Liminal Moments

Having our days spent focusing on the day-to-day stuff of life can seem pretty mundane, but when you think about it, it keeps us fairly sane.  If you look at those people who don’t think about the mundane, but focus on the structure of life and all it’s implications, you get saints, martyrs, philosophers, and…

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It’s the little stuff

You know, it’s the big catastrophic stuff we worry about, but it’s the little stuff that snows us under like death from a thousand cuts.  I don’t stay awake at night worrying about Occupy WallStreet and all the hundreds of Occupy groups that are out there, or the threat of Nuclear disaster, or the threat…

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Traditions

The holidays are full of them.  Halloween with costumes, and decorations, haunted houses, pumpkin carving, corn mazes, and trick-or-treat.  Thanksgiving with family gathering, traditional food items, and traditional bickering over football vs shopping, or football while shopping, or shopping while football.  Ain’t technology grand?  And then there are Christmas and/or Hannukah.  For this you’ll need…

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Perceptions

Our perceptions are influenced by the input to our senses, including the reactions and opinions of others.  Marketing is based on this, trying to repeat their message often enough that you come to accept their message as reality or part of the way in which you perceive the world.  Media uses this as well, as…

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Humor

A sense of humor is so very necessary during the holidays.  If we can’t laugh at the absurdity of it all, we’ll be crushed by the insanity.  That’s why I love David Sedaris.  Ironic, sarcastic, and yet so very, very funny because it’s outrageous and at the same time it’s all true. Not that I…

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We make it complicated

This world is wild and wacky, no denying it.  If you have any doubts try traveling by any means over the next couple of weeks.  During the holidays are most crazy behavior comes out and interacts with everyone else’ for a laugh riot of “OMG! Did you see that?”  You gotta laugh because if you…

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Relationships

Many of us feel that we are seeking that ‘special someone’.  That person who will love us perfectly and unconditionally.  The person who will make everything make sense and change our feelings of loneliness to partnership.  And yet the people we bring into our lives are most definitely NOT that.  Even worse, they are often…

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Light in the Darkness

We are heading into the darkest days of the year.  When everything outside is bedding down for the winter, the sun shines only a few hours a day, and we spend our evenings artificially lit.  Amongst all the traveling and logistics and decorating and merchandising, this is actually the time for going inwards, for slowing…

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Unpack Christmas

I’d say decorate for Christmas, but really people keep so many things packed away and only bring them out for the holidays.  Favorite decorations, special recipes, entertainment rituals, and family gripes, issues and all around sniping. What I find interesting and sometimes amusing is that totally rational, fully function, full-grown adults who get along, most…

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