Web Miscellany: Compilation #106

Hello friends! I hope that life has been good to you.

This week, I had the honor of sharing my first post on The Heart of the Matter, where I write about using joy as a life raft, particularly during tough times. My most recent moment of joy: two bright red cardinals performing a mating dance in the leafless fig tree for a hidden suitor. Despite being a sports team mascot, northern cardinals are a rare sight in Phoenix. I’ll occassionally see one but have never witness two at at same time. 🐦🐦

Do you have any exciting plans for the days ahead? My plans for the three-day weekend? Fanatically reading Homegoing in preparation for next week’s book club meeting and writing a few emails to long-lost friends.

Hope your week to come is a good one!

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Food for thought

When you dream, are the majority set in a particular place? Many of my dreams take place in around the castles of Northern Europe or the English countryside. I’ve never been to Europe, and I’ve seen and read just as much about China, Africa, and other locations as Europe. Yet, when I first saw Julie Andrews singing in the hillsides as a young child, that place felt like home.

Lately, I’ve been thinking about ancestral memory, the idea that memories of our heritage live in our genes, in our blood, and in our bones, but it also lives in our minds, our cultures, our communities and in our unconscious, intuitive drives.

Certain medical conditions are “remembered” by our genes and passed on in this way. Each one of us carries the genetic footprint of our forebearers, remembered in our DNA. While theories about the inheritance of specific memories have been disproven, some scientist believe that more general associations formed by previous generations can pass from generation to generation through the genome.

Family patterns may also be passed down from parents to child across generations. We share stories of grandparents fighting in wars, ancestors traversing the Atlantic to being a new life, and ancient lineages building pyramids, coliseums, and temples. We may tap into the universal human experience and consider the bigger picture of where we’ve come from and what we’re destined to become.

I’m just blathering now. There’s not much in the way of objective evidence, though I must say I’m intrigued. It’s an idea I feel myself continual drawn towards.

Something actionable

Do you ever get irritated at strangers when they cut you off, take too long in the checkout, or do something incredibly inconsiderate? Pay attention when those thoughts arise. Consider that the other person likely doesn’t realize they are causing your inconvenience or strife. Rather than feeling anger or hostility, try to view that annoying stranger as a secret ally.

Commit to helping them if you see them drop their wallet or appear lost. Instead of seeking validation that they are a terrible human being, seek ways to bridge your humanity. This small exercise and simple shift in perspective can drastically improve our interactions in the world.

I must admit, though, I’m not yet a secret ally of the jerk who drives with his brights on in our well-lit neighborhood when we’re out for our evening walk. I’m trying, I promise.

Just for fun

What’s happened so far to the people who have cryogenically preserved themselves for later reanimation? The first ‘cryonauts’ met gruesome fates. A few of them decomposed into a ‘plug of fluids’ and were scraped off the bottom of a capsule. Out of all those frozen prior to 1973, one body remains preserved. The reason? His family took responsibility for meticulously maintaining the capsule.

I’ve always been a fan of soft science fictions. With Alcor right up the street, I remember thinking about, researching, and writing sci-fi stories about cryogenics all the time in my youth. While I’m not necessarily interested in being preserved in amber for an eternity, I do believe that the singularity is near and there is a good chance that forthcoming technologies will allow us to reverse aging and live forever. It’s strange and fascinating stuff. Yea… I’m a much bigger nerd than I let on. 🤓

Meme of the week

Relatable? Or is it just me? 🤣