11-15-2020, 07:06 AM
Stage 4, Day 6
To me, Stage 4 has a similar feel to Stages 1 & 2. They're like finely machined pieces of a cohesive overall system. Stage 3 felt felt like a jagged piece of rusty iron. So far, I feel like I'm back on track.
Two nights ago, I attended my daughter's parents week dance class. During the class, I noticed a little girl who hadn't brought her accessories, so she had to undergo a "punishment" (pushups, wall squats isometrics, etc.). Later, throughout the class, I noticed that nobody talked to her and she seemed sad. As a shy kid growing up, I found myself hurting for her. During the drive home, I encouraged my daughter (the social butterfly) to speak to her. She said that she had already, but the little girl didn't want to be bothered. So I told my daughter to be friendly to her and may she'll warm up one day. I asked if the little girl ever had the required dance accessories or if she had to undergo "punishments" every week. The whole event affected me emotionally to the point that I was going to anonymously purchase accessories for her if she needed them.
Yesterday, I was sitting in the lobby of a business. There was a little old man sitting across from me with a nice ARMY baseball cap. I told him that I liked his hat and thanked him for his service. He was friendly. He's the kind of person I might normally make small talk with, but for some reason I didn't. I just observed him. There was something about him that was stirring emotion in me. After he checked out, he stopped and spoke with a lady sitting next to me. At that point I joined in the conversation, but spent most of the time just listening to him. He was 91. He was sharp as a tack. He was full of good-natured wit. He was gentle. He was happy. He showed us a picture of his wife when she was 18 years old. He showed us a picture of her when she was 84 years old. Then he mentioned that she was at the lake (still alive...hallelujah), so he was going to have to figure out what to eat without her there. As he spoke of his life, I wiped tears from my eyes and again after he got in his car and left....yes, he drove. The few minutes of conversation with this gentleman touched me deeply.
I don't know if the two paragraphs above are sub-related, but I've definitely been more sensitive in a positive way this weekend.
On another note, I woke up on my own at a decent hour (no sleeping 'til noon) both days this weekend. The deep exhaustion I experienced in Stage 3 seems to be gone.
To me, Stage 4 has a similar feel to Stages 1 & 2. They're like finely machined pieces of a cohesive overall system. Stage 3 felt felt like a jagged piece of rusty iron. So far, I feel like I'm back on track.
Two nights ago, I attended my daughter's parents week dance class. During the class, I noticed a little girl who hadn't brought her accessories, so she had to undergo a "punishment" (pushups, wall squats isometrics, etc.). Later, throughout the class, I noticed that nobody talked to her and she seemed sad. As a shy kid growing up, I found myself hurting for her. During the drive home, I encouraged my daughter (the social butterfly) to speak to her. She said that she had already, but the little girl didn't want to be bothered. So I told my daughter to be friendly to her and may she'll warm up one day. I asked if the little girl ever had the required dance accessories or if she had to undergo "punishments" every week. The whole event affected me emotionally to the point that I was going to anonymously purchase accessories for her if she needed them.
Yesterday, I was sitting in the lobby of a business. There was a little old man sitting across from me with a nice ARMY baseball cap. I told him that I liked his hat and thanked him for his service. He was friendly. He's the kind of person I might normally make small talk with, but for some reason I didn't. I just observed him. There was something about him that was stirring emotion in me. After he checked out, he stopped and spoke with a lady sitting next to me. At that point I joined in the conversation, but spent most of the time just listening to him. He was 91. He was sharp as a tack. He was full of good-natured wit. He was gentle. He was happy. He showed us a picture of his wife when she was 18 years old. He showed us a picture of her when she was 84 years old. Then he mentioned that she was at the lake (still alive...hallelujah), so he was going to have to figure out what to eat without her there. As he spoke of his life, I wiped tears from my eyes and again after he got in his car and left....yes, he drove. The few minutes of conversation with this gentleman touched me deeply.
I don't know if the two paragraphs above are sub-related, but I've definitely been more sensitive in a positive way this weekend.
On another note, I woke up on my own at a decent hour (no sleeping 'til noon) both days this weekend. The deep exhaustion I experienced in Stage 3 seems to be gone.
