QotD: Rising
is not in never falling,
but in rising
every time we fall.
- Confucius
By logging in to LiveJournal using a third-party service you accept LiveJournal's User agreement
Being a doc and a dork too, I've been studying on COVID-19 since it first appeared. Still the magnitude of the crisis is shocking. This will be a life-changing event and it may last for years. I expect to loose both of my parents. I would not be shocked if I also were to die, but then I have been expecting to die since early in life. What surprises me is that I am still here, to see all of this. I never thought I would see the American experiment fail. I did not anticipate being alive for a pandemic. I didn't know that I'd live to see another Great or Greater Depression. But here I am, still breathing, still enjoying the sun streaming through the window and the softness of Kitten's fur, drinking hot tea, with access to internet and hot water coming out of pipes. I am waiting to see what is next. I am lucky and I know it.
Being an intravert, it is not yet a hardship to stay home. In fact, I am more connected with my family and friends because I have been making daily telephone calls. I generally avoid the telephone, preferring one-on-one in-person conversations. But now, the telephone is what I have. And the internet. I have been spending a lot of time on fecebuk. I discover more interesting articles there than I do from my own independent web wanderings. My friends are a thoughtful and intelligent bunch.
I recently read a book called Perennial Seller, about how to create and market a lasting work of art. I am a writer and a philosopher, and I have several books in the works...and I am thinking that this long period of lockdown will be a good opportunity to write. If I can persuade my dear partner to stop interrupting me with his stream of consciousness verbal leakage, I have a chance. My next hurdle is deciding which book to focus on. I shift back and forth among all my writing projects as a new idea or bit of information provokes me. This shifting--and the splitting of one chapter into two, one book into two, does not facilitate finishing anything.
Of course, because my job is at a clinic, filling doctor's orders for herbs and supplements, the business may remain open. I may be one of those who still has a job for a while yet at least. This is both a blessing (paycheck) and a curse (exposure).
To punish me
for my contempt for authority,
fate made me an authority
myself.
--Albert Einstein
This quiz is designed to help whitewater paddlers assess what class of whitewater you have the skills to run with success. For each question, pick the answer that is most true for you now, not historically. Rigorous and honest self assessment is difficult, but it may be your most important skill for longterm enjoyment in a risky sport. If you are not honest with yourself, this tool is of no use. Our abilities shift throughout life so keep checking in about what you can do, adjust your paddling choices accordingly. You do not have to tell anyone else about your process.
To take the quiz: Jot down a single number answer to each question, making a list that looks something like this: 1, 3, 2, 2, etc. You should have a list with 11 numbers by the end.
SCORING
Don't cheat yourself! Write down your answers to all 11 questions THEN follow this link.