyard when the Ash tree is all leafed out. So hopefully we will get a good crop of tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and strawberries. I also planted several raspberry bushes and black berry bushes. So, it will be interesting to see how it all grows this year.

More peppers with cucumbers and lavender and you can just barely see catnip.

I did plant more lavender this year to attract more bees and winged insects. The catnip plant is coming back with force again this year. I had to prune it back multi times last summer.

The Yarrow and Russian Sage is starting out nicely too.

Well that is the start of the garden this year. As things progress or not I will post more photos. I am hoping that I can coax it along and get a pretty good crop. Now I know it is a lot easier to just go to “Whole Paycheck” or one of the Farmer Markets in Fort Collins to get vegetables. But there is something satisfifying about growing your own food. My parents for several years had a garden and I remember picking peas and green beans as a kid. Maybe that is part of the draw? I am not sure. Or maybe it is just my way of being different… putting it in the front yard for all to see?? Never liked mowing grass and if I could I would cover the entire yard with raised garden beds. I am sure that the homeowners association would love that… Oh well I think that is it for me this time. See ya next Friday.

One last picture….How I feel about running right now!!