How Do You Do …

I found something that helps with writer’s block, writing. They key is that as I had trouble writing Wise Madness I wrote a Gord’s Gold. I’ve been having trouble writing that too; but using it as a substitute for blogging opened the creative gates. It’s all about my mind fooling my mind. I need to be able to do things like that to get over my anxiety.

I am trying one thing, walking with my eyes closed. I’ve been doing that since I was a kid; it’s practice in case I ever go blind. Or if you prefer it’s trying to understand what it’s like to be blind. I only do it outside on a straight sidewalk. I point myself in the right direction, close my eyes, and start walking at my normal pace; I don’t feel my way. I count my steps. As I approach ten the anxiety gets bad and I open my eyes. I’m now working on walking farther. I figured it’s like riding a rollercoaster, the first trip is scary, the second less scary, and the third, not scary at all. I worked my way up to 24 steps! On the next attempt I stepped off the sidewalk and onto the grass at 22 steps and my anxiety spiked, so that was it for the day.

On the same walk, it was on my way to therapy, I asked myself a question that I am having trouble answering. How do you control the pitch you whistle at? I can whistle just about one octave but had no idea how I modulated the pitch; I never think about it. I observed as I whistled and came up with two different methods, changing the position of my tongue or my lips. The higher I hold my tongue or the more I extend my lips, the higher the pitch. I’m not convince that either is how I’m actually controlling it. Nobody ever taught me how to whistle. My father was a great whistler and I emulated what I saw. I was a terrible whistler for years; but I keep improving with age. Now I’m almost mediocre. I’d like to hear your thoughts on it. Did anyone ever teach you? Did you ever think how you control the pitch? It’s very much like walking, if you had to think about what you were doing you wouldn’t be able to do it in real time.

Here’s another thing I wondered about. After you take a shower and dry off you feel clean. You know exactly what I’m talking about. But what does it mean? What are we feeling? Do we feel the dirt on us and stop feeling that after the shower? My therapist thinks it’s all in our heads. I’m not convinced. Something similar happens after you shave. Do women feel that after shaving their legs? That makes more sense as you do feel the stubble on your face. I especially feel it while writing about it. Or is it the same thing and it’s about drying off after being wet? That could be. I don’t get the feeling to I’m dry.

This is the kind of thing I’d like to write about more often, things we all experience but rarely talk about. We don’t know if other people are experiencing it the same way we do. We don’t know if people do tasks the same way we do. When I pack my shopping bags, I put everything that’s going to be put in the refrigerator/freezer in on bag and everything else in another. Do others presort like that? Do you?

What order do you shower in? I wash myself from the top down, starting by washing my hair. I figure that makes sense, it’s how you clean a car or any other object, that way the water doesn’t run down from the dirty parts to the clean. Does everyone do that?

How do you put away your socks? My parents turned them into balls, but I just turn the ends over; I think the ball method stretches them out. I don’t fold them; I just throw them in drawers, sorted by color. I don’t fold my underwear either.

OK, now I’ll be good and go to my P.O. box and the library. That way I’ll get some exercise too. Tonight, I’ll watch baseball, as I do every day during the post season. Should I watch the debate? Maybe I’ll watch some of it. I know who I am voting for. Do you know? It’s Elizabeth Warren. I’m so happy that’s catching on. She’s now the betting favorite to win.