Friday, December 29, 2006

Snippets: What I learned in 2006

* First and foremost, that I am always capable of accomplishing more than I believe.

* Perhaps consequently, that I must put limits on my "doing". I have (and only just started) begun to learn how to relax my mind.

* How to meditate.

* That no matter how genuine a person seems, it is entirely possible that they are lying.

* What an anxiety attack is. I had always pooh-poohed the existence of them, until I had one.

* That hemmerhoids cause itching. (Sure the commercials mentioned it, but I reserve the gift of my belief until I have experience.)

* That there are a huge group of interesting, good-hearted individuals in the blogosphere.

* How to take and edit movies from my camera.

* That there really is no bad or good. Only what is.

* Many, many words in French and English. I don't keep a list, but I will in 2007. I love me a good running list.

* That my farts could be mistaken for egg sandwich.

* Why it can snow when there are no clouds. (Only at temps below -20C/ -6F, and it is called diamond dust. It just materializes out of thin air. )

* That I can ride my bike thirty minutes and be in the company of deer.

* How to make carmelized onions. (Thanks John!)

* What it's like to visit Miami, Puerto Vallarta, Cozumel, Jamaica (blech!), Grand Cayman, Ottawa, most of New Brunswick and a refresher course on Big Sur.

* That the older I get, the more the days seem precious, even as they slip ever more swiftly by.

22 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sorry about the anxiety attacks. I was a poo-pooer too until I had one. Of course, now I am an old pro.

How did you learn to meditate? Is there a book I can read? I've tried and tried and my mind just won't shut off. Ever. It's like a TV with a lost remote and the power button is broken off.

Anonymous said...

From my perspective that's quite a list of learning for one year! If only the rest of us could learn as much about our selves!

Thank you (very sincerely) for sharing yourself with us this year! You have enriched our lives with the gift that is you.

CoffeeDog said...

Amen about the getting older thing. I keep telling Mrs Coffeedog we need to take more vacation now while we are still mobile - lol.

Doug said...

Thanks for being you and sharing your life with us. Have a happy New Year and give Serge a hug for me.

The Wisdom of Wislon said...

Ditto doug! It's fun and interesting to hear about how you are way over there in that cold freeze your brass monkeys off place!

Happy New Year!

Wisbo x

The Lone Rangers said...

I loved Grand Cayman! I never thought I'd read a post that had both Carmelized Onion and Hemeroids in the subject matter lol....

Happiest of New Years to you and Serge and I look forward to reading more of your hijinks in the upcoming year!!

Kevin said...

Great list.

And that better be an egg sandwich I smell ...

Timmy said...

Happy New Year Torn!

Snooze said...

Lovely list. The last point is very poignant, but so true.

Anonymous said...

This is a healthy mix of the good and the bad, just like The Facts of Life theme taught us all those years ago.:)

dirk.mancuso said...

That last one left me a little sad.

Mostly because I have been feeling the same way these days.

Happy New Year, Torn!

Spider said...

You learned a lot this year... the one that we ALL need to learn is

"That there really is no bad or good. Only what is."

Thanks for sharing your life with all of us Torn - hope you have the happiest and healthiest of 2007's!

Anonymous said...

ooo... please share the carmelized onion how to with us, dear friend.

That diamond dust scares me... far too cold for me to hopefully ever experience it.

And the deer place? Next time I visit, should I bring my bike?

A Bear in the Woods said...

I too live close to deer. They make wonderful neighbors. Too bad you can't get them to rent from you.

About good and evil...I think I understand you.
To me that takes the form of simply allowing situations and people to evolve without judging them, assessing the deed rather than the doer thereof. Removing myself from the role of judge frees an enormous amount of energy in me to relate to people, instead of reacting to them.

Anonymous said...

"That there really is no bad or good. Only what is."

For some reason I hear Yoda's voice when I read that.

Great list. I love your snippets. Have a great new year! Bonne Annee!!

dpaste said...

You are tempting me to try this for myself.

GayProf said...

Some of these seem like things that you could have lived a happy life without ever learning (e.g. hemorrhoids, anxiety attacks, "genuine" liars, etc).

I hope in retrospect, though, the good things outnumber the bad for the past year.

Enemy of the Republic said...

The last one is so true. And very eloquent. And I learned that about some, not all "genuine" people. I recommend a book called The Sociopath Next Door. It's not about Ted Bundy or that crowd. It's about that person who gets under your skin; you don't know why but something just isn't right and somehow plant themselves in your life and get exactly what they want. They have no conscience and no emotional attachments. They can't even love a dog. 4% of America has them. I don't know about Canada. It got me thinking. But you and I have consciences, goody!

Happy New Year in case I don't make it up here pre Dec. 31.

A Lewis said...

Oh yea, the itching is a real bitch. Horrible. And, I never did like egg sandwiches. Carmelized onions are one of my favorites.....I use them in everything! Maybe Portland needs to be on your list for 2007?

Jess said...

Oh, that last item. The days do seem to slip by rather swiftly, don't they?

Anonymous said...

Sweet and sour baby jesus....DID YOU JUST SAY???...your farts were mistaken for an egg sandwich? Holy shit my friend...best open a restaurant with that ass of yours. OMG I can't stop laughing. I do loves me the purile and sophomoric, But you knew this.

*My time spent with my blogger biotches is some of the most intimate, fun, spirited, educational, beautiful moments spent sitting down.

Hugs around that handsome neck of yours. Happy New Year. Or is you live in New York...Happy Jew Near.
kb

Anonymous said...

That last one is something our young people need to learn. Every day we wake up is precious. There are folks dying every day of all ages. There is a country song that goes: "Live like you are dying". If we can live each day to the fullest then we have done our job.
I lost a close family member the day after Christmas so I know how precious life is. He was only 25 and was still planning his future when it came to an abrupt and unexpected end. Be sure and tell everyone you love that you love them while they're still alive.