Portland, Oregon

Portland, Oregon

Friday, January 20, 2017

Every Day I Learn

Every day is a learning experience for me but on some things I'm an incredibly slow learner.

I've finally learned I am not a disciplined person. It's probably time I gave up that fantasy. I don't like to diet and I don't like exercising. My head knows all the information that should make me diligent in both but doesn't. It's depressing. Every single day I fight this battle and lose more days than I win.

I never seem to learn I am not a person of moderation. No matter how hard I try, I'm not.  This morning I received a text from daughter informing me I needed to settle down, I was texting faster than she could read. I do get a little worked up. I try to avoid that but apparently that trait is here to stay.

I learned staying home for a week is one thing, staying home for a week when you're snowed in is quite another. That one plays with your mind.

I've learned my Texas accent is not going away. Never had that problem when I lived in Texas, but in Oregon, as soon as I open my mouth people know I'm not a native Oregonian. Some things you need to learn to accept.

I seem not to learn I probably only have another 10-15 years to live. I can't seem to limit my thinking to that time frame.
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There were lots of things to read this morning.

I've read Paul Krugman's column twice.

This piece by David Frum, An Inaugural Celebration That Rings Hollow is very good. Oddly, David Frum is a Republican or perhaps more accurately his label should be conservative.

I needed this David Axelrod column.

17 comments:

  1. Love the David Axelrod column. Thanks for sharing.

    Facing our own mortality is daunting, especially as each year passes. Live for today. Enjoy the moment. Smell the flowers. And all those other cliches that are actually true.

    At this point in our lives, we have done all the preparation and work to secure our future. So the future is now, and it is our time to enjoy it.

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    1. Given there are a lot of things yet on my bucket list I'm not sure I can fit it all in 10-15 years.

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  2. Moderation is good for us, but it stinks when it comes to brownies and mashed potatoes, in which case, if it's good, more is better.
    I feel the hand of mortality on my shoulder, too. I told my cardiologist, no one lives forever. I have to say, I'm enjoying my life more now than ever before, taking nothing for granted, but there is a sense of limited time.
    Thanks for the link to Axelrod's column. Will check out the others.

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    1. Sometimes the idea of limited time doesn't bother me but other times I don't deal well at all with the idea.

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  3. "I learned staying home for a week is one thing, staying home for a week when you're snowed in is quite another. That one plays with your mind." You said that better than I could have. I've lived in MI all my life, been snowed in often, and know how true that statement truly is. It shouldn't make a difference but it does.

    Looking forward to reading your link.

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    1. I'm a homebody. I ca stay at home for days and days never leaving the house. Being forced to stay inside is totally different. This was my first time to be forced to stay inside. Don't know if it would have been better or worse if I lived alone.

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  4. Thanks for these great links. They were all short, pointed and easy to read, and certainly gave us the good with the bad!
    Today has been difficult.

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    1. It was indeed a difficult day. I believe I may be more concerned today than I was the day after the election. This is a small thing but today I realized how much I'm going to miss a president that smiles, a president who's secure enough with himself that he can laugh at himself. I'm not sure I can take 4 years of Trump's scowl and his hands clinched in a fists.

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  5. I guess you could say you're set in your ways! I think all of us elderly people are pretty much what we're going to be the rest of our lives.

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    1. Yes, we're probably doing good just to hang onto what we've got.

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  6. Replies
    1. Hi Linda, I'm also glad you found my blog. Now I've been able to find yours! I so admire your advocacy work.

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  7. Well at least your lack of moderation keeps us better informed! Thanks for sharing those articles.

    For some reason I had never imagined you with a Texas accent. It doesn't come through in your posts!

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    1. I have a very strong Texas twang. People tell me I sound like former governor Ann Richards. She was from central Texas and so am I. Lady Bird Johnson had a southern drawl because she grew up in east Texas. Laura Bush has probably done the best job of escaping the dreaded Texas twang. She grew up in west Texas.

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  8. It's the old problem, isn't it? Knowledge vs will. I know I shouldn't have that second (or third) bowl of ice cream, but there's this strange compulsion that takes over. Actually, sugar and carbs of every sort call my name on a regular basis. Ah, me.

    When it comes to being inside, I've become more relaxed about it. I think it's because of my work. If it rains buckets for days on end, it's guilt-free time at home, because there's no way I could work. Of course, there's that thing about the cash not flowing when the rain is falling, but so far, so good, in that area.

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    1. We have a lot of rain this time of year in Oregon. It normally doesn't bother me until about March. Then I scream "Enough already!" At least I can still get out in the rain.

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  9. I wish I could count on 10 or 15 more years. I'm just delighted each day I wake up knowing that morning wasn't guaranteed.
    Being forced to stay via weather in must be what prisoners feel. It is like when my car is in the shop, suddenly there are a million places I want to go.
    Heading for Mr. Axelrod now.

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