Living in the Moment

While I am disappointed in last night's election results, I can't say I am too surprised.
While I am concerned about the future, I am not going to spend a great deal of energy on what is out of my control.
I am going to continue my self education in mindfulness and living in the moment.

In many ways, this Wednesday morning is no different than it would be if the election results had been different. It's cool enough outside that I am having my coffee and writing inside today. I'm still fat (something in my control) and need to eat better today, and I need to go downstairs and get on the exercise cycle for a little while.
I'll spend most of the day reading and enjoying the quiet of our home and then we will have dinner with some friends tonight.
I may or may not sit and enjoy a cigar today.
Tomorrow evening is the holiday dinner for the volunteer chaplains and spouses, but otherwise, tomorrow will be much like today.

Maybe it seems too simple and an unreasonable way to live, but it keeps me sane and in control of my inner peace. It helps me to be aware of the good things and good people in my life and reminds me to be grateful for what I have, where I am, and who I am becoming.

Living in the moment takes practice. We (in the West) could learn much from our Eastern friends about mindfulness and self-care.

Do not worry about tomorrow. Tomorrow can worry about itself. Concern yourself with today.
(my paraphrase of Jesus from The Sermon on the Mount, Matt 6:34)

John

Self Care, Check on your friends

It's going to be a stressful couple of days in the US. 
Election day is finally here. 

Truthfully, I don't expect to know the final results today. Even with all of the available technology, I expect that tomorrow will be the very earliest a reliable call will be made on the presidential election. Other national and local elections may have pretty accurate projections before the night is over and there are some significant Senate races and state amendments on several ballots.

Personally, I don't do stress. 
I rarely feel anxious about things.
I do not worry about things out of my control.
I'm not a big faith kind of guy that puts everything in God's hands, either. 
I just do what I can do, control what I can control, and find a way to deal with what I can't.

I know that it's not that easy for most people.

Find a safe place for your well-being today. 
Do something to distract yourself from the stress of not knowing what tomorrow holds.
Take a walk or go for a run.
Have a taco.  
And call a friend that might be stressing and be a calming influence.
Facing uncertain times together is better than facing them alone.

The sun will rise tomorrow.

John

Coming Together -- Is it a Possibility?

Tomorrow the US goes to the polls and elects our government for the coming years -- the entire House of Representatives for the next two years, 1/3 of the Senate for the next six, and the President for the next four years.
I expect both houses of Congress to be narrowly divided and the Presidential race appears to be a statistical coin toss.

And yet whichever party wins control will likely declare that America has voted and given them a mandate to steamroll over the opposing party and do whatever the hell they want to do. 
It's rather nauseating. 
That's not the way government is supposed to work.

Last night I was at a fundraising concert for several organizations that provide help and care for marginalized people in our community. The various groups provide permanent shelter for the chronically homeless, overnight shelter during the coming cold weather, aid to endangered teens, safety and help for abused women and children. and food for the hungry.
Area music groups donated their time and talent to provide entertainment, businesses donated items for a silent auction, and people gave generously to the cause of helping our neighbors -- people that live in our community.

The people that sponsored, provided for, and attended this event weren't doing it for themselves. They were doing it to make life better for others. 
Nobody cared about political affiliation. Nobody cared about sex or gender. Nobody cared about religion. 
Everybody cared about neighbors in need.

It was an uplifting experience for me.
I got to see some of the volunteers and organizers that I've worked with over the past four years and was reminded of the great people that exist and don't even know that they are great and inspiring people.
We were just a few hundred people that came together to do something simple for some friends. I wish our elected officials could see what people can do when they actually work together instead of opposing one another. 
Maybe that's something we should insist on.

For all of its faults, the USA is still a place where many people want to live. 
The US economy and recovery from global inflation is the envy of many countries.
Our privilege and potential is well known in the world.
I know it's not a very capitalistic view, but maybe we can be better about sharing what we have. 

Just a thought

John

Healthy Habits

At 60 (15c) degrees outside it is comfortable on the deck this morning. It has been raining overnight and cloudy skies with rain is the forecast for the next couple of days. I didn't venture out yesterday, nor did I watch any news. It was a nice, quiet day in isolation.
Maybe I'll make it out of the house today. Maybe I won't. I'm comfortable either way.
There is a fundraiser concert for the cold weather shelters this evening and my favorite local band is playing. Maybe we'll go.

I've gone a couple of days in a row without any walking or exercise so I need to get that taken care of today. The daily walk thing isn't a habit yet (obviously) and I really need to make it one. A few years and a few pounds makes a difference in the motivation to get out and do something. While there isn't much I can do about the years, I can certainly attack the extra pounds. The diet/exercise motivation is just tougher than it used to be. There seems to be an inertia about exercise and motivation. An old friend used to tell me that motion is motivation -- just get moving!
The light rain will keep me from taking a long walk, but I do have the exercise cycle in the basement and should probably put it to good use.

Motivation on dieting is a little tougher. I don't want to wait on a heart attack or stroke or other malady due to being overweight to do something about it. Self-motivated weight management might be harder than forced weight management, but it certainly has the benefit of preventing many health issues. The pay me now or pay me later maxim should be enough to keep us healthy.
Why isn't it?
Is it because we feel we are invincible?
Yeah, here's a news flash -- we're not!

How do you stay healthy?
What are your eating habits that are beneficial?
What are your healthy lifestyle activities?

John

Cloudy and cool

It's a little chilly out in the deck this morning. It won't be long before my morning coffee will be inside the house and eventually next to the fireplace. 
Nope. I'm really not a fan of the colder weather. But I recognize that it is a part of the annual cycles of life when you live at the mid latitudes in the US. 

It's weird to me that climates at this latitude vary so much. I never really think that we at the same latitude as the southern tip of Spain or the northern part of Africa. The Mediterranean climates of northern Africa, southern Italy and Greece are much more moderate than the winter climate here in Southwest MO. And they have beaches!

As Midwestern climates go, life in the Ozarks isn't too bad. We get to experience four distinct seasons, the winters are not brutally cold, there are plenty of lakes, forests and outdoor activities to enjoy in the summers, the springs are pretty ideal, and the falls can be quite beautiful.
Personally, I wouldn't mind a little less distinction between seasons. The two seasons (rainy and not rainy) of the tropics would be fine with me. I much prefer too hot over too cold.
I do plan to spend a few weeks of the coming winter in the northern tropics of Mexico. That will be a nice break from the winter cold of the Ozarks. I am looking forward to it.

For now I will endure and do my best to enjoy the time and temperature of where I am. Today I will spend some time reading on the deck, smoking a good cigar, sipping an adult beverage, and just enjoying the experience of life.

John

NaBloPoMo

It doesn't appear that National Blog Posting Month (NaBloPoMo) is a thing anymore. It used to be an organized deal to encourage blog posters to post daily for the entire month and even had awards for posting. I never entered into any organized push, but I have participated in daily writing several times over the past 18 years. There is a pretty good chance that I will not complete the task this year, but I figured I'd at least give it a chance by beginning on November 1st.

Out of My Hat isn't really a themed blog and I basically write whatever is on my mind at the time I pull out the Chromebook keyboard. While I have plenty on my mind, I don't always feel like organizing it into writable thoughts or think it is something that needs to be publicly shared. For me, daily writing is made most difficult by the simple question -- What should I write about today?

November is also National Diabetes Awareness Month and No-shave November is now a global cancer awareness thing. For some of us pogonophiles, not shaving is just a way of life. My winter face began in September and is well on its way at this point. Not doing something (shaving) every day is way easier than having to do something (writing) every day. Perhaps I can manage to do both for thirty days.

November has also been a month when people daily post the things for which they are thankful. That's been a Facebook trend for several years. While remembering to be grateful is a good practice, I think I'll pass on that one -- both here and on Facebook.

Are there any topics that you think I should write about?
I could use some help.

John

Thursday Theology and Barchurch

In this past week I met with a couple of different people that were familiar with the original or first modification to Downtown Venues, later referred to as Barchurch -- back when it was actually held in a bar and still brought a simple form of church with it.

Over the years, The Venues' Thursday night gathering has gone through many changes -- leadership, location, lesson format, and community. We won't be meeting tonight. Our current leader said the most holy thing you can do this week is stay home and pass out candy to those that come to your house on Thursday night. Making others (especially children) feel as a welcomed part of our community is a pretty Jesus thing to do.

My early barchurch friends miss the vibe and energy of that generation of what was Downtown Venues. So do I. But when I think of clinging to things of the past I sometimes chastise myself for being a selfish conservative, unwilling to change and adapt to the needs of others.
Maybe we need a support group for us old school barchurch people.
Or maybe we just need to adapt and change with the community around us.
Is there any reason why we can't have both?

That original, organic form of barchurch was such a rare find for me (and apparently several others) that I doubt it could be duplicated. What made it strange was that it was a gathering of people that fed my energy rather than drained it. I could sit at the back bar and just observe and absorb the positive energy of the place. The only thing I ever had to contribute was my presence. 
I'm just realizing that others may have felt that same kind of vibe -- that just being there was enough.

I felt that way about one of the shelters where I volunteered. It also had that good welcoming kind of energy. I wish I knew the formula to bring that feeling about. 
How do you create a place that has such a positive energy that it reaches out and welcomes everybody to enter and offer their presence to the community?

I wish I knew.

John

Wednesday Wisdom

It's a little late in the day for my Wednesday Wisdom post.
I met with a friend for my morning coffee. We had a nice visit and it was good to spend some time together. 
I followed that up by going to see another old friend and order some new eyeglasses. It's been several years since I've ordered new glasses and it was a bonus to be able to order them from a friend.

My Wednesday Wisdom to share is -- contact an old friend. 
Send a text
Make a call
Even go old school and drop a card or letter in the mail.
You'll be glad you did.
So will they.

John

Time for a Cool Change

Today will be the last 80+ (27c) degree day of the year for us in the Ozarks of SWMO. 
In my head, I just said a bad word.

The seasonal changes are just a part of life in the Ozarks.
Tonight is the night for volunteer training for the Crisis Cold Weather Shelters in Springfield. I am going back to being a volunteer rather than working as an overnight staff at one of the shelters. Volunteering will give me a little more control of when I work and allow me to vacate the Ozarks to a warmer climate during part of the winter. And it might provide an opportunity for income for somebody that really needs it.
There are a lot of different volunteer positions that are needed throughout the cold weather season. 
Each night that shelters are open, The Fairbanks shelter needs people for:
Sign-up
Set up/check-in (3)
Overnight 
Check-out (3)
Cleaning crew (2)
Pet transport (3 evening, 3 morning)
Laundry runner
Plus there is a designated staff person and a coordinator for each night.

That's a lot of people for just one of the shelters that is open on nights when the temperature falls below freezing. There are additional shelters that open on nights when temps fall below 20 (-7c).
Other than the overnight workers, no job takes a lot of time,
Other than setting up and breaking down, no job is a lot of work.
But every job is important and needed.
If you can help and would like to volunteer, let me know or check out the Facebook page.
Winter is coming.
Ugh!

John

Find Your True Self

It's hard to believe it, but the long 2024 election cycle is finally coming to an end in just one week.
Politics isn't much of a relaxing, calming topic for meditation, but it is also difficult to avoid thinking about it at this point in time. Reminders of the local, state, and national races are all around us. 

It's been said that we don't have elections; we have auctions.
Given the BILLIONS of dollars that have been spent this election cycle that would seem to be true. Advertising to spread your message is one thing. The hateful bullshit is another.
And the lies! The false advertising is out of control. 
Even the news media is captured by the lies and seems to have no control over confining candidates to address actual facts and policies.

I don't mean to start your week off with a political rant.
My purpose is to remind you to find a place of peace.
Whatever happens in the US elections, the world will go on. 
There will always be good people and not so good people.
Elections have consequences and we will deal with that when the time comes.
We should not look at those on the other side of the political divide as our enemies as is often suggested. Just because some politicians choose to be divisive assholes doesn't mean that we all have to be that way. We can still help one another, serve one another, and be kind to each other. 

Don't let the actions of others change who you are.
Find your true self and be true to yourself.

One week.

John