Some Random Thoughts On This Morning

 

Song:  Tranquility Of The Earth

From YouTube Channel:  Nature Sound Retreat

Just some of my random thoughts about the human condition.

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I had awakened to another beautiful day.

I love awakening and and seeing Bandi lying so innocently and comfortably

next to me on my bed.

She is fully stretched out...

and with her short muzzle...

she still has the innocent look of a puppy.

I have a high paternal instinct.

I love seeing happiness in children and animals.

Of course...

as any parent already knows...

holding your infant in your arms and seeing the pureness of heart through 

their searching eyes as they take in the world around them...

...or watching them sleep peacefully in perfect comfort...

 is just all so magical.

Animals have that same purity of heart...

and so...

when I awaken to see Bandi lying so comfortably next to me...

it just brings back those magical memories of being a father to a young infant.

I allow Bandi to gently awaken as I softly stroke her fur.

She will then stretch and sometimes roll onto her back so I may stroke her belly or chest.

Then, her eyes will brighten and she will raise her head and look at me...

telling me with her eyes that it is time for her to go out to the bathroom.

If I miss that signal...

Bandi will then sit on the floor on my side of the bed and then...

ever so gently...

put a paw on my arm as she looks into my eyes.

She is always so gentle with everything she does.

She is just too cute to resist.

I love stroking her fur...

kissing her cute little muzzle...

and tenderly hugging her.

I feel so blessed to have her in my life.

I so love animals...

especially dogs.

I take her everywhere with me.

After taking her outside...

I will then prepare a meal for us.

This morning...

I started it out with a couple of avocados as an appetizer.

Bandi loves avocados as well.

I will eat a slice...

and I then give Bandi a slice...

until we are finished.

Although when I feed her a large meal...

I use her bowl...

I also feed her by hand whenever I eat.

I love the connection made with her as she eats.

I love how she gently partially closes her eyes whenever

she tastes something delicious...

and then how they fully open when she is looking for another bite.

She gets so excited in anticipation of her next morsel.

I then began preheating the oven for a morning pizza.

On this morning...

I had a mad craving for pizza...

and as I always keep a large stock of my favorite pizzas in the freezer...

in just under 20 minutes...

I satisfied my craving with the absolute deliciousness of this pizza.

The pizza was ready to put in the oven...

and Bandi's mouth had begun to salivate.

As the pizza was in the oven...

I looked out my front windows at the distant clouds.

I then stepped outside to enjoy the view.

I love looking at white bilious clouds against the bright blue backdrop of the sky.

Every morning...

when I step outside my bedroom...

I am greeted by the large and expansive views my front cathedral windows provide.

When I step into the filtered sun's rays in front of the windows...

and I feel the gentle warmth of the sun...

in combination with the distant mountain...

forest...

and expansive sky views...

I feel so fortunate in life.

And when I step out onto the second floor deck and feel 

the crisp mountain breeze on my face and bare skin...

I have distant memories of some of the happiest times in my life come alive...

complete with what the symphonic orchestra of the mind plays 

as its soundtrack for the moment.

The sun felt warm on my skin...

as I was cooled by a 5 - 10 mph crisp mountain breeze on my face and arms.

It is this combination of sensations that I find to be so pleasant up here.

The pizza was ready...

and with my music list playing on my speaker system...

I was ready to eat.

I sliced the pizza up and placed it at my seat.

Bandi stood at the ready...

as she loves pizza.

Bandi is so gentle.

She doesn't whine...

she just gently places her muzzle on my leg and looks at me...

telling me that she is ready for another bite.

She is such a lady.

If women took on the gentle nature of Bandi...

they would be simply irresistible to men.

The siren like draw of true femininity to a man

is a lost art form in so many of today's women.

Too many women foolishly think that it is the outside that attracts men.

NO...

it is the beauty within that men cannot resist.

A woman who is kind...

gentle...

pure and light hearted...

is forever beautiful.

Age doesn't diminish her beauty...

as it emanates from within.

-----

I am sometimes deeply saddened by the thought of Bandi one day dying

once she reaches the natural end of her life cycle.

But...

that is why I treasure her so much in the here and now.

I love giving her unfettered affection...

making her so excited and deeply satisfied in life...

of seeing her deep happiness as she sticks half her body 

out an open window of my car when we go on country drives...

of her excitedly gobbling her meals...

and of her stretching out fully in contented sleep next to me.

The pure joy on her face as she excitedly looks at the many animals we pass by 

and by the joy she has with the wind on her face during our drives...

that is what makes me so happy as well

(I will frequently look at her through the side view mirror 

as she has her head out the rear driver's side window as I drive).

Bandi gives to me so much...

not just in her expression of joy in life...

but in her giving to me of deep affection and comfort.

While lying in bed when she feels that I am upset

(I sometimes verbally express my displeasure at a video I see)...

and she thinks I am actually mad or sad...

she will immediately nuzzle up to my neck and gently press her head against me...

and then proceed to lick at my face...

as if to nurture me back to emotional grace  :) 

Animals (and small children)...

are mirrors of how they are treated.

Give them love and affection...

and it is returned in even greater amounts.

It is these traits in dogs that make them so endearing to we humans...

the ability to appreciate, react to, and give...

 joy in life.

They naturally and appropriately engage in reciprocity

without ever realizing that they automatically double pleasure in life...

that of giving...as well as by receiving...

and by truly appreciating them both.

This is what too many humans do not do.

Not only are so many people only focused on receiving from others...

and never really reciprocate except in the most shallow of ways...

but they also never really get any real joy out of life.

People who think that others need to make them happy...

are emotional black holes.

A heavy hearted person is one who looks to the outside 

for a phantom of happiness that constantly eludes them.

A light hearted person knows that true happiness comes from within.

They know that they have a happiness that is independent of others...

that it is something which cannot ever be taken away by others.

They derive deep satisfaction just from the simplest of the many great pleasures in life.

-------------

As I have said before...

there are two basic pillars of basic country common sense

(with the third pillar coming later with experience...wisdom)...

Inherent Implication

(The ability to correctly foresee logical paths...

to see into the future and to pick correct long term paths to goals in life...

or in logical arguments).

Inherent Contradiction

(The ability to correctly foresee possible pitfalls...

incorrect paths in life or in false arguments).

It is these two which give rise to the introspection necessary to gain wisdom...

the third and last pillar.

With wisdom...

similar lessons in life may be applied generally to others

(how many times must we learn the same lessons in life?)...

and so...

the T factor (time) which lay in life but is not often factored in...

may be utilized to properly identify...

and properly solve problems...

or to at least mitigate through multiple built in redundancies and contingencies...

and all in a timely manner so it could be realistically effected

(so often in life...

utilization of the concept of Micro Macro - Macro Micro...

is applied...

and so...

shortcuts to answers become readily apparent...

as that which is true for the small...is true for the large...

with the opposite often also being true).

Intelligence is the ability 

to use a proper sieve in observation to filter out the extraneous...

to properly identify only the CONTROLLABLE AND AFFECTING variables

(without which the number of variables would soon overwhelm)...

to simplify the complex into governing concepts...

to then codify and prioritize them...

and to be able to apply them in the most widespread...

efficient and effective form to be able to carry through to the best positive result

for the long term good.

We simply ARE hampered in life by LIMITED time and resources.

I have seen...

too many people...

not apply simple and basic common sense to their lives

(I, too, have been guilty...

especially in my youth).

Some...

to the detriment of their very lives.

What they hadn't realized is that we each SHALL experience

many a negative event in our lives.

We are all knights of Camelot

(Fighting our way to the achievement of our dreams).

While too many merely focus on their weaponry

(their sword and lance)...

without our armor...

we become consumed by the fiery breath of the smallest of dragons.

The minor dragons of sadness...

of hopelessness...

of anger...etc...

will needlessly delay or derail your journey.

And...

without a strong and trusty steed

(the dream which keeps us going to fruition)...

our warhorse upon which we ride into battle...

we are also doomed to failure.

If we fold under the pressures of everyday life...

or if we settle for mediocrity in life by losing hope in our dreams...

we will have already lost the battle before it had begun.

Although I am in my Camelot...

neither I...

nor is my life...

perfect.

But...

forever shall I be a knight...

and the King...

 of Camelot.

No matter what happens around me...

with loved ones...

with the state of the world...

it is here that all worries melt away.

I will forever slay the dragons of life...

by living my life fully and well.

And, by expressing my thoughts and emotions

through my creative passions...

I may reach from beyond my future grave to positively affect others...

and so...

thereby defeating the dark dragon of death.

Yes...

there are some dark clouds on the horizon in life.

But in my refuge high in the Colorado Rockies...

no matter the strength of the storms...

my Camelot is sturdily built...

my warhorse sure and steady...

my weapons sharp and ever ready...

my armor cleaned and polished...

and my resolve to defeat any and all dragons...

shall remain intact.

Again...

although I have effected a positive solution

in my life with the controllable variables given...

there are some uncontrollable variables that life throws at us all.

With those uncontrollable events...

I shall weather them...

and so, I will face the dragons bravely...

for I know I shall eventually defeat them.

Plus...

I do know very well...

that not only have countless others done the very same thing under worse conditions...

but that I also have a distinct advantage...

as I already reside in my Camelot.

I have a great appreciation for it...

and so...

I really have no excuse to not be deeply happy...

for it is here that I have deep serenity...

a slice of heaven even greater than I had ever imagined I would ever have.

Bandi is simply too cute to resist.

I cannot express enough how soul filling this pizza is.

It is Safeway's Signature brand...

and there is no pizza I have ever tasted that is better.

The taste extends throughout the body...

not just the mouth.

This pizza is as close to perfect as I have ever had.

It makes a delicious small meal at anytime.

I have made it for a late night snack...

and for breakfast more than a few times.

I know I have mentioned this more than once...

but I simply love this so much that I know once you try one...

you will understand my feelings on it.

Just 15 minutes at 425 F earns your way into a slice of culinary heaven.

I looked out one of my front windows again.

My windows are treated with an infrared blocking tint so that it doesn't overheat the inside

of the home as it gets the full morning sun through them...

...however...

there is just enough gentle heat to enjoy the direct morning sun

on my bare skin in the mornings.

I will sometimes recline in my chair by one of the front windows...

while just in my boxers.

The gentle warmth of the sun tingles my skin as I lie back.

It is a free infrared treatment (some gets through if you feel any heat at all)...

but, of course, the ultraviolet rays are filtered out by the glass.

And...

up in the loft...

I enjoy the views before me...

to the right of me...

and behind me.

I will frequently open the deck door and one of the bathroom windows 

to enjoy the fresh, crisp, and cooling mountain cross breeze.

I am going to later put a coffee table on the third deck to enjoy sunrises and sunsets

in the warmer weather.

I will also put a larger outdoor eating setting on the second deck...

along with a BBQ / smoker.

There is also a place in front and to the side of my house...

in the shade of a large tree which has beautiful views

that I am thinking of placing another small eating set for summer and autumn 

eating and coffee drinking pleasure.

---------

My thoughts are frequently this random...

as one thought leads to another in pinball fashion.

But...

 while my habit of doing this during my school years may have hampered me...

I was never bored :)

As my mind took random flights of fancy...

of great pieces of music which had reverberated within...

and of which had provided a magnificent soundtrack for the movie of the mind...

and also of which still greatly flavors life itself...

it is from the movies and orchestras of my mind

that I derive my stories and compositions...

the two greatest passions in my life.

No matter where I am in Camelot...

there is just so much to love and appreciate about it...

and about my stage in life.

I love life so much...

because I deeply feel and appreciate the great simple pleasures of it.

Even when I take Bandi out to her forest bathroom...

I feel the cool mountain breeze on my face and smile...

I revel in the delicate aroma of the pine trees of the surrounding forest...

and I look up at the glittering stars above at night

(after using my flashlight to scan the forest for possible predatory eyes looking back at me  :)

--------

Just a few more condensed thoughts...

Do not settle for mediocrity in life.

However...

do not stagnate in life because you must have perfection.

You must always factor in time and available resources.

Appreciate everything in life...

especially the great small pleasures...

for it is within them that you will be greatly buoyed on a daily basis.

Be willing to walk through the fires of hell to reach your heaven...

for it always lies on the other side of it.

Always think long term over the short...

always think large over the small...

for with the large...

the small resolves on its own.

If you concentrate on only the small...

that is all that you will receive.

Always treasure the pure hearted.

It is only they who know true love and pure joy in life.

And it is only they who can teach others to love life as well.

It is only through our honest acceptance of death

(We only have one shot at life...and never again)...

that we may truly appreciate life.

Without this taken to heart...

we take everything for granted...

and we never experience the grand symphony...

the great colors and art form of life.

And...

if we may accept our eventual deaths...

all other concerns in life pale by comparison.

And so...

we are left with nothing but the positive...

and the great appreciation for what we have.

Everything is then put into proper perspective...

and all of life then becomes crystal clear.

With crystal clarity in life...

anxiety and ambiguity dissolves.

With the dissolution of the anxiety of the unknown...

while you may still suffer from momentary sadness...

hopelessness will never be a factor in your life...

for your path in life will be clear...

and so, your steady walk towards your dreams will be assured.

-------------

Why am I so self assured...

perhaps even so arrogant in my views in life?

Because...

although I am but an average man...

I have always been a man of good ole country common sense.

I have always been the one in the corner...

carefully observing...

always learning and testing my observations

and myself through the many decades I have lived...

and always trying to understand why...

especially when it came to my thoughts and behavior

as measured against the results...

both, with the positive and the negative.

And so...

I have always learned and adapted to better ways.

I have also often played the fool in certain situations

(as do many people...more so than you realize)...

as only through it...

can one ascertain true intent...

or the depth of kindness in a person...

as the dark hearted only unmask in the presence of a perceived inferior.

While I may not always be honest with others

(kindness sometimes dictates it to be so...

while not serving evil intent also sometimes dictates it be so...

some questions have no right to be asked)...

I have always been honest with myself...

sometimes brutally so...

most often through retrospective introspection.

I also have a sense of shame...

and it is through this that I change for the better...

as I take steps to ensure I never do any such actions in the future.

A true sense of justice...

of morals...

must apply to all...

at all times...

especially for the self.

And so...

if you think about it...

this is the root of all hope.

For if we can adapt...

it opens the possibility to change for the better...

which opens up all the possible positive outcomes for the future.

Which means we can change our lives for the better...

which means we can achieve our dreams.

------

While I have always had the first two basic pillars of common sense...

after sixty five years of life experience...

I can now say I also have the third...

not just through time...

but through true and varied experience in conditions

where the human condition is laid bare...

unmasked and with no place to hide

(this also applied to myself...

people often excel at self deception).

And...

it is with life experience that certain truisms may be collated.

Again...

how many times in life must we learn the same lessons?

-----------

What has this got to do with country living high in the mountains?

It is through solitude that you begin to know yourself.

But...it is not just now that I have experienced solitude.

And...

to know that I thrive in solitude should tell you that

I am happy with myself...

and so...

that I deeply love all of life.

That is the true definition of country.

A person who is country...

loves and is connected with nature...

and all of life.

The grand beauty of the serenity of the mountains and the forests...

of the fresh and crisp mountain air...

the sunrises and sunsets...

of great food and music which fills his soul...

none of these great simple pleasures in life is lost on him (or her).

I am country...

a simple man who loves all of the great simple pleasures of life...

especially that of pure hearted love...

whether it is given or received.

Life is simply too short to live any other way.

And that...

is simply good ole country common sense.