Archive for February, 2013
Spam
This mornings discovery of spam in my regular e-mail, prompted me to search for better control, a filter fix/upgrade…anything to get rid of the obnoxious UBE’s (Unsolicited Bulk Mail).
Following Window’s 8 prompts, no matter what I did I could not get passed the second step. I tried att/yahoo, Sonic, Firefox, and made repeated visits to my PC control and management programs. Alas, more than two hours later I am confused and unsuccessful.
Then, wondering just what spam is, I went searching for information. Some things emerged from this formidable morass that I could easily grasp. But I confess to being awed, not only by the legalities, but by the volume produced via this form of unsolicited mail. In 2011, 7 billion pieces of spam were delivered by spammers through a process called spamming.
The contemporary use of the word spam is traced to a skit from Monty Python’s Flying Circus, which I remember seeing and thought hilarious.
I am not laughing at the moment. However, as my mind begins creating a sardonic play on the revelations of this morning, a smile teases the conscious corners of my morning adventure. I can almost hear Monty Python singing, ‘spam,spam,spam, spam, spam….’
Allowing
One afternoon my Mother remarked that I had always been ‘a high energy person’. I was over 60 at the time, and her remark was stunning. I had never seen myself in that light.
Perhaps I should have been more aware of my high energy level because of my stubborn refusal to slow down…to go down. As a consequence, when I did succumb, I usually went down long and hard.
Thankfully, I have learned to allow. With certainty, one of the greatest challenges of my life’s path. Allow some circumstances to unfold, rather than find solutions in 12 hours or less. Allow myself to meditate on a decision; allow the dust to cover the furniture; allow the dishes to sit on the counter overnight…you get the picture.
The hardest part of allowing for me has been letting myself rest; especially when my ‘high energy’ drops out. Yesterday was such a day and I allowed. I didn’t feel good but I had no specific symptoms. I did feel really tired.
I did not clean, I did not do laundry, I did not do paperwork, I did not make phone calls, I did not work in the yard, I did not clean my car, I did not cook, I did not watch television.
I read. I rested. I read. I dozed. I allowed! I have also learned to take it slow and allow myself to ease back into my ‘high energy’.
This morning I feel good; I no longer feel tired. I am slowly moving into the day. Quite a grand reward for allowing!
Clutter
The recent beautiful spring-like afternoons awaken my dormant desire to deep clean. As I contemplate my yearly ritual of sifting and sorting through closets, drawers, files and other cubbies, I am aghast at the amount of clutter.
Because I de-clutter on a regular basis the clutter conundrum surprises me. It is at this moment that I consult Eric Abrahamson and David H. Freedman’s insightful work, A Perfect Mess. The authors brilliant look into the benefits of messiness console my perfection ridden guilt and help quell my inner critic.
Chapter One, ‘The Cost of Neatness’, begins with this quote from Albert Einstein, “If a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind, of what then is an empty desk?”
Thank you Gentlemen.
Solitude
“Some development of the capacity to be alone is necessary if the brain is to function at its best, and if the individual is to fulfill his highest potential. Human beings easily become alienated from their own deepest needs and feelings. Learning, thinking, innovation and maintaining contact with one’s own inner world are all facilitated by solitude.”
Anthony Storr, Solitude
Solitude for me is spending time with myself; reflecting, praying, meditating and most deliciously, not thinking at all. It took time and practice to achieve, but the peace that comes with ‘just being’ is profound. And a state of just being, of creative solitude is not easily accomplished in these times, but is an invaluable personal asset.
I invite you to enjoy the fruits of solitude.