Let’s get serious This is no time to sleep Now we’re in business Gulp the air in deep Let’s get serious This is no drum circle of friends Roar out your heart As if your life depends Laugh until it hurts And all that’s broken mends Let’s get serious
A fold poem variation inspired by the folks I used to see in the park every Saturday morning when I took my son to swimming class. I forget their group’s name but they were essentially a Laughter Club and would stand in a circle and force themselves to laugh loudly. Submitted to dVerse’s Poetics: Just for Laughs prompt.
Child, let me take you by the hand Angel, let me walk you home* The future, waiting to be planned You don’t need to walk alone
The coming is with each step Sun rising over dusty hills The past taught not to forget The truth each lesson instils
Praise each day’s hidden delight Adhere to the wisdom of the word Now let the sunset each night Angel, your prayers have been heard
*paraphrasing Unrest’s ‘Angel, I Will Walk You Home’. It could be argued that the first line paraphrases Ralph McTell’s Streets of London too. Title is a line from Gallucci’s ‘You-Wrecker’. Submitted to No Theme Thursday
Today I’m feeling:
Tired and dizzy because of an evening coffee and then many trips to the bathroom during the night along with Cap wanting to be let in and out of the bedroom a couple of times. Hopefully I don’t sleep in the cinema this afternoon!
Today I’m grateful for:
Going out to see a movie for a change. I’m grateful that even here in North Thailand I’m not far away from a movie theatre that shows movies in English.
The best thing about today was:
Nothing stands out today in particular. Everything has been pretty good.
What was out of your control today and how did you handle it?
I was expecting to leave at around 2pm today but Amy was hungry and said we will leave at 12. Well, ok then.
My yearly subscription renewal for Quizizz was automatically deducted today which took out a much-needed 800 baht from my account.
Not much I can do about that as I need the subscription so that I can continue teaching with this tool next semester.
I am grateful that they didn’t put the price up which is what normally happens.
Something I learned today?
Okinawa used to be called Ryukyu up until the 1870s and was a tributary state to China before Japan invaded on a murderous conquest.
What made me laugh out loud today?
I don’t tend to laugh out loud much these days unless I’m playing with my students at school – they certainly make me laugh a lot. In day-to-day life though I am…subdued…. Is that the correct word?
I like to think that I am more emotionally stable these days, as I’ve mentioned before, and not so affected by the ups and downs of my mood.
In today’s thoughts about the best thing about today, the whole day has been pleasant and relaxing without any real highlights and definitely no lows. This is preferable for me these days.
Perhaps I do need to laugh more (outside of school) and be a bit more playful, maybe.
Sarah took this picture on Thursday because I wanted a photo with Apple, Baipad and Jan to remember them and Iphone snuck in on the right too.
Super tired. I was even super tired in my dream! I kept thinking I was going to fall asleep in my dream! I rolled around and stretched myself for a good long while before getting up this morning.
Today I’m grateful for:
The assistant at Mega Home who tried to clean out the hose nozzle of Bruno’s high-pressure hose machine and successfully managed to dislodge a tiny stone that was blocking it. Unfortunately there seems to be more stuff stuck inside blocking it and I’ve had to order a new one online. Hopefully that all the problem is.
The best thing about today was:
Cutting some big branches off our trees as I suddenly got it into my head after investigating what was making noises on the roof. Birds were bathing in water trapped in the gutter and vines were spreading all over as they had attached themselves to the dirt trapped there in the debris of leaves held in place by the tree branches.
I hacked about four or five of them down and dragged them off the roof and artlessly dumped them over the fence. By this time I was completely covered in dirt, dust, mould and ants. My muscles are aching and body scratched and bruised but I had a good time!
Something I learned today?
People laugh when they don’t know what is coming next. Surprised and happy at a new interesting thought injected into the conversation or action.
I think I don’t laugh so much because life has become fairly obvious over time. At least when it comes to being around adults. Kids make me laugh all the time because they can still be wildly unpredictable.
And none of this means that I’m not happy or even that I don’t find things funny.
Good comedians make me laugh. For me they are becoming rarer but that is perhaps connected with growing older and not fully immersed into the cultural zeitgeist they are coming from.
I took this picture because these branches took some mighty effort to be pulled down from the garage roof and dragged across the garden and deposited over the fence. I got a good workout doing that.
Just give me the answer I don’t want to think The end result the same No waste of pen and ink
I don’t want to learn Just want to jump the queue Find the fast way forward And the easiest way through
Smart enough to cheat I’ll copy from the best And when the time comes I’ll just bluff the test
If I end up in the field Painfully planting rice I’ll remember those times At the top were really nice
Today I’m feeling:
Smooth, content. I didn’t get enough sleep last night but it hasn’t put me in a bad mood, more like a dream state that I’m gliding through.
Today I’m grateful for:
The lady that always serves me at Oasis. She recognises me now and knows that I like to add sugar, vinegar and pickled chilli to my food.
The best thing about today was:
Relaxing a little into my classes today and enjoying the interactions with everyone. I was also heartened to receive small Valentine’s gifts from my old students as well as stickers from my current ones.
What was out of your control today and how did you handle it?
Amy called me and was annoyed and upset. I’d been to the hospital to see the psyche but I didn’t wait around to get the meds as there were too many people waiting. I knew I could come back later when it was quieter.
At some point, the hospital called Amy’s number because I hadn’t collected the meds. Amy’s phone diverts to her mum here in Thailand and then she calls Amy. I don’t know why no one calls me!
Amy checked on the camera and thought I wasn’t at home as I’d kept the doors all closed because of the air pollution but I was in the living room eating food and watching TV. When she called she wanted to know where I’d been and talked in an accusatory manner and this annoyed me as I was feeling very good until then.
Anyway, a little while later I’d worked my mood back into feeling positive again and called her at our regular time. She was tired and still a little grumpy so we didn’t talk long. Everything will be fine again.
Something I learned today?
I’ve read a little about a serious train derailment in Ohio that caused a huge explosion of dangerous toxic chemicals and that it hasn’t got much coverage there as the US focuses its media towards its coming war with China and having its population on board with that idea. Some reports have said that the effects of the situation are worse than a nuclear reactor meltdown!
I can feel it will soon be time to disconnect from news again soon. Everything is just seemingly fucked everywhere you look.
What makes me laugh?
Really there are not many things that make me laugh as such. I still enjoy comedy etc but that has a purpose to make you laugh. So the main thing that makes me laugh is, of course, my students. They make me laugh when they are happy and playful but also when they are angry and emotional.
I took this picture because the morning sun burns red through the haze on the horizon.
I am so happy and grateful to have a mask to stop me getting Covid and to stop breathing the pollution at this time of year. I am so happy and grateful for the times Amy threw cold water on me in the shower those times. It still makes me chuckle and I can hear her laughing now.
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