Have you ever taken a vision test? This vision test doesn't involve any drops in our eyes or reading a chart across the room. This vision test involves holding our lives up against something that is unchanging regardless of the changes in our vision. Of course, the first thing that came to mind was that the only constant in life is change.
All change is not growth, as all movement is not forward. – Ellen Glasgow
You do have to be careful. Some of the changes that come at you are not always the best. We can get caught up in the moment and make some changes that aren’t moving us forward. You have to make sure that the changes you are making are not setting you back a few months or years source
I do take that vision test, every now and again. It keeps me honest with myself. Admittedly, I am a creature of habit in some ways, spontaneous in other ways. I drink a tall glass of water when I first get up. I run one mile and walk three. Every morning. Make my Dunkin Donuts coffee. Morning coffee over the news, I used to look forward to it, except recently. The news is depressing, but, I cannot not watch. It is like watching a train wreck. You know it is going to be bad, but, you can't take your eyes off of it.
There is undoubtedly sweet comfort and an unquestionably, reassuring sameness to it. These small things give my life continuity from one day to the next. The ordinary rituals are comforting, but sometimes there is longing for change, to go in a different direction, or maybe just to grow outside your own box. I think a little variance keeps the mind nimble. Go ahead! Live a little dangerously. Dance in the streets.
I have done things in the heat of the moment. Meeting for coffee, hundreds of miles away. Just because. It feels right when you are doing it. It only feels crazy when you tell someone and they look at you like you are crazy. Showing up at my best friend's new house with a shovel in the back of my car. Taking a peach tree out of the back of the vehicle, then looking over the yard for a perfect place, then planting it. I never knocked on her door, but, drove all the way home and waited for her phone call. She would know it was me. God's honest truth is I have no idea how we got on with peach trees, but, they became our thing. Each house either of us has ever had, has a peach tree. Guess what? She is moving to Philadelphia soon. Ha! I already have a peach tree planted, waiting for the moment of movement. She will never see me coming. It is so close, I may do it in the middle of the night. Then there was that time that I went to a horse auction and came home with, yes, you guessed it. A horse, no trailer, no barn at the time and what the hell-o was I thinking? Of course, my very favorite is when I drove 800 miles just for a kiss. Got back in my car and drove back home. The thrill of the moment. I will never forget that moment, and I guess that is what life is all about. Those special moments, strung together to create it.
I must ask you, do your thoughts ever ramble, do your words just come out? Am I alone in this, or do I have friends? There are some night I sit here wondering what to write, other nights I don't have time to get it all outside of my head. Is it me? It matters not. There is #alwaysaflower here for me.
Is it a surprise to anyone here that I love Christmas?! It is starting to feel closer and closer and I still need to get new stamps for those Christmas cards and letter. It will be harder to get these things done as the days fly by and more is screaming for attention. The shipping for overseas has been done, nothing extravagant, but, I avoided any shortages. Less will be more this year. More than I expect. :) It's not about the presents my friends, it is about family and friends. In keeping with the Christmas Countdown, I give you one seasonal picture and the day count! There are 46 days 00 hours 41 minutes and 27 seconds.
Oh, but then he gently brushed his lips upon her cheek
Slight of touch
Overcome, she blushed
Blossoming for him
Like a flower
All I have are my words, armed in my mind, written in pen, stand by stand. Oh, yes. Still by hand. It has a different feel. Altered not by keys, backspace, and delete, I write, erase, tear it to pieces and start all over again. And again.
It’s my way. I walk out to the deep end of the page and dive right in.
The Naming of Cats
The Naming of Cats is a difficult matter,
It isn’t just one of your holiday games;
You may think at first I’m as mad as a hatter
When I tell you, a cat must have THREE DIFFERENT NAMES.
TS Elliot
#TeamUSA is a growing community of quality-content people from the United States or those living here. Check us out on Discord!
You are such an inspired, free and beautiful soul.
So glad to have followed you so long ago.
Thank you so much, @zekepickleman ! I am so glad I followed you too! Now I got to get over there tomorrow and see what's been up with you over the weekend!
Have a great night!
<><
@dswigle, you've been given LUV from @pixresteemer.
Check the LUV in your H-E wallet. (2/5)
Thanks for the Luv!
Thank you for the repost @pixresteemer! Much appreciated by me!
!LUV
<><
@pixresteemer, you've been given LUV from @dswigle.
Check the LUV in your H-E wallet. (1/3)
This shows you really care and thanks for sharing @dswigle
Thanks for stopping by.
Nice article , salam kenal
It is nice to meet you, also. Where do you hail from?
Ballet dancing fighter pilot? Aren't you a woman of surprises. 😊
Tap and Jazz! Get it right. :) Every proper girl in New England takes dance when she is young. The Catholic schools make the guys take it too, although they get to have ballroom dance.
Although the picture does show me in a fighter, it was an incentive ride with a German National. I was just a pilot. :(
You don't like dancers? You are a man of surprises. :)
I like dancers...I don't like dancing. There's a difference.
Not even in the same zip code. I totally get it. :)
I thought you might.
You're talking about reality here. You're talking about life because that's how life should be. Nothing can beat the beauty of write-ups when we're alone.
By the way to whom that kiss that you drove for 800 miles? Nah, just kidding, you're a wonderful woman and a strong one Denise.
Hi, Paul! @mrnightmare89 It was a rather spontaneous moment. :) It was a crazy guy I met on vacation. I kissed him and got back in the car and drove home, upping his crazy by one. :)
It is so true that the only true constant is change
and yes all be it I may not have thought of it as you so eloquently put it I do regular give myself a vision test, often it is when I am walking in solitude with no one else around and I ponder where I am in life what am I doing, am I happy with the path I am taking, sometimes it may hit me like a sack of potatoes that I have made a big change without even realizing it, sometimes a good change and smile and keep at it, sometimes a not so good change and it gives me time and the focus to work on making changes i want in my life and in the life of those around me
Worse thing ever. Making a mistake with a change and not knowing how to gracefully bow out of it. I finally had to apologize and admit I made a judgement error.
That was painful, not because I was embarrassed at being so shortsighted, but, the person gloated with my error. Seriously. :) The level of maturity sometimes skips a generation. I am sure he raised intelligent children. Ha!
Thanks for stopping by @tattoodjay
People that gloat really are such mean people they drive us good people nuts
I'm not a fan of gloating, even when it is as a joke. That probably means I have no sense of humor. :/
Not at all it means you have class and a good person
Don’t let others drag you down
Yes. Just took the old school eye chart vision test yesterday at the DMV. Sad. For the first time, I failed the eye test and now have to wear my glasses when driving... previously only needed for reading and was able to skate by the driving test.
Much more fun focusing on your visions!
Haha! Oh, yes! When the time comes where the failure comes, people think it is horrifying, yet, it is just another right of passage. :) Wait until you need them for shooting. That will really hit home or taking pictures... Yet, I guess it is not the worse thing in the world.
Le sigh.
:) My visions. That made me smile. No snow yet and it is already November. I am disappointed in Vermont!Thanks for stopping by!
Yes, the glasses for shooting happened a long time ago. Hence my liking scopes now!
Only a couple sprinkles of snow up here so far and heavy frost, nothing that has stuck yet. I'm not disappointed, my plow comes in next week, and then I'll be prepared for it.
Oh, now those are real toys! A plow. :) You don't fool around.
I definitely enjoyed the article, looking forward to more!
Great job my dear friend @dswigle. God bless you.
Thank you, I am glad you liked it! Have a great evening!
Is that you!!!
It's you!!!
Is that me??
It is me! Well, a younger version of me. :)
You got me thinking! It is amazing how often I can navigate the world without mental effort of not "thinking" or "deliberating" on things!
Amazing, isn't it?
Nice photography.
Thank you for your words. Have a great night!
Change (and tolerance of change) is a function of youth.
As you get older 'traditions' which you have likely invented when you were younger, take precedence. Because they are comforting and connect you to your younger self.
I think that makes sense. Thank you.
Wow, this one really hits hard. I'm glad you put this first and foremost. I think it's a great contrast to what you're actually speaking about. Lots of engagement, progress and spontaneity from what I always see. The best kind of movement in my opinion.
Gotta love autocorrect using onion instead of opinion haha
My autocorrect makes me look stupid on a daily basis, especially in texting. I think it hates me.
Life is good @buffalobison I won't lie. Some days are better than others, but, every day is at the very least good.
As far as engagement, I think that the pandemic has been hard on people, especially socially, but, it has also brought good things to the table. Hopefully, we can put this all behind us soon and treat it as just another flu. Thanks for stopping by!
This test must be taken by all individuals. Thanks for sharing dear.
Some never do, Sam. They have no idea what they are missing. Thanks for stopping by!
Have a great night!
I don't know what to say. Surprise! A new Denise I've never known. I love the independence, the sudden decisiveness, and the quick action. Very youthful!
Very Youthful. :) I never showed how old I was, until one day I woke up and looked my age. My kids like looking through some of my pictures of me before I had them as they see me as Mom. :)
Hi, Dan! @bluemoon Happy Tuesday to you, well, it is Wednesday for you now.
My wife doesn't like me talking about old age... Here I am a bit confused, if I ignore the mirrors, my mind is almost unchanged from the last century, maybe I just seem wiser because of the experiences I have dealt with so far... but not much wiser.
Your actions are youthful, a mixture of impetuous youthfulness that pushes you to beautiful and romantic gestures, which many never do, or perhaps never did. I so enjoyed this post of yours, perhaps also because you said more about yourself! Remember my failed attempt at a Challenge? SAM? Then I couldn't "glean" about you, hidden side.
I think of you and I'm glad you do nice things for others and for yourself, they come together!
I used to be worried about being judged for what I did or didn't do. Then, I felt like it really doesn't matter, that is all.
Romantic gestures feel good, and there is no reason to no do them your entire life. If you only do it when you are young, you lose that wonderful feeling somewhere. It feels exhilarating to do something impetuous or without too much thought - banishing the thoughts of what if. :) Foolish, yes?
Perhaps. But, it still feels good and slightly fun. :)
I don't mind talking about getting older or old age. Age is a state of mind and you keep your body moving - so that is half the battle. It doesn't mean we lose our fun in life, we just have more time and money to do it.
Thanks, Dan! It is always interesting to see what you have to say! Have a wonderful day!
It's not crazy at all. People who manage to do this are more beautiful and make this world more beautiful. I admire you, @dswigle, and I'm glad to have learned of this willingness of yours. I think it is even more feminine this inclination towards romance, my wife does the same, me less, so, although I am open to such "craziness"!
TBH I am supposed to go for routine vision tests but I blow them off as often as possible. Sometimes blurred is better. Grey more real than stark black or white. Sure the doc gripes so I blow him off as often as well. Why not? No one gets out alive.
I always like to see your selfies. Very creative!
Everyone is supposed to go for routine tests every year. That has been my experience. Of course, the doctor isn't happy. It is basically his job to make sure he provides the best healthcare possible for you. He has given you the information and I guess it is up to you to go or not. Well, of course, it is up to you, but, if something happens to you, he will still be the one that has to give you care. If you let him, of course.
Thank you. I am pretty sure I have had that one up before.
Well we want you to know that it doesnt go unnoticed is all 😉
Yes. Of course. I appreciate that. :)
Dear @dswigle, I think you should be informed about that:
https://steemit.com/hive-145160/@ustazkarim/did-you-take-you-vision-test
It's a pity, but I guess that's a mass process between the two blockchains. In both directions.
P.S. This user is active also on Hive:
https://peakd.com/@ustazkarim/posts
That is sad. I tried to find a link to report it over at Steemit. The entire thing is pretty disgusting. Honestly.
Yes, it is. I already reported this guy here on Hive. But on Steemit, there is no hope. I don't know. Someone "Big" has to find some solution.
Here is the other comment of mine:
https://peakd.com/hive-196308/@dswigle/showing-the-love-market-friday#@soulsdetour/re-dswigle-r2dlt1
That's really funny (I mean, more disgusting 😕)
I don't watch the news anymore. If there's anything I need to know, I figure someone I know will be complaining about it. 😂
Oh!! I'm telling!
Speaking about those vision tests, I constantly took vision tests since my birth until 2016. That is currently the last. I was born with retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), therefore I have multiple visual impairments, and also multiple other disabilities. Fortunately my eye condition is stagnating since then.
Concuerdo contigo @dswigle, Es necesario realizarnos un examen de la vista de forma regular. Eso nos ayudará a redireccionar nuestro rumbo, a valorar lo que tenemos y a quien tenemos, a encontrar nuestras debilidades y reconocer nuestras fortalezas. Esto nos ayuda A Madurar y a cultivar buenas cualidades. También, el salir de la rutina le aporta color y sabor a la vida.
Muchas gracias por tus palabras. Debo preguntarle por qué está escribiendo en español cuando obviamente entiende inglés.
Thank you very much for your words. I must ask you why you are writing in Spanish when you obviously understand English.
Sorry 😅!!
"This vision test involves holding our lives up against something that is unchanging regardless of the changes in our vision. Of course, the first thing that came to mind was that the only constant in life is change." ... this is exactly what happened in my mind at this point :):):).. and then I went on reading.. and it was pure delight!!
"I have done things in the heat of the moment. Meeting for coffee, hundreds of miles away. Just because. It feels right when you are doing it. It only feels crazy when you tell someone and they look at you like you are crazy." YES. When you follow the intuition it often goes against any logic reasoning, but it feels the legitimately right thing to do - and you do it with a stoic peace of mind and confidence, and an inner smile that wards off the occasional stereotyped opinions or swallowed judgmental comments in the faces of others.
"I must ask you, do your thoughts ever ramble, do your words just come out? Am I alone in this, or do I have friends? "... YES!!! Yes, you do! Take Me for friends! :):)
This beautiful natural flow of thought enriched the taste of my coffee this morning! Thank You!
Oh wow...this is you my friend....🤗