Tag Archives: psychology

Freudian Trials

 

A sonnet that I wrote this morning.  This is about sharing views and news without misunderstanding the truth of each complicated personality.

 

So Blue

 

Each day the news arrives at your front door,

Out to recycle when the day has passed,

The headlines all change, but you are hard core,

Your understanding of the world will last,

My own perspective is great from up high,

But I can still see what goes on beneath,

It’s clear to me, that just sometimes words lie,

Today feels like I got kicked in the teeth,

Cruel Freudian slips, the kind that sink ships,

Distort truth, and leave me out on the range,

Great psychology tips, can’t stop my lips,

My read of manifest content is strange,

It’s not always that way, I can think too,

Maybe the reason I don’t feel so blue

 

 

Companionship Rules

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One of the biggest aspects of our lives is the social aspect.  Some of us manage just fine being independent, and don’t mind being alone for long periods of time.  I think that is more of an exception.  Most people crave some social interaction and some people cannot stand to be alone at all.  I think that we can endure solitude much better if we have an active imagination, and can learn to enjoy mindfulness and thinking to ourselves.  This is a poem that looks at companionship and how soul mates may always be close.  When we meet someone, there is a reason for it – however powerful or not that may be. To me this is a concept about spirit: soul mates connecting in time – two personalities at least temporarily brought together as one.

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Companionship Rules

Healthy day with my most terrific friend,

Scenic view from the modest terrace ledge,

Rambling on about great stories of mine,

Making dinner at the best time to dine,

Hedge is taller – I can’t see my neighbour,

It’s just the season, I’m sure we’ll share more,

Chance meeting one day is a telling sign,

So, how are you doing?  Thank-you:  just fine!

Watch as the moment travels with the sun,

Through all night and through all of the weather,

What difference does it make, in the short run?

Whether we are alone – or we are together?

It’s clear to me that companionship rules,

But it’s hard to find peace with each other,

At times, being our own best friend is cool,

More nice to hear the voice of a lover,

The streets, a town, the city speaks of friends,

So close that the connection never ends,

The greatest of plans must start in one place,

On phone, in text, or expressed face to face,

Closest partners, discuss how they have met,

Rivers of stories, we’ll never forget,

Each one of us can share this moment – right?

Hearing ourselves:  all day and then all night,

How could it ever stop – this strong feeling?

You’re close to me, you’re the source of healing,

Just in the meantime, our closest love waits,

Everyone should know – we all have soul mates.

Connecting

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Cosmetic repair hides the seams of reality,

Our superficial nature glosses over with the need for stitches,

The need for buttons, zippers, collars, ties and fashionable statements,

Embracing the creation – the unnatural façade… 

Yes: enhancing,

But not realizing that the true being – the true form is beautiful,

Wild and rolling, like the sea against the sky,

And out into the spaces in between,

We are hushed by the script itself,

Forced to read within the lines,

And work too hard to share the perspective between all,

But not of all,

While the wall is built further with the bricks that are meant for the bridge,

Still we pile on the layers,

Where the path may never connect again,

We need to take those steps back, to reconnect,

Build harmony and melody to create the rhythm,

To find synergy…

Harmony has been lost,

Dissonance remains,

The strides we make: must draw on the inner-strength,

Beneath the skin, within the heart and spirit,

To find the shared space:

The collective energy,

Inwards and

Out again,

Overcome the wall, the trouble that seethes,

Past the sea, past the sky, past the earth and into the peace,

The calm:  the forgotten instinct – strong and free.

 

Listening to Jim Morrison and Jimi Hendrix – alphabetical on my ipod.  They had the right idea in a lot of ways.  Extremely unfortunate issues that took them too soon, and that still persist.  With care and attention we can develop the same values without the problems of addiction that devastate lives.  I believe that it is the need for spirit that drove them past the stop.  If the people with the more practical edge could see the need for a somewhat deeper connection with such energy, perhaps so many good people would not go out onto that limb… trying to reach out…. too far.

The Concept of Sanctuary in Modern Society?

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I have really been busy.  I am working hard to make progress to find a job that I have the training for, and in the meantime, while that’s not happening too quick: to make a job transition into something that actually suits me.  I had an interview with a previous employer today.  I would like the job, but I think we both have mixed feelings.  I hope to find employment that I can not only make money at, but also pursue my goals in education, psychology and mental health.  This would be opposed to finding the same types of work in construction that I have often hated over the last 10+ years.  Big problem with such a transition is: construction (as an electrician), tends to pay pretty well, whereas work in mental health and of course being a student does not pay well.  I have a family.

 

My views about compassion, honesty and psychology tend to be shut down at every corner – especially in construction.  How is it that helping people cope and find wellness will put me deeper in debt?  Why are these jobs – that often are very involved and in extremely high demand today – so poorly paying??

 

ANYWAYS, I saw a really cool poem the other day on this blog site regarding ‘sanctum sanctorum’, which I had just been reading about.  For that matter, I brought the idea of ‘sanctuary’ up in a class that day.  The question in our discussion was ‘What is something that everyone really wants (i.e. to help with mental wellness)?’  I say: ‘sanctuary’.

 

The poem below is from a collection that I have sent out.  The line: ‘Don’t tell me about your desires’ is not directed towards the audience.  Rather it is similar to what the job system and the looming part of society (that might not always be so compassionate)  might say to me.  I’m not complaining about all the individuals that make up society.  I am referring to the system that we are often a part of.  Some of us can rise above, or at least make a niche.  Sometimes we are forced to work on the front lines.   I’m not intentionally comparing myself to a soldier here (That is a position that I have the utmost respect).  The front-line also discusses some blue collar work – and for that matter: any difficult work.   I would offer my views to anyone that it could help.

People are busting themselves up to make ends meet (All inclusive).  I do put my body on the line.  Whine for the day: we have to deal with: Asbestos, dangerous voltages, fiberglass, toxic dust, working at heights, sharp, dirty and toxic materials often everywhere.  Boohoo for me.  Some have it a lot worse.  What I am trying to get at is ways to reduce stress.  If we cannot reduce stress, because we are being hounded and forced to get work done without consideration for mental health, without necessary relax-time and appropriate social treatment – then there is something wrong with the system.   I do have some ideas of how to fair well in this system, but they may not always work.  Mindfulness and developing realistic confidence can help.  Meditation is a way to escape for a while.

This is what I think a lot of us desire:  some form of escape and…. sanctuary.   Sometimes I think that our answers to this quest are unhealthy, partly because of the confines of “the system.”  Often drugs or alcohol are seen as the only escape.   I work and sometimes succeed in finding sanctuary in some places and some states of mind.  Not to say that I don’t have drinks, but I always remember ‘moderation’ and set guidelines like:  just a couple, no earlier than afternoon and not every day.  I would like to think I take a healthy approach.  If I can help others do the same and promote mental stability and wellness – this should also be a rewarding job.  Is this idealistic and ego-centric?  I don’t think so….

This poem does NOT really fit in to describe strategies in mental health, but it does describe how some of us may feel (in our need for sanctuary) and in some relationships.  It might just be way out there, in my personal collection.  I would not include this poem as a therapeutic tool.  Rather it is more for discussion that some of you may appreciate.  I would think that the poem is just a few crazy thoughts that some people can relate to.

 

Sanctuary

 

Every day I have rays of sunshine,

Rain

 

Blissful thoughts

Comforting spots

I want now

To take it all in

 

Deception and correction

Your truth

What it used to be

Changed when I asked

For the truth

 

Take it all in

The meaning and underlying truth

But what it seems to be

Might not be real

I need proof

Now

 

I want proof

Rigid construction

Of reality

Partial prescription

Of sensibility

 

Sometimes derailed

By psychedelic spires

 

Don’t tell me about

Your desires

Everybody wants their

Own perception

 

 

I am not sure just how aptly titled the poem is, but the closing line “Everybody wants their own perception” describes to me, the fact that many of us do really want that sacred personal space, where what we think and perceive is our own, or at least willingly, freely shared.

Premonition Now

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Painting: Lee Matuga

This is a poem about optimism.  I believe that optimism can contribute to success.  In psychology we learned about a ‘self-fulfilling prophecy’.  Doesn’t it seem like a good idea to be optimistic when these occur?

I have found that certain things can encourage optimism, such as: sunshine, looking up to the stars on a clear night and/or sitting by the waterside, like a river, lake or ocean. A connection with nature often helps calm the nerves and even promotes optimism.  If that time is endangered: this can be fuel to challenge troubles.

Some people are hardwired to have the desire to persevere and maintain or regain optimism. Even a walk in the park, a glimpse of the mountains, or gazing at the sky can help one gain strength by proving that nature will persevere…  Well then: So can I.

I think anytime is a good time to be optimistic. I am not saying that I always have unquestionable optimism, but I always strive for it.

…..

Premonition Now – Positively Change

…

When the ceiling’s right upon life’s dealing,

it might tend to leave uncertain feelings,

But the recent changes in the weather,

Make it lighter at the time of day and…

Another passage, you are thinking of it,

There is not a second you can ever doubt it,

You have changed and  they are changing too, so,

Just about the time you make your move, no:

*
Disconcerting feelings,

Pondering unreal things,

Wishing it would finally happen:

Knowing it is always

Sparkling in the water,

*
Jumping in, diving in,

Sipping from the stream that is flowing,

Cold and moving, strong and proving,

There is always change,

**

When the timing’s pushing on your healing,

It might tend to send you through the ceiling,

And the recent changes in the mood swing,

Makes it harder, now that you have chosen,

Every moment you are thinking of it,

There is not a minute you can ever doubt it,

They must age while you are changing too, so,

Just about the time you break on through, know:

**
A little ray of sunshine makes you happier than

The cloudy crowd that’s all around,

and dull and dim and on the ground,

Rules fallen over my shoulder made me feel like sky-time,

Chance I couldn’t get a hold of, made me feel like nighttime.

**

When the climate’s right upon your feeling,

It would even seem like you are stealing,

But the truth is: you are now the real thing,

Just like when you accidentally motioned:

**

Provision for new feelings,

Envisioning new real things,

Wishing success is happening:

Knowing it is always

Sparkling in the water,

,**

A little ray of starlight makes you happier than

The darkened space that’s all around,

and full and real and the only sound,

One fallen over my shoulder made me feel like nighttime,

One that I got a hold of, makes now the right time,

Jumping in, strive to win, following the river that is flowing,

Cold and moving, strong and proving,

There is positively change

Seasons of the Day. We need health, metaphor and humour?

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(Potato Flowers, added 2020)

2013 (with a few updates).

As I enter into my third blog, I want to make a statement.

What is that statement?  Well in a capsule: “Finding good physical and mental health is both an art and a science.”  It requires a good diet, exercise, proper sleep habits and stress-management.  There are so many other factors affecting health, like:  life events, social network, genetics and medication – to name a few.  And where is mental health without a little humour? Goals? To combine all these factors in so many different ways and proportions to yield physical and mental health for so many people and the majority of the time – This to me is art.

My idea of taking a poetry collection from the last twenty-five years and trying to squeeze health tips out if it is a bit bold – especially when many of the lyrics were written when I was emotional 🙂 Still, I think it is useful – to draw ideas from the writing and try to make them work, in my own understanding – to promote health.  Moving forward with my ideas that frame the themes of Challenge, Love, Awareness and Perseverance might be a bit cliché, but where I can, I will apply these thoughts. This poem was written last year and really discusses my quest to promote health in modern life.  The ideas of plants, fruit from trees, vines and vegetables as human life are key metaphors here.

Seasons of the Day

Awoken by rays and rain breathes life in me,

Underground sleep just until the light is seen,

The planted crops grow and feed all of our life,

Resembling the rows where we live and subside,

*

Incandescent glow is on and I greet myself,

This existence that covets material wealth,

The rows of the houses, people just waiting,

For a chance to advance towards escaping,

*

I don’t want to be dying on the vine,

Dropping off the tree,

Rotting in the ground,

Never to be freed –

*

Just to share in the vintage – impassioned potential sparkles at the brim,

To give years of health in places where it is seldom seen,

We all must wait, for generations to succeed,

*

The sharing of moments is not allowed here,

To our fever and fret the end is always near,

The cold leaves in the autumn shake and then fall,

Through the wet ground below, seeded rivulets crawl,

*

In the ice in the end with our hopes frozen cold,

The thoughts glisten and may drip pointedly bold,

No excuse for children not to go out and play,

Even the vast silence is buried today,

*

Soon the subtle sun reaches up to the branch,

Pulling down expression dormant in the plants,

Grasping at the sprouts, felt clear down to the roots,

A new growth begins – the transition is never smooth,

*

I just want to be growing on the vine,

A strong part of the tree,

Rising from the ground,

Providing what I need

Everyday New Beginnings

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This is an introductory note, and a test in some ways as well…

Just like any other day there has been a number of transitions and challenges.  One of my main concerns, as it likely is for the majority – is to make money and put food on the table, a roof over my head, etcetera. I have a normal income as an electrician.  Problem is:  I am out with an injury and on top of that I have ambitions to go back to university and find new ways to make money.  It is not that I am not making money in my current career, but that I am gravitating to my interests in psychology and philosophy – and to finding more purpose in my goals.  I want to help people with psychological issues.  I find myself having insight that may be useful to others.  This has been consistent.  Optimism has been a mission of mine as far back as I can remember.

I have recently assembled a collection of lyrics and poetry which I am going to post. I will post piece by piece, with some descriptions and many pictures that I have taken (a few pics from my dad). I hope that this will be helpful, or at least allow me to share about ways that I have coped (and found successes) in my life.

In this first note, I will tell a bit about the collection.  I have the approximate date for a number of the poems, also having many recent entries.  However, a lot of the poems had no dates, but were in my attic, garage or in my attaché case, which I recently entered into my laptop.  There are a number of poems which have still to be entered.  We will see how long this blog continues…

The introductory poem here, was just on a random piece of paper:

Turn me into ice water cold

Gently,

Quietly I walk across the floor

A sound outside, a car rumbles far beyond the door,

Given night beside the day, I couldn’t ask for more,

With everything in motion, silently I wait,

Isolated showers trickle past the window pane,

And almost softly I think about the day…

This is about awareness, and influenced by the rainy climate that I live in.  I am also considering how close we are to the outside world – even in our own homes.  We can find ourselves facing the elements at any given moment. Awareness is one of the main themes of my collection, and I have identified four themes to start off with:  Challenge, Awareness, Perseverance and Love.  These are the tools towards progress and recovery as I will address in my next blogs.  Optimism definitely fits in there.