Ostomy Memories of an Open Mind

IF YOU RIDE THE FENCE TOO LONG, you get a sore butt (Barbie or otherwise).  Times come when you’ve got no choice but to pick a side or make a decision.  Neutral only works in certain limited circumstances.  If you’re too dogmatic, too stuck in one place, things pass you by.  So you’ve got to consider all angles and all arguments.  You’ve got to take into account every perspective before reaching a conclusion about things, always being on the look out for the hidden trap or the contradictory position.  “Minds are like parachutes,” said whiskey distiller Thomas Dewar.  “They only function when open.”  On the other hand, said Beat poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti, “if you’re too open-minded, your brains will fall out.”  Most of us need not worry about losing our minds over decision-making.  It may give us a headache, or heartburn (whatever that is), or red splotches on our cheeks, but eventually we swallow hard, bite our lip, and make the call.  It’s best not to put off some things, however.  You don’t want to decide after you’re in the water over your head that you should have taken swimming lessons; you don’t want to put off until you’re in the voting booth the decision on which candidate you favor; you generally ought not make a major purchase sight unseen (although I did this when buying my present home, but I did see photos and had a good realtor rep on site).   Sometimes, over time, positions can harden, of course.  I am not open to discussion about spiders, for instance.  

Spiders eat insects that cause disease - let's discuss.

Hello HenryM.

 

It’s one thing to keep an open mind but I feel it’s something a little different to actually make decisions.

Sometimes I find it’s better to take my time and just drift along with things until the subject matter becomes clearer and/or the arguments for or against are logically weighed against each other and one side outweighs the other. 
However, there are times when life seems to be a simple stalemate and it would appear that it might be best to not make any decisions at all for the time being.

You may note from the dates on my rhyme (below), that I have chosen to put off publishing the book ‘Whext’ ( meaning WHat nEXT!) until at least 2024, as this will give me a chance to weigh up all the pros and cons of publication.

Interestingly, I am presently well into the second book in this series, which will obviously not get published until after I decide to publish the first one – if ever!

 

Best wishes

Bill

 

 

DECISIONS-DECISIONS!  
                                    
So many decisions to be made,
so, do we opt-out or evade
the decision making process
or do we simply acquiesce. 

Questions contrast within my head.
Do I get up or stay in bed?
Show? Bath? or neither of these?
My mind and me are hard to please.

If I get up, what should I wear?
And does it matter if I care? 
Much better if I wear the same 
time and time and time again.

Decisions then are made for me 
and I can live as if I’m free
from the hassle of decisions
and their stressful impositions. 

Some say we should be rational
and not very emotional 
as this approach logically should
make our decisions right and good. 

Others observe there is a ‘but’
and say we should go with our gut
because we often know what’s best
despite what logic might suggest. 

So often instincts can be right 
therefore, decision-making might
be enhanced by this technique
and be the right ones that we seek. 

Maybe a much better position
would be by way of indecision.
Then, no decisions would be wrong 
and we could simply drift along. 

                                   B. Withers 2019

            (In ‘WHEXT’ in press for 2024)

 

 

That would be snakes for me, big or small, so-called harmless, or otherwise.

Terry

Homie doesn't like snakes either.

Hello Terry.

I have an interesting story to tell about my relationship with snakes. Firstly, I should say that I do not dislike them so much as would give them the respect they deserve.

There has always been something about my persona which seems to invite snakes to strike aggressively towards me, so I tend to avoid them where I can. On a trip to NY zoo, my American friends did not believe me when I said that I did not want to visit the snake enclosure, because I felt sorry for the snakes that picked me out for an attack because they were likely to injure themselves on the glass enclosures. My friends were utterly disbelieving of my explanation and accused me of being afraid. At which point I agreed to accompany them to see the snakes on the understanding that  I would not be held responsible for the outcome. Needless to say, within a minute or so of us all lining up along the glass front of the enclosure. A snake crashed against the glass precisely where I was standing. There was absolutely no doubt who was the target for this aggression and this offered me the opportunity of withdrawing from the situation without having to verbally quote that recognised cliché -" I told you so!' 

Best wishes

Bill

Wow, Bill. That is scary! I guess you won't be visiting Australia, parts of Africa, and South America, South East Asia, or the Florida Everglades anytime soon! I wonder if it's something about your body chemistry, or do they just not like the look of you!? It could give a person a complex! LOL!

Terry

Also, a giant no for me as well on the snakes, eels too

Hello Terry.

You are right about my avoidance of visiting places that are noted to have snakes. I have absolutely no idea why they seem to be attracted to me in this aggressive way.
Perhaps more intriguing is the fact that I seem able to get tactile and up close with the constrictors and other non-poisonous snakes without any aggression being shown. Perhaps it is just that the poisonous ones simply wish to 'share' their venom. After all, my life's work has been involved in encouraging humans to share their pent-up venom with me, which they have had very little problems doing. 

Best wishes

Bill

 

Hey Paul, I'm not a fan of the big eels, pretty freaky looking, but I have to say, I love barbecued eel sushi! That's 'unagi' on the menu, if you're interested!

Terry