Monthly Archives: February 2019

Day 2240: Take time to reflect

Posted on February 18, 2019 by Ann Koplow

In the midst of all the action in yesterday’s petty post, there was this invitation to take time to reflect:

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You may not have noticed that good advice from this good book:

because I was guilty of reflecting it on its side, like this:

I didn’t take time to reflect those two page in their correct orientation yesterday, because there was so much petty information I wanted to share.

Like Wilma, I believe it is important to take time to reflect, even in the midst of emergencies and adventures. Today, I have a day off from work because of Presidents Day, so I can take time to reflect. My boyfriend Michael, who definitely takes time to reflect, asked me to reflect on who were my most favorite and least favorite U.S. Presidents.

If you take time to reflect, how would you answer Michael’s question?

I’m going to take time to share something else Michael reflected: “These days everything seems sinister to me.” I took time to reflect Michael’s feelings and then to ask him if I seemed sinister to him. When he said no, I took time to reflect that I AM sinister, because “sinister” means “left-handed” in Latin.

I take time to reflect my gratitude that there is less bias against left-handed people than there used to be.

Please take time to reflect on these recent, previously unreflected photos:

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I take time to reflect when I drive and when I ride, especially when there’s snow on the ground.

I take time to reflect that a week from now I will be in Los Angeles, taking time to reflect with many other group therapists about the work we do.

Last night, I took time to reflect to Michael how much I love this performance of “In France They Kiss on Main Street” with my favorites Joni Mitchell, Pat Metheny, Lyle Mays, and Jaco Pastorius.

I’m taking time to reflect that Pat and Lyle looked like that when I first saw them at the Paradise in Boston, decades ago.

Please take time to reflect your thoughts and feelings in a comment, below.

As usual, I take time at the end of each post to reflect gratitude towards all who help me create this reflective blog and — of course! — YOU.

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: "In France They Kiss on Main Street", gratitude, Jaco Pastorius, Joni Mitchell, left handed, Lyle Mays, Pat Metheny, Presidents' Day, sinister, Stop & Shop, Wilma's World | 18 Comments

Day 2239: Petty

Posted on February 17, 2019 by Ann Koplow

When I’m petty, I feel guilty. When I observe other people being petty, I get scared, because I’ve observed pettiness wreaking havoc with relationships.

Here’s a definition of petty:

pet·ty
/ˈpedē/
adjective
1. of little importance; trivial.
“the petty divisions of party politics”
synonyms: trivial, trifling, minor, small, slight, unimportant, insignificant, inessential, inconsequential, inconsiderable, negligible, paltry, footling, fiddling, niggling, pettifogging, nugatory, of little account
2. of secondary or lesser importance, rank, or scale; minor.
“a petty official”

My personal goal for today is to make other people being petty of little importance, trivial, minor, small, slight, insignificant, inconsequential, and negligible to me.

Here are some “petty” quotes:

I fly because it releases my mind from petty things. — Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Our thoughts are broadcasts of the soul, not secrets of the brain. Kind ones bring us happiness; petty ones, untold pain. –– Ritu Ghatourey

Party loyalty lowers the greatest men to the petty level of the masses. — Jean de la Bruyère

Guilt is petty; I am above guilt. — Susan Cheever

Reproof should not exhaust its power on petty failings. — Samuel Johnson

More than jealousy or possessiveness pettiness kills love. — Marty Rubin

Don’t be afraid of failure; be afraid of petty success. — Maude Adams

Be master of your petty annoyances and conserve your energies for the big, worthwhile things. It isn’t the mountain ahead that wears you out — it’s the grain of sand in your shoe. — Robert Service

The art of giving orders is not to try to rectify the minor blunders and not to be swayed by petty doubts. — Sun Tzu

The constant petty behests of life permit few opportunities for major satisfactions, and when one is offered it should be seized. — Rex Stout

Petty things don’t bother me as much as they used to — Rebecca Lobo

Mankind accepts good fortune as his due, but when bad occurs, he thinks it was aimed at him, done to him, a hex, a curse, a punishment by his deity for some transgression, as though his god were a petty storekeeper, counting up the day’s receipts. — Sheri S. Tepper

Great necessity elevates man. Petty necessity casts him down. — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

It is better to lose everything you have to keep the balance of justice level, than to live a life of petty privilege devoid of true freedom. — Bryant H. McGill

Beware of those who attribute petty instructions to God. — Abdul Sattar Edhi

Petty laws breed great crimes. — Ouida

Never fear being a petty fool it means you ain’t dying. — Timothy Spall

Don’t sweat the petty things and don’t pet the sweaty things. — George Carlin

In the Wikipedia entry about Ouida, it says she “dressed expensively but not tastefully.” That seems rather petty, doesn’t it?

Do you see anything petty in my photos from yesterday?

That puppy at Pet Express was very pet-ty and here’s a quote from me:

Petty is the enemy of friendship. — Ann Koplow

Here‘s a Petty Song:

Here‘s the Petty Song I was looking for:

It’s not petty for me express my gratitude to all who helped me create todays “Petty” post and — of course! — to YOU.

Categories: definition, personal growth, photojournalism, quotes | Tags: "I Won't Back Down", George Carlin, greeting cards, Marty Rubin, Ouida, Pet Express, quotes about petty, The Petty Song, Tom Petty | 20 Comments

Day 2238: Guilty

Posted on February 16, 2019 by Ann Koplow

I’m guilty of sharing guilt in my blog lately, as you can see in these photos:

I’m guilty, in my therapy groups, of using this book

to pose questions like “If you were to take a look at the various ‘guilts’ that you carry around with you, which would be least justified and which would be most justified?”

I’m also guilty of writing Day 126: Ridiculous Things I’m Feeling Guilty About and Day 977: Super Guilty for this daily blog.

This week, many U.S. TV shows were guilty of sharing the exact same “guilty” clip:

Sometimes I feel guilty when I snap photos. Yesterday, I saw a mangled bicycle in the middle of a busy intersection on my daily walk near work. I considered capturing that sad but compelling image on my iPhone, but I knew I would feel guilty if I did. This story about that bicycle showed up on my news feed a few minutes ago.

I did not feel guilty taking these other photos yesterday:

I’m guilty of holding on to hope even in the midst of death, destruction and national emergencies.

I’m guilty of being unaware of this great tune by Tom Wopat before yesterday:

Are you guilty of knowing Tom Wopat from the U.S. TV show The Dukes of Hazzard?

I’m guilty of wanting comments on today’s post.

No matter what we’re guilty of, I’m very grateful that you visited my blog today.

Categories: group therapy, personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: "I'm guilty!", "If ... Questions for the Soul", "You'd Rather Have the Blues", Carrie Fisher quote, coping and healing groups, Donald Trump, fatal bicycle accident in Boston, stages of grief, Tom Wopat, Yogi Tea | 19 Comments

Day 2237: Declaring a National Emergency

Posted on February 15, 2019 by Ann Koplow

There’s a lot in the news, here and now, about declaring a national emergency.

Last night, in a therapy group, people were declaring that the U.S. President declaring a national emergency seemed like a national emergency to them. Some people declared that the election of Donald Trump seemed more like a national emergency than 9/11. Somebody else declared that the U.S. President setting the precedent of declaring this national emergency paved the way for a national emergency about climate change.

I’m declaring a national emergency of worry, shame, and guilt.

I’m declaring that the people I meet, every day, who suffer worry, shame, and guilt are not people who deserve to have those excessively painful feelings. I’m declaring that I’m doubtful that the people declaring a national emergency today have worry, shame, and guilt about that.

Are there any other emergencies declared in my other photos from yesterday?

I’m declaring a national emergency of peace and love.

Here is “State of Emergency” by Phil Gawen.

Here is “National Emergency” by the Deplorable Choir.

Here is “The Ballad of the Wall” by The Parody Project.

What national emergency might you declare? I’m declaring there’s a space for your declarations in the comments section, below.

I’m declaring my thanks to all those who helped me share the declarations in today’s post and — of course! — YOU.

Categories: group therapy, personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: "State of Emergency", "The Ballad of the Wall", Deplorable Choir, gratitude, love, national emergency, peace, Phil Gawen, The Parody Project, Trump | 17 Comments

Day 2236: Build your own adventure

Posted on February 14, 2019 by Ann Koplow

Yesterday, when I was building my own adventure, I saw this:

Actually, I need help from others to build my own adventure. How do you build your own adventure?

When my son was very young, he posted a build-your-own-adventure game on YouTube, which I can’t find. Therefore, shall we build our own adventure together, here and now, using forty-eight of my photos from yesterday?

You can further build the adventure if you click on any photo you’d like to more adventurously explore.

Here‘s what comes up on YouTube for “Build Your Own Adventure”:

I don’t have time to make the choices for that scary adventure, because I’ve got to go out into the world and build my adventure for today.

I look forward to the adventures people build in the comments section, below.

Gratitude helps me build my own adventure, so thanks to all who helped me build today’s post and — of course! — YOU.

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: "If ... Questions for the Soul", eye examine, feelings chart, gratitude, No End House Creepypasta, PetSmart, Snarled, stages of grief, Tufts Medical Center, Valentine's Day | 9 Comments

Day 2235: You look like ____

Posted on February 13, 2019 by Ann Koplow

Yesterday, when it looked like I was looking at a difficult drive home through a scary-looking snowstorm and I looked like I needed some hot chocolate, I looked and saw this:

Everybody looks like they’d love a free drink, don’t they?

I don’t know what you look like as you’re reading this but I rarely know what I look like, especially these days, when my looks have been changing. My boyfriend Michael, who looks like a wonderful person, has had trouble recognizing me when he looks for me in the supermarket when we’re food shopping.

On Sunday, my life-long friend Arnie, who looks beautiful to me, took me on a walk to look at a poster of somebody he thought looked like me. He had looked at that poster, very near to where he lives, for many months and thought “That looks like Ann” until he was inspired to call me and reconnect with me after six years.

You look like you’d love to see that poster and what I look like now, next to it.

I don’t know what that looked like to people in busy Coolidge Corner on Sunday.

Look, I don’t think I look like her but, like her, I have tamed brows and am wild at heart.

An hour before Arnie took that photo, I looked like a guilty person when the Brookline police stopped me for looking at my phone while I was driving a few yards from that poster. It looked like I might get a ticket, but the two policewomen, who looked kind and reasonable, gave me a warning. It looks like I won’t look at my phone any more when I’m driving.

You look like you’d like to see my other new photos from yesterday.

You look like you’d like some of that home-made chili and like you’d like to hear “You Look Like I Need a Drink” by Justin Moore.

I look like I need a comment from you. Look below to leave one.

You look like you’re expecting me to express my thanks to all who helped me create the looks in today’s blog post and — of course! — to YOU, for taking a look, here and now.

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: "You Look Like I Need a Drink", Baby essentials, Brookline Massachusetts, Coolidge Corner, don't look at your phone while driving, hospital gift shop, Justin Moore, New England winters, Starbucks, Turkey chili, Yogi Tea | 20 Comments

Day 2234: Whatever works

Posted on February 12, 2019 by Ann Koplow

It works for me to tell you about a book a patient loaned me at work — CONTEMPORARY PRAYERS TO [whatever works] by conceptual artist Hannah Burr.

Every day, I am on the lookout for whatever works and making it fun!

Whatever Michael does to make his meals so delicious, it works!

Whatever song would work for this post?

Are you going to leave a comment? Whatever works for you.

it works for me to express my thanks to all who helped me create this whatever-works post and — of course! — to YOU, for your time, effort, great energy, and whatever!!

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism, therapy | Tags: "Whatever Gets You Through the Night", Anesthesia Week, CONTEMPORARY PRAYERS TO [whatever works], feelings chart, Hannah Burr, inspirational stones, John Lennon, mindfulness cards, salmon and risotto, Valentine's Day | 17 Comments

Day 2233: Life is like a camera

Posted on February 11, 2019 by Ann Koplow

Yesterday, when I was having the time of my life visiting my friend Megan’s office, I captured this still life with my camera:

Life is like a camera. Focus on what is important, capture the good times, develop from the negatives, and if things don’t work out, take another shot.

Yesterday, I did focus on what is important, capture the good times, develop from the negatives, and take another shot at recording my first original song, “I Don’t Like You,” because my life-long friend Arnie suggested I change the camera from vertical to horizontal.

I don’t like negative people (even though they help me develop) but I do love both Arnie and Megan, and I captured the good times yesterday.

Do you think life is like a camera? Take a shot at a comment, below.

Thanks to Megan, Arnie, my son, my camera, and — of course! — YOU.

Categories: original song, personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: "All Cats Have Asperger Syndrome", "I Don't Like You", Arnie Glick cartoon, Brookline Massachusetts, Megan Mountcastle, Scarlet Oak Tavern, seared tuna, the Coastal Center, the South Shore of Boston, where the magic is | 22 Comments

Day 2232: What makes me smile

Posted on February 10, 2019 by Ann Koplow

Yesterday, I got this in the mail from my friend, Janet, who makes me smile:

It makes me smile to read what Fluffy and Spot are discussing and Janet’s thoughtful note at the end:

Hi Ann! Thought you could use a pick me up after all the not-great news you’ve been getting. Hope this makes you smile. <3 Janet

Janet has made me smile MANY times over thirty-plus years, including the smiles in previous blog posts here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here,and here.

It makes me smile to think of all the great smiles Janet has given me.

Sharing these other recent photos makes me smile:

Those last two photos were taken by our cat Oscar, which makes me smile:

It also makes me smile that one of the linked blog posts, above, including Janet (who, as has already been discussed, makes me smile) involved Oscar posting on Facebook.

Oscar’s mastery of technology and social media makes me smile.

It makes me smile to realize I’m seeing my friend Megan for a birthday brunch today and then my friend Arnie for dinner.

It also makes me smile to realize that all the work I’ve been doing to silence my harsh inner critic, who does NOT make me smile, has been paying off!

It makes me smile to see Chicago‘s Terry Kath, gone way too soon, rocking out on vocals and lead guitar on “Make Me Smile”: