Tidal Pools
The photo above is mine but the painting and the words below are all mom's...
Several people have asked how I come up with all this stuff. The simple answer is: Been there. Done that and analyzed everything I ever saw or heard. My mother and sister use to tell me I analyzed too much but I couldn’t help it. It was just the way I thought.
But I always
have the long explanation too. Too long. Ask anyone who knows me.
I will read
anything and everything, from a US Army Manual on the rainfall in China in 1949
to a book on tide pools in the Great Barrier Reef. If it is in print I will
read it. If it’s on a screen I will watch it. If it is music I will listen to
it. If it is a movie in a foreign language without subtitles I will watch the
expressions on the speaker’s faces.
Since my
husband died I have dated men from almost every culture but Indian. I am
working on that. I analyzed what made
each one different from the other. Since men are alike everywhere, it their
culture that makes the difference. I was
raised with two religious influences, Catholic and Mormon, but later, seriously
considered becoming a Jew or a Muslim. I finally realized I was not a person of
faith. I saw the good in all of them but could never accept the dogma. I
thought Buddhism was the most rational but could not totally give myself to
that either. I was fascinated by Shinto, and Hinduism but it was the same
problem. I found I was actually on a spiritual search and while I enjoyed
learning about all these beliefs I could not help wondering why people needed
them. I think it is the need for protection from fear, and culture plays an
enormous part. In the end I decided that
philosophy was my spiritual guide. My
mother believed totally in her Mormon prayers and my sister swears by her
Catholic prayers. I believe in their beliefs as I believe in all beliefs. Like
feng shui and astrology, they has been practiced for thousands of years. There
must be something to it. Since I spent 6 years in Catholic schools I will say
the Memorare or pray to St. Jude when in dire straits but will also get out my
tarot cards. If all else fails I take a Zen attitude and hold everything with
an open hand. Que sera sera.
When I was
young I decided to learn by others’ mistakes so as not to make mistakes myself,
so I read biographies, the more graphic the better. A white washed story is of no help to anyone.
I prefer to
travel alone. If on a tour I always pay
extra for the single supplement. I want
to read as late as I want and don’t want to share a bathroom. I have been
fortunate that on my other trips someone always met me, especially in China.
I have no
qualms about eating alone. I like to observe the action and the people around
me; what they are wearing and how they behave. I am happy just chatting with
the waiter. Years ago I would bring a book but decided that was a bit
lame. If I feel insecurity creeping in I
just sit there and with an invisible gesture I zap every person in the room
with a golden light. If that that doesn’t work I try a white light and a blue
light. By the time I have covered the room I feel like I am sitting at a large
table filled with friends.
If traveling
alone I always dress as well as I can. It makes a huge difference both in my
confidence and in my treatment.
I am not as
interested in what people do as I am in what they think.
My granddaughter
just came for an overnight visit. What can be better than that?
Had a seizure
November 3 and was told not to drive for six months. What a hardship! My car
and I have a symbiotic relationship. But, only six weeks to go! I drive much
more cautiously now than I used to, of course. My son Paul, the mastermind
behind this blog , once said: “ My mom doesn’t drive fast. She just keeps up
with the rest of the air traffic.”
-Jean Clarice
Walsh
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