Monday, February 9, 2015

How to remain sane

procured via the internets by using Google and keywords vintage, female brain



  1. When I begin to wonder what would happen to Sophie's health insurance should the Repubs and Libertarians repeal the Affordable Care Act, stop (wondering).
  2. Scroll through Facebook only twice in a day, except if someone private messages me
  3. Unfriend anyone who uses sarcastic or unkind language about people who choose to delay or not vaccinate their children.
  4. Unfriend anyone who checks LIKE on any of above status updates or contributes their own sarcastic or unkind language on above status updates.
  5. Listen respectfully to those who roll out the usual tropes and cliches about vaccinations but who maintain civility and understanding without condescension
  6. Delete Buzzfeed, Huffpost and other half-assed, biased online news sources that dumb down every single issue. 
  7. Never read any of #6 publications again except if there's a story about Dean Smith or Javier Bardem.
  8. Admit to myself that #3 and #4 are the only way to not feel nearly physically ill and hurt even though I understand it's not personal.
  9. Realize that most of the people who I've unfriended are really not friends, anyway, and it's better for all of us
  10. Wonder about that phrase the personal is political again, especially in the context of #3, #4 and #5 and stop (wondering).
  11. Remember how much I fought with my sister in high school, how much I disliked her and how much I love her now
  12. Meditate every day for twenty minutes
  13. Nurture my brutal sense of humor by re-reading Lorrie Moore's There are no people like that here: canonical babbling in peed-onc 
  14. Stick to work -- to writing, to reading, to caregiving
  15. Take a walk every day
  16. Eat good food and drink good coffee
  17. Remember old lovers
  18. Whisper thank you to the blue sky, the balmy breeze, the golden sun, the warmth on my bare arms

Reader, how do you remain sane?
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12 comments:

  1. eFebruary 9, 2015 at 5:43 PM

    Read like a maniac, sleep when I can and never open a Facebook account.

    ReplyDelete
  2. 37paddingtonFebruary 9, 2015 at 5:52 PM

    Wow. This is a great post. We should all do our own version of this! Maybe I will when i finally get back to New York and am no longer navigating airline insanity.

    Mostly I try to remember that I don't control the world. Heck, I can't even control me.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Ms. MoonFebruary 9, 2015 at 7:09 PM

    I like this very, very much. I also like what Angella said.
    Me? Remain sane? I don't think so.
    But walking and loving the ones I love helps tremendously. And digging in the dirt.
    Yeah. Those help.
    Let me not discount my anti-depressant. And coming here to read. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Denise Emanuel ClemenFebruary 9, 2015 at 7:22 PM

    #s 14-18. Sleeping when no one is yelling. Yoga. T'ai Chi Chih. Reading.

    ReplyDelete
  5. My life so farFebruary 9, 2015 at 7:23 PM

    I wish I drank sometimes.

    How do I stay sane?

    Read.
    Write.
    Walk.
    Laugh.
    Hug.

    ReplyDelete
  6. The Sound of the SilentFebruary 10, 2015 at 2:48 AM

    Swimming, drawing, babysitting grandchildren, biting my fingers raw. (Oops, I think that's actually a sign of insanity.)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Steve ReedFebruary 10, 2015 at 5:27 AM

    I think the proper way to allow Facebook accounts to "evolve" is an interesting social story. We're probably all friends with people we never see anymore, and never really want to see -- former coworkers and that sort of thing. I hesitate to defriend people but, as you said, sometimes it's better for all of us! (Even if we DON'T have divergent political or public health viewpoints!)

    As for staying sane, I think points 12, 15, 16 and 18 work for me too. (Not that I am always successful with all of them. Meditating in particular seems to go by the wayside often.)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Suzi Banks BaumFebruary 10, 2015 at 6:13 AM

    Walking, I am with you there.
    Dancing. This keeps me sane, even just moving around the kitchen in less than the usual ways, gives my bodybrain a chance to speak up.

    Send friends love notes, like you, brave woman, making joy profuse in this oddball world.

    Dancing now.
    xoxoSuzi

    ReplyDelete
  9. Tanya Ward GoodmanFebruary 10, 2015 at 8:06 AM

    I sat in the park yesterday for a whole hour and watched the world. Heard some crazy conversations, saw some wacky folks and felt wacky myself. Came home and actually roared at my son, so not sure the sanity was completely achieved, but it was a good start.

    ReplyDelete
  10. TaradharmaFebruary 10, 2015 at 11:25 AM

    shout out to Prozac.

    walk, dig in the dirt, cook, play with my dogs, think of my grandson, read (Anne Lamott works well if I'm feeling overwhelmed or overcritical), comedy, a long hot bath. And let's not forget alcohol in moderation. Sometimes it really does smooth out the rough edges!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Maggie MayFebruary 10, 2015 at 11:28 AM

    Partly by coming here and reading your words and nourishing your friendship.

    ReplyDelete
  12. UnknownFebruary 10, 2015 at 6:15 PM

    Reading your blog keeps me sane. I'm am almost five years on the road with Matthew that you started with Sophie. From what I read in your book, they sound like kindred spirits and that you were telling our story as well as your own. You give me hope, that no matter how dire and endless it all seems, you are still strong and haven't allowed yourself to be broken.

    ReplyDelete