Can relate. Reminds me of Springsteen's "For the ones who had a notion, a notion deep inside..that it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive." Why DO we waste so much of our precious time in the dark? Like you, I'm determined to focus on LOVING for whatever remaining years I'm graced with.❤️❤️❤️ PS Have you ever listened to or read Tara Brach? I just started watching her videos, and get so much out of them. Some of your posts made me think you'd like her too.🦋🙏🏽✨✨❤️
She is a psychologist and mindfulness teacher. I just started reading "Radical Acceptance," and a lot of what she says really resonates with your musings. I am finding her very helpful in dealing with acceptance of loss, and in trying to find peace with what is. She also is very insightful re. true self-acceptance. She has many free talks on her youtube channel, all which Ive loved.
You are a wonderful writer and I LOVE your artwork. The tulips and the piece for your son are both so beautiful. Thank you so much for sharing with us.
"I’m starting to think this idea is utterly shallow, deeply cynical, and honestly, quite tired."
And cliched! There is nothing wrong with writing about your suffering, if you are suffering. But somehow it almost seems like we should aspire to suffering, so we can be a 'real' artist. That is so wrong. Thank you for having the courage and insight to say this! You are a wonderful artist, and I look forward to your writing. We all have to deal with suffering at times, but we should not seek it out else our art be somehow viewed as inauthentic. Thank you again!
I know what you were writing about in “Set My Soul Free”, the utter darkness of the grave.
“I can’t stand to see the sunshine one more time.” You didn’t write that for any reason other than it was in you, and had to come out. You are now blessed with other, ideas that gotta come out too.
I like the we are Idiots/angels. I dwell on the dumb stuff I do, but I am also aware that I have been able to bless some other people with acts of kindness and loving support. But I guess I get hung up on the negative
The pic for your son is great. Thank you for these near daily musings that are in you and gotta come out. They are a blessing to me and I often pass them along to my struggling daughter and they are a help to her as well.
You're a true artist in many different ways, and am grateful for whatever you choose to share publically. So called "negativity" may bring us down, but it's still a necessary emotion, or state of being at times. People often feel they have to apologize for that, but I disagree. As far as happy or sad songs go, much of creativity comes out of sadness or grief because it helps us work through things. I happen to love sad songs, and they can actually make me feel happy. Maybe I'm just strange...
I'm looking forward to hearing more as you continue on this new path of discovery. I wish you many more enlightening June 21s.
I hope John Henry loved his valentine--it's so intricate and exquisite.
Philosophically, I understand that dark, depressive, negativity seem to be "kool" (sic). Temptation and Evil attract more attention than God's goodness. However, before my wife died, she awakened something in my heart that I thought I lost many years ago as a U.S. Marine. And that is a bit of innocence. She never lost her little girl innocence even after over 60 years being influenced by me. We wrote novels together, and she would tell people, "We write the basic stories together, then he puts in the "naughty" parts." After God took her home, my latest book is my first attempt at a children's book devoid of anything naughty. Here is an unpublished song my beautiful "baby-girl" wrote for our grand-daughters. She used to sing it to them so much, they learned to sing it themselves.
"Feed the Birds"
"Feed the birds.
Feed the birds.
Feed the birds every day.
Feed the birds.
The beautiful birds.
And they will come and stay.
You'll have blue birds, and red birds, and black birds,
It’s very interesting what you say about the songs you write channel an emotion or maybe and experience. I‘ve written songs for about 50 years but they are only creations that a few friends and music c buddies get to hear. It made me stop and think about where my songs come from. Many seem to be reflective, based on things that happened in the past while others mix real experiences with things from my imagination. Places seem to play a major role. I wrote about my hometown and it was a blend of memories from southern England where I grew up and Portland, Maine where I spent some precious years. I‘ve also written songs about San Antonio where I met my first wife, about Africa, England and Holland.
I was trying to remember if I‘ve written a happy song. I guess there are a few love songs which were “in the moment” and happy. It’s interesting. I wrote a poem a couple of years ago and that was also reflective as it was about a couple of famous people who I’d almost met.
Thanks for what you’ve written today. I’ve had a strange day for reasons I won’t go inter here but what you have written made me think about channeling my emotions into creative things. Unfortunately I don’t have any pipe cleaners! 😂❤️ I will have to get some! Aren’t they great! 👍
I can’t wait to see what you CREATE in your 2nd 50. What do those years look and feel like? Something to reflect as you step into this new frequency. 💫✨✨💫
Thank you for sharing your journey, Allison. Your post brought to mind a line from Paula Cole’s song Somethin’ I’ve Gotta Say: “So don’t confuse positivity with naivete/The great ones walked through hell to get that way.” 💖
Can relate. Reminds me of Springsteen's "For the ones who had a notion, a notion deep inside..that it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive." Why DO we waste so much of our precious time in the dark? Like you, I'm determined to focus on LOVING for whatever remaining years I'm graced with.❤️❤️❤️ PS Have you ever listened to or read Tara Brach? I just started watching her videos, and get so much out of them. Some of your posts made me think you'd like her too.🦋🙏🏽✨✨❤️
I have heard of Ms. Brach. Isn’t she a meditation teacher? I think I have an app that she’s on maybe.
She is a psychologist and mindfulness teacher. I just started reading "Radical Acceptance," and a lot of what she says really resonates with your musings. I am finding her very helpful in dealing with acceptance of loss, and in trying to find peace with what is. She also is very insightful re. true self-acceptance. She has many free talks on her youtube channel, all which Ive loved.
This is so beautiful. Thank you for sharing ❤️
Thank you.
Thank you.
You are a wonderful writer and I LOVE your artwork. The tulips and the piece for your son are both so beautiful. Thank you so much for sharing with us.
Thank you so much for receiving it.
"I’m starting to think this idea is utterly shallow, deeply cynical, and honestly, quite tired."
And cliched! There is nothing wrong with writing about your suffering, if you are suffering. But somehow it almost seems like we should aspire to suffering, so we can be a 'real' artist. That is so wrong. Thank you for having the courage and insight to say this! You are a wonderful artist, and I look forward to your writing. We all have to deal with suffering at times, but we should not seek it out else our art be somehow viewed as inauthentic. Thank you again!
I know what you were writing about in “Set My Soul Free”, the utter darkness of the grave.
“I can’t stand to see the sunshine one more time.” You didn’t write that for any reason other than it was in you, and had to come out. You are now blessed with other, ideas that gotta come out too.
I like the we are Idiots/angels. I dwell on the dumb stuff I do, but I am also aware that I have been able to bless some other people with acts of kindness and loving support. But I guess I get hung up on the negative
The pic for your son is great. Thank you for these near daily musings that are in you and gotta come out. They are a blessing to me and I often pass them along to my struggling daughter and they are a help to her as well.
Exactly.
You're a true artist in many different ways, and am grateful for whatever you choose to share publically. So called "negativity" may bring us down, but it's still a necessary emotion, or state of being at times. People often feel they have to apologize for that, but I disagree. As far as happy or sad songs go, much of creativity comes out of sadness or grief because it helps us work through things. I happen to love sad songs, and they can actually make me feel happy. Maybe I'm just strange...
I'm looking forward to hearing more as you continue on this new path of discovery. I wish you many more enlightening June 21s.
I hope John Henry loved his valentine--it's so intricate and exquisite.
Thank you, Alice.
Philosophically, I understand that dark, depressive, negativity seem to be "kool" (sic). Temptation and Evil attract more attention than God's goodness. However, before my wife died, she awakened something in my heart that I thought I lost many years ago as a U.S. Marine. And that is a bit of innocence. She never lost her little girl innocence even after over 60 years being influenced by me. We wrote novels together, and she would tell people, "We write the basic stories together, then he puts in the "naughty" parts." After God took her home, my latest book is my first attempt at a children's book devoid of anything naughty. Here is an unpublished song my beautiful "baby-girl" wrote for our grand-daughters. She used to sing it to them so much, they learned to sing it themselves.
"Feed the Birds"
"Feed the birds.
Feed the birds.
Feed the birds every day.
Feed the birds.
The beautiful birds.
And they will come and stay.
You'll have blue birds, and red birds, and black birds,
and sparrows, and pigeons and doves that coo.
Feed the birds.
The beautiful birds.
Feed the birds every day.
Feed the birds.
The beautiful birds.
and they will come and stay." - MRVERITAS.SUBSTACK.COM
It’s very interesting what you say about the songs you write channel an emotion or maybe and experience. I‘ve written songs for about 50 years but they are only creations that a few friends and music c buddies get to hear. It made me stop and think about where my songs come from. Many seem to be reflective, based on things that happened in the past while others mix real experiences with things from my imagination. Places seem to play a major role. I wrote about my hometown and it was a blend of memories from southern England where I grew up and Portland, Maine where I spent some precious years. I‘ve also written songs about San Antonio where I met my first wife, about Africa, England and Holland.
I was trying to remember if I‘ve written a happy song. I guess there are a few love songs which were “in the moment” and happy. It’s interesting. I wrote a poem a couple of years ago and that was also reflective as it was about a couple of famous people who I’d almost met.
Thanks for what you’ve written today. I’ve had a strange day for reasons I won’t go inter here but what you have written made me think about channeling my emotions into creative things. Unfortunately I don’t have any pipe cleaners! 😂❤️ I will have to get some! Aren’t they great! 👍
I can’t wait to see what you CREATE in your 2nd 50. What do those years look and feel like? Something to reflect as you step into this new frequency. 💫✨✨💫
It’s exciting. I hope to keep healthy.
Thank you for sharing your journey, Allison. Your post brought to mind a line from Paula Cole’s song Somethin’ I’ve Gotta Say: “So don’t confuse positivity with naivete/The great ones walked through hell to get that way.” 💖