What's important?

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iMacG5
I wanted to write something that would be interesting, get some comments and have the readers add stuff to make it fun; like christiesdad suggested back in May.  So I began looking at the topics posted here over the last year or so and I'm not sure I learned anything at all about what's important.  I'm not sure we can just label something as “important” or “interesting” without knowing about the audience we're addressing.  Even here at MAO, though we have so many things in common, we're different from each other in many ways.  Some of us are healing, some are preparing for a next step, many are somewhere in between and some just got life changing news and can't imagine how to handle it.  Some things that might have been so important some time ago are meaningless now.  Last September I posted something entitled “Prayer” which was very important to me then and continues to be.  It got about 600 views and some very nice replies.  In June I posted “the F word” and it got about ten times as many views and replies.  It was fun.

So what's important now?  To whom?  To me it's just being able to read and learn so much good stuff from so many wise, compassionate people.  Sometimes I might even contribute something helpful.

Thanks to all for being here.

Mike
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Why Join MeetAnOstoMate?

First off, this is a pretty cool site with 33,098 members. Get inside and you will see.

We're not all about ostomy. Everything is being discussed in the forums.

It's a very special community, embracing all ages and backgrounds. People are honest and truly care.

Privacy is very important - the website has many features that are only visible to members.

Create an account and you will be amazed.

Glori
I think that keeping balance and perspective are important, especially for people who are dealing with medical issues. Keep your sense of humor, cherish your friends and family, get as much exercise as you can tolerate and enjoy your life.
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Bill
Hello Mike. Thank you for your 'important' post. It's a very good question but as you say it draws out different things from different people at different times. I facilitate a weekly seminar addressing the question of what is relevant to the participants each week and we get something different nearly every time.  Over more than twenty years there have been only a handful of repeat subjects. It seems that time and circumstances move on and change people's perspectives on what it important to them at any one time.  Also, the fact of being able to talk to someone about an important issue and work it through in one's mind, maybe helps to lower its level of importance and something else is then able to take its place at the top of the list.  

Best wishes

Bill
Primeboy

Great question, Mike. I think active participation itself is very important. Participation here has many facets. There's some elements of commitment, reflection, risk-taking, sharing, asking, challenging, research, decision-making, discovery, pain and joy. The whole process, however, actually becomes the product when we find that by engaging in this arena we tend to live more effective lives and experience some level of growth as human beings. Along the way we discover our lives are not necessarily destroyed by a bag on our belly but by those mind-forged manacles (Blake) that can turn us into defeatists. Our access to other perspectives together with a fair amount of self-examination can give us the freedom to continuously grown in a world with so much uncertainty. So, what's important here? Hanging out is not. Mindful and purposeful engagement with others is. What's on your mind?
nbsp; nbsp; PB
iMacG5
Thanks Glori, Bill and PB.  I think you guys answered the question and provided some excellent advice.  Just to mention some key words like "balance", "perspective", "humor", "participation" and "purposeful engagement" among others.  Priorities can, and probably do, change with time.  The suggestion that the process becomes the product is pretty neat if not profound.  

Hope lots of folks read your replies.  

Mike
 
Words of Encouragement from Ostomy Advocates I Hollister
christiesdad
Mike,
I read all the replies, and some of them were from the more learned deciples of this forum.

As I interpet (forgive my mis-spelling, it is atrocious but I am too lazy to correct it),
Importance of happenings and events does change with the change of the conditions surrounding the them. For example problems encountered and solved become secondary about climbing up a mountain, once you have reached the top. Then you have a whole different set of problems to solve--getting back down the mountain. For those who have never climbed up anything--climbing down IS a whole different set of circumstances.
iMacG5
Hi Jack.  Maybe I'm reading more into your note than you intended but I'm thinking there are "experts" at things they know nothing about.  Or, maybe, the more difficulty we've endured, the more capable we become.  

What's important to me is your thought provoking message and not your spelling.

Thanks,

Mike
vulcanBMk2
Many years ago I was Senior Controller for a large civilian Security Company . I had 2 large posters on my office wall , one read " Have you taken your pills today " the one above my chair read " Oh Lord please help me keep my big mouth shut , until I know what I am talking about "

Very important sound advice .........
christiesdad
Speaking of posters on your wall;
When I was in the Air Force, if I can remember that long ago!!
There was this poster on our maintenance shop wall--
"If some one asks you if you know how to do something,
tell them, hell yeah!
Then get busy and learn how to do it!"

Didn't particularily add anything to this thread. Just thought I'd throw it in.

Got an idea.............
How about each of us posting our favorite sayings, quotes, adages, even one liners, or anything that you feel is interesting on any subject. Only make it just one or two lines, so as not to start an offering of lengthly desertations .
And, just post one per day, although at our ages we all have dozens. That way it will keep going for days and days and maybe give us old farts something to kinda look forward to. I know that there are several "wordsmiths" here; let's take advantage of them, and maybe learn something.
Gonna close this and start the thread under "new topic"
Join me.
Jack
vulcanBMk2
Security company saying " If you can't fight ,wear a big hat "
djcwiley
Hope is the only thing stronger than fear! All these post was food for the soul and I so need during my time of feeling blue.

Thank you for the insights! All well said!

Debra
Past Member
I know I've said it many times in the past, but it's still my favorite.......
"Giving up is NEVER an option" !!

BEG
patri
This too shall pass.
(What was important enough to me to draw me here and keep me tuned in though maybe not very active is the simple need to feel more normal around my ostomy. Other people with ostomies or knowing about my ostomy actually talking about OTHER things is especially relaxing, but as noted...what to talk about? lol. Great observations made.)
iMacG5
Patri, you're so right.  We can go on and on about our stomas and all things related.  There was a time when I couldn't even think of anything other than my stoma. We can, and do, answer a lot of questions for others like us.  Some here are "experts" on so many medical issues and they're so generous with their help.  Some are "wordsmiths" as Jack calls them and here, at this site, we can join each other and share some good moments.  And we're all ostomates.  We have minds, hearts and souls.  Thanks for reminding us.

Sincerely,

Mike
christiesdad

Mike,
What I meant when I used nbsp; nbsp;the nbsp; nbsp;word nbsp; nbsp; quot;wordsmith quot; was that nbsp; nbsp;there are nbsp; nbsp;some caring souls here nbsp; nbsp;that nbsp; nbsp;so eloquently express words of hope for those nbsp; nbsp;who truly need nbsp; nbsp;them. nbsp; nbsp;I nbsp; nbspespecially nbsp; nbspbow nbsp; nbsp;to nbsp; nbsp;Prime for his nbsp; nbsp;words nbsp; nbspof nbsp; nbsp;wisdom, nbsp; nbspbut nbsp; nbsp;there nbsp; nbspare nbsp; nbsp;many, many more that seem nbsp; nbsp;to nbsp; nbsp;have nbsp; nbsp;the nbsp; nbspability to say nbsp; nbsp;just nbsp; nbsp;what nbsp; nbsp;needs nbsp; nbsp;to nbsp; nbspbe nbsp; nbsp;said nbsp; nbspas nbsp; nbsp;well, and God bless nbsp; nbsp;them.

Jack
iMacG5
Totally agree.

Mike
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