And I Think to Myself, What a Wonderful World...

Don't let the local news and your phone fool you. The world has its problems; municipalities have their problems. I have mine, you have yours. I think you can make yourself crazy if you spend too much time focusing on those things you cannot change.

Late last week, I was eating chips and having a Coke with a friend on our deck in Boissevain. We were talking together about the things women think about in their sixties. We talked about the human condition, the political situation and how we are both taking a new approach to our futures. Interesting stuff. And she said something pretty profound, and I've been thinking about that ever since. She was talking about advice she gave to someone else. The gist of it was..."get off your phone." Now, the advice was not directed at me, but I did it anyway because she spoke of great results in mood improvement for the recipient of her advice. Over the next few days, I have been deliberately leaving my phone upstairs when I first come down in the morning. And I've renewed old habits.

I crochet in the mornings now. We are up at 5 am. The mister gets my coffee. I pack his lunch. Then we watch the news... *ick*, and I mock the things I think aren't news stories and point out how the titles meant to get your attention don't match the stories, and he rolls his eyes... It's a thing we do. Once he gets ready to leave, I load up the biggest, brightest picture I can on our TV. And I light a candle, and I journal. I sort my thoughts. Then, I get ready for the day, and only pick up my phone when I'm clean and dressed. Just in a few days, I feel so much better. Less weighed down with the problems of the world. More connected to the important things.

I've been messing with my algorithm by searching out funny stories, and following and sharing all the cool things happening in our neighbourhood. Tonight, Deloraine is hosting a burger-and-drink fundraiser, and we are going there for supper. I flagged a pumpkin walk in Saskatoon that I want to go to and sent a happy first-day-of-school prezzie to our grandson in Truro.

I'll update my prescription on my phone app, then walk down to the bakery and pharmacy to pick it up later, along with a decent bottle of wine. That same friend is meeting me later today to solve more world problems and debrief the day.

I think the learning here is we cannot do anything about everything, but we can do something about how we do things. I'm going to listen to good music, do some work, do some painting and drink a good wine with a dear friend.

That doesn't mean there aren't problems. I could detail them for you, but why? ...

And I think to myself...what a wonderful world......oh yeaaaaaah....