Share Your World 1-19-2021
Since last week, I don’t think I can even begin to describe what is and has been going on. We had an attempted coup by our Shining Orange Star, the fastest impeachment ever, making 45 the only prez to be impeached twice.
Red-Bellied Woodpecker
Locally, we still don’t have a viable plan for vaccinations in Massachusetts. It makes no sense because we haven’t even finished inoculating our first responders, much less older people or people with co-morbidities. At this rate, I may never get to go anywhere again — ever. Given the rapid development of the new, more communicable COVID virus, I think they need to do something already. It’s certainly not a lack of available facilities. We have many of the best medical facilities in the world. It’s a failure of leadership, starting at the very top with the disastrous failure to order enough vaccines or to distribute them appropriately — AND the Feds unwillingness to fund vaccine distribution. It has been followed up by apparent bewilderment by every part of our local government, from the governor (nice guy, big smile but I often wonder if other than smile, what exactly he does) to hospital administrators.
Now, questions. I always write this before I read anyone else’s answers so I won’t be influenced by what other people think.
QUESTIONS
Why do we dream?
There is a long and fairly complicated explanation which is very scientific, but doesn’t really tell us what we want to know. We REALLY want to know whether the things we dream mean anything. If we dream a number, should we bet on that number? If we dream of bears, are we healing? Are dreams just a mishmash of all the different experiences we’ve had since last we slept?
Brightly through the web of the dream catcher
I often dream using clips from movies, but not the real clip. My clip, starring Garry or me or someone I’ve never seen before. A dream can start off with what feels like a real plot, with a story that makes sense, or seems to make sense. Then, suddenly, they veer off into wild unreality. Dreams that don’t seem “bad” can leave you waking up feeling unhappy, sad, worried, and you can’t figure out why.
I’ve had dreams that warned me someone had died or some news that a tragic plane accident occurred. Nonetheless, I’ve had them. I can’t explain it and am not going to try. I know that, in addition to the mishmash of miscellaneous information that seems to form the biggest part of our dreams, there are other things that show up too — and some of them turn out to be real. Is it because our usual “daytime” protections are missing and we feel things we miss the rest of the time?
I don’t know. I don’t even have a good theory. I just know that stuff gets through in the deep sleep of dreaming that you will miss when you’re eyes are open.
Do you think a person’s name influences the person they become?
I haven’t the slightest idea. When I was six, I was sure if I had a romantic name, life would be much better. Today? Who knows?
Does hardship make a person stronger?
Hardship may make you tougher which might help you survive, but they don’t make you stronger. A little hardship can give you a push to succeed next time, but a long life of hardship doesn’t make you live longer or better. Unless you are lucky enough to have an unstoppable sense of humor, it makes you bitter, sick, depressed and eventually, dead too soon. I’m strongly in favor of making life easier and better. This is one of the platitudes I loathe. It’s a perfect excuse for treating other people badly.
“It wasn’t ME. It was God’s plan.” Really? If there’s a god and this is how he shows me “the way?” No thanks. Keep him or her or them.
Why do we judge ourselves by our intentions, but judge others by their actions?
I don’t judge anybody by their supposed intentions. The best of intentions go awry more often than not. It’s so easy to say “I meant well,” and then do little or nothing to change your intentions into accomplishments. It’s why I don’t make “bucket lists” or New Year’s resolutions. They’re just words. I judge everyone — including me — by actions and accomplishments.
Words are easy. Accomplishing something is a whole lot more complicated.
Gratitude
Getting the photograph you hoped to get but never thought you would! It might not sound like much, but trust me, it really is!
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Categories: Birds, Gallery, Nature, Photography, Q & A, Share My World, Woodpeckers
Serendipity Seeking Intelligent Life on Earth 
Love your answers, Marilyn, which almost made me want to go and change mine! As for intentions, there’s the old adage, “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.” It’s true. Think before you act, no matter what your intention is!
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I try really hard to never toss intentions out unless I also have an actual plan for implementation. But I’m not a particularly spontaneous person, I plan first and state intentions much later.
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Love the photos. He looks like he’s wearing a little red hat.
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Kind of cute, isn’t it? Like a hat for a Shriner or some other “brotherhood.” It looks like he’s wearing a tux and a pointy red cap.
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Thanks, Marilyn for Sharing Your World! Your post is magnificent! That woodpecker looks busy and what great shots!! It mystifies me why ‘they’ (those who are supposed to be charge of things) can’t just go to work and give out the damned vaccine. Stop waffling around and making excuses but just DO THE DAMNED work. We’ve hung ourselves as a society in loops of red tape and dip shit rules that nobody understands, but that most people follow as if they’re a relevant factor. I still get a faint twinge of conspiracy theory ‘cold’ because the whole process has been so messed up. Don’t they really have enough vaccine or what? Just say so. Most folks (with any sense) have followed the rules around staying safe, do those alleged leaders think we’ll suddenly go berserk and storm the clinics and hospitals screaming for the drug? Sounds like the actions of an orange idiot and his cronies to me. I’m going to go look at the woodpecker again, I was getting riled up, and he’s soothing. Thanks Marilyn!!
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I’m with you. I’ve been with your for at least a couple of months. They’ve made up so many rules that the vaccine is sitting on the shelves getting too old to use. It’s infuriating.
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I think the vaccinations are going to go more smoothly now, with sanity at the helm. At least they can tell us the truth, not say they have them and then not have them! I know we are lucky, because living in a senior community, we have priority. At first they said that the residents in independent living (which we are) wouldn’t be getting them until much later, but in fact, we are getting our first dose on Feb. 5! By that time, all the assisted living/health care residents as well as the staff will have gotten their first dose.
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No one who doesn’t live in a senior facility (not community), works in a hospital or is a first responder had gotten a vaccination. We’ve not even able to call and make an appointment. It’s pathetic.
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Your pileated woodpecker shots are absolutely wonderful! It is truly a dream to have seen him at all, and to have the camera right beside you when he came by is also a dream!
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Ever since I missed him the last time, I’ve kept my travel camera right next to me. It’s hard shooting out of this window. It’s on the second floor and although we had the house power-washed, the windows are only somewhat cleaner then before. Some would have to use a tall ladder and since the ground below the windows is soft, no one wants to do it and I don’t blame them. That’s a long, dangerous fall from a ladder to the ground. Broken body parts for sure.
But that is one amazing bird! They aren’t rare and there are some out on the California coast, too … but you need to be in a woods AND you need dead trees. I’ve seen them a few times, but they fly by before I have a chance to say “Hey, WAIT!” When they get into debugging a tree, that’s when you get a chance and we have one nice, rotting tree right in front of the house. It’s not beautiful to us, but boy, the woodpeckers ADORE it!
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