On My Mind

"Time heals all wounds."... Anonymous. "Bullpuckey."... Zendoc

Here in Jubiladoland, retirement, I have little that causes me pain, physical or mental, and only small worries of my own choosing; mostly those concerning the health and welfare of family and friends. My life is simple, satisfying and in many ways ideal. Why then, I wonder, are there nights when sleep is elusive? Why do memories of misdeeds done long ago surface like unwanted short subjects to rob me, occasionally, of deep sleep and sweet dreams? Mind you, in my lifetime, I have committed no criminal offenses of note apart from a few years of illegal drug use and fairly typical adolescent misdemeanors. If you were to read my thoughts as I replay my transgressions from years past, you would likely laugh and suggest they were nothing to lose sleep about. But there they are, the unintended cross word that needlessly hurts another, the red faced moments of embarrassment, bouts of stupidity, missed opportunities, small failures, and the like. Emotional wounds so old that you would think they would be long healed or, at least, long forgotten. And so they are, except for that now and then when they rise from their graves like zombies that won't die to chase away the kinder and gentler thoughts that usually lead down the path to sleep. And YES, I have taken them out for examination, these small torments. I have viewed them from afar, dissected their parts rationally, scoffed at my own silliness and laid them forever to rest, never to return. But, of course, they still do, every now and again. I ask you then, Monkeymind readers, is it the same for you? Is this a universal concern or am I uniquely bonkers as I lay me down to sleep. Do tell.

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Alrighty then! After you have confirmed my diagnosis and confined me to a rubber room, never to be loosed without adult supervision. I have another Monkeymind experiment I want you to try. It has occurred to me that since the left side of the brain is supposed to be rational and straight forward while the right side is designated the creative part, maybe we can address the two sides individually for a more successful functioning of both. So here's what I've been doing and I want you to try: (You should always listen to the desires of madmen, they may be onto something.) Whenever you are reading informational stuff, close or cover your right eye and read solely with your left. This way, I say, nothing logical gets clouded by intrusive creativity. Whenever you read poetry or really good prose, cover or close your left eye and read only with the right. This, of course will see to it that nothing artistic gets spoiled by needless logic. Give it a go and let me know if it works for you. After that, we'll apply for a grant.