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SWING SHIFT
Saturday Jan. 31, 2015
Swinging golf clubs, or swinging at playgrounds – that’s exercise.
Whereas mood swinging is not exercise.
Or is it?
Swing-causing events/moments – as diverse as any other range of internal or external triggers; je suis charlie moments, old-memory triggers, toes-stubbed moments, sadness, madness, gladness – whole gamut.
Mood, whatever its cause – a completely internal thing.
We blame external factors so easily – what he said, what she did, what they thought, what they meant, the dissection of their intent … all internal. Up to me. And thee …
I’ve been doing lots of work on incremental change in recent months to substantial positive effect (at least that’s my internal mood about it).
Little bitty changes, barely noticeable ones, private ones, quiet ones.
They build.
Most could be easily tallied as ‘things I do’ or ‘things I accomplish’ which would be true, but admittedly is far from being fully defined.
Because those things are mood-swingers.
Deliberate. Swinging. Swung.
Barely begun to swing, but already I’m swingin’ away like Willie Mays swinging for the fences. Swinging hard, to hit far, that’s my mood.
Swinging is a shift, big one – built in tiny bits, day at a time.
As every baseball fan knows – the best hitters in history have swung and missed far more times than they hit. They kept swinging.
Maybe a mid-life thing.
If we aren’t swinging, trying something whether a behavior change, new business we are inventing or venture to help the world or to at least help someone, then what is the point of our life?
Yes, it’s the mood I’m in.
Yes, it shifted.
What I’m thinking about, things I’m doing something about …
Mark Kolke
column written/ published from Calgary, AB
morning walk: -14C/8F, mid-sized dump of light snow overnight – and still falling, real winter weather has returned, traffic slow and Gusta had a great romp in the white stuff …
Reader feedback:
I'm glad you let me know … I have been playing The Sea recently here after not doing so for some times … and yes, the memories are palpable. So I have been listening to The Sea today and then walked on the beach....it brought back lots of good memories, a little sadness and some thoughtfulness about a number of things. Of course I first got the album in 1968 in Bar Harbour so it has been with me for almost a lifetime....I was only 21 then. And FAA, SC, Fredericton, NB (on holiday in Myrtle Beach)
Really appreciate you telling me about Rod McKuen. I, too, have loved many of his songs but didn’t realize he was a survivor. Am sorry his time on earth is now over... but what a fabulous legacy! If you know of other famous survivors, would really appreciate being told. Am trying to compile a list which I hope will comfort other survivors. Thanks, Mark. Stay warm but have fun in the snow! Cheers, FW, Calgary, AB
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