Pondering.... Comment Replies & More

 

I did not get to reply to comments recently due to the trip to pseudo-Chicago.  So, I thought I would reply to some of the more recent ones today.  Please know that I ALWAYS appreciate your comments and learn from them and find them valuable.  Comments I am replying to are listed alphabetically by commenters name:

AC

 "You are certainly devoted. It still surprises me sometimes although I know it to be the case."

The above was in reference to my attending Mass in pseudo-Chicago.  And, I thank you for suggesting I am devoted.  I am not so sure if I truly am or not, but it is nice that I am seen that way.  For me, going to Mass is always a bit of a sanctuary for me.  It is a place where I can find calmness and tranquility.  And, it is always a place where I find a sense of family as well.  

"Although I might recognize them if I were to hear them, I don't know the other songs, but I do know Daydream Believer. As with you, it's not necessarily a favorite."

The Monkees had A LOT of rather "schlocky" songs that could grate on your nerves (Daydream Believer being one of them IMO), but to my ears, there WERE some very good songs.  Here are links to two examples:

"Pleasant Valley Sunday" 

"Love is Only Sleeping" 

"But I can 'listen' and commiserate."

 And, I do appreciate your doing so, very much!

GaP

"To me, that says it all, Professor, in regard to your pipe-smoking."

This was in reference to my saying that I "felt more myself" when I was at the cigar bar a while ago.  And, I do think GaP has a point.  Without my pipe, I am NOT my full self.... at least the full self I was.  And, I do notice that loss.  But, the difficulty is still, what is the "correct" path?  Just because it is WHAT I would LIKE to do, does not meant it is what I SHOULD do.  But, then of course, the like/should conundrum also comes into play..... should I be a hedonist and do whatever the hell I want?  Or should I do what is for the betterment of others?  There may be no correct choice.  So, as in many things, I am attempting to determine a compromise.... an intermediate position.  It is just that it seems in this particular avocation, finding that compromise is not an easy task.   

Margaret

"The Monkees weren't really musicians, but their songs were catchy, and I enjoy catchy tunes." 

Actually, Tork and Nesmith were both musicians.  Dolenz had some background in instrumental music, but was mostly a singer, and Jones was a tv actor and had some singing experience.  It is very true that on their first two albums, I do not believe they played any of the actual music.  But, beginning on their third album and after that, the had considerably more control over their albums.  Tork was actually a quite good keyboardist.  Michael Nesmith wrote many songs, and in his career after the Monkees actually received several Grammy nominations for his songs with his group "The First National Band".  He also wrote the song, "Different Drum" which was a big hit for Linda Ronstadt when she was singing with the "Stone Poneys".  

Two of the later Monkees songs I enjoy include:

"Words"

"The Door Into Summer"

"I'm glad that you're going to keep with the retirees' cigar group."

After the unexpected foray at the cigar bar while on my wife's trip.....and it being very enjoyable, I now feel confident enough that I can reasonably well fit in to the retirees group.  I do not like being a "newbie" but, with the practice at the cigar bar, I do not feel so much a "newbie".   I am looking forward to the first meeting I can attend (likely July 11th).

"So, I can sympathize with the stress of having that type of person under your roof."

It is challenging.  Unexpectedly, however, things seem to have now for the last several days become rather even-keeled (knock on wood, hoping I am not jinxing the situation).  Father's Day, even, was uneventfully calm.  The only problem my wife and I are currently having to overlook is that our home looks like a tsunami strikes every day, and the place is a disaster zone inside as current folks in the home do not clean up in any way after themselves so our workload has at least quadrupled in regards to dishes, laundry, cleaning generally, etc.  My wife and I when just us two, are pleasantly tidy.   

McCrum

"...which began my separation from anything Top 40."

 Mike, I can understand that.  The reason why I spoke of the Monkees in the first place in that entry was simply because I was thinking about how pleasant and easy it is for me to daydream about my pipes and pipe tobaccos.  And, daydream about them I regularly do, even after this now 6.5 years of refraining.  Because I like word associations, daydreaming lead me to remember the unpleasant "Daydream Believer" song by the Monkees, but then I also remembered that ACTUALLY they had a few quite good songs.  Most were NOT top 40, and most occurred on their 3rd - 6th albums.  

But, my PREFERRED "decade" inspired music preferences tend to drift more towards Motown, Crosby, Stills, and Nash (and sometimes Young), Chicago (early), Yardbirds, Folk Music, and...  most music from the 1965-1973 period... especially The Guess Who, The Who, Lightfoot, Carol King, America, Jethro Tull, and the like.    

Pam J

 "I’m in no way a Christian but I do agree with this:

“…do what you (I) can do to be of help, be of service.... which is what life is meant for.”

I think I learned it from Buddhism and AA."

Pam.... I agree with you.  There are so many philosophies, so many faiths, so many beliefs that have a similar focus.... the idea/notion that life is meant to be lived in service.  Even though I am very comfortable in my Roman Catholic Faith, I have often read about and thought about a variety of other philosophies and faiths.  To my manner of thinking, I find value in having a philosophy or faith and I find great comfort in the community of that philosophy or faith.  Even though it is only just a "mental exercise"....  from my readings of other philosophies and faiths over the decades, if Roman Catholicism did not exist as a philosophy/faith for me, I believe the top four philosophical or faith thoughts I would likely choose to follow would be:

1.  Greek Orthodoxy (or other Orthodoxy)

2.  Judaism

3.   Buddhism

4.  Hinduism (at least from what I understand from reading the Bhagavad Gita long ago. 

Pat

"Professor, if both you and your wife feel pained at being in your own home, the solution isn't for the two of you to go away from that home. It's to remove from your home the source of that discomfort, whether the source is an attitude, an object, or a person. To "work around" your discomfort is simply to avoid it and let it fester and grow worse. Resolving discomfort may itself be discomforting, but it's the only way to move forward."

Pat, you are, of course, correct in stating that we should not go away from the home because it is painful, and that the only "work around" is NOT to avoid it but to resolve it.  And, that is indeed our ultimate goal.  However, within the family construct there is a bit of a balancing act that needs to be taken into account as well, for there are some "tricky" aspects to the personality dynamics that are occurring.  Both of us of course LOVE the individual, but situation is rife with past discords and both my wife and I are trying to navigate through a field of landmines that are not of our choosing.  Sometimes, having a temporary break away from the epicenter of the emotional struggle can help.  And, by "work arounds" I am thinking of mostly things that can be attempted to "nudge" things towards a more positive direction.  Believe me, we both want to RESOLVE the discomfort and conflict.  It just unfortunately, requires a lot of hope, patience, and finesse.  And, patience and finesse are damn exhausting at times.      

And, of course, my own internal abilities in terms of patience and finesse were for decades facilitated by my pipes.  They were always an easy "go to" for me when I needed a boost in thinking, a boost in patience, or a boost in trying to be physically, emotionally, or philosophically precise and acting with finesse.  In some ways, I am more like a rudderless vessel in these ways without my pipe.  

 

* * * * * 

• Ran a HOT and SWEATY 10 miles this morning!  We are going to have high temperatures in the mid 90s (~35-36 C) virtually the whole damn week!  

• I overslept this morning and did not hit the pavement until 7:15am today, so I did not attempt "Sasquatch Mode" running (running without a shirt.... just trunks, socks and shoes) because it was already too bright out and I knew I would get sunburned.  I rubbed sunscreen on the non-furred parts of my face, my neck, the back of my palms and legs between the socks and trunks.  When I finished my run and took off the shirt, shorts and socks.... I could literally wring out a hefty amount of perspiration into the sink from these clothes.  As it is also very humid in my region as well, my skin was covered in heavy perspiration as well, since it does not evaporate off much.  

• As I have to teach at 8:00am tomorrow, I hope I can roust myself out of bed early enough to run, and I will likely be able to go "Sasquatch Mode" so it will be a bit more comfortable in the heat. I SHOULD try to hit the pavement at 5:00am.   

PipeTobacco