Meditating on Meditation

I’ve been thinking about taking up meditating.  I have enough nuisances in my life that a little quiet time might be welcome.  I also like the scientific evidence so far which shows that meditation helps to reduce stress and anxiety.

I have so many things that get in the way.  I can’t even go to the bathroom in peace.  No, I don’t have kids. It’s not that I don’t like miniature humans; it’s just that I haven’t gotten around to creating one yet.   I keep getting interrupted by my cats.  The very same creatures that choose to ignore my presence on a regular basis also can’t live without me for the whole five minutes it takes for me to complete my business.   Even sleeping is an ordeal with Emma constantly battling for my pillows.  The cats are clearly the owners and I'm the indentured servant. 

I figure that spending an extra 5-10 minutes in my car when I get home meditating couldn’t hurt. No interruptions (I can turn my phone off) and my car is fairly comfy. It sure is better than using that power of positive thinking type garbage like in The Secret.  You want to know the real secret about The Secret… if you bought it, you’ve been ripped off.   I still ponder if Oprah was getting a cut in The Secret profits, but then again she is very new agey. 

I’ll give it a couple weeks and if I don’t feel relaxed then I’ll give up.  There are other ways of blowing off steam.  I could just write more posts.

My Own Brand Of Rebellion

“Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great."-Mark Twain

I’m the kind of person who often will surprise people.  I like unexpected things, and do unexpected things. I look like a nice unassuming girl next door, but I like goth punk and synchronized swimming.  I enjoy math and science and camping in the dirt (air mattresses are for old people and wussies).  This isn’t because I am crazy, but because I am a little rebellious and I don’t look it.  I was never the girl who dyed her hair black, got a bunch of piercings and tattoos, and began telling people to F off.  No I was more subversive.  If the band teacher kept pushing me towards the flute…well damn it I was definitely going to be learning to play the tuba. 

Whenever someone told me that I couldn’t do something (usually a skill or pursuit…nothing illicit) I sure as hell went out and did it just to prove a point. In fact, I would have never gone back to camp, and would have missed out tremendously, if one of the few bratty girls there (who really seemed to hate me) hadn’t said that I would never make it to the oldest group (a group who received some of the most wondrous privileges).  Her pathetic words held no power over me and I was going to make that clear. Although in the next five summers I came to love that camp and looked forward to visiting all year, I did feel a small sense of satisfaction when the final year came and I was there and the rude girl wasn’t.

My pushing back against dream killers is why I am always attracted to the kinds of artists that are a little off.  My favorite author is Oscar Wilde.  Known for his wit and unapologetic rebelliousness if he had been alive today I would actively try to work with or for him in some way.  I also love John Waters.  After watching one of his specials (This Filthy World) I realized that I had more in common with a 60 year-old gay man than most young women my age.  (Yes I have seen almost all of his wonderfully sick movies.)

Warning! Here comes the preachiness:

When you encounter these negative influences in life...these dream killers, tell them (in your head so that you stay productive) to go screw themselves and then prove to yourself that you can do whatever it is you want.

Don’t tell me that I can’t do something impressive, because you will be wrong…just letting you know!

A Call For Accountability

I am asking you readers to hold me accountable to something!   I need you to call me out if I don’t accomplish the following are goals by the conclusion of July 2013.


* Hot Air Balloon Ride in Sedona
* Dune Buggy Day in Yuma
* Road Trip to San Diego, CA
* Road Trip to Las Vegas 
* See the Painted Desert
* See Zion National Park
* Visit a Cave

I am asking for all out mockery if I fail to complete the above tasks!  I will tell you about each goal once it’s completed and try to bring something unique to the table about each experience.

Thanks in advance!

FYI: Guest Blog Today at The Guest Writer's Blog

Just letting you know I have my article "Where is Jill Nye the Science Gal?" featured on The Guest Writer's Blog.  This is a great blog created to feature various blogger's writing.  Go check it out and look around!

http://theguestwriterblog.blogspot.com/2011/07/where-is-jill-nye-science-gal-by.html

The Ronco Food Dehydrator

This story was inspired, in part, by a blog post "I'm an "As Seen on TV" Junkie" by Amethyst Mahoney.

My parents were cheap when I was young.  There was no cable or satellite TV in our house.  We would never have gotten a VCR if one of my relatives had not given it as a gift for Christmas.  Luckily I spent quite a bit of time at school and gymnastics, but on the weekends it was regular TV with only four channels (Fox didn’t come along until I was about 9 or 10). 

After Saturday morning cartoons ended the infomercials would come on.  I remember when I was about 8 I wanted the Ronco Food Dehydrator SOOOOOOOOOO badly!  It could make fruit roll-ups and beef jerky!  What could be better than that?  I wanted that food dehydrator more than Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles action figures (Michelangelo was the best), or My Little Ponies, or Barbie. Of course my parents couldn’t understand why a child would want a food dehydrator…clearly they never saw the most awesome infomercial of all time featuring Ron Popeil (who was the inventor!).

Looking back it is an odd thing for a child to want, but I was really into inventors at the time and was influenced greatly by the very convincing infomercial.  Also I wanted fruit roll-ups and beef jerky without having to beg my mom incessantly (she insisted that this sustenance was junk food).

I still don’t have the food dehydrator and probably won’t get it.  I’m not that into fruit roll-ups and beef jerky anymore.  I have since learned to yearn for infomercial products without actually buying them. Maybe I’m better off…At least I’ll have less crappy stuff that doesn’t work cluttering up my small apartment.