Tomorrow I have an appointment with a robot, Da Vinci. The robot will be instructed to fix my hernia that I have had for some time. The surgeon is there but does no cutting or chopping. All is left to Da Vinci, who I hope follows the instructions of my human surgeon. Da Vinci reminds me of a spider who hovers over me, waiting to get to me. Do robots have personality or tend to think for themselves or go out on strike for whatever reason? I just need to trust. I actually did not report the long-standing hernia until my hip hurt so that I could not sleep. In passing, I mentioned the hernia to my doctor and she sent me on for a sonogram. After surgery I won’t be able to do much for a few weeks. I am hoping for treats to assuage any “woe is me” moods. But I know it was a sore hip that got me to have this hernia surgery. The hip will be OK in time, as I now have a physical therapist. Aging is what it is. Pray for me. God is in charge.
Tuesday, March 19, 2024
Monday, March 18, 2024
St. Patrick’s Day
Did you wake up with a hangover this morning? Yesterday was St. Patrick’s Day. How did you start the day? Did you make a resolution to not drink yesterday? Or did you plan on where and with whom you would drink yesterday? Either way, you have a hangover. It’s a good time to assess the situation. For one, people who can take or leave alcohol generally don’t have a problem with it. They don’t make plans to drink or avoid drinking. So, if you said you were not going to drink, but came up with no alternative, or just blew it off half-way through the day, then you may very well have a problem with alcohol. The pain of a hangover can be a benefit if it pushes you towards trying a different solution, not based upon your inadequate will-power when it comes to alcohol. If you can find your cell phone, look up Alcoholics Anonymous. They have admitted defeat and found a way to avoid hangovers.
Sunday, March 17, 2024
Happy St. Patrick’s Day
I remember the butter cookies with the green sprinkles on top. I remember the muffins with green icing. I remember the Parade up 5th Avenue in New York City, and how Fordham made a big deal of it. Catholic schools had the day off so we could go and celebrate. But since today is a Sunday, we don’t have the St. Patrick’s day mass because the 5th Sunday of Lent takes precedent. I got to write the Pope about this. As we Irish say, “Offer it up.” Let’s celebrate anyway!. Happy St. Patrick’s Day to you all.
The Motive
Do you want to be a better person or do you just want to look good? In other words, what is the motive behind the motive, as someone suggested to me. So I try to examine my actions more now. Why am I doing this so-called good deed? If I simply want to be noticed in a way that gets compliments, or that makes people like me, then the motive has nothing to do with becoming a better person. If I meditate in silence or solitude, take a nature walk alone, clean up when no one is around to notice, then I am doing it to become a better person. All these good actions are about anonymity. No one notices or gives praise. I am more consistent if I focus on becoming a better person rather than trying to impress you so that you will like me. It used to be easier to be consistently phony, but now it is too much work and drags me down.
Saturday, March 16, 2024
Too Alone
One of the ways that we isolate ourselves from the world around us is to focus exclusively on our problems. We get obsessed. We become all about ourself and people pick up on this while we are with them. They tend to cut us off in some way or other. Maybe they change the subject or just get as obsessed with themselves as we are with ourselves. A room full of misery. I have found that a way out of this self-isolation is to be of service. What can I do to make the scene a better one for someone else. Maybe a listening ear? Maybe a little housekeeping, cleaning up? Get out of oneself to enter the bigger world that always needs a bit of attention.
Friday, March 15, 2024
Dulce Pontes
Who is Dulce Pontes? If you are from Brazil, you know. She is the Frances Cabrini of Brazil. Talk about a male dominated world of early 20th century USA, the Latino male with their machismo is the worst. And Pontes would not let that stop her. So, say you are a woman who was a drunk, beaten by alcohol, but now you are recovering on a spiritual path. For what purpose? To feel better, no hangovers, to have a job, family, health, are all good things. But these are all under the umbrella of “fitting in.” I suggest that God, my God anyway, made you a woman for a purpose. Fitting in was not the ultimate purpose. You have recovery tools to help move into a deeper life. Recovery is the beginning, not the end. If you have a family, with a daughter, or teach girls in some way, and all they want is to “fit in,” then I suggest, there is lots more work to be done. Just sayin’
Thursday, March 14, 2024
Who Do We Serve?
“We can serve our weakness, or we can serve our purpose.” Which will it be? And probably we need to decide it anew each day. This is a quote from the movie, “Cabrini,” at which you will cry by the end. The doctor said that Cabrini would be bedridden for the rest of her life because she almost drowned before being rescued by a hand reaching out and her reaching back to grab it. She would have lung issues the rest of her life. She had her bad moments, but “it will pass.” What would not pass was her indomitable will to serve her purpose. Which was what? Well, go see the movie! And then ask, “What is my purpose,” and how will it make this a better world, and you the best person you were meant to be?