Something new every day

Welcome to this divulgence of random thoughts from my scattered brain, dictated (and later edited) as I drive the 500 kilometers (round trip) to see one client; the reality of a community therapist in the Kootenays.

Three hours one way gives me lots of time to reflect on the client I am going to see. I think about how my relationship with them has transformed from one of hesitancy to finding profound love and empathy for them and their horrific situation. I think about how this client often sings Manic Monday by The Bangles to me during our Monday sessions, and that I love how they can find humour in their circumstance. For we know that both humour and music have ineffable therapeutic value that often go overlooked in our very Western treatment practices and models. ... I start singing the song to myself in the car, at the top of my lungs.

 

Recently a friend of mine pointed out that the mosquito is at the bottom of the food chain... but also at the top. How in my nearly-30 years of life have I never considered this is beyond me. You learn something new every day. 

The mosquito thing came up while on a camping trip last weekend where the mosquitos were nearly unbearable. We went for an overnight hike to some natural hot springs, down a scenic valley, surrounding by towering mountains on either side, with a glacial-fed river flowing down below. Four of us were soaking in the springs, Max and I, and two of our dear friends. We found ourselves getting lost in the stars, galaxies, the very idea of the solar system, and the origami-inspired James Webb telescope.

I learned that night that the north star (called Polaris?) never moves... something to do with it's close proximity to the celestial pole. Space is mind blowing. You learn something new every day.

A good friend of mine who I often went dumpster-diving with while on my university exchange in Norway just started working for NASA in their Jet Propulsion Laboratory... wild.

Then all four of us caught a glimpse of the same shooting star. I'm thinking this is the first time that everyone I am with happened to be gazing up at the same place at the same time to witness the same hypervelocity. The universe is cool. The fact that I am witnessing this while submerged in water heated by geothermal energy from the earth's mantle, and while surrounded by good friends and my sweetie... I am feeling rather lucky.

My client told me the other day that neurons can be taught to play the video game Pong. I'll be jitterbugged. ... apparently this term was used in Harlem Glory: A Fragment of American Life (1948) to mean something similar to gobsmacked. Language is fascinating, much like neuron learning. You learn something new every day.

.......

It seems now I have used up my lunch break and more in the writing of this. 

I got my new stovetop (off-grid friendly) espresso maker and steamer in the mail yesterday. Attempted my first espresso from it at lunchtime and ended up with a grand explosion... cue my YouTube search for peer support. You learn something new every day.