Posts Tagged With: dreams

Day 4085: Parody of the Future

Posted on March 9, 2024 by Ann Koplow

Last night, after we went to several highly automated, touch-screen-dominated, and hard-surfaced establishments at a local mall, my husband Michael said, “These places seem like a parody of the future.”

I love the phrase “Parody of the Future” although I’m not sure I can explain why. We make up the future, so how can there be a parody of our own imaginings?

As usual, Michael makes me think, laugh, and appreciate my past, present, and future with him. And I predicted the future last night by telling Michael, “That’s my blog post title for tomorrow.”

Do you see a parody of the future in my images for today?

Last night I dreamt that our beloved cat Joan climbed up on the roof of a very high building, was grabbed by a hawk who embraced her in the air and then flew away with her in its talons, and as I was yelling, “the hawk has Joan!,” she fell from the hawk’s grasp. I woke up, relieved that Joan was okay, and now I’m wondering if that dream was a parody of the future.

Here’s what I find on YouTube when I search for “parody of the future.”

Thanks to Michael, Joan, and all who help me deal with the future (parody or otherwise), including YOU!

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: Adam Something, cats, dreams, Kura Revolving Sushi Bar, March 9 2024, NEOM is The Parody of the Future, South Bay Mall, T.J. Maxx, The Daily Bitch Calendar, threads, Twitter | 12 Comments

Day 4030: World Logic Day

Posted on January 14, 2024 by Ann Koplow

Happy World Logic Day!

This is how the National Days website recommends celebrating World Logic Day:

Using logic, I would say that I have already satisfied one third of the above criteria. Or is it two thirds?

Here and now, I’m trying to use logic regarding a scheduled medical procedure, my use of anticoagulants, and different conversations with medical professionals. Yesterday, logic seemed to recommend postponing the procedure; today, logic seems to suggest going ahead in a different way.

Logic tells me to leave out any more details about that at this point.

Do you see logic in my other images for today?

When I search for logic on YouTube, I find this,

this,

and this:

Thanks to all who help me use logic every day, including YOU!

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: cats, coastal flooding, decision making, dreams, January 13 2023, John Lennon, logic questions, Norm MacDonald, public library, puzzles, Turtles | 13 Comments

Day 3654: What helps you feel better?

Posted on January 2, 2023 by Ann Koplow

I’m realizing, here and now, that what helps me feel better is more acceptance and less pressure.

It helps me feel better to clarify that first sentence: if I accept myself and others and I put less pressure on myself to do more and to do things perfectly, I feel better.

It helps me feel better to be aware of my dreams. For example, last night I dreamt that I was trying to facilitate a Coping and Healing therapy group in a huge cavernous location with many rooms, a bad sound system, and people who weren’t really interested in participating. After trying to help them feel better to no avail, I stopped the group and let everyone go. It helps me feel better to realize that is probably an anxiety dream about my starting new groups for the doctors where I work.

It helps me feel better to realize I’ve accomplished enough in my long life and, at this point, I can relax and let go. It helps me feel better to know I can keep reminding myself of this, every day.

Does anything in this blog post help you feel better?

I hope it helps you feel better to know there’s a new year’s worth of The Daily Bitch Calendar.

Here’s the first thing I find on YouTube when I search for “what helps you feel better?”

Thanks to all who who help me feel better, including YOU!

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: acceptance, Amtrak train ride home to Boston, “Watch this if you want to feel better” by Danny Casale, cats, dreams, group therapy, National Days January 2 2023, New York City, Peggle Blast, The Daily Bitch Calendar, Twitter | 12 Comments

Day 3512: Showing up

Posted on August 13, 2022 by Ann Koplow

If you’ve been showing up for this blog for years, you might remember I’ve learned that the secret of life is three things:

Show up.
Be gentle (with others and yourself).
Tell the truth.

That simple wisdom keeps showing up for me. Now, let’s see what images are showing up on my iPhone.

Those National Days will be showing up on Twitter soon, posted by this left hander.

Here’s a song that was showing up for me on my walk yesterday:

Here’s another version showing up on YouTube:

Thanks to all strangers and friends showing up here and now, including YOU.

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: animals, “I’m a Stranger Here Myself” by Kurt Weill, dreams, Kirstin Chenoweth, National Days August 13 2022, Salman Rushdie, snowy egrets, Teresa Stratas, The Daily Bitch Calendar, the South Shore of Boston, Twitter | 16 Comments

Day 3222: L-words

Posted on October 27, 2021 by Ann Koplow

Let’s not Linger LaziLy; Let’s Look at the Latest LiveLy daiLy caLendar:

Look and Listen! Luscious L-words Like Let, Living, Life, LateLy, Last, and Loving:

L-words to describe Joan besides LoveLy, LiveLy and Liberated?

Let’s Listen to “La-La (Means I Love You)” by the DeLfonics:

Day 3117: It’s never what you expect

Posted on July 14, 2021 by Ann Koplow

I expect that I’ve written a previous blog post with this title, because I often say “it’s never what you expect.”

You probably expect some images here, but maybe not these.

That last question received some answers you might expect and also some others you would never expect.

When I search YouTube for “it’s never what you expect”, I unexpectedly find “It’s Never What You Expect and Everything All At Once” by Noé.

I would have expected there to be at least one reaction to that on YouTube. Yes, it’s never what you expect.

You might expect gratitude at the end of this post, but maybe not this: thanks to all who appreciate this blog more than I expect, including YOU.

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: “It’s Never What You Expect and Everything All At Once”, dreams, expectations, National Cow Appreciation Day, Noé, The Daily Bitch Calendar, The Oatmeal, the South Shore of Boston, the weather, Twitter, veggie burritos | 23 Comments

Day 2696: Go back to your dreams.

Posted on May 19, 2020 by Ann Koplow

If you go back to my previous blogs, you’ll find

many posts about dreams (going back to here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here) and
that I have trouble going back to sleep when I wake up too early, which I almost always do.

Last night, I woke up too early (AGAIN!) and I was able to go back to sleep by reciting this phrase to myself, over and over:

Go back to your dreams.

Now, I shall go back to all the photos I took yesterday, to see if there are any dreams there.

Oscar could only dream about eating that flounder last night.

Go back to YouTube if you want to find the official music video of “Dreams” by The Cranberries:

Now I have to go back to another Zoom-y meeting — this one with my fellow behavioral health workers, in which we will discuss our dreams of going back to work in person.

My dream is that going back to gratitude will help us achieve our dreams.

Categories: life during the pandemic, personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: behavioral health workers, Blue Q socks, dreams, Flounder dish, getting back to sleep, gratitude, posts about dreams, The Cranberries, The Daily Bitch Calendar, the South Shore of Boston | 27 Comments

Day 2562: Moments you dream about

Posted on January 6, 2020 by Ann Koplow

Because there are so many moments you nightmare about in today’s news, I choose to focus on moments you dream about in today’s blog post.

I snapped that photo during some dreamy moments food shopping last night with my husband Michael. Many moments later, Michael produced more food moments to dream about.

Earlier in the day, I had some moments to dream about …

planning a 50th high school reunion to dream about with Butch and Barton,

taking photos to dream about from Barton’s and Michael’s cell phones, and

distracting myself from possible future world nightmares with these other moments you dream about at our local supermarket.

Yay today (despite the clouds) for all the moments you dream about.

Here‘s “These Dreams” by Heart, with dreamy vocals, instruments, and other moments to dream about.

I dream about comments from you, so please take some moments to leave one, below.

I spent many moments yesterday look for expressions of gratitude to dream about, like these:

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: "Heart", "These Dreams", 50th High School Reunion, Adam Sandler, cats, chocolate, dreams, Fish sandwich, nightmares, Stop & Shop supermarket, today's news | 25 Comments

Day 1771: Approval

Posted on November 6, 2017 by Ann Koplow

I keep reading about “historically low” approval in the news.

In my work as a therapist, I try to help people improve low self approval. Improving low self approval often includes group therapy, where people realize they are not alone in their unfairly harsh approval of themselves.

Self approval is often improved by

self care,
connecting,
sharing,
letting go of shame,
acceptance,
forgiveness,
honoring dreams,
identifying an achievable next step, and
giving oneself credit for progress, no matter how small.

What helps you improve your self approval?

I suspect there will be some approval of today’s photos.

Is there approval for “Approval” by Brett Max?

My dreams include improved self approval for all who helped me create today’s post and — of course! — for YOU. Thanks for your approval!

Categories: group therapy, personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: "Approval", Brett Max, cat photos, dreams, healing in groups, historically low approval ratings, improving self approval | 21 Comments

Day 1738: Sharing dreams

Posted on October 4, 2017 by Ann Koplow

Yesterday, I was asked to facilitate a group for staff, in addition to my usual Tuesday “Coping and Healing” group. As usual, I was honored to provide a safe-enough space for people to express themselves and to connect with others in a healing way.

In both of the groups, people discussed the tragic events in the news. In one of the groups, the members decided to share and comment on each other’s recent dreams. Whenever I work with dreams in a group, I encourage people to respond to other people’s dreams with “If it were my dream, it might mean ….” People’s dreams included sacrifice, animals, losing a baby, wandering in an enormous house, being chased, and communicating with dead relatives. I mentioned that I’d recently dreamed that I was friends with Stephen Colbert.

If it were your dream, what might those dreams mean to you? What dreams have you been having lately?

I snapped only four photos yesterday, two consciously and the other two unconsciously.

During dark times, try sharing your dreams.

Somebody is sharing dreams on YouTube:

Many thanks to you for sharing these dreams with me, here and now.

Categories: group therapy, personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: coping and healing groups, dark times, dreams, healing, Roger St. Denis, sharing dreams, sharing with others, Stephen Colbert, the healing power of groups | 33 Comments