I haven’t written in days, I have been putting off trying to explain the dilemma of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. I have both Jewish and Muslim friends and acquaintances now. I want to learn about the world and its people but I want to stay neutral. The conflict in Israel is not about religion but rather about territory. It is about two separate factions wanting their land of origin back. It involves centuries of history, interference from other countries, politics, anger, and unsuccessful compromises.
My country is divided. This, too, has been caused by centuries of history, interference from other countries, politics, anger, and an inability to compromise.
The world situation and the constant bad news is starting to affect me as it affects all of us. I’ve been waking up each morning feeling very crabby. I’ve been wanting to stop this since it comes with a lot of negative thoughts. My memory is sharp enough to replay all the scenes of stupid things I’ve said and the awful mistakes I’ve made in life and there are many.
But this morning I got an idea. A long time ago at an outdoor art festival, I learned about a thing called fractals. A young artist had made a design that repeated the same pattern in different sizes to make one big piece of art. He explained that fractals are everywhere in nature, for example, a grain of sand is a fractal of a once very large boulder.
This is clearly illustrated in the pictures above. Each part of whole thing is made of smaller parts that are miniatures of itself.
Maybe life is like the broccoli in the picture. I’ve decided to break down my life so I can be a better part of the whole. I will never be able to totally understand or change the whole world but I can appreciate one person at a time. I can listen to human stories and enjoy the uniqueness of each one. And in the process of customizing each individual encounter, I hope to find that it is okay to stand up for myself when needed, changing the things I can and accepting the things I can’t. I can acknowledge my flaws and imperfections and learn from them. Calming my busy mind, I can let go of the past and remain unanxious about the future. Reducing things into manageable steps, I can take one day at a time and make the most of every moment.
Today is January 1, 2020, the beginning of a new year and a new decade. Tomorrow I start PT for my broken ankle and I will learn to walk again, one step at a time.
I’m writing again on my blog. Some of my entries are better than others. I make errors, sometimes I find them when I reread and sometimes I don’t. There are people who won’t ever read my blog and there are some people who don’t like what I say or how I say it. But I love to write. I will keep writing, one post, one word at a time
Happy New Year! May each of us, in our own way, find peace.
Copyright@2020 The Autonomous Traveler All rights reserved.
The Autonomous Traveler 
Joyce, Somehow I missed how you got a broken ankle? You are my 4th friend with either a broken ankle or foot currently. One was “attacked” by a pickle jar that fell out when she opened the fridge.
Hope your convalescence is quick and you’re back to normal soon!
Larry
Sent from my iPhone
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I slipped on some gravel in the Golan Heights near the Syrian/Lebanon border. My rear end landed on my foot. It will all be in my book “Fall, Bounce, Pray” and then made into a movie. 🙂 I’m so sorry Phyllis Diller passed, she would have been perfect playing me. I am still going to do my solo 80 day road trip through the American South. It will start in Feb. Late but it doesn’t matter since I’m retired. I guess foot breakage is going around. I will be okay. Thanks for your kind thoughts, Larry. So good to hear from you. Loved the card you sent. Happy New Year.
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Joyce, I just love you. You and your writing inspire me. I love your candor and your deep thought into things. I also love your independence. I’ve always admired that about you. Love you, my friend and I hope your ankle heals fast and you are back to walking soon!
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Thank you so much, Dawn! I want to go out for lunch with you when I get better and can drive. I value your friendship! We need to reconnect.
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I love your blog, keep on writing my friend. Hope to see you in the south!!
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Birthday Buddy, so good to hear from you. We will see each other in 2020 either on The Atlantic or on The Erie! It’s always fun to spend time with you. Always feel I can really be myself! We are on the same wavelength.
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Happy New Year to you as well, Joyce. So glad you are writing again. I have missed you and your words. They always help me see things, situations, and myself in a better light. Best wishes with your PT. I had PT for a shoulder and a knee in the past year and it truly helped me. Hope it does you. Take care friend.
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Terry, you are one of the people I most look to for feedback. So glad to hear from you. You always motivate me to keep going. PT was very encouraging today.There are a lot of great people in this world that help others and sometimes they don’t fully understand all the impact they have. I have witnessed much kindness, here in our North Country and in Israel. You, Terry, are one of those great people.
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I love this thoughtful piece of writing. It gives hope in a time of upheaval. And, Lord knows, we all need hope!
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Thanks, Karen. It is a time of upheaval. We have to stay strong and put positive energy back into the world. Yes, it is hard. Maybe the saving grace is that the internet is shining more light on dishonest and corrupt practices. Let’s hope!
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