Songbird says: "For some reason, Blogger declared this blog possible SPAM and locked us down yesterday. This morning, we're free to post again, but there was a fair amount of excitement last night among our contributors, who found a dire notice on their Blogger dashboards threatening that this blog might be deleted in 20 days!We requested a blog review, and I posted a request at the Blogger Help group, where I found we were not alone. Many other perfectly nourishing and cromulent blogs got the same notice last night.This turned out to be a very small barricade in our blogging community life, but it seemed appropriate to explore locks and blocks and other barriers this week. Also, I liked the picture of the security team above! Could they be Blogger's Spam Prevention Robots, working overtime?In honor of their efforts, I bring you the "Lock Me Out, Lock Me In" Friday Five."
1) How do you amuse yourself when road construction blocks your travel? Three words....Books on Tape (well now it's on CD, but you know what I mean!) And not just in construction but on all road trips they keep me awake, alert and amused. And if not that then it's podcasts of some of my favorite things, like Speaking of Faith which I never seem to catch when it's on, or listening to some of my favorite music and singing along -- really really loud!
2) Have you ever locked yourself out of your house? (And do you keep an extra key somewhere, just in case?) Shortly after we bought the house here, we got a new front door with the kind of lock that locked itself behind you. One night fairly late I went out on the front screen porch to get something. It was Fall, I was in light sweats, a T-shirt and socks. Yep, the door locked. I knew that XDO was due home within an hour or so, so at first I thought my best option was to simply sit on the porch and wait. I got very cold. So after a while I thought about my winter gear out in the (unattached) garage. So out I slogged through the wet and slimy leaves in my little socks, got my coat and my BOOTS, put them on over my now bare feet and went back to the porch to finish out one of the longest hours ever. The next day....got a spare key!
3) Have you ever cleared a hurdle? (And if you haven't flown over a material hurdle, feel free to take this one metaphorically.) I tried the real thing once. Like my dog, I am not built for soaring. The metaphorical kind...I think my biggest hurdles concern doing something new. Like the "first funeral" that has occupied my last couple posts, doing something for the first time seems to trip my trigger a bit. Starting new jobs used to be a real trial for me! My solution was to assault the learning curve head down with vengeance and get through it as fast as possible so I wouldn't have that horrible (to me) sense of not knowing something and possibly having to ask for help. My solution these days is a bit saner and gentler. Ask for lots of help and guidance, both human and divine, pray a lot, breathe and be mindful, as I know at some level that it really will all be well somehow despite my fears. As I am coming down the track it all looks pretty impossible, but suddenly (and this happens every single time) as I get there I am borne up and over and left with the exhilaration of knowing that once again grace has seen me home. You'd think I'd stop fussin'!
4) What's your approach to a mental block? When I was in grad school, every time I had to write a paper I would have a meltdown. I would be sure that I could not do this thing. I was too dumb, too disorganized, whatever. This was going to be the one in which they were finally going to discover that I did not belong there! I would moan, I would whine, I would procrastinate and would work myself into a fine froth. Sometimes I would almost be late with the paper a a result, or at the very least I would be rushing at the last minute and stressing myself all out. Well after about a year of this it finally dawned on me that we seemed to have a pattern here! Duh. Have a melt-down. Have a crisis. Get crazy for awhile. Write the paper. Get a decent grade. Hmmmm. So I decided to give myself permission to have the crisis on a planned and time-limited basis, get it out of my system and then get on with it. This has worked since for mental blocks. What, I ask myself is the worst case scenario here....well let's have the crisis over it then...Done? Ok....then let's get to it. Workin' for me so far.
5) Suggest a caption for the picture above; there will be a prize for the funniest answer! For some reason my computer won't let me post the picture, but here is my caption: "I think the preacher party is that way!" "No, over there!" "No, I clearly heard the laughter coming from that direction!" "Well, we seem to be stuck, I guess we'll have to vote, let's have a show of hands." "Er, Bill...."
1) How do you amuse yourself when road construction blocks your travel? Three words....Books on Tape (well now it's on CD, but you know what I mean!) And not just in construction but on all road trips they keep me awake, alert and amused. And if not that then it's podcasts of some of my favorite things, like Speaking of Faith which I never seem to catch when it's on, or listening to some of my favorite music and singing along -- really really loud!
2) Have you ever locked yourself out of your house? (And do you keep an extra key somewhere, just in case?) Shortly after we bought the house here, we got a new front door with the kind of lock that locked itself behind you. One night fairly late I went out on the front screen porch to get something. It was Fall, I was in light sweats, a T-shirt and socks. Yep, the door locked. I knew that XDO was due home within an hour or so, so at first I thought my best option was to simply sit on the porch and wait. I got very cold. So after a while I thought about my winter gear out in the (unattached) garage. So out I slogged through the wet and slimy leaves in my little socks, got my coat and my BOOTS, put them on over my now bare feet and went back to the porch to finish out one of the longest hours ever. The next day....got a spare key!
3) Have you ever cleared a hurdle? (And if you haven't flown over a material hurdle, feel free to take this one metaphorically.) I tried the real thing once. Like my dog, I am not built for soaring. The metaphorical kind...I think my biggest hurdles concern doing something new. Like the "first funeral" that has occupied my last couple posts, doing something for the first time seems to trip my trigger a bit. Starting new jobs used to be a real trial for me! My solution was to assault the learning curve head down with vengeance and get through it as fast as possible so I wouldn't have that horrible (to me) sense of not knowing something and possibly having to ask for help. My solution these days is a bit saner and gentler. Ask for lots of help and guidance, both human and divine, pray a lot, breathe and be mindful, as I know at some level that it really will all be well somehow despite my fears. As I am coming down the track it all looks pretty impossible, but suddenly (and this happens every single time) as I get there I am borne up and over and left with the exhilaration of knowing that once again grace has seen me home. You'd think I'd stop fussin'!
4) What's your approach to a mental block? When I was in grad school, every time I had to write a paper I would have a meltdown. I would be sure that I could not do this thing. I was too dumb, too disorganized, whatever. This was going to be the one in which they were finally going to discover that I did not belong there! I would moan, I would whine, I would procrastinate and would work myself into a fine froth. Sometimes I would almost be late with the paper a a result, or at the very least I would be rushing at the last minute and stressing myself all out. Well after about a year of this it finally dawned on me that we seemed to have a pattern here! Duh. Have a melt-down. Have a crisis. Get crazy for awhile. Write the paper. Get a decent grade. Hmmmm. So I decided to give myself permission to have the crisis on a planned and time-limited basis, get it out of my system and then get on with it. This has worked since for mental blocks. What, I ask myself is the worst case scenario here....well let's have the crisis over it then...Done? Ok....then let's get to it. Workin' for me so far.
5) Suggest a caption for the picture above; there will be a prize for the funniest answer! For some reason my computer won't let me post the picture, but here is my caption: "I think the preacher party is that way!" "No, over there!" "No, I clearly heard the laughter coming from that direction!" "Well, we seem to be stuck, I guess we'll have to vote, let's have a show of hands." "Er, Bill...."
5 comments:
great play kate!! I started mdiv with a tantrum before the first semester finals...but hurt DO's fellings so had to give it up... now I am a champion procrastinator!
Starting something new - sounds familiar - hence my blogid - rookie. I hadn't thought about planning the crisis - for me it would be planning the fretting over having to do it, not if I can. Just do it works for me when I'll hmmph "do it".
I envy that you can do Books on Tape in the car. I fall asleep whenever someone reads to me. Wouldn't work at all while I am driving. At least if there are other people in the car.
I like your caption! I pictured the whole thing just like a mental YouTube.
I like your time limit idea!
Enjoyed your play. And the great ingenuity of finding warm clothes when locked out in fall! Also read your next post and thinking of you in visiting hours. Our societies don't do well in providing for people in such circumstances. Wisdom and strength to your soul as t=you minister.
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