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 |  I've maxed out. Closed this blog. |
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This is a way of making myself write something coherent and grammatically correct almost every day. I'm opinionated and need an outlet. I'm also prone to flights of fancy. Thanks for stopping by. |
| I joined a choir tonight. It was good to sing with a group, to try to blend in, to follow a director who has his own interpretation. Of course, all the music was new to me, so I didn't hit all the notes or even most of them. One song had tricky rhythms; I worried more about not singing in the wrong place or missing the beat than I did the notes. I brought all the music with me, so I can figure it out on my own.Maybe by the next rehearsal I can sound a little more sure without mistakes. There are so many pianists in this group, who know what the notes are. I never claimed to have a good voice. We didn't try out. The leader just assumed I could sing the part I claimed. I actually have a limited range. But as long as the director will tolerate me, I will sing, because I like singing. I like being a part of a group that works together for a common purpose, takes its cues, and is disciplined enough to produce something worthwhile and enjoyable. Teamwork feels good. So working on the music will take time away from other things. I'll figure out something. |
| I heard about it for the first time today. Someone I work with knows a relative with an illness and her doctor has put her on the blood type diet. We all asked about it. She said her relative is on it for mood control; however, she has read about if for herself for reducing a few pounds. She has discovered she can't have anything she likes, the fruits, beans, and things usually considered healthy. She can eat sardines, but not shellfish, or her favorite fish. So I looked it up for myself. First thing I noticed is the man who wrote the book and developed this system is selling supplements for each blood type. He's a merchant who's out for a profit. Then I read about my blood type, the most common, and the first thing the article discussed was a blood clotting aid for my "kind". I take prescription blood thinner, so I don't want anything that counteracts that. I read nothing out of the ordinary for my blood type for healthy people. Then I found the articles on why not to indulge in this diet. It's not scientific. There were not enough thorough studies and comparison groups. Nothing is individualized, as in my case. Something I hadn't come across were ethnic food selections. These apparently are not to accommodate different tastes or traditions, but are assumptions based on race or ethnicity that have not been scientifically proved. The bottom line is to stay away from this diet. If your doctor advises you to try it, ask him to individualize it for you, and explain how it will work in your case. Ask about side effects. It's doubtful that one will recommend it to you. |
| My cousin's 14 year old daughter, who is very into sports, was walking across the street with three other girls last Friday, when they were struck by a white truck with ladders on the side. The truck didn't stop, but four girls fell to the ground. They still haven't found the driver or truck. This driver apparently thought he had killed somebody and was too scared to stop, or he had been drinking and didn't want to get caught again under the influence. One girl broke a bone and needed surgery. My cousin's child had a concussion and still has a headache today (Monday). The other two got off with minor bumps and falls. So when is it okay to hit kids and not stop? Even if your license is in jeopardy? He may have been sick or blinded by a something in his eye. He might have had an excuse. If it was his employer's truck, he might have been afraid of getting fired. Why hasn't the employer been checking his vehicles since it was described on local news. We had a hit and run which killed a man in my own area. That driver hasn't been found either, but there were no witnesses in that case. Unfortunately, in the dark several other drivers also struck him on the road and didn't stop either. Maybe they thought it was an animal, but where were the headlights? They had to have seen him at the last second. Are people really that heartless? We are seriously lacking in moral conscience these days. Self-interest prevails over the concern for others, and that is devastating. |
| No doubt we all have heard a number of superstitions in our lives, most of them just foolishness. We know they are foolishness, but do we heed them anyway? I have known grown men to turn around if a black cat crossed their path. I've told myself that black cats are God's creatures and they aren't intended to be omens of anything evil. Some superstitions have some basis, like knocking on wood. The Druids believed that gods lived in the trees. So if they wanted to summon the spirit of a god to bless them or keep them safe, they knocked on wood to arouse a god. We know this is a false belief, but we understand how the superstition arose. How it continues in modern society is another puzzle. On the other hand, there are superstitions that seem to have no sense. Seamstresses used to say, "Never cut out a pattern on a Friday or you will never finish it." Maybe they didn't work weekends, but I never would start a sewing project or cut any material on a Friday just to be on the safe side. That's back when I still sewed. Another one was "Sing before breakfast, and you'll cry before night." Now where did that come from? Was it just some grumpy morning person who wanted to remind the happy riser that life has a way of evening things out? In high school, my choir sang at an Easter sunrise service on the mountain top, so we had to do it early, before the sun hit. Sure enough, I did cry before night, but, hey, I was a teenager. I might have cried anyway. Yet, still today, if I find myself in the morning about to hum or sing a few words, I stop. I force myself to wait until I get my granola bar and coffee at work. I know it's stupid, but I can't break the habit. Then there's the one about a bird flying into the window. It really means your windows are very clean (invisible) or reflected the outside. But the old saying is that someone inside will die. That's never happened, so I can't stand up for that one. And what if it flies into a car window? Does the rule still apply? Or only residences? I've had a bird fly into the car windshield, but no one inside died within a few years. How would a bird get a message about someone about to die? And we all know about the itchy hand or foot. One hand means you're going to shake hands with a stranger, the other means you're coming into some money. If one foot itches, you'll get new shoes; it the other itches, you're going to travel. Chances are you know whether you plan to travel or buy new shoes. I think the money part is wishful thinking. What fate would be controlling these itches? Where did that common superstition come from? Let's not forget picking up a penny. Why pass up a little penny? They add up. Maybe it started as a way to get children to treasure all the money they could find. Then there's the bad luck part, it it's tails up. Would you waste it and let it lie there? Not if it's on the counter or someone put it in your hand tails up. I've also heard that if you find a penny, you have to give it away to get good luck. Is that some kind of karma? There are others, things that just don't go away, and we feel obligated to teach them to our children and grandchildren. These superstitions that have no basis in reality, yet they survive from generation to generation, and maybe get amplified. We just have to remember to teach common sense, that these are just legends, not truths. |
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