We’d been meeting like this twice a week. She told me to flip over while she began massaging the back of my knee.
“5” Steve McQueen (1930 – 1980): “Here comes the reshuffling of your deck of priorities, a process outside of your control, followed by the giddy anticipation as the cards are being dealt. What will you get? It matters but not as much as how you play what you get.” Aries
Hi and welcome to Thursday’s Episode 48 in Season 3 of “My Paradoxically Normal Year” on this 20th day of May in the spring of 2021 — which is a three-year examination of how bits of wisdom changed during the “normal” pre-pandemic year and then in the pandemic year, and now months after.
“The Tau of Steves: What You Don’t Know Could Fill a Book”
Previously from Season Three, the Paradoxically Normal Year
S3 E47 — Why’s and How’s of the Genius Art of Procrastination; S3 E46 — Twisting Meaning to Fit Is Still a Misdemeanor in My Book; S3 E45 — Tacit Heuristics Blinding Fast-Track Teams
Related from Season Two, The Pandemic Year
S2 E48 — Tracking Millennials from One Resort to Another; S2 E47 — 27 Adventure Regions for Your Remote-Working Bucket List; S2 E46 — Whimsy Passion Project or Epic Novel of Adventure?; S2 E45 — Wildcard What Ifs and Doobie Bros Bias
Related from Season One, The Normal Year
S1 E48 — Holiday TauBit Trumps Funk; S1 E47 — Day 47 of My 1-Year Experiment; S1 E46 — Day 46 of My 1-Year Experiment; S1 E45 — Day 45 of My 1-Year Experiment
Context
In the end my physical therapist agreed. I’m guessing one of the missing cards, in addition to curiosity I wrote about last time for the “Conclusions” section, is the critical thinking card.
But first she asked, “So what are you going to do the rest of the day?”
I told her work on my blog. “Oh, what is it about?”
I told her I steal people’s horoscopes mostly and am writing up a report covering one year. “Why?” she wanted to know.
She knew her sign, Sagittarius. I told her Steve Aoki (using celebrity Steves) always was better than mine, Scorpio. She helped me pronounce his name, so obviously she knew who he was.
What I’m working on now, I told her, is critical thinking, how in the ‘70s when I was in my first career there was a whole movement starting with the uncertainty principle that upended psychology at the time of Esalen in Big Sur by psychedelic pioneers.
It was a scene I left for another career, but I told her this passion project allows me to revisit it.
“Right there,” I said.
It would be one more day before I’d get the results from the MRI and we guessed there might be some damage to my ligaments. I felt not being able to keep up the strengthening and balance exercises set me back.
I asked her how she ended up working in this sports rehab office. She told me it was the second of her rotations. When she completed it they asked her to join them.
“How did you start your first career?” she asked, probably only half listening.
“Let’s see when I moved here after my masters in clinical and experimental psychology I did the typical. I sent out 100 resumes to places between Ocean Beach in San Diego to the northern part of Orange County.”
“Oh?”
The only real offer I told her came from Dr. Lichter who was starting up a clinic in Newport Center called the Behavior Modification Institute. “We offered biofeedback sessions as a way of reducing stress and making it easier for clients to find a meditative state.”
“BMI?” she said.
“Yeah, but in the mornings I’d work at a State Hospital and in the afternoons in Newport Beach trying to sell time in a white, egg-shaped biofeedback chair for producing those alpha waves.”
“Uh-Huh.”
“Do you know who Sam Harris is?” I asked after she focused more on my knee therapy.
She heard of the name. I said he’d been interviewing neuroscientists on his podcast which allowed me to update my understanding of the brain … even psychedelics were now being used to treat addictions and help cancer patients.
“Critical thinking,” she nodded.
We agreed as I flipped over to my back on the black cushioned table was in short supply these days. She never checked her horoscope except sometimes in magazines when she came across it.
Though what I was doing was interesting and she said should check it out.
Evidence
Random ones that make me want change my sign.
“5” Steve McQueen (1930 – 1980): “Here comes the reshuffling of your deck of priorities, a process outside of your control, followed by the giddy anticipation as the cards are being dealt. What will you get? It matters but not as much as how you play what you get.” Aries
She never checked her horoscope except sometimes in magazines when she came across it. Though what I was doing was interesting and she said should check it out.
“4” Steve Winwood, 71; Stevie Wonder, 69; Stephen Colbert, 56: “Allowing yourself to get distracted will drain your precious energy unless those distractions are so quality they inspire you. You’ll know immediately. Unless you get hit by a “wow” factor, keep moving along.” Taurus
I’m not sure if our brief conversation with my physical therapist worked on my knee after my accident, but I didn’t feel drained at all. And, after my hour-long exercises topped off with icing my knee down I felt no pain — not even the dull ache or sharp jab under my knee cap.
“4” Steve Greene, 34; Steve Guttenberg, 61: “You’re carrying more than you know. It’s like your mind has pockets you haven’t checked in a while. Go through, gather up the useless and dated ideas, and then release them to the trash.” Virgo
Seriously, G&G I struggled with your Holiday Tau until I realized I’ve been finding out what no longer holds up against the latest brain research about consciousness and what I used to believe about functions housed in the right- and left-brain
What’s Going On …
Literally Bottled and Set Adrift from KnowWhere Atoll
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- @KnowLabs suite of 36 digital magazines jumps from 8203 to 8218 organically grown followers.
Foresight
Quality-of-Life
Long-Form
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- “Why?: What Makes Us Curious,” by Mario Livio. “… socially shared myths, rituals, and symbolism were most likely the first sophisticated responses to nagging why and how questions and were therefore the fruits of curiosity. The chain reaction that resulted from the positive feedback between curiosity and language turned Homo sapiens into a powerful intellect, with self-awareness and an inner life.”
Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Inspired by: Holiday Mathis – Creators Syndicate
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