politics

Day 2882: Wait for it.

Posted on November 21, 2020 by Ann Koplow

Wait for it.

Joe Biden has been declared the next President of the United States. Again.

Wait for it.

I sang “The Impossible Wait” at a remote Open Mic last night.

Wait for it.

I had to wait until everybody else had performed first.

Wait for it.

My ex-husband wrote me this: “That was worth waiting for. I hope it was recorded. If it gets posted online it could make you a star.”

Wait for it.

Wait for the photos I took yesterday.

Wait for it.

It takes steadiness, character, and commitment to wait for it.

For those who are waiting for my 3000th blog post, I’ll be publishing that on a very special day.

Wait for it.

Unless I’ve miscounted,* that special day is the long-awaited inauguration of Joe Biden as President and Kamala Harris as Vice President of the United States.

Wait for that day, along with millions of others. Good things come to those who wait.

If you have any thoughts and feelings about this wait-for-it post, don’t wait to express yourself in a comment, below.

Wait for my gratitude to all who have helped me create this daily blog since January 1, 2013, including YOU.

* I TOTALLY miscounted. Next time, I’ll wait to check my math before I publish a post. Those will both be special days, but not the same one. I’ve been waiting to be more forgiving of myself when I make mistakes, and that special day is here!

Categories: 2020 U.S. Presidential election, gratitude, life during the pandemic, Music, personal growth, photojournalism, politics | Tags: “The Impossible Wait”, Jam'n Java Open Mic, January 20 2021, Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, The Impossible Dream, the South Shore of Boston, Yogi Tea | 16 Comments

Day 2872: What we dwell on

Posted on November 11, 2020 by Ann Koplow

Yesterday, when I was dwelling on Donald Trump, Donald Trump’s supporters, and angry people, I found this quote by Oprah Winfrey:

Oh no! Oprah knows for sure that I will become Donald Trump, a Donald Trump supporter, and/or an angry person unless I dwell on something else. Luckily, there are many other things to dwell on in my other photos from yesterday.

Uh-oh. Now I’m dwelling on the fact that we just lost our internet connection. Also, it’s taking forever for me to upload any more photos that are dwelling on my phone by using cellular data.

Now I’m dwelling on the possibility that if Donald Trump, Donald Trump supporters, and angry people want to take over my country with a coup, knocking out the internet of people dwelling in liberal parts of the USA is probably a great way to do that.

Now I’m dwelling on this: a coup in the USA is highly unlikely. Also, the photo I am trying to upload in this precious moment says “Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow; it empties today of its strength.”

Rather than dwelling on worry, I choose to dwell on

hope,
quotes from wise people,
people I love,
people I trust,
cats,
dogs,
the ocean,
things that make me think,
things that make me feel,
things that make me laugh,
delicious nutritious food,
my health and the health of others,
staying safe,
music, and
taking a walk on a beautiful morning.

Therefore, I am going to take a masked walk on this beautiful morning after sharing this one other photo which uploaded successfully:

Dwell on this: In 2019 I bet people cookies that Donald Trump would not win re-election. That box of Mallomars is part of my winnings, with more cookies on the way.

Because it helps me to dwell on music, I’m going to search YouTube for music that dwells there, as I peacefully accept that I can always share my other temporarily unload-able photos tomorrow.

Strangely enough, when I search YouTube for “what we dwell on”, I find another Game of Thrones video.

Now I’m dwelling on synchronicity and gratitude for all who help me dwell on blogging every day, including YOU!

Categories: 2020 U.S. Election, 2020 U.S. Presidential election, blogging, life during the pandemic, personal growth, photojournalism, politics, technical problems | Tags: “when we dwell on it”, being in the moment, Brienne & Jaime, Game of Thrones, gratitude, Mallomars, Oprah Winfrey, worry | 39 Comments

Day 2865: The Impossible Wait

Posted on November 4, 2020 by Ann Koplow

While we’re waiting the impossible wait for election returns in the USA, here’s my rewrite of “The Impossible Dream” from Man of La Mancha:

THE IMPOSSIBLE WAIT

by Ann Koplow (with thanks to lyricist Joe Darion)

To wait the impossible wait,

To fight the unprincipled foe,

To bear with unbearable feelings,

To wait for returns that are slow.

To right all the right-leaning wrongs,

To love when there’s hate all around.

To try when your heart is too weary,

To keep your feet firm on the ground.

This is my plan

To wait for the vote

Through all of these hours

And keep hope afloat.

To fight the alt-right,

Without question or pause.

To be wiling to march into hell

If Trump breaks voting laws.

And I know if I stay calm and true

In this difficult quest,

The votes might turn more states to blue,

And I might get some rest.

And the world would be better for this

That each vote scorned and covered with scars,

Amid all the anger was counted,

To wait the impossible wait!

While we’re waiting the impossible wait, feel free to sing those lyrics here.

And here‘s Luther Vandross singing the original lyrics for “The Impossible Dream.”

You can also check out my latest photos and captured images during the impossible wait.

Wait for it ….

… it’s not myself I’m loathing right now.

Feel free to join me during the impossible wait in the comments section, below.

Gratitude makes even impossible waits bearable, so thanks to all who are waiting this out with me, including YOU.

Categories: 2020 U.S. Election, 2020 U.S. Presidential election, personal growth, photojournalism, politics, self-care | Tags: every vote counts, Luther Vandross, Man of La Mancha, The Daily Bitch Calendar, The Impossible Dream, the New York Times | 22 Comments

Day 2816: Other people’s stories

Posted on September 16, 2020 by Ann Koplow

As a psychotherapist, I love listening to other people’s stories.

What I DON’T love is other people who act like only their story is:

real,
legitimate, and
worth listening to.

These days, more than ever, it’s important to make room for the stories that are not being heard. Why aren’t they being heard? Because people with power/the spotlight are

loud,
disrespectful of others,
disinterested in the facts,
obsessed with their own grievances,
trying to hold on to power, and
apparently not interested in other people’s stories.

If you do not leave room for other people’s stories, the dominant story becomes strident, repressive, demoralizing, inaccurate, and eventually obsolete. Personally, I am fighting for other people’s stories (including my own!) to be heard, so we can all survive together.

Here is one person’s photographic story for the day:

In my story, there is always room for the the Daily Bitch, love, AND your stories (in the comments section below).

Yesterday, when I was creating today’s photographic story, I heard the Prologue to Stephen Sondheim‘s Into the Woods, which includes lots of other people’s stories.

My stories always include gratitude for all who help me create these daily stories, including YOU.

Categories: life during the pandemic, personal growth, photojournalism, politics, Psychotherapy | Tags: "Into The Woods", "Prologue", coping and healing groups, dominant narratives, South Shore of Boston, Stephen Sondheim, The Daily Bitch Calendar, Yogi Tea | 20 Comments

Day 2594: People you’re stuck with

Posted on February 7, 2020 by Ann Koplow

Yesterday I stuck this up on my white board at work:

We then made a list of people we were stuck with, including family members, co-workers, neighbors, and the current President of the United States.

Who are the people you’re stuck with? How do you deal with them?

Does it help to know that

you’re not alone being stuck with people?
you can try to limit your contact with the challenging people you’re stuck with?
those people are stuck with difficult people too?
you can focus on self-love and self-care even when you’re stuck with people?

Now you’re stuck with my other photos from yesterday.

I don’t mind being stuck with my husband Michael, who sticks healthy and delicious meals on our plates.

I also don’t mind being stuck in traffic listening to Bernadette Peters singing “Some People” from Gypsy:

Now I’m hoping some people stick some comments, below, about this “People You’re Stuck With” post.

Thanks for sticking with me, people, through so much!

Categories: blogging, personal growth, photojournalism, politics | Tags: "Some People", Bernadette Peters, difficult people, February 2020, Martin Luther King quote, President Trump, The Daily Bitch Calendar, The Year of the Rat, turkey meatloaf with polenta and broccoli | 24 Comments

Day 2571: Battles

Posted on January 15, 2020 by Ann Koplow

This has been an interesting week here at The Year(s) of Living Non-Judgmentally, with titles including Day 2569: I’m so done, Day 2570: Antisocial, and now Day 2571: Battles.

Is this blog turning into The Year(s) of Living Combatively?

I don’t think so, but I have noticed a lot of battles around me lately. Do you see evidence of that in these photos?

I fell asleep on the couch last night and missed the anticipated battle between Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders at the latest debate of Democrat Presidential hopefuls.

Here‘s “Cabinet Battle #1” from Hamilton:

What are your thoughts and feelings about battles?

I need to battle traffic to get to work on time, so thanks to all who help me create this daily blog, including YOU.

Categories: group therapy, personal growth, photojournalism, politics | Tags: "Cabinet Battle #1", Bernie Sanders, Cod dish, democrat debate, discomforter, Elizabeth Warren, Hamilton, January 2020, Peggle, The Verb Hotel | 17 Comments

Day 2493: Floundering

Posted on October 29, 2019 by Ann Koplow

Because I had even more resistance to taking photos yesterday than I did the day before, I was floundering about what to call today’s post.

“Floundering” seems right, because:

our leaders are floundering,
our institutions are floundering,
many people tell me they are floundering, and
this is the only photo I took yesterday:

That’s flounder over a peach and ginger flavored coulis with cous cous and al dente vegetables. Michael’s cooking is a good remedy for floundering (although not for the flounder).

Today, I’m going to meet Mayor Pete Buttgieg, who doesn’t seem to be floundering even though he is running a distant fourth to Elizabeth Warren, Joe Biden, and Bernie Sanders in the polls (and poll results were certainly floundering in our last Presidential election). And speaking of polls, I don’t understand why Cory Booker is floundering with such low polling numbers, either. These days, I’m floundering to make sense of many things.

Here‘s “Floundering” by Carly Simon:

“She seems to be floundering again,” sings Carly Simon, but I’m not floundering about how to end this blog post.

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism, politics | Tags: "Floundering", 2019 U.S. Presidential candidates, Carly Simon, Cory Booker, Dunkin' Donuts, flounder recipe, gratitude, Pete Buttigieg | 13 Comments

Day 2370: The conversations you didn’t know you needed

Posted on June 28, 2019 by Ann Koplow

“The conversations you didn’t know you needed” could be part of an advertisement for group therapy.

It’s also a phrase I photographed between my two “Coping and Healing” groups yesterday.

Did you know you needed these conversations?

What about these conversations?

If you need another look at my “poetic” conversation about family (pictured a few conversations above), here it is:

I’m going to try to write a poem about family,

It’s probably not going to be very grammarly,

Families are where we are born,

They can make us happy or forlorn,

You can pick your nose but you can’t pick your family.

Here’s a recap of some other important conversations photographed above:

Ignore the environment, it will go away …

The best things in life aren’t things …

Don’t compare your insides to other people’s outsides.

Never worry alone.

If you need important conversations about this blog post, please participate below.

I don’t know about you, but I always need conversations about gratitude, so thanks to all who helped me create today’s post and — of course! — to YOU.

Categories: group therapy, personal growth, photojournalism, politics | Tags: "Never worry alone", coping and healing groups, Democratic presidential debate, family, gratitude, helpful phrases, important conversations, poem about family, the healing power of groups | 12 Comments

Day 2276: Big thinking

Posted on March 26, 2019 by Ann Koplow

I’m thinking that it’s time for some big thinking, especially when there’s so much small thinking from big people.

Here’s what’s got me thinking about big thinking:

Let’s build on big thinking by avoiding small and petty thinking.

Do you see any big thinking in my other photos from yesterday?

Here‘s an animated book review of The Magic of Thinking Big.

Here‘s “Thinking Big” by Alumo.

I’m looking forward to some big thinking in some small comments, below.

Big thanks to all who helped me create this big thinking post and — of course! — to YOU!

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism, politics | Tags: "The Magic of Thinking Big", "Thinking Big", Alumo, Brainspin, David Schwartz, Hospital gift card, Jimmy Fund, LearningREADefined, Peeps Giant Bubble Wand, Trump's reaction to AG's summary of Mueller Report | 25 Comments

Day 2208: Frustration

Posted on January 17, 2019 by Ann Koplow

Yesterday, when I was experiencing some frustration, I noticed that somebody had chosen to express that feeling via the emotions chart on my office door.

I wondered, “Who expressed that frustration? Was it a patient or a staff person? Why are they feeling frustration? Are they expressing that frustration to others? Are they keeping the frustration to themselves? Do they know they are not alone in feeling frustration? How do they deal with frustration?” I felt some frustration that I did not know — and probably would never know — the answers to my questions.

However, I can ask similar questions to you, my readers.

Are you feeling frustration these days? Do you share your frustration or keep it to yourself? How do you deal with frustration?

I am feeling frustration with our government, these days. Am I alone in that frustration?

Also, people in therapy have been expressing frustration about their relationship with food, especially during and after the holidays. I suggest that people NOT beat themselves up about what they’re eating– that leads to greater frustration and more eating to comfort themselves.

In addition, last night at a Board meeting, some of us expressed frustration about ageism, and how people — even those who are sensitive in their use of language about other differences — make jokes about age all the time. I remember feeling frustration about this when I was in Social Work graduate school, decades ago. Of course, my frustration with this gets worse as I get older.

After the board meeting, one of the participants shared this video in an email:

Is anybody feeling frustration that I’m taking so long to share my other photos from yesterday?

Are people feeling frustration about any of those photos? I’ll explain the last one — I bought a gelato-filled Panettone for the board meeting. Nobody expressed frustration about that.

Feel free to express frustration or any other feelings or thoughts in a comment, below.

Thanks to all who helped me create this “frustration” post and to you — of course!

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism, politics | Tags: Ageism, emotions chart, expressing feelings, food, Italian Cafe Gelato, Panettone, the U.S. government shutdown, Tufts Medical Center | 27 Comments