Tuesday, February 7, 2017

The Bag Lady thinks about past-present-future

I am pretty good at letting go of the past. I rarely worry or "what if" much about it.

I'm okay with present issues, too. Yesterday I had a long travel day, flying from Tucson to Salt Lake City and then to Portland, and driving south to Roseburg for three hours in the rain and dark in a rental car. I never know what will happen on a journey, but I'm usually okay. I don't assume things will go smoothly, and when they do it's a treat.

I am getting better at letting go of the future, but it still stresses me out sometimes.
  • I am giving a deposition this afternoon. Will I remember to just answer the questions, without elaborating?
  • Will I ever recuperate completely from the respiratory stuff I've had off and on for a couple of months? Am I the only one in the world experiencing this?
  • If I lose 30 pounds, will my upper arms still look like bat wings?
  • How will we do as a nation with the new administration? Will we squabble with each other over our differences - we love the new president or we're afraid of the new president - and lose sight of the many, many things we have in common with each other?
So, with regard to these future things:
  • I will remind myself to just answer the questions.
  • I will remind myself that this is a bad winter for respiratory issues, that I am not the only one, but only one of millions.
  • I will remind myself that I am 68 years old and that my body is normal for my age.
  • I will remind myself to be a good listener, to remember that we are all in this life together and we are, mostly, doing the best we can.
Tomorrow I go home, with another long travel day of driving and flying. I will set that aside until tomorrow, when I will live in the present, with my usual "take it as it comes" travel spirit.

10 comments:

Terra said...

I like the points you make in your post today. I am about your age and am accepting slowing down. I do little gardening, for example. I enjoy reading which is easy!

Linda said...

Wow, you're doing good. Hope your good outlook rubs off on the rest of us.

troutbirder said...

Mmm. Good points. I'm trying the same approach but some days are harder than others...:)

#1Nana said...

Hope you avoid snow. Just drove to Pendleton and back with snow all the way, icy road and bad visibility.

Sally Wessely said...

Good thoughts full of much wisdom. Are you really sure I can't do anything about my arms? I am at least hoping I can shed the thirty pounds I am carrying around, and lose the respiratory virus that has taken ahold of me. I'm pretty sure you were awesome in the deposition. I admire your forward thinking, take it as it comes attitude. Safe travels as you go back to AZ.

Linda Reeder said...

When I lost 50 pounds, my bat wings got floppier. So now my body keeps trying to put the weight back on.
I'm not even trying very hard to be reasonable about the new president. I can count my blessings that I have very little else to worry about.

Deb Shucka said...

I caught the "mostly" and it made me smile. The parallels between traveling literally and traveling the journey that is life come through clearly here.

Arkansas Patti said...

Looks like you have a grasp on taming the future woes. BTW, I lost 40 pounds and the bat wings are still there but now they have wrinkled flesh adorning them as they wave. Still glad the 40 are gone.

DJan said...

I keep trying to keep my equilibrium with all the happenings with this administration. I'm just glad I have all my virtual and actual friends in the world, most of whom feel just as I do about it all. I am so glad you are keeping so positive, Linda. It helps me, for sure. :-)

joared said...

We each have to find our own equilibrium in our own ways because as much as we are the same, we do have different lives, some different stresses, unique complications with which to cope. Sounds like you're doing so.