A Valentine's wall around your heart

It’s Valentine’s Day and I’m trying to meditate.

Why is it that I have such a hard time? Wait, let me clarify: When I actually meditate, I do fairly well, at least for a brief while. The problem is sitting to down to do it. I’d rather do anything else. Just like when it’s time to write and I’d rather have dental work done than sketch out a few pages.

I decided to sit down and read a bit. In the first thing I picked up, I came across a passage that spoke to both Valentine’s Day (or romance) and meditation! It’s from Dr. Dean Ornish. He wrote:

When you keep a wall around your heart to armor and protect it from pain, you also diminish your capacity to feel pleasure.

When your life is a continual rush, you may miss exquisite pleasures that exist from moment to moment. Attention spans get shorter.

More and more stimulation is needed just to feel anything.

How's that hopey-changey stuff working out for ya?

Sarah Palin. Sigh ... what can we say? (A lot.)

For the moment, this: Did you hear her keynote address at the Tea Party Convention? If you missed it, here's a recap.

There were plenty of moments to make you spit milk through your nose. The one that really got me was when she asked, speaking generally to President Obama, "How's that hopey-changey stuff working out for ya?"

I was struck by the image of a sneering ugly stepsister who's locked Cinderella in the cellar on the night of the ball asking, "How's that dating that datey-princey stuff working out for ya?"

There's a malice to this woman that gives me chills. In 2008, I laughed at her. She quit her job and I thought she had closed the lid on her own political coffin and we were done with her.

Now I'm getting scared.

BPJ