Posts Tagged With: blogging

Day 1089: The Meaning of Life

Posted on December 25, 2015 by Ann Koplow

Earlier this year, I attempted to explain The Meaning of Life. Thanks to my niece Julie’s lovely Christmas present to me last night …

… I am choosing to revisit this topic today.

Because I’m a group therapist, I usually like to go to the group, first, about any important topic. Therefore, my esteemed group of readers, what would YOU express in a journal called “The Meaning of Life”? Might you fill that journal with:

thoughts?
feelings?
the past?
the present?
the future?
hopes?
dreams?
disappointments?
yourself?
other people?
lessons?
warnings?
the facts?
imagination?
words?
images (like these, from yesterday, Christmas eve 2015)?

Your meanings will give more meaning to this meaningful post.

Happy Christmas, love, and peace to all my readers. And I mean it.

Sincerely,

My brain, heart, etc.

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: blogging, Christmas 2015, Christmas presents, combining thoughts and feelings, expressing gratitude, living in the moment, making meaning, self expression, writing from the heart | 41 Comments

Day 1004: Losing It

Posted on October 1, 2015 by Ann Koplow

Yesterday, I encountered an unexpected snag when I tried to transfer my photos from my phone to my laptop during my morning blogging. That resulted in my losing the opportunity to share several photos I had taken the day before.

Sometimes, when I encounter unexpected snags, I end up losing it.

I didn’t lose it yesterday morning, though. What prevented me from losing it?

Blogging, which centers me wonderfully every morning.
Skills I’ve developed over decades of dealing with difficult and challenging situations.
Skills I’ve developed over years of working as a psychotherapist.
The inexplicable appearance of one and only one photo from the day before:

Note the last column, third item from the bottom, in that one photo from September 29 that chooses to be easily available to me, even now.

Yesterday, faithful reader Mark Bialczak prevented me from losing it about my photos with this comment about yesterday’s post:

And I choose to mildly suggest that when Apple won’t share the photos between them — I hate when that happens between my iPhone 6 and iPad Air — you could type all your text on your laptop, save draft, call the file up on your iPhone, and add the pictures last.

Thanks, Mark!

I’m guessing Mark chose to “mildly” suggest, there, because he’s read posts of mine when I’m on the verge of losing it about strong, rigid, and unhelpful suggestions from doctors and other experts.

Lest you think I’m losing it, now, I’d like to share those previously missing-in-action photos from two days ago.

Of all those photos from two days ago, which best represents “losing it” to you, and why? I promise I won’t lose it if you ignore those questions or this one: which photo are you most glad I did not lose?

Falling behind in my obligations and departing from my regular routine can put me on the verge of losing it, so here are the photos I took yesterday:

I was successful in not losing it, yesterday, as I was taking all those pictures in the midst of

pouring rain,
fog,
various gatherings of people and vehicles,
an appointment with my Primary Care Physician, where she told me that somebody at her hospital ended up losing their job when they took a selfie that included patient-sensitive material, and
other challenges.

However, I DID end up losing it, temporarily, after a 90-minute meeting at my son’s high school last night (not pictured) which focused on many stressful details and deadlines involved in his applying to colleges and for financial aid.

Personally, I believe it can help to lose it, every once in a while, in order to find it again.

What’s the “it” I’m talking about losing and finding again, in that last paragraph?

Composure.
Tranquility.
Control.

If I don’t include some music here and now, you’ll probably think I’m losing it, this morning.

I’m not.

Here’s a tune I heard on the radio yesterday (as people all around me were trying to not to lose it in rainy traffic):

That’s not the version of “Blue Skies” I heard yesterday morning. And neither is this:

That’s actually a different tune called “Blue Skies” performed by Tom Waits, a performer much beloved by my son and my boyfriend.

Together, my son Aaron, my boyfriend Michael, and I support each other in not losing it, every day.

Losing-it-and-gaining-it-again thanks to Aaron, Michael, Mark, Dr. Laura Snydman, Ella Fitzgerald, Tom Waits, blue skies, my work, music, blogging, taking pictures, and everything in this world that helps me not lose it — including you!!!

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: acceptance, accepting all feelings, blogging, dealing with stress, the college application process | 29 Comments

Day 1000: A Thousand

Posted on September 27, 2015 by Ann Koplow

A thousand days ago, I published my first blog post ever: “Day 1 in the Year of Living Non-Judgmentally.”

A thousand days ago, I had no idea I would:

blog a thousand days in a row,
get thousands of followers,
have a thousand ideas for blog posts,
grow and learn in a thousand ways, and
be a thousand times grateful, every day, for this blog.

There are a thousand different ways I could celebrate this thousandth blogging day. For example, I could write a post that contains exactly a thousand words. Or, I could share a thousand memories from over the last 1000 days of blogging. Or, I could include a thousand links to past posts. Or, I could quote a thousand favorite comments from you, my readers.

However, after a thousand thoughts and feelings about this, I’d like to use my tried-and-true formula, here and now.

Therefore, today’s thousandth day post will include sharing less than a thousand pictures. Yesterday, I took almost a 1000 (base 2) x 1000 (base 2) photos, when I went into Boston to see a matinee of A Little Night Music with my son Aaron and spent the evening with Aaron and my boyfriend Michael.

I hope this thousandth post doesn’t take a thousand seconds to load, with these all these images:

Perhaps you have a thousand things you might say or ask about those photos. No matter what number of words it takes, consider leaving a comment to celebrate this thousandth post.

I bet if you took a thousand guesses, you wouldn’t come up with the song I’ve chosen for this “A Thousand Days” post.

Should I wait a thousand seconds while you guess?

Times up! I’m sure you didn’t get it, because it includes a much higher number than a thousand.

“A Hundred Million Miracles” is the song that was in my head, yesterday, as I was thinking about this thousand-day post.

As that song says, a hundred million miracles happen EVERY DAY. Infinite thanks, to each and every one of you, for sharing some of those miracles with me.

Categories: blogging, gratitude, personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: "A Hundred Million Miracles" from Flower Drum Song, a thousand days of blogging, accepting all feelings, adventure, appreciating life, appreciation, being in the moment, blogging, expressing gratitude, living day to day, living with a congenital cardiac condition | 75 Comments

Day 755: Binge Watching

Posted on January 25, 2015 by Ann Koplow

If you’ve been binge watching this blog, you know that I like to define my terms.

binge-watch
[binj-woch]

verb (used with object)
1. to watch (multiple videos, episodes of a TV show, etc.) in one sitting or over a short period of time:
“We binge-watched two seasons of the show in two days.”

verb (used without object)
2. to engage in this activity.

Also, bingewatch, binge watch.

My 16-going-on-17-year-old son, Aaron, and I have been engaging in the activity of binge-watching this TV show:

… and we finished watching Season 2 of the American version of House of Cards last night.

Here’s one result of binge watching a series about compelling, manipulative, and smart schemers:

When I’m doing or saying something for my own self-interest, it’s difficult NOT to feel evil.

Aaron and I agree about that side effect of binge-watching House of Cards.

My boyfriend Michael — who has seen the original, UK version of House of Cards — plans to bingewatch the American House of Cards when Aaron and I are away, binge-watching all things California, next month.

Other things I’ve been binge watching lately include …

… the current season of American Idol (thanks to the recommendation of binge-watched and binge-watching blogger, Mark Bialczak) and …

… snow.

As you may have noticed, Oscar the cat likes to binge-watch me (among other things):

This week, I shall be binge-watching — and also be binge-watched by — doctors, nurses, and other health professionals a) where I work and b) at two other Boston-area hospitals, for lots more cardiac tests.

What do you think would be a good binge-listening accompaniment for this binge-watching post?

I’ve already used the theme music from House of Cards in this here recent post, so how about this?

(Live version of “Watching the Detectives” by Elvis Costello available for binge-watching here on YouTube.)

Many thanks to dictionary.com, Aaron, Kevin Spacey, Robin Wright, all the other talented people responsible for the fabulous binge-watching experience that is House of Cards,, Michael, binge-watching cat Oscar, my friend Carol (appearing in yesterday’s post and with Oscar, above), Mark Bialczak, American Idol, Elvis Costello, and YOU, for binge-watching or otherwise watching this blog.

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: American Idol, blogging, definition of binge-watching, Elvis Costello's "Watching the Detectives", House of Cards, living with cctga, living with l-tga, self-interest, watching cats | 36 Comments

Day 731: Small change

Posted on January 1, 2015 by Ann Koplow

I think a lot about change because

I’m a psychotherapist (so change is my business),
three years ago, I was hired at a large Primary Care Practice of a major Boston teaching hospital to be a “Change Agent” (introducing more group work and more in-the-moment responsiveness to patients in emotional distress),
changes we choose can feel a lot different from changes that are thrust upon us,
change is a part of growth and healing,
noticable change — even good change — often evokes resistance in others,
change is scary for many human beings,
small changes can seem invisible, trivial, and unimportant, and
I’ve witnessed enormous changes starting with one, small change.

I think about change SO much, that the small change list above could be much, much larger. However, I’d like to change this post into a more visual one, now.

Today, on the first day of the new year, I’m considering this small change:

Changing my profile picture, here at WordPress.

Now, you have to admit that’s a REALLY small, unimportant change — totally undeserving of a dramatic reveal like that, or of much time spent by you OR me.

Nevertheless, this is exactly how I choose to spend my first moments of 2015, here at WordPress.

Here are some candidates, for that particular change:

#1:

That’s Jane Austen, still my favorite writer after all these years, who appeared in this recent post I wrote, which — I think — has already created observable changes in me.

#2:

That’s one of my favorite T-shirts, from one of my favorite diners, which has appeared in several important (to me) “Year(s) of Living Non-Judgmentally” posts (including this, this, this, this, this, and that).

#3:

It’s another t-shirt, which I created a few years ago because I (and many experts) honestly believed I was the longest surviving person in the entire world with a cardiac pacemaker. I don’t wear that t-shirt any more. Why? Because, somebody — who found this blog and who got her first pacemaker before I got my first one in 1963 — contacted me. So, I changed about that, too.

#4:

That image appeared in this post, a year and a half ago. I found it, just now, by searching the word “chocolate” through all 730 of my previous, daily posts. Would anybody like to guess what number of posts that was? Personally, I wouldn’t change a thing about any of all that.

#5:

That was my profile photo from my first year of blogging. Returning to that might seem like the opposite of progress, but as I’ve described here, here, and elsewhere, we cycle through changes in our lives, often going over similar territory (but always moving up and onward).

#6:

That’s a nice photo, but it’s not me. Also, it’s never appeared in this blog before. It’s just a picture I saved a while ago before I got my hair cut by the fabulous Mia (previously appearing in this blog — according to my search for “Mia”– here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here).

#7:

That IS me, and it continues (while also substantially changing) some personal visual mysteries I’ve created so far, in this blog. But that’s a little scary for a profile picture, isn’t it? I hope I didn’t scare my then 15-year-old son Aaron — who was in the emergency room with a collapsed lung — by looking like that while I was with him there, back in June 2013. By the way, that black cat around my neck is a gift from my guy/boyfriend/partner/whatever-you-want-to-call-him, Michael.

#8:

That’s similar to my current profile picture, with two obvious changes — the tiger is wearing a hat and NOT wearing glasses (which I do need, to see clearly). I should also confess this: I’m not wearing that hat these days.

#9:

That photo continues the tiger theme, plus it shows two puppets very important to me, one I’ve had since I was a little girl. I inadvertently changed the larger puppet (named “Tiger”) when I placed his head on a lightbulb, so he could listen to me practice piano, many years ago.

#10:

I think this photo probably appeared in this previous blog post and it was drawn by my longtime friend Ada (appearing in the comment section of this non-trivial blog post and this one, too, among other places), decades ago. I wouldn’t change a thing about Ada or that drawing.

There are many more profile-picture possibilities I could write about, including

sticking with my current glasses-wearing tiger,
changing to any of the hundreds of photos appearing in this blog previously, or
changing to one of the images I captured since writing yesterday’s post:

… but I’d like to end this post so I can be ready for today’s resumption of that trivial pursuit game pictured above, with Aaron and Michael.

What changes are important to you, here and now?

I suppose I should make one final change to this post, by adding some music about change.

(“A Change is Gonna Come” by Sam Cooke found here, on YouTube.)

Thanks to all who go through changes every day, including you, y’know.

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: blogging, change in psychotherapy, changing medical systems, changing WordPress profile picture, dealing with change, Jane Austen, Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come", self disclosure | 49 Comments

Day 582: Cool

Posted on August 5, 2014 by Ann Koplow

“Cool” is a word I use, almost every day. “Cool” is very high praise, from me.

As I wrote about here, I remember being 7 years old and suddenly being aware of how cool I was, in my own unique way. Then, as I dealt with illness, multiple hospitalizations, and adolescence, I lost touch with my own coolness.

However, whenever I heard cool music, I would move cool and feel cool, during that time.

Here are some examples of what I would classify as “cool music.”:

(coolness found here, on YouTube)

(coolness found here, on YouTube) (and in a previous post, here)

Listening to cool music helps me feel cooler. Even when I feel awkward, down, out of sorts, out of place, or uncool in any way, cool music is a great cure for all that. When I’m listening to cool music, no matter what’s going on, I feel cool. I walk cool. I talk cool. Hey! I am cool.

Let me check in with you, right now, to see if we have this in common. When you listen to sounds you find cool, don’t you feel cooler? Even just a little bit?

Cool.

And now, my cool compatriots, here are some cool things I’ve encountered recently, in this cool world of ours.

I know that, for some of you, when I include a lot of images, the page can take a while to load. I hope you were able to stay cool, during that.

And I hope you know it is very cool to ask questions and to ask for other things you need, here and elsewhere.

In conclusion, isn’t it cool that I get to share with you sounds and sights I love?

I’m telling you, writing for you all is the coolest.

Thanks to Nelson Riddle, to Hank Mancini, to Leonard Bernstein, to cool cats everywhere, and to you, for how cool you are, naturally.

Categories: inspiration, Nostalgia, personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: blogging, childhood illness, feeling cool as a child, Fenway Park area, Henry Mancini, Leonard Bernstein, Letting go of self-judgment, Nelson Riddle, Opening to "West Side Story", Peter Gunn theme, photos of Boston suburban neighborhood, Theme from "Route 66" | 38 Comments

Day 360: Amazing

Posted on December 26, 2013 by Ann Koplow

This post is dedicated to my amazing sister-in-law, Linda, whose birthday is today.

My 360th* post title was inspired by a comment on yesterday’s post by a blogger I admire very much, Shakti Ghosal. The comment concluded with this:

Have fun and continue to be amazing.

As I hope I have demonstrated this year, fun is very important to me (and here’s one post about that). So I already love what Shakti wrote. What makes me love that sentence even more, is the use of the word “amazing.”

“Amazing” is one of my favorite words, apparently.** I use it a lot. People have pointed that out to me. And because I can be a rather self-conscious person, when something personal is pointed out to me, I can wonder about it.

Why do I use that word? What does it mean to me?

And if I’m judging myself, I might ask myself this question, too: Is my frequent use of the word “amazing” … annoying***?

Here’s my answer to that last question: “Who cares?” (As usual, asking that question helps me let go of self-judgment. Isn’t that amazing?)

I think the other questions I asked above — the less judgmental ones — are more interesting. And I will try to answer them, in the time I have left before I need to leave for work this morning.

1. Why do I use that word?

I like the sound of it. It authentically *** reflects that way I feel. I am amazed, a lot of the time, at how creative, kind, loving, brave, resilient, and hopeful people can be, even after experiencing incredible challenges and set-backs. Often, when I am trying to express my reactions to all that, other words seem inadequate — incapable of capturing the depth of somebody else’s experience and the range of my responses to them.

2. What does it mean to me?

“Amazing,” when I use it, is almost always a positive word. I can’t prove that “amazing” is ALWAYS a positive word, when I use it, because I don’t have the tape of everything I’ve said in my entire life. However, that’s my gut feeling right now: when I use the word “amazing,” it’s a compliment.

It’s true that I am also surprised — amazed — by negative events. However, I believe, in those circumstances, I use words like “terrible” and “awful.” And, yes, those words are judgmental. Because, as I hope I have conveyed, throughout this year, judgment is human.

And I am human. And so are you. And we are connecting, in some way, right now.

Isn’t that amazing?

Okay, it’s time for an image. Let’s see how Google Images responds to the word “amazing” today.

Aha***! Google Images responds in many different ways, which does not amaze me. Here are some of the first responses, in order of appearance:

****

*****

******

******* ********

And before I end, for today, I shall consult my iPhone, too.

As my iPhone just showed me,

A-Okay! I have some personal images to show you, too.

I think it’s amazing that I get to do work I love:

that I can walk around, every day, and see beauty where I live (no matter how clear my vision is that day):

and that I get to blog here, every day, for readers like you, including those who tell me they would order “Year of Living Non-Judgmentally” merchandise:

There are many more things that I find amazing, this morning, including

how some creatures are not afraid of heights (which is amazing to me, because I am afraid of heights) ….

… but it’s time to end this post.

Thanks to amazing creatures, readers, writers, walkers, and humans everywhere and — most of all — to you, for visiting today.

____________________

*Actually, it’s the 361st post, but who’s counting?

** Another one of my favorite words is “apparently.” Another one is “actually.” I don’t know why so many of my favorite words begin with the letter “A.”

*** Another favorite word.

**** This image was here.

***** This image was here.

****** This image was here.

******* This image was here, today. (I’ve seen this one before.)

******** This image was here.

Categories: inspiration, personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: amazing images, blogging, favorite words, Left the house before I felt ready, Letting go of self-judgment, Shakti Ghosal, the word "amazing" | 27 Comments

Day 335: Closure

Posted on December 1, 2013 by Ann Koplow

Closure is really on my mind, today, because:

It’s the first day of December, which is the last month of the calendar I use.*
When I started this blog on January 1, 2013, I committed to blogging once daily for one year.
In my life, I am going through some endings (as we all do, all the time, of various sizes and importance).
I do group and individual therapy, so closure is my bread and butter.**

I just got lost in my own asterisks, at the end of this post. So, where was I?

Oh, yes. Closure.

What do I want to tell you about closure, today?

Closure is important, in order to move on.

There is no right or wrong way to do closure.

Closure is challenging, because it brings up old closures, which often relate to losses.

I like to use the term “ending the chapter”, when I talk to people about closure. Somebody, in my office, recently said that in their culture, they use the term “putting the period on the end of the sentence.” I like that, too.

Here are the punchlines of this post:

I want to put closure on The Year of Living Non-Judgmentally, in a way that honors my original commitment and intent.

However, I (selfishly) want to keep blogging every day. it helps me, tremendously.

So this is my commitment, for the month of December:

I will figure out a way, that’s good enough, to “put the period on the sentence” and “end the chapter” of this Blogging Year.

This will allow me to honor the old and embrace the new, as I move into my next phase of writing here (whatever that may be).

Closure.

Speaking of closure, something feels unfinished to me, here. What’s missing? Something besides all these words, words, words.

I need a picture, people.

I will now check that place I keep my photos, my calendar, and way too many other things (my smart phone, of course).

Hmmmmmmm ….. Voila!

It’s the dawn of a new day, looking back from where I live.

That’ll do.

Thanks to those who look back and forwards, smart phones and people everywhere, and to you — of course! — for reading today.

__________________

* Although, that’s not really true, since the calendar I use most frequently is on my smart phone. And while there’s a lot that confuses me about that calendar, I do know that there is neither ending nor beginning there.

** If you don’t recognize that idiom, it means “someone’s basic income; someone’s livelihood—the source of one’s food.” ***

*** Actually, now that I think about it, maybe closure isn’t my bread AND butter. Maybe closure is my bread, and hope is my butter. ****

**** Or vice versa.*****

***** Today, I master****** the art of the self-reflexive footnote.

****** In my mind.

Categories: humor, inspiration, personal growth | Tags: beginnings and endings, blogging, closure, December, putting the period on the sentence | 30 Comments

Day 303: What I know/What I don’t know

Posted on October 30, 2013 by Ann Koplow

I, like others I know, tend to focus more on what I DON’T know, rather than what I DO know.

I am trying to change the balance of those thoughts, this year.

It’s only fair, people!

It’s time for lists of (1) what I know and (2) what I don’t know.

Let’s start with the “negative” first (so I can end with the “positive”).

Here are some things I don’t know:

How to get more readership for this blog post.
How to get more people to come to my therapy groups.
The future.

Hmmmm. That’s an interesting list. Now that I’ve written those three things down, I feel like commenting on them.

Okay, it’s MY blog post, so I can do whatever I want, right now!

Here are my comments on that list:

I have expressed a wish to do that (get more readers for this blog), throughout this year, but I’ve been ambivalent about doing that, honestly. If I have TOO many readers, maybe I would feel overwhelmed. And maybe this blog isn’t good enough to have a kashmillion readers.
I have expressed a wish to do that (get more members for my groups), throughout this year, but I’ve been ambivalent about doing that, honestly. If I have TOO many people in my groups, maybe I would feel overwhelmed. And maybe the groups aren’t good enough to have dozens of participants.
It’s true that I don’t know the future. I wish I could remember THAT more often.

Okay, now it’s time for a list of some things I DO know (this morning):

I could deal with more readers for this blog. While that seems like I’m predicting the future, I’m basing that on this fact: I’ve been able to deal with much more difficult things, so far in my life.
I could deal with more participants in my groups. While that seems like I’m predicting the future, I’m basing that on this fact: I’ve been able to deal with much more difficult things, so far in my life.
It will be very cool, for me and other Red Sox fans, if the Red Sox win this World Series at home, because that is an event that has not happened since 1918 (which is a very long time ago).

Now that I’ve done all those lists, I have another comment on what I’ve written so far.

While I may fear that what I do — here, in the blog-o-sphere and there, in the real-life-o-sphere — isn’t good enough, on some level, I KNOW it IS.

Okay!

It’s time for me to post a few more things I know, as a set-up a photo I took yesterday.

I know:

It’s getting colder around here.
People want those they love to keep warm (and safe, in general).
Some things that are very different from us — out there in the real-life-o-sphere — have feelings much like we do.

It’s time to end this post, so I can have another day where I DO know some things, DON’T know some other things, and — in some cases — know more than I think I know.

Thanks to all of you, for reading today.

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: balance in thinking, blogging, cognitive distortions, fenway park, group therapy, increasing confidence, knowing/not knowing, real-life-o-sphere, Red Sox "Teammates" statue, Red Sox winning World Series at home | 19 Comments

Day 301: Bearing up

Posted on October 28, 2013 by Ann Koplow

Yesterday, I met my old friend Lawry in Harvard Square, Cambridge, for brunch, with some members of his family.

It was great to see everybody. I loved talking to Lawry, his wife, his daughter, his sister, his brother, and his brother’s wife.

It was particularly special for me to spend time with them, because I had been feeling some anxiety, over the weekend, about my health (and some about the Boston Red Sox, too).

And it was wonderful to be back in Harvard Square. (See “What’s the problem?” and “Random Images (paired)“, two earlier posts, for more adventures in Harvard Square.)

Here’s a little photo essay, about my time in Harvard Square yesterday.

A Little Photo Essay

by Ann

On my way to meet Lawry and his family for brunch, I saw this amazing tree. I had to stop and take a picture. Thank you, tree.

It was another beautiful autumn day. Those of us who live in the Greater Boston area have been remarking, this year, about how friggin’ great the fall weather has been. Those of us who dread the onset of winter in the Greater Boston area have been wondering whether this is a good or bad omen about how painful it’s going to be, too soon. (Actually, I can only speak for my own thoughts about this.)

Moments after I took that first shot of the tree, I had to stop and take the above photo. Why? It’s a sign about a group, people!

Here’s a closer shot of the sign (and some of the flags) that you can see in the background of the previous photo.

As I said, it was a beautiful day. Look at those trees and that sky.

Another sign in front of the church. I snapped this, as a is Note To Self: “Ann, make sure you sing more (especially as the cold and dark descend)!”

After I took that photo, I stopped dilly-dallying, and focused on getting to brunch with Lawry and his family.

I didn’t have any photos of Lawry or his family members to show you today, because I was too focused on interacting with each of them, in the moment. Right now, I wish I had some visual proof of how great they all are, but you’ll just have to take my word for it.

After brunch, I went to Urban Outfitters because I needed a scarf and gloves — that is, gear for winter, coming too soon to a location near me.

And … I DID find a great scarf and some colorful gloves there, which definitely cheered me up. (My philosophy: If I’m going to be cold, I might as well look cool.)

While I was shopping in the store, I couldn’t help but notice this:

I had never seen anything quite like THAT. I’ve noticed lots of children — and adults — wearing animal hats in these parts, but a full-bear winter coat? I was very intrigued, but assumed it was most likely just for display. (I mean, it’s almost Halloween, for heaven’s sake.)

However, when I was in line to pay for my merchandise, I noticed that the people in front of me — a woman and her son — had just bought one of those bear coats, which was being stuffed into a bag. I blurted out, “Wow! You got one of those! Can I see it?”

The woman paused, but then kindly took it out of the bag, to show me. She told me it was for her son, Asa, who was a student at Boston College. “Will you try it on for me?” I asked Asa, as I told them both about this blog.

This was Asa’s reply:

How cool is THAT?

Now it’s a day later, and I’m still feeling better.

Many thanks to Asa and his mother, Lawry and his family, Christ Church Cambridge, Urban Outfitters, all things that make life bearable, and to you, of course, for reading today.

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: adventure, anxiety, bear coat, bear coat for people, blogging, Boston, Cambridge MA, Christ Church Cambridge MA, communication, community, connection, dread of winter, fear, getting needs met, group therapy, groups, growth, gun violence in Boston 2013, Harvard Square, healing, hope, illness, seasonal changes, singing, survival, trees, Urban Outfitters | 14 Comments