Mind Over Matter

I have always had very detailed and sometimes bizarre dreams, and even those often make sense... while I am asleep anyway. One of my favorite recurring dreams is the "flying" dream, where I spread my arms and fly. The other night, I had one of these and I was trying to figure out how it worked and there was a formula or comprehension about how we could manipulate matter by understanding how materials work and using our minds to be a master over things. In other words, we are more than the things we desire to have control over. The formula left me before I awoke though, so I couldn't put it to the test in real life. I was reminded of a movie that came out in the 80s called, "The Boy Who Could Fly." It was about an autistic kid (mostly nonverbal) who believed he could fly or perhaps never had the mental restraints or filters that keep neurotypical people from doing extraordinary things. That is what empowered him to actually fly.

One of my sons - "flying"

I don't know if anybody has ever flown simply out of believing they could do so. Maybe it's just too much of a stretch to have that amount of confidence (or faith - however you want to label it). That doesn't mean that we can't do extraordinary things by exercising our belief that whatever we put our minds to, we can accomplish, because we can! I have personally witnessed it in others and I have put this experiment to test in my own endeavors with a high degree of success.

As far as flying goes, I have seen what some of my children have done in their extreme sports of acrobatics, trampolines, climbing, controlled falls and springboard diving. One of my sons even thanked me for "teaching him how to fly." I used to throw them high in the air when they were little and catch them. Somehow, this inspired (at least one of them) to learn how to defy gravity and be fearless in their flights (or as described in "Toy Story" - "Falling... with style!"). Personally, I have never developed those skills. My extreme fears of heights and falling have impeded my aerobatic skills in real life. I can only do these while I am dreaming.

I have, however, been able to conquer some of my fears and insecurities and to stretch far beyond what may seem practical in many of my pursuits. Where I really get into trouble and start to falter is when I overthink what I am doing to the point of losing confidence. When I start to think, "hey this is too difficult" or "this is not possible" even though I've done the same thing hundreds or thousands of times before, then I inadvertently put stumbling blocks in my own path of progress. We are our own enemies of success by imagining limitations. A quote that is attributed to Henry Ford (someone who should need no introduction) goes: “Whether you think you can, or you think you can't--you're right.” The more I have witnessed or personally put this to the test, the more I believe it to be true.

Another way to look at this or to get toward accomplishing your goals (and this is one of the most successful techniques I have learned from various coaches in my life) is to identify all of the obstructions that are keeping you from reaching your objective and eliminate them. This goes along with something else I learned a long time ago, the "Pareto Principle." Though it's an 80/20 formula, it's not necessarily hard and fast and depending on what you're doing, may even be 90/10 or 70/30. It applies in many circumstances and variables. It's helpful to understand though, that the majority of issues are caused by the 20% of the obstructions, that when eliminated, help us to progress forward. Even still, once you have eliminated those 20%, the principle still applies to what you are doing. You're never going to be perfect in whatever you are pursuing. You're still always going to be dealing with that 20%, but in comparison to when you first started your journey, those limitations that you still have to deal with are relatively insignificant. A champion performance athlete isn't dealing with minutes or seconds anymore, but shaving off tenths or hundredths of seconds.

As I mentioned before, it's vitally important to understand the principles and mechanics of your craft so you know what it is that you have to master. You have to have a firm grasp of the rules before you can even think about breaking them. Arrogant overconfidence with little or know knowledge of what you are attempting can get you into a lot of trouble. This should never be confused with overthinking and subsequently doubting yourself in an area you are expert in (imposter syndrome). Hesitation leads to failure because doubts cause us to perseverate, rather than just going ahead and just doing what you are good at doing.

So, go ahead and fly! If not literally, do so metaphorically. Put your mind to work to be a master over the matter at hand.

Mind over matter.

Lunatics Ruling the Asylum

 We certainly live in some crazy times. Who would have known that your livelihood and reputation would hinge solely on your opinions and associations? In my world of what I aspire to be (as an entertainer, artist, innovator, writer and producer), this is a big deal. And it's not just being opinionated or even HAVING opinions (whether shared publicly, rumored or even words taken out of context), it's a matter of having the "wrong" opinions that may offend or trigger certain demographics or adherents to belief systems you never intended to (or in some cases, you never even knew existed). You have to tiptoe around precariously and watch every single word that you say so that it isn't taken the wrong way. Even then, there are those who aren't satisfied with you taking a "neutral" or "indifferent" stance on social or political issues either. Even if you don't have an opinion, you have to feign advocacy for things you may not agree with or even care about. 

No matter who you are, if you're in the public eye, you'll eventually be forced to concede - to apologize for "wrongs" you never committed, to publicly side with opinions you internally disagree with, disassociate with friends and relations that are "problematic" in accordance with those who, with great irony, claim to hold the higher ground in "tolerance" and "inclusion." You'll even have to have to alter your vernacular to conform to a prevailing, continuously-changing alternate reality. You'll have to keep up with trends of whitewashing historical references, erasing names and faces that within the cult of "wokeism" are considered either "offensive" or are "culturally appropriative" to the point where they need to be blotted out and swapped with a modern replacement or simply vanish from existence as if they never existed. You will be forced to enthusiastically advocate and praise lifestyles that are unhealthy, unsafe and ungodly while silently clinging to your ideals and beliefs, fearing that you will be "outed" and subsequently canceled by the ferociously bloodthirsty vocal minority. 

So, here I am, posting this publicly so that the future public knows where I stand. Here I am, planting and watering the seeds to what will most likely be the source of shutting me down in in the future (with certain audiences). You'll know that if I am ever forced to retract anything I have said or implied, make a public apology or become an advocate for any group or lifestyle that goes against my beliefs and core internal principles, that any future statements are disingenuous - but only done as a means of self-preservation, to capitulate to the gatekeepers who decide who are worth surviving. 

Also keep in mind, and I make this a matter of record, that I bear no malice to nor do I hate any person because of their identity or opinions and in the true and proper intended term of phobias (and not the contrived term that has been hijacked and forced into our current vernacular), I have no such fears or aversions to those people whom I may have a disagreement with on certain matters. 

I also want to say that I stand in solidarity to the many millions of public figures and hard-working individuals who are held hostage, kept silent - or worse yet, to speak and act in ways that belie internal their beliefs - displaying a public image contrary to their true selves, at the hands of those who are intent on destroying their lives if their true opinions and identities are made known and as thus, their livelihoods and reputations hinge precariously in the balance. 

Perhaps, someday, sanity will once again prevail as the fierce, vocal, deranged minority fades into obscurity where they belong, but for now we have to endure what is presently the lunatics ruling the asylum. 

There you have it. I said it. Cancel me if you have to.

Good Trauma?

There's something I've been mulling over the past few days because this has really hit home for me. I think we've heard a lot about "trauma" on social media, ad nauseam, especially in the past couple of years. By now, I think many of us are at least aware of the definition and maybe have even looked into it in-depth. There is also a lot of voodoo psychobabble in relation to it, especially for those who desire to shift the responsibility and blame onto others who have "caused" trauma for self-proclaimed victims so they can alleviate some of their burdens and generate some form of advocacy among social media contacts.

First, I want to say that none of us is blameless. It's pretty safe to say we've all contributed to what some may deem as "traumatic" according to a victim's perspective. The term "trauma" gets thrown around so much that it's true meaning has begun to lose its impact, so those who make such claims may not even be taken seriously anymore - even to the point of self-diagnosing serious conditions like PTSD. This is unfair for those who have been survivors of genuinely traumatic events and who need support and understanding.

Secondly (and this may seem to contradict what I've written in my first statement, but hear me out before making any assumptions). I believe that ALL of us have experienced truly traumatic circumstances in our lives, to the point where professional intervention may be of benefit. It's not a matter of self-diagnosis, but the realities of life. For trauma-inducing events, it's healthy to process what has happened and to go through and fully understand the natural stages of healing and recovery, so not all events will necessarily lead to PTSD.

Additionally, we tend to create our own trauma or put ourselves in positions where it will occur (either intentionally or inadvertently). I consider myself to not be risk-averse, so I often have nobody else to blame for some of the circumstances I get myself into - and I have to deal with the consequences. I wish more people could see that yes, they have placed themselves in precarious situations, so when something DOES happen, they can at least bear some of the burden. For instance, if you're out walking the streets at 2:00 AM, don't you think there is a higher possibility that something bad might happen to you?

Lastly, I want to throw a curve-ball into the subject of this thing we label as "trauma." I want to reaffirm that trauma is a REAL thing, even as much as the phenomenon has been diluted to the point where it has lost impact with many of us. It's important to understand that there are numerous types and severities of trauma. That being said, I want to introduce a concept that may not get much attention. I'm not sure if you want to actually classify it as trauma, but it certainly has the same effects psychologically and physiologically. I'll call it "good trauma." For those of us who have been through counseling or have studied psychology, we know about "bad stress" and "good stress" and they have the same effects. For instance, a wedding for a family member might put you through the same stages of stress as a funeral. By the same token, we may be affected the same way that trauma hits us with any life event or circumstance that causes an interruption in life, whether it's witnessing a horrific accident, physically painful episode... or maybe it's a life event like going to school or taking an extended road trip. Whatever the event or whatever the episode, we should never underestimate the effects that such a disruption has on us mentally, emotionally, spiritually and even physiologically. Even if it's a good thing, it's healthy to recognize the stages of what's happening and take the time for processing, healing and recovery. Take the necessary time, be proactive in your recovery and then assume personal responsibility in bouncing back to a point where you are even stronger and better adjusted than you ever were before!

Clutter

Our society (particularly in the United States and Canada) is one where we simultaneously enjoy overabundance of assets but also struggle with keeping afloat financially. In other words, we have too much stuff for the amount of space we can afford. Our homes are so cluttered that it often becomes necessary to rent a storage unit or fill our garage (if we are fortunate enough to have one) with stuff. There are no simple solutions, because for each person and for each item we own, there is a reason behind it. It may not be a good enough reason to warrant keeping a particular item, but a reason is a reason - even if that reason is simply that it may be too much trouble to haul it away.

Random Crap

There are numerous blogs and TV shows about dealing with clutter with several different approaches to it. A couple more popular ones are these: 

1. If you haven't used the item in a specified time (say, six months) then get rid of it.

2. Pick up each item and if it doesn't bring you joy, get rid of it.

These are a good start, but can't be used for every situation. For instance, when July rolls around, you aren't going to throw out your Christmas decorations simply because you haven't used them in 6 months. The same goes for many other items you may be storing and haven't used for months or even years. You have to apply a practical approach and not a blanket, one-size-fits-all solution. 

As far as items giving you joy, there are a lot of items that don't necessarily bring me joy, but they're necessary to have. I don't get much joy holding a toilet plunger, except for when the toilet is plugged and I'm finally able to get the object dislodged and I'm waving it overhead in victory like an athlete wielding a trophy. 

Yesterday, I was pulling out a bunch of old (I mean REALLY old) record albums that I inherited and there were a few in the collection that I wanted to keep and gave me joy, but the more albums I pulled out, the more depressed I got. Sometimes there's the unwritten and unspoken expectation that you need to hold onto things because they meant something to somebody else and the feeling (or burden) of keeping them because of a sentimental connection. I realized that some of these albums I may listen to or convert digitally to listen to later, but for the most part I am NEVER going to listen to any of them. The burden felt heavy... and real. I decided that no matter what anybody else says or what I think they may feel about it, I'm going to either sell or donate them if I have to. Keep the ones that bring me joy and unburden myself of those that don't. In terms of inherited keepsakes, we need to get out of our minds the (most likely false) notion that "he/she would have wanted me to keep it." 

It's an ongoing process and let's just say we end up with a lot of stuff we have to sort through. One of the other ways we get into trouble is the mindset of: "this item has value" or "it might be useful someday." Either way, this is how we end up with our garages, attics, storage units and even our living spaces occupied with clutter. The trick is determining what to keep and what to discard. That is mentally and emotionally taxing - to the point of exhaustion. You do what you can, when you can do it. 

What might be helpful is having an objective or a payoff - sometimes literally. For larger or more valuable items, you may be able to sell them individually. For the bulk of the clutter, set it aside in boxes and set a date for a yard sale and stick with it. We have decided that in August, we are planning on having a yard sale. Whatever doesn't sell, we're going to donate it. What we've done in the past is that toward the end of the day, we drastically reduce the prices of things or tell the customers "a dollar for whatever you can put in a grocery bag" and ultimately "everything is free!" It's fun to watch the customers getting excited about all the stuff that you are unburdening yourself of. Once you've gotten rid of all that stuff, you go through your stuff again, or continually.

What are some ideas that have helped you deal with unnecessary clutter?

On a later post, I'd like to address mental clutter. It's a real thing too.

Sports?

 Here's a little revelation about myself. Some of you may perfectly relate, but others may just find another reason to hate me. Whatever the case, I am who I am.

Sports... particularly ball sports. I've never really felt any kind of thrill, excitement, adrenaline rush or even loyalty toward any team. I just don't get it. There's nothing there for me. Nothing. Now, I do respect that people are into watching sports and being emotionally involved with "their" team(s), but when it comes to actually having to sit down and watch a game, I can't think of many things that are more boring... maybe watching paint dry. Watching people run around on a field kicking, throwing or hitting a ball around just doesn't do anything for me. When I was younger (middle school and into high school) I tried to like watching sports and even enjoyed playing games. I even thought it might be fun to be a "jock" and be "popular" if for no other reason, the ability to play a ball sport. 

Perhaps, always being the last person picked for teams and intentionally being left out of sports by peers and family members ruined it for me, but maybe it was that I found other things in life that were more exciting. From a very early age, I have always been intrigued by science, technology and how things go together. I have always been a creator and innovator and have a deep appreciation for the creativity of other disciplined artists and inventors. 

Perhaps, my threshold of adrenaline is a bit higher than seeing a ball go through a goal or into a hoop because I do feel that adrenaline rush watching or participating in what may be classified as extreme sports - where the maneuvers are risky and stakes are high. It should surprise no one that several of my own kids gravitated toward extreme sports. Although my own involvement in such is usually more on the side of strategic than tactical, I have been known to engage in some extreme activities myself - and I have the scars to prove it. Mostly though, just getting out there and pitting myself against the elements (and whatever other danger - man, beast, device or natural phenomenon) provides a dose of adrenaline in itself. The rush of beating the odds or what some people describe as "runner's high" are indescribable sensations that can only be experienced. Though I can try to put them into words, the only way to know it is to experience them personally.

Baby Blue

Baby Blue 2021

 This guitar has a history. It is the last musical instrument I have made - 22 years ago, while I was still on active duty. It was more of a novelty than anything. Besides wanting to recover some confidence in my skills, due to dealing with disabilities, I wanted to make a statement. It was almost entirely a buildup for the punchline of a gag. I thought it would be fun that whenever anyone asked me if I played a musical instrument, I could say, "I play a little guitar" and then bring that out. It has a name: Baby Blue.

This guitar is built almost entirely from scrap materials and repurposed hardware. Most of the wood is from an inoperable organ that some friends gave us before they moved. The fretboard is from a piece of rosewood that, for whatever reason, ended up on a pallet in a warehouse where I once worked. I used the wood for several different instruments. Most of the hardware and decorative material was left over from upgrades to other guitars I have worked on. I had to buy a few items from music stores and a luthier supplier. If I had to add up the total cost of materials that I had to buy new, it would probably total about $30. The cost in time, skills and passion: priceless.

Long before I even built this guitar, I had built several other instruments throughout the years. I started building and innovating with guitars and accessories while I was still in high school. I wish I still had some of the instruments that I built then or at least to have some photo-documentation of such. Virtually nothing exists though. The process of making instruments has necessitated some ingenuity, especially when working on a limited budget and having only rudimentary tools at my disposal. One of the "tools" that I developed was a computer program (that I wrote in BASIC) that would calculate the placement of frets on a fretted instrument. It was a pretty simple formula, that even with my limited math skills, I was able to somehow figure out and later refine. It is dead-on accurate. What WASN'T accurate was my placement of where the bridge position pickup should go. For some reason, the placement is off a bit and that's why it's slammed right up against the bridge. In almost every single instrument I've ever made, there is some major flaw that even though many people might not detect, it is something that I can't help but notice every time I see or play it. One of these days, I'll be to the level where I don't screw up royally while making a musical instrument.

Several years after I was out of the Air Force and moved back to Bellingham, we were downsizing (and I was trying to come up with some cash for more musical equipment), I put this, along with some of my other equipment up for sale. Somebody came and bought this. It was with almost instant regret though. It was as if I had sold a part of myself. My children were even sad that I had sold it and expressed that to me. 

A year or two after I had sold the instrument, we were getting tires at Les Schwab. While we were waiting, I walked down to a nearby pawnshop. Lo and behold, Baby Blue was on the rack for sale! I literally ran back to the tire shop and told Julie, "you'll never guess what I found at the pawnshop!" She didn't guess, so I had to tell her... and I begged for some money to buy it back. The cost was a little more than what I sold it for at our yard sale, but the strange thing was that they said it came with a case. Case? It never had a case. They came back to the counter with a case. It was a saxophone case. Whatever... I'll take it. The guitar had a few more scratches and dents than what it had before I sold it, but it was okay. It was now mine again. I sold the saxophone case on eBay and it was enough to make up the difference between the cost I sold the guitar for and the amount I had to pay for it at the pawnshop.

Fast-forward a few more years. We were once again in transition. I was going across the country to school and we were downsizing, but this time I was trying to avoid selling any musical instruments that had sentimental value. Instead, I gave a couple of them away to my children - and this was one of them. It was still in the family, so it wasn't completely gone. 

Now, as almost our entire family seems to be in transition and everybody else is either downsizing or they just don't have the capability of taking everything with them. This guitar is now back in my possession... for now. It needed some cleaning, re-stringing and repairs (one of the pickups was busted and needed some hardware). It is now proudly displayed on the rack once again. 

Cheap Microphones!

Well, would ya just look at that! A plethora of cheap microphones! These are the kind you give your preschooler to belt out nursery rhymes. You can also hand them to the slobbering drunks as they try to "sing" Karaoke.

They are most particularly suited for your special friend who feels they have to utter some kind of self-proclaimed profundity, and to add to the drama they are creating, feels the need to drop the microphone on the floor (as long as they turn the switch off first to keep from irreparably damaging the speakers - and listeners' ears).

I think everyone who has a collection of professional (expensive) microphones needs to have at least a few of these to hand to less-than-professional mic handlers who have no concept of how to properly use a real microphone. So... for those untrained or negligent users who desire to get their hands, feet (as well as unmentionable body fluids) on my microphones, I present to you my collection of cheap microphones that I (mostly) don't give a crap about.

Oh, and if you do manage to slobber all over any of my microphones or touch them with your unwashed hands, even these chintzy ones, you are still required to wipe them down with at least 91% alcohol.