This is a personal study on codependence, addictive, behavior and human nature in general. Please follow me and feel free to share your experiences and ideas. Please feel free to visit my sponsors if you like what I write. While I'm not in it for the money, it would be nice one day to transition to full-time writing.
Anyone who knows me well knows that I tend to tweet a lot. So, I was tweeting, retweeting and liking along my merry way today and I stumbled across a tweet which caught my attention: A negative times a negative is a positive. So, I decided to make a blog post of 'profound thoughts'. As this is my 8th installment of this particular blog (insane voice), I will list 9 of my recent deep thoughts. So, without further ado, here goes 1) When you are in a group bitch or gripe-fest, ALWAYS ALWAYS, make sure you have an even number of people. After all a negative times a negative is a positive, but a negative times a negative times a negative is a negative. 2) If we are in a store looking at throw pillows should we toss them here, there and everywhere just to make sure they work? 3) If you follow others without tweeting, does that make you a 'tweet stalker'? 4) Is "I Choose You" sung to my wife while I am intoxicated at a karaoke bar, romantic or upsetting? 5) Is the list of what you would do for a Klondike bar a static list or is it growing all the time as more possibilities are suggested? 6) Is the list you'd give of what you would do for a Klondike bar things you actually really want to do, but need to the cover of a reward to do them. 7) With regard to the one famous song, "Yes I Think It Is About Me. Don't I?! Don't I?!" 8) Speaking of positives vs. negatives. On the positive side, parents like seeing their kids do well. On the negative side, as kids guess correctly, we secretly do like embarrassing them. 9) If like is a highway, is a family drama a multi-car pileup? Anyway, just a little lightheartedness in a pool of life's stresses. -- Rich
Way before the St. Louis Blues adopted Gloria (Spring 2019) as their theme song for winning, it was MINE for the insane voice. So, I'm reclaiming it. HA
I got the idea for this blog post upon seeing someone expressing on Facebook that they were watching a movie. Anyway, I've seen (and heard about) people give their life story--even parts I'd rather not know. So, it my insane voice told me to write a blog based on rude thoughts. -- 1) As I mentioned, the status updates people post on Facebook make me half wonder if one day people will start posting on a regular basis things like: "Using the can", "finished using the can", "belching & passing gas", "making out now", etc. As we all need to remember, just because it is happening in our lives at this moment, DOESN'T mean that the world needs to be made aware of it. 2) On a local commercial for a frozen custard hangout called Ted Drewes. The now owner, Ted Drewes Jr., is famous for talking up the his store/creations within commercials. Anyway, he used to end the commercials by saying, "It really is good guys". It has been changed to "It really is good guys and gals". So, it occurred to me in today's day and age, that sounds old fashion. I wonder if one day he might say, "It really is good guys and gals and pre-op and post-op transgendered people and inner city folks & rednecks from the middle of nowhere and same sex oriented and homophobes...". I will stop right there and you can add your own additions to it. Suffice to say, in an attempt to include all, he could easily offend certain elements or groups of our society by pointing them out or not including them. Anyway, he's probably best just leaving at "guys and gals", even if it sounds old-fashion for some. 3) If a Siamese cat singles out and attacks a Black cat or vice versa are they exhibiting unconstitutionally discriminatory or racist behavior? 4) Speaking of said Siamese cat, I remembered that my Saimese cat has a birthday that is coming up soon. However, his birthday is the same date as the anniversary of my first marriage. So, I thought sarcastically hmm, I wonder if I should get my ex a gift for that date. Soon thereafter, an idea came about: Happy Unanniversary. It's a tradition that should be a part of every divorce settlement--except ones due to domestic violence or such. On the date that would have been your next anniversary after the divorce, each party should be required in the settlement to get the other party a gift. On the anniversary of the divorce, each party is required to take back the gift. A few stipulations however:
The amount of the gift each one gives can be negotiated in the settlement, but it has to be a legitimate gift with significant value, not say ramen noodles or a fruitcake.
The gift must be a gift the other party likes. It cannot be a gift you like and look forward to getting back.
The gifts cannot be one that could be used up before returning it or lose all value before returning it.
Each party must submit in writing a extensive list of possible gifts that they want and there cannot be common gifts between the two parties. Once again, the party that gets back the gift on the divorce date should not be rewarded with something he or she likes.
You cannot regift the same gift in a subsequent year.
An meditator will review the lists to make sure they follow all these rules.
Breaking these rules could result in a significant fine or penalty.
You get divorced on say February 2nd. Your anniversary would have been May 12th. On May 12th, each party is required to meet with a common witness and trade a wrapped gift. The gifts must be unwrapped in front of each other and a notary witness and sign for. On the following February 2nd, you must meet and before a notary witness and return the gift and sign that you returned it. February 2nd is Happy Unannivesary Day for you. It is the date in which you get to feel the loss every year. Originally, the idea was poking fun at an old anniversary and how they aren't celebrated, but after thinking about it and mentioning it to a few people, they thought it could actually be a good teaching moment. The idea was illustrating to you that you destroyed, lost or gave away something that was once valuable to you (a marriage). Every Unannivesary Date would be a reminder to you not to throw away relationships (particularly marriages). Something that would make you think of importance of working on relationships especially if you hoped to get married again. It would also be a way of having to face the reality of divorce on a yearly basis. If you were divorced multiple times, then it could be a very expensive and painful lesson. Now, in an abusive relationship that could be cruel, so an exception would be made. But, in a "we just drifted apart" or whatever relationship, that could be very instructive. One final note on this: the inventor of this idea---me--would get a lifetime exemption from this process. Hey, it was my idea. -- That last idea was a bit more involved than I thought, so I will leave it there. I hope you enjoyed this installment of "The Insane Voice" and will come back for me. Cheers, Rich
My church--Harvester Church of the Nazarene is in a transition period. Our beloved lead pastor of 17 years--I think it was that length--retired this spring and we are looking for a permanent replacement. So, we've had guest speakers/ministers take on the role of leading while the board and the district find someone to fill that role. Anyway, Rev. Michael (Mike) Palmer gave a good sermon about being real with our church family. Anyway, details aside about that, sometimes when I am tired my mind drift, one time the minister said that Jesus said "Follow me" and my face immediately lit up with a smile as my mind drafted to the Uncle Kracker song of that name. Anyway, I thought about that again this morning and smiled again and got to thinking about how the mind operates. This all reminded me of my something I've long thought... I've often asserted that each of us has voices in our head.
A voice of reason.
A voice of insanity
A voice of good and proper.
A voice of deviousness.
The voice of good and proper is often depicted as little angel version of us on one shoulder. The voice of deviousness on the other hand is often depicted as a little devil version of us on the other shoulder.
The voice of good and proper of course is depicted as the killjoy. The voice of deviousness is considered the funny one. But, I digress. I will focus on the voice of deviousness. I refer to the devious or 'bad' voice as the voice of insanity. It doesn't care what trouble it gets you into. It just wants to be inappropriate, funny, even a little mean. I believe that voice comes out more when you are super tired, under a lot of stress, or have had a bit too much wine. It is a battle sometimes, the voice of good (VOG) says don't say it or do it while the voice of deviousness (VOD) says, go ahead and say it or do it. The VOD is like a little like a kid who keeps on asking his or her mom or dad for permission even after their parents have said no. Eventually, the VOD hopes to wear us down and sometimes it succeeds. We give in or cave hoping that it will leave us alone and it does for a while often. When I "go there", I explain it away by saying the "insane" voice in my head told me to say it and I had to listen or say, "there I said it, got it out of the way and will never have to say it again". My other favorite line is that "I was just following the script and the script said this and you know you can't go against the script". You know as if there is a script and we can't step out of character. I will wrap this up by letting my insane voice talk a little. My insane voice wanted to tell you that he was behind these situation (or at least how I handled them).
My fiancee Kristi was at church with me when the minister said that Jesus instructed his disciples to "Follow Me" and I smiled looked over at her and let her in on my imagining Him dancing and singing and instructing them to "Follow Me" like Uncle Kracker did.
One episode of Extreme Home Makeover I was watching as the gang built this house for this poor lady who was in a wheelchair who had a disease which made her bones brittle and easily breakable. Anyway, the did all kinds of things to make it safe for her. At the end of the show they put their hands and arms in a circle and said, "Go team" or whatever and quickly lifted them up. I imagined them accidentally knocking over the poor old lady and giggled. My ex wondered what was so funny. I prefaced it by saying I know this is not right, but... Of course, she didn't particularly think it was funny, but I noted that I didn't try to think it and warned her before I told her.
I noticed my cat Simon when I was sort of walking in front of him, his eyes were following me and it occurred to me at a later point, I wonder if this applies to humans too. So, at a later point, I started pacing back in forth in front of my ex to test this theory and found that humans can't help but to naturally follow us as we move back and forth too. Of course, she said, "stop that" at which time I let her in on my testing a theory. Olivia just stared back when I tried this on her: smart girl.
I liked the song, "Take a Walk on the Wild Side" and had just heard it. My dog Sherman was around and so was Olivia's grandma and her mom. I noted Sherman's nice colors and markings. Anyway, my insane voice said, how about the song from Sherman's perspective. "And the colored dogs go 'bark ba bark bark ba bark..." Make a bark on the wild side. I believe they thought I was crazy, but even so, they had to laugh at that one. She said, "where did you find him?", meaning me.
One my all time favorites is when someone asks a question or talks about something and I just stare at them and don't say anything. I've noticed that most of the time we seem to thrive on or expect feedback whether it is just a nod or "uh huh" or whatever. So, depriving them of feedback can sometimes discombobulate them.
Messing with the mind of someone who has a sense of humor is fun, but sometimes it is even more fun messing with the mind of someone who doesn't. Anyway, back to I of course, being me, discussed this concept of the good vs. devious voice with Olivia and she seemed to understand and appreciate that. I expect to get payback one day from Olivia for unleashing my devious voice a bit on her. I have told a few friends that it's okay to have the funny voices in your head provided that they don't start calling, "Gloria, Gloria". I will let you all figure out what I mean by that reference. Hint: look and listen below: Haha
P.S. The voice in my head has nagged me to write this blog for a while and I finally caved to it. Haha
