May 2022

Sabbaticalized

“Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.” – Annie Lamott

The idea of taking a “sabbatical” had been rattling around in my brain for many years but took root as COVID began to impact the big world and my small private practice in it. There were multiple challenging adaptations and pivots, so many of us experienced during these last few years, including shifting to telehealth, pandemic anxiety, the intensity of cultural fear and anger, and managing the increasing surge of new and former patients requesting therapy. Managing an already full private practice, waiting list, and fielding calls from new and former patients was overwhelming. Finding referrals was challenging. Saying “no” to former patients I had worked with at various times during their lifecycle was painful and unexpected. The sheer amounts of calls, emails, and texts were a bit much for my pre-digital-age brain. My eyes and neck were Zoom fatigued.

Paddling

We are time travelers,
paddling down
A river of no return,
Turning the pages
of old calendars,
gliding through space,
into fresh waters,
paddling on faith:
we commit to the river.

Bloomies

What it feels like to be 78…
I am at Bloomie’s…18 minutes before CLOSING!
Lights flash…signaling Mortality.
Who by fire…who by water.
Finally relating to Me.
The Golden Years. Retirement. Grown Children. New Vistas.
Travel, leisure, precious moments with loved ones.
Perspective…the Wild Card. Time is not forever.
No e-mail or Google revealing an expiration date.
Still…Black Friday is here. Grab all we can…fleeting.
Power Up…hold on tight…that Carousel Ride…almost over.
Blissful passage to Nirvana or Tarot card of suffering?
Birth…Joy.
Departure from Life.
Often deterioration and pain.
Don’t ask Why!
Struggles…reflecting challenges of the Spirit.
Before we achieve a ticket to Heaven.
St. Thomas…God exists…his argument of Design.
Humans, forever searching for answers.
The Human Condition.

Annie’s lesson for the NOW TIME.
LIFE…the finest BLESSING.
Fully Present in Every Precious Moment.

Sue Ann Scheck “Annie” was born and raised in Brooklyn and now resides
in Rancho Santa Fe. She tells us that 18 in Jewish time means LIFE.

Remorse

For the past 25 years as a psychologist, I have had the privilege and opportunity to be in consultation with individuals at various stages of the aging process. My patients ranged in age from the early ’50s to the early ’90s. I visited individuals in skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities, their homes, and in my office. My interventions were often focused on the following problem…remorse.

A significant number of my patients lived with the emotional burden of remorse. They felt guilt mostly about family situations. They felt remorse about being overly busy with several activities in life and not spending more quality time with their spouses, partners, and children.

Guacamole Italian Style

Guacamole dip is a popular food in Southern California. Here is a recipe you won’t find in a restaurant, but which is tasty.

Mash some avocados in a bowl. Leave the mix chunky.
Add chopped tomatoes and chopped white onion.
Add juice from a fresh lemon.
Add a little white vinegar.
Add salt, pepper, seasoned salt and garlic salt.
Serve with robust chips.

A Robust Hike

Iron Mountain trail with fence in Poway, California.

Walk, walk, walk. It is excellent exercise and easy on the joints. It is suitable for us seniors who frequently have old injuries. Here is a robust hike for you. Iron Mountain is in Poway at Highway 67 and Poway Road. There is a large parking lot before a trail that leads to the summit. The track is walker-friendly and doesn’t get steep until the last quarter mile. The views from the top are spectacular. The hike is very popular so go during the week if possible. In season watch out for rattlesnakes and the heat!

Borgen

Borgen, a political drama about Denmark is on Netflix. Everything about it is top drawer. It is on my top three list of streaming series!

I have been re-watching the Danish series Borgen. The story centers around a woman who tries to juggle being a wife and mother with her job as Prime Minister. Sidse Babett Knudsen, the acclaimed Danish actress, plays the prime minister, Birgitte Nyborg, and she is superb. The rest of the cast delivers excellent performances, though it is Knudsen who sets the tone of the series. Borgen gives viewers insight into a political system different than our own though the process of politics which drives the system is universal. The series is realistic and gritty and hard to stop watching.