Back from Flu Hell

Because our sangha recently discussed suffering, we had the homework assignment of paying attention to suffering. Instead of thinking I am suffering, we could think There is suffering or This is suffering. I spent the week contemplating this thought and was surprised how often I saw suffering. Now, for the non-Buddhists out there, you should know that suffering is a general term that applies to true suffering, dis-ease, discontentment, desire, and so-on. It's a pretty broad spectrum, and the idea is that suffering is caused by attachment. When what we are attached to isn't present, we suffer. So of course the trick is to ditch the attachment and thereby ditch the suffering.

I "suffer" a lot, but I don't suffer much at all. So I spent a week thinking about how I am attached to a lot of different things.

Then my son got the stomach flu. Then I got the stomach flu. Then the husband got the flu, although not the stomach flu. It was a beast, let me tell you. And my perspective on suffering has changed. There's nothing like a good 48 hours of pure misery to remind yourself that life is pretty darn good the other 363 days of the year. It was a great lesson in appreciating the simple things in life as well as in letting go of attachment.

* * *

Thanksgiving is coming, and the local Unity Church is hosting a inter-faith Thanksgiving thanks-giving. I'm looking forward to it. My girlfriends and I are going. We rarely get to do anything like this together, since we are all of different faiths - Catholic, Buddhist, Methodist, Episcopalian. I'm looking forward to a little girl's night out and a little thoughtful thanksgiving at the same time.

Update

Wow! I haven't hardly posted at all in months. Things have been busy, but normal around here. Kids have been sick. Almost took daughter to the ER this weekend just before her asthma took a sudden turn for the better. We narrowly escaped a very large medical bill. Meanwhile, DS and I both got sick, too. I have been coughing a lot.

Went to Teach 4 Success training, which was actually pretty good. I got some good engagement strategies and did some strategizing with our principal and fellow department heads. It energized me, even though I coughed through the whole day.

I'm back to meditating six out of seven days a week.

LOVING that Obama is leading in the polls, but I'm not going to relax until he's president. Tomorrow I work the phones.

DH has a play going right now that he directed for the school. His Complete Works of Shakespeare finally closed.

Went to the doctor today and almost fainted when I got on the scale. YIKES! I need to work out and eat less. I'm definitely into the "overweight" category.

Mindfulness, metta, and politics

For the last year, I have worked on being mindful and compassionate in my political dealings. I have strong feelings and been quite involved in the political process, but I have also worked to be aware of my prejudices and loving of all people with different beliefs.

I have recently met my match. Palin's nomination is laughable. Palin's claim that she is qualified to run this country because you can see Russia from an island in Alaska is just weird. Palin's lack of knowledge on the Bush doctrine is scary. Palin's condescension towards Obama's "community organizer" days is insulting.

The Republican party's hypocritical and duplicitous sudden concern for women's rights is embarrassing. The Republican party's claim that the media is bullying Palin when just nine months ago she basically said Hilary had to toughen up is frustrating.

The Republican party's campaign strategy is working.

I can take McCain as president. But I need to turn off the television, put away the newspaper and cancel the Newsweek subscription because I've already lost equanimity and because I'm having trouble feeling love and compassion for these people when I know that under all that hockey mom lipstick, Palin is just another working mom like me who may have different politics, beliefs and values than do I.

I guess I would usually compare myself to a Labrador, while Palin compares herself to a pit bull. Except that I feel like the lab being mauled by the neighbor's pit bull.

I guess I'm back from my blogging hiatus.

Life Update

I haven't blogged much lately, largely because I haven't had much to say. I have also started working again, so I have less time to spend in front of the computer, which isn't such a bad thing, really.

Gross factor warning/If you are squeamish, do not read this paragraph: My dog is having surgery this week to remove a mole that grew too large. It got infected and was nasty and scabby and bloody and gooey. Before he has the surgery, we have to clear out the infection and keep the area clean. This isn't a fun activity, cleaning his open tumor clean. Yes, it's an exposed tumor. YUCK! I'm actually looking forward to the surgery so that we can get this thing off his face and I can go back to not being eewed out every day.

A few years ago he had this neurological problem that he recovered from but that left him deaf and crooked. Literally crooked. His head is crooked and he can't walk in a straight line. Add to that the fact that he isn't the brightest dog, and this whole cone thing has been silly. He walks too close to doorways when passing from one room to another and therefore bumps his cone onto the door sill. But he doesn't realize what's happened, so he backs up and does it again. And again. And again. And again. He continues to do it until I move him over a half inch and he can move through the doorway with no problem.

Poor, old, sweet dog. I love him.

Recycling

We have curb-side recycling here in Carson. I always thought that as long as the item had a triangle with a number on the bottom that that meant the item could go into the recycling bin. Recently someone told that I should check with my city to see what numbers they accept, that the city only takes certain numbers. So I did. After much searching, I found this:

Acceptable Items
Notes
Aluminum Cans
Glass Bottles & Jars
Magazines
Newspapers
Plastic Bottles
Steel Cans

Not exactly helpful. So I guess I'll call to be sure that I'm not putting items into the bin that don't belong there. It seems that this info should be readily available on the Internet. Or maybe I just expect too much from my local sanitation department.

Shakespeare (abridged)

Going to see hubby in The Complete Works of Shakespeare (abridged) tonight. I'm taking my 5 y/o. Not sure how that's going to work out. We'll see. Daddy thinks she'll stay interested. At least it's outside, so the chances of her disturbing other theater goers is less likely.

Metta!

Think!

It's getting to be the season of political ads, which gives me, a teacher of rhetoric and persuasion, a great deal of fodder. Anyway, I think this is a not-so-subtle form of manipulation:

http://www.usmagazine.com/britney-spears-paris-hilton-featured-in-new-john-mccain-ad

The sad part is that for many Americans, who don't think about the information that is fed to them on a daily basis, this ad will actually be convincing. They might not think about it consciously, but they will respond to Obama being related to Paris Hilton and Brittany Spears.

A neighbor of mine has a bumper sticker with an American flag on it. Above the flag it says Think. Below the flag it says It's patriotic. Whether you're liberal or conservative, I think we can all agree that many Americans are non-thinkers. We eat up the media like it's candy and never question its validity.

But it's our responsibility as voters, as consumers, as societal members to think.

I'm off to watch a movie, eye candy of sorts. No, the irony is not lost on me.